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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a90d8aa --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #63224 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63224) diff --git a/old/63224-8.txt b/old/63224-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f44b887..0000000 --- a/old/63224-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8202 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of With the Persian Expedition, by M. H. Donohoe - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: With the Persian Expedition - -Author: M. H. Donohoe - -Release Date: September 18, 2020 [EBook #63224] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - - - - -WITH THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION - - - - -[Illustration: THE ROAD TO BIRKANDI.] - - - - WITH THE PERSIAN - EXPEDITION - - - BY - - MAJOR M. H. DONOHOE - - LATE ARMY INTELLIGENCE CORPS - - - - ILLUSTRATED - - - - LONDON - EDWARD ARNOLD - 1919 - - (_All rights reserved_) - - - - - TO THE MEMORY OF - - MY COMRADES OF THE IMPERIAL AND - DOMINION FORCES - - WHO, IN THE CONCLUDING YEAR OF THE GREAT WAR, - GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE WORLD'S FREEDOM - IN PERSIA AND TRANSCAUCASIA. - - - - -{v} - -PREFACE - -No one can be more alive than I am to the fact that of the making of -war books there is no end, nor can anyone hear mentally more plainly -than I do how, at each fresh appearance of a work dealing with the -world tragedy of the past five years, weary reviewers and jaded -public alike exclaim, "What? Yet another!" Why, then, have I added -this of mine to the already so formidable list? - -Well, chiefly because in the beginning of 1918 Fate and the War -Office sent me into a field of operations almost unknown and unheeded -of the average home-keeping Briton--viz., that of North-West Persia, -in the land lying towards the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea; and my -experiences there led me into bypaths of the Great War so unusual as -to seem well worth describing, quite apart from the military -importance of the movements of which they were but a minute part. - -However, in the latter aspect, too, I hope my book will serve as a -useful footnote to the history of the gigantic struggle now happily -ended. - -The story of the Persian campaign needed to be told, and I am glad to -add my humble quota to the recital. It is the story of a little -force operating far {vi} away from the limelight, unknown to the -people at home, and seemingly forgotten a great part of the time even -by the authorities themselves. It was to this force--commanded by -General Dunsterville, and hence known to those who knew it at all as -"Dunsterforce"--that I was attached, and it is about it that I have -written here. I have tried to make clear what the "Dunsterforce" -was, why it was sent out, and how far it succeeded in accomplishing -its mission. In order to do this I have been obliged to treat rather -fully both of local geography and politics. For here we had no -clear-cut campaign in which all the people of one country were in -arms against all the people of another country. No! It was a very -mixed-up and complicated business, as anyone who troubles to read -what I have written will readily see. - -Then, again, it was a war waged distinctly off the beaten track. -During its progress we came across tribes to whom Great Britain was -as some legendary land in another solar sphere--tribes to whom the -aeroplane and the automobile were undreamed-of marvels--tribes, -finally, whose habitat and modes of life and thought are almost as -unknown to the average European as his are to them. For this reason -I have devoted some space to descriptions of places and people as I -saw them. - -A word should perhaps be said as to how and why I happened to be -there at all. - -{vii} - -War has figured very largely in my life. For the past twenty years, -as Special Correspondent of the _Daily Chronicle_, I have been -privileged to be present at most of the world's great upheavals, both -military and political. - -From July, 1914, on, for some eighteen months, I followed the -fortunes of the Entente armies in the field as a war chronicler, -first in Serbia, next in Belgium, and afterwards in Italy and -Greece--a poor journalistic Lazarus picking up such crumbs of news as -fell from the overladen table of Dives, the Censor. But I was not -happy, because I felt I was not doing my "bit" as effectively as I -might; so I followed the example of millions of other citizens of the -Empire and joined the army. Detailed to the Intelligence Corps, I -was sent first to Roumania, then to Russia. Escaping from the "Red -Terror" in Petrograd, I finally found myself one day embarking for -the remote land of Iran as Special Service Officer with -"Dunsterforce"--at which point this chronicle begins. - -THE AUTHOR. - - PARIS, - _October_, 1919. - - - - -{ix} - -CONTENTS - -CHAPTER I - -THE START OF THE "HUSH-HUSH" BRIGADE - -A mystery expedition--Tower of London conference--From Flanders mud -to Eastern dust--An Imperial forlorn hope--Some fine fighting -types--The amphibious purser--In the submarine zone--Our Japanese -escort - - -CHAPTER II - -EGYPT TO THE PERSIAN GULF - -Afloat in an insect-house--Captain Kettle in command--Overcrowding -and small-pox--The s.s. _Tower of Babel_--A shark scare--Koweit - - -CHAPTER III - -THE CITY OF SINBAD - -Arrival at Basra--A city of filth--Transformation by the -British--Introducing sport to the natives--The Arabs and the cinema - - -CHAPTER IV - -AT A PERSIAN WEDDING - -Visit to the Sheikh of Mohammerah--A Persian banquet - - -CHAPTER V - -UP THE TIGRIS TO KUT - -Work of the river flotilla--Thames steamboats on the Tigris--The -waterway through the desert--The renaissance of Amarah--The river's -jazz-step course--The old Kut and the new--In Townshend's old -headquarters--Turks' monument to short-lived triumph - - -{x} - -CHAPTER VI - -BAGDAD - -Arabian nights and motor-cars--The old and the new in Bagdad--"Noah's -dinghy"--Bible history illustrated--At a famous tomb-mosque - - -CHAPTER VII - -EARLY HISTORY OF DUNSTERVILLE's FORCE - -Jealousy and muddle--The dash for the Caspian--Holding on hundreds of -miles from anywhere--A 700-mile raid that failed--The cockpit of the -Middle East--Some recent politics in Persia--How our way to the -Caspian was barred - - -CHAPTER VIII - -OFF TO PERSIA - -Au revoir to Bagdad--The forts on the frontier--Customs house for the -dead--A land of desolation and death--A city of the past--An -underground mess--Methods of rifle thieves - - -CHAPTER IX - -THROUGH MUD TO KIRIND - -A city of starving cave-dwellers--An American woman's mission to the -wild--A sect of salamanders--Profiteering among the Persians--A -callous nation--Wireless orders to sit tight--Awaiting attack--The -"mountain tiger" - - -CHAPTER X - -KIRIND TO KERMANSHAH - -Pillage and famine--A land of mud--The Chikar Zabar Pass--Wandering -Dervishes--Poor hotel accommodation--A "Hunger Battalion"--A city of -the past - - -{xi} - -CHAPTER XI - -A CITY OF FAMINE - -In ancient Hamadan--With Dunsterville at last--His precarious -position--"Patriots" as profiteers--Victims of famine--Driven to -cannibalism--Women kill their children for food--Trial and -execution--Famine relief schemes--Deathblow to the Democrats--"Stalky" - - -CHAPTER XII - -DUNSTERVILLE STRIKES AFRESH - -Official hindrances--A fresh blow for the Caucasus--The long road to -Tabriz--A strategic centre--A Turkish invasion--Rising of Christian -tribes--A local Joan of Arc--The British project - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE RACE FOR TABRIZ - -A scratch pack for a great adventure--Wagstaff of Persia--Among the -Afshars--Guests of the chief--Capture of Zinjan--Peace and -profiteering - - -CHAPTER XIV - -CAPTURE OF MIANEH - -Armoured car causes consternation--Reconnoitring the road--Flying -column sets out--An easy capture at the gates of Tabriz--Tribesmen -raid the armoured car--And have a thin time--Turks get the wind up - - -CHAPTER XV - -LIFE IN MIANEH - -Training local levies--A city of parasites and rogues--A knave turns -philanthropist--Turks getting active--Osborne's comic opera -force--Jelus appeal for help--An aeroplane to the rescue--The -democrats impressed--Women worried by aviator's "shorts"--Skirmishes -on the Tabriz road--Reinforcements at last - - -{xii} - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE FIGHT AT TIKMADASH - -Treachery of our irregulars--Turkish machine gun in the -village--Headquarters under fire--Native levies break and -bolt--British force withdrawn--Turks proclaim a Holy War--Cochrane's -demonstration--In search of the missing force--Natives mutiny--A -quick cure for "cholera"--A Turkish patrol captured--Meeting with -Cochrane--A forced retreat--Our natives desert--A difficult night -march--Arrival at Turkmanchai--Turks encircling us--A fresh retirement - - -CHAPTER XVII - -EVACUATION OF MIANEH - -We have a chilly reception--Our popularity wanes--Preparation for -further retirement--Back to the Kuflan Kuh Pass--Our defensive -position--Turks make a frontal attack--Our line overrun--Gallantry of -Hants and Worcesters--Pursuit by Turks--Armoured cars save the -situation--Prisoners escape from Turks--Persians as fighters - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -CRUSHING A PLOT - -Anti-British activities--Headquarters at Hamadan--Plans to seize -ringleaders--Midnight arrests--How the Governor was entrapped - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE FIRST EXPEDITION TO BAKU - -Kuchik Khan bars the road--Turk and Russian movements--Kuchik Khan's -force broken up--Bicherakoff reaches Baku--British armoured car crews -in Russian uniforms--Fighting around Baku--Baku abandoned--Captain -Crossing charges six-inch guns - - -{xiii} - -CHAPTER XX - -THE NEW DASH TO BAKU - -Treachery in the town--Jungalis attack Resht--Armoured cars in -street-fighting--Baku tires of Bolshevism--British summoned to the -rescue--Dunsterville sets out--Position at Baku on arrival--British -officers' advice ignored--Turkish attacks--Pressing through the -defences--Baku again evacuated - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE TURKS AND THE CHRISTIAN TRIBES - -Guerrilla warfare--Who the Nestorian and other Christian tribes -are--Turkish massacres--Russian withdrawal and its effect--British -intervention - - -CHAPTER XXII - -IN KURDISTAN - -The last phase--Dunsterforce ceases to exist--The end of Turkish -opposition--Off to Bijar--The Kurdish tribes--Raids on Bijar--Moved -on by a policeman--Governor and poet - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE END OF HOSTILITIES - -Types of Empire defenders--Local feeling--Dealing with Kurdish -raiders--An embarrassing offer of marriage--Prestige by -aeroplane--Anniversary of Hossain the Martyr--News of the -Armistice--Local waverers come down on our side of the -fence--Releasing civil prisoners--Farewell of Bajar--Down country to -the sea and home - - -APPENDIX - -THE WORK OF THE DUNSTERFORCE ARMOURED CAR BRIGADE - - -INDEX - - - - -{xv} - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -THE ROAD TO BIRKANDI ... _frontispiece_ - -BRITISH-TRAINED PERSIAN POLICE - -HÔTEL D'EUROPE AT RESHT - -STONE BRIDGE AT SIAH RUD - -TYPICAL PERSIAN VILLAGE - -PERSIAN TRANSPORT - -DARIUS INSCRIPTIONS AT BISITUN - -CARAVANSERAI, BISITUN - -DRILLING JEHUS AT HAMADAN - -ROAD NEAR RUDBAR - -NORTH GATE OF KASVIN - -DRILLING ARMENIANS AT BAKU - -GROUP OF STAFFORDS AT BALADADAR STATION - -SIX-INCH HOWITZER IN ACTION AT BAKU - -GENERAL VIEW OF SCENE FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN RETIREMENT - -HARVESTING IN PERSIA - - -_Map ... facing page_ 1 - - - - -[Illustration: Map] - - - - -{1} - -WITH THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE START OF THE "HUSH-HUSH" BRIGADE - -A mystery expedition--Tower of London conference--From Flanders mud -to Eastern dust--An Imperial forlorn hope--Some fine fighting -types--The amphibious purser--In the submarine zone--Our Japanese -escort. - - -Scarcely had dawn tinged the sky of a February day in 1918 when there -crept out of the inner harbour of Taranto a big transport bound for -Alexandria. It was laden with British and Dominion troops. - -All were for service overseas. There were units for India and Egypt, -a contingent of Nursing Sisters for East Africa, and a detachment of -Sappers for Aden. The transport stealing noiselessly towards the -open sea was the P. and O. liner _Malwa_, and, as a precaution -against submarine attack, she had been so extensively and grotesquely -camouflaged by dockyard artists in black and white that some of her -own crew coming alongside on a dark night had difficulty in -recognizing her. - -The _Malwa_, too, had on board the members of a military expedition, -surely one of the most {2} extraordinary that ever crossed the sea to -fight the battles of the Empire in distant lands. Our official -designation was the "Dunsterville" or "Bagdad Party"; but War Office -cynics, and the damsel who sold us our patent filters and Tommy -Cookers at the military equipment stores in London, knew us as the -"Hush-hush" Brigade. And the "Hush-hush" Brigade we were privileged -to remain. This nickname met us in Alexandria, followed us to Cairo -and distant Basra, and preceded us to the City of the Caliphs on the -shores of the muddy-brown Tigris. - -On the eve of the departure from England of the main body for the -Italian port of embarkation, a heart-to-heart talk between General -Sir William Robertson and the members of the Bagdad Party had taken -place at the Tower of London. The veil of official secrecy was drawn -ever so little aside, and, allowed a peep behind, we beheld a field -of military activity with a distinctly Eastern setting. Men who had -been "over the top" in Flanders heard with a joyous throb of -expectation that the next time they went into the line would be -probably somewhere in Persia or the Caucasus. They were as happy as -children at the prospect, finding it a welcome relief from muddy -tramps through the low-lying lands of the Western Front, the dull -grey skies, the monotony of life in flooded trenches under incessant -bombardment, varied only by an occasional rush across No-Man's Land -to get at the Hun throat. We were going from mud to dust, but -hurrah! anyway. - -{3} - -On that February morning, as the _Malwa_ slipped past Taranto town -and into the roadstead where lay her Japanese destroyer escort, the -roll-call of the Bagdad Party showed a strength of 70 officers and -140 N.C.O's. This was to be the nucleus of a force which we hoped -would combat and overthrow Bolshevism, make common cause with -Armenians, Georgians, and Tartars, raise and train local levies, and -bar with a line of bayonets the further progress of Turk and German -by way of the Caspian Sea and Russian Turkestan towards the Gates of -India. - -With few exceptions our party consisted of Dominion soldiers gathered -from the remote corners of the Empire. There were Anzacs and -Springboks, Canadians from the far North-West, men who had charged up -the deadly shell-swept slopes of Gallipoli, and those who had won -through at Vimy Ridge. They were, in fact, a hardened band of -adventurous soldiers, fit to go anywhere and do anything, men who had -lived on the brink of the pit for three years and had come back from -the Valley of the Shadow of Death. - -The War Office needed the raw material for a desperate enterprise. -It was found by Brigadier-General Byron, himself an able and -experienced soldier with a brilliant South African fighting -reputation. He went across to Flanders and picked out the cream of -the fighting men from the South African contingent and from the -magnificent Australian and Canadian Divisions. I do not recall a -single officer {4} or N.C.O. who had not won at least one decoration -for bravery. We had with us, too, a small party of Russian officers -who, fleeing from the Red Terror when their army broke and melted -away, remained loyal to the Entente, and volunteered for the -Caucasus, where they hoped to prove to the Bolsheviks that the cause -of Russian national and military honour was not entirely lost. - -Our Russian allies for the Caucasus were mostly young men, -enthusiastic and keen soldiers, endowed with the splendid fighting -spirit of the old Russian Army such as I knew it in the early spring -campaign of 1915 in Bukovina, when it fought with empty rifles and -stood up to the encircling Austrians in those terrible February days -that preceded and followed the evacuation of Czernowitch. - -On the _Malwa_, I remember, we had with us Captain Bray, an -Anglo-Russian who had been a liaison officer in London, and spoke -English like an Englishman. Then there was a Colonel who had been -earmarked for death when his regiment mutinied and went "Red" at -Viborg in Finland. Scantily clad, he had escaped his would-be -assassins, fleeing bare-footed into the darkness of the Finnish -winter night. After many hairbreadth escapes he had gained Swedish -territory and safety. - -[Illustration: BRITISH TRAINED PERSIAN POLICE.] - -There was also Captain George Eve, an Anglo-Russian mining engineer, -who came from South America to enlist, and who, because of his accent -and foreign appearance, had been arrested more than {5} once in the -front line in Flanders on suspicion of being a German spy dressed in -British uniform. - -Colonel Smiles of the Armoured Car Section was another interesting -figure. A descendant of Smiles of "Self-Help" fame, he had won the -D.S.O. and the Cross of St. George while fighting with the -Locker-Lampson unit in Russia. - -Where practically every second man had a record of thrilling deeds -behind him it is difficult to individualize, but a word must be given -to Colonel Warden, D.S.O., of the Canadian Contingent. "Honest John" -was the affectionate nickname bestowed upon him by the ship's -company, who found a special fascination in his childlike simplicity -of character combined with exceptional soldierly qualities. - -Another refreshingly original type was Colonel Donnan, the C.O. of -the party. Apart from other things, his physical qualities seemed to -mark him out for the important post he occupied. They were -calculated to strike terror into any Hun or other heart. A veritable -Sandow, his burly thick-set figure, black bristling moustache, and -dark piercing eyes were valuable assets for the man whose task was to -discipline such a mixed company as ours, and the nurses affected an -exaggerated terror of them, well knowing (the minxes!) that they were -but the outworks of the fortress behind which was entrenched the -Colonel's kind heart--outworks apt to go down like ninepins when -assailed by a woman's tearful pleadings. - -{6} - -Colonel Donnan is one of the strong, silent Englishmen who have done -so much in an unostentatious way to push the interests of the British -Empire in the far-off places of the earth. A great Orientalist, he -has passed through many Eastern lands in disguise, bringing back -precious fruits of his labours in a store of information, both -military and political, gathered in his journeyings. - -The _Malwa_ boasted an amphibious purser named Milman. For three and -a half years, ever since the war began, he had been sailing up and -down the seas from London to Rio, and from Bombay to Liverpool, and -he knew from personal contact the summer and winter temperature of -the Mediterranean Sea better than did any meteorologist from -collected data. In fact, he had been torpedoed so many times that he -had begun to look upon it as part of the routine of his daily life. -He possessed a life-saving suit, his own improved design, which was -at once the wonder and admiration of all who inspected it. It was of -rubber, in form not unlike a diving dress, with a hood which came -over the head of the wearer and was made fast under the chin. In -front were two pockets, which always remained ready rationed with a -spirit-flask, some sandwiches, and a pack of patience cards. It was -the purser's travelling outfit when he was overboard in the -Mediterranean or elsewhere and waiting to be hauled on board a rescue -boat. - -Occasionally when, in harbour, time hung heavily on his hands, this -amphibious purser would clothe {7} himself in his rubber suit, slip -over the ship's side, and go off for an outing. Once in Port Said, -while gently floating off on one of these aquatic excursions, he was -sighted by the port guardship, and a picket-boat was sent to fish him -out under the impression that he was dead. "This bloke is a gonner -all right!" said one of the crew, as he reached for him with a -boathook. Then the "corpse" sat up and said things. So did the -spokesman of the astonished crew when, having recovered from the -shock, he found his voice again. - -Milman was a cheery optimist. Nothing ever perturbed him. He was a -recognized authority on "silver fish" (_i.e._, torpedoes) and -cocktails, was an excellent raconteur, and possessed all the suavity -and tact of a finished diplomat. When nervous ladies worried the -doctor and cross-examined him as to the habits and hunting methods of -Hun submarines, he invariably passed them on to the purser, and -always with the happiest results; for, under the spell of Milman's -racy talk, they soon forgot their fears. - -The second day out from Taranto brought us well within the submarine -danger zone. We changed course repeatedly, for wireless had warned -us of the proximity of the dreaded sea pirate. The _Tagus_, our -fellow transport, proved herself a laggard; she was falling behind -and keeping station badly, and the Commodore of our Japanese escort -was busy hurling remonstrances at her in the Morse code. {8} Our -three Japanese destroyers made diligent and efficient scouts. They -gambolled over the blue waters of the Mediterranean like so many -sheepdogs protecting a moorland flock. Now one or another raced away -to starboard, then to port, then circled round and round us, took -station amidships, or dropped astern. - -Their tactics, perhaps one should say their antics, must have been -extremely baffling, even exasperating, to any enemy submarine -commander lying low in the hope of bagging the _Malwa_ or the -_Tagus_. Nothing seemed to escape the keen-eyed sailors of the -Mikado's navy. Experience had taught them the value of seagulls as -submarine spotters. Endowed with extraordinary instinct and eyes -that see far below the surface of the sea, the resting gulls detect a -submarine coming up anywhere in their vicinity, take fright, and -hurriedly fly away. Whenever the gulls gave the signal--and there -were many false alarms--a Japanese destroyer would race to the spot -in readiness for Herr Pirate; but he never appeared. - -However, the Hun was not always so cautious. There was great -rejoicing on board the _Malwa_ when the wireless told us that west of -us, in the Malta Channel, Japanese vigilance had been rewarded, -transports saved from destruction, and two enemy submarines sent to -the bottom. It was all the work of a few minutes. Whether the enemy -failed to sight the destroyers, or whether they intended to chance -their luck and fight them, is not quite clear. At all {9} events, -Submarine No. 1 popped up dead ahead of one destroyer and was -promptly rammed and sunk. Submarine No. 2 met with an equally -unmistakable end. It had already singled out a transport for attack, -when a second Japanese destroyer engaged it at seven hundred yards' -range and blew its hull to pieces. - -Nevertheless it was an anxious time for us on the _Malwa_ living in -hourly dread of being torpedoed. The Nursing Sisters professed to -treat the danger with scorn; they were courageous and cheery souls, -and would unhesitatingly have faced death with the equanimity of the -bravest man. - -Ten in the forenoon and five in the afternoon were the hours of -greatest peril, when submarine attacks might be specially expected. -Everyone "stood to" at these hours, wearing the regulation lifebelt, -and ready to take to the boats if the ship were hit and in danger of -sinking. Colonel Donnan, C.O. ship, was a strict disciplinarian. He -enhanced the somewhat piratical ferocity of mien with which nature -had gifted him by always carrying his service revolver buckled on and -ready for any emergency, and the Nursing Sisters professed to be in -great trepidation each time at inspection parade when he ran his -critical eye over their life-saving equipment. Of course knots -sometimes went wrong, and the strings of the life-belt were tied the -incorrect way; but volunteers were never lacking to adjust the erring -straps and to see that they sat on a pretty pair of {10} shoulders in -the manner laid down in Regulations, while the ferociously -tender-hearted C.O. smiled approval. - -On the fourth day after leaving Taranto the _Malwa_ steamed into -Alexandria Harbour. Everyone was in the highest spirits. We had -escaped the submarine peril, and the period of nervous tension while -waiting in expectancy of a bolt from the deep was happily over. It -was a glorious spring day; the warm, radiant sun of Egypt gave us a -fitting welcome. - -The stay in Alexandria of the Bagdad Party was short. Orders came -through from headquarters that we were to proceed to Suez by rail as -soon as possible to join a waiting troopship there. That night there -were many tender leave-takings in quiet secluded nooks on the upper -deck of the _Malwa_. During our four days' journey from Taranto the -Australians on board had proved themselves to be as deadly effective -in love as they are in war. But now had come the parting of the -ways, with the pain and bitterness of separation. Perhaps a kindly -Fate may reunite some of these sundered ones, but for many that can -never be. At least three of those bright, cheery Australian lads -sleep in soldiers' graves beneath the soil of Persia, far from their -own South Land and from the girls to whom they plighted their troth -that last night in the harbour of Alexandria beneath the starry -Egyptian sky. - -General Byron, his orderly officer, and myself left the same evening -for Cairo en route for Suez. Next {11} day we had time to obtain a -fleeting glimpse of the Pyramids, take tea at Shepheards', and be -held to ransom by an energetic British matron who ordered us to -"stand and deliver" in the name of some philanthropic institution -which had not the remotest connection with the War or any suffering -arising out of the War. The General furnished the soft answer that -turneth away wrath, and with that, plus a small contribution for -supplying wholly unnecessary blankets to the aboriginal inhabitants -of some tropical country, we were allowed to retain the remainder of -our spare cash and to continue our journey in the Land of Egypt. - - - - -{12} - -CHAPTER II - -EGYPT TO THE PERSIAN GULF - -Afloat in an insect-house--Captain Kettle in command--Overcrowding -and small-pox--The s.s. _Tower of Babel_--A shark scare--Koweit. - - -Forty-eight hours after disembarking at Alexandria we were steaming -down the Gulf of Suez on board a second transport bound for the -Persian Gulf. - -It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast than that between -the vessel which brought us across the Mediterranean and the one that -was now carrying us towards the portals of the Middle East. The -latter was a decrepit steamer, indescribably filthy, which had been -running in the China trade for a quarter of a century. Though -favoured by the mildest of weather, the old tub groaned in every -joint as she thumped her way down the Red Sea towards the Indian -Ocean. Long overdue for the scrap-heap, when the war broke out she -was turned into a transport, and thenceforth carried cargoes of -British troops instead of Chinese coolies. Her decks and upper works -were thickly encrusted with dirt, the careful hoarding of years; and -a paint-brush had not touched her for generations. Her cabins were -so many entomological museums where insect life {13} flourished. In -the worm-eaten recesses of the woodwork lurked colonies of parasites -gathered from every corner of the globe, fighting for the principle -of self-determination of small nations. The bathroom door, held in -place by a single rusty hinge, hung at a drunken angle, and the -inflow pipe of the bath was choked with rust. At night, as you slept -in your bunk, playful mice, by way of establishing friendly -relations, would nibble at your big toe, and a whole family of -cockroaches would attempt new long-distance-sprinting records up and -down the bedclothes. - -The Captain of the ship was a sharp-featured ferret-eyed individual -who sometimes wore a collar. No one knew his exact nationality, but -he bore a tolerable resemblance to Cutcliffe Hyne's immortal "Captain -Kettle." Indeed, he was said to cultivate this resemblance by every -means in his power. He had a pointed, unshaven chin; he wore a -much-faded uniform cap tilted over one ear. On the bridge you would -see him with hands thrust deep in his trouser pockets and chewing a -cigar. As master of a tramp, he had nosed his way into almost every -port in both hemispheres. He had traded from China to Peru, and -along the Pacific Coast of America. In his wanderings he had -acquired a Yankee accent and a varied and picturesque polyglot -vocabulary which, when the floodgates of his wrath were opened, he -turned with telling effect upon his Lascar crew or his European -officers. He was a man of moods and {14} strange oaths, a good -seaman with a marked taste for poker and magazine literature of the -cheap sensational kind. - -Such, then, was our ship, and such its skipper! When we had arrived -at Suez, where we embarked, there were several cases of smallpox -amongst its Lascar firemen. The Embarkation Officer had feared -infection, and had hesitated to send us on board; but he was -overruled by a higher authority somewhere in Egypt or England. There -was no other transport available, it was said; the units for India -and for Persia were urgently needed; and, smallpox or no smallpox, -sail we must--and did. - -The ship was terribly overcrowded. The Indian troops "pigged it" -aft; the British troops were accommodated in the hold; and those of -the officers who were unable to find quarters elsewhere unstrapped -their camp bed and slept on deck. Fortunately it was the cool season -in the Red Sea; the days were warm, but not uncomfortably so; and the -nights were sharp and bracing, the head-wind which we carried with us -all the way to Aden keeping the thermometer from climbing beyond the -normal. - -Once clear of Suez everybody settled down to work, a very useful -relief to the discomforts of life on an overcrowded transport. -Youthful subalterns joining the Indian Army set themselves to study -Hindustani grammars and vocabularies with the valiant intention of -acquiring colloquial proficiency before they even sighted Bombay. -Members of the {15} Bagdad Party, stimulated by this exhibition of -industry, tackled Persian and Russian. We had two officers who -offered themselves as teachers of the language of Iran--Lieutenant -Akhbar, a native-born Persian whose English home was at Manchester, -and Captain Cooper of the Dorsets, who had studied Oriental tongues -in England, and had been wounded at Gallipoli in a hand-to-hand fight -with the Turks. - -For Russian also there was no lack of teachers, the Russian officers, -Captain Eve, and I taking charge of classes. In my own section, -elementary Russian, I had twenty-two N.C.O.'s as eager and willing -pupils. The majority were Australians, and, although dismayed at -first by the bizarre appearance of the unfamiliar characters, and the -seemingly unsurmountable difficulties of what one Anzac aptly -described as "this upside-down language," they put their backs into -it with very remarkable results, plodding away at their lessons hour -after hour with unwearying zeal. Some had picked up a smattering of -"Na Poo" French on the Western Front; a few spoke French fairly well; -but the majority knew no foreign language at all; yet the quick alert -Australian brain captured the entire Russian alphabet in forty-eight -hours after beginning the preliminary assault. - -I have sometimes thought since that to the Gods on High our ship must -have appeared a sort of floating Tower of Babel, so intent on -speaking strange tongues were each and all. - -Before we reached the Indian Ocean, one of the {16} ship's officers -disappeared in a mysterious manner. He was missed from the bridge at -midnight and, although diligent search was made, no trace of him was -ever found, and it had to be assumed that he had jumped or fallen -overboard. Our Goanese stewards who were Christians looked upon this -incident with the greatest misgivings. Knowing the superstitions of -the Lascar crew, they secretly felt that the missing officer had been -thrown overboard by some of them to placate a huge shark that had -been following the ship for days. The Lascars have a great dread of -such company at sea. To their untutored minds this voracious brute -following a vessel foretells death to someone on board; so better a -sacrificial victim than perhaps one of themselves! - -Personally, I do not think for a moment that Lascar superstition was -responsible for the disappearance of the missing man, nor that these -people are given to the propitiation of the Man-Eaters of the Red -Sea. But when, two nights later, one of the Lascars vanished as -mysteriously as had the ship's officer, and this too in calm weather, -it looked as if some Evil Spirit had found a place on board. -Stewards and crew now became terrified. The former would not venture -alone on the deck at night, and the Lascars, sorely puzzled over the -fate of their comrade, went about their work in fear and trembling. - -This dread of the mysterious and the unseen became contagious and -affected others outside the ship's company. Subalterns who had been -sleeping {17} on hammocks slung close to the ship's rail and whose -courage had been proved on many a field, now decided that, shark -worship or no shark worship, they would be safer elsewhere, and -transferred themselves to the 'tween decks. Anyhow, the Sea Demon -must by this time have been satisfied, for we lost no more of our -personnel. - -We arrived off Koweit in the Gulf of Persia on March 1st, seventeen -days after leaving Suez. - -Koweit, or Kuwet, is an important seaport on the Arabian side at the -south-west angle of the Persian Gulf, about eighty miles due south of -Basra, our port of destination. Kuwet is the diminutive form of Kut, -a common term in Irak for a walled village, and the port lies in the -south side of a bay twenty miles long and five miles wide. Seen -through our glasses it did not seem a prepossessing place, for the -bare stony desert stretched away for miles behind the town. Yet only -by accident had it escaped greatness. In 1850 General Chesny, who -knew these parts by heart, recommended it as the terminus of his -proposed Euphrates Valley Railway; and, when the extension of the -Anatolian Railway to Bagdad and the Gulf was mooted, Koweit was long -regarded as a possible terminus. But the War altered all that, and -it is doubtful now if Koweit, which lives by its sea commerce alone, -will even achieve the distinction of becoming the terminal point of a -branch line of the railway which is destined to link up two -continents. - -{18} - -The Turks and Germans have long had their eyes open to the great -possibilities of Koweit. The former in 1898 attempted a military -occupation, but were warned off by the British, and abandoned their -efforts to obtain a foothold in this commercial outpost of the Gulf, -while the ruling Sheikh was sagacious enough to be aware of the -danger of Turkish absorption, and to avert it by placing his -dominions under the protection of Great Britain. The -German-subsidized Hamburg-Amerika Line made an eleventh hour attempt -to capture the trade of the Gulf, and in the months immediately -preceding the War devoted special attention to Koweit and Basra -trade, carrying freight at rates which must have meant a heavy -financial loss. It was all part of the German Weltpolitik to oust us -from these lucrative markets of the Middle East, and to secure for -German shipping a monopoly of the Gulf carrying trade. With the -German-controlled Bagdad Railway approaching completion, one shudders -to realize what would have been our fate economically, if the -sea-borne trade of Basra and Koweit had passed under the flag and -into the hands of the enterprising Hun. - -Basra lies about eighty miles to the north of Koweit. It is here -that the Shatt el Arab (literally the river of the Arabs, or, -otherwise, the commingled Euphrates and Tigris) empties itself into -the Persian Gulf. Vessels with a greater draught than nineteen feet -cannot easily negotiate the bar. Our own transport was bound for -Bombay, so it was with a feeling {19} of thankfulness that we quitted -her for ever and were transferred to a British India liner, the -_Erinrupy_, which since the beginning of the War has been used as a -hospital ship. She was spick and span, and the general air of -cleanliness was so marked after the filthy tub that had conveyed us -from Suez that we trod her decks and ventured into her cabins with an -air of apologetic timidity. - -It was half a day's run up river to Basra. Next morning we were -speeding along with the swirling brown waters of the Shatt el Arab -lapping our counter, the land of Iran on our right, and that of Irak -on our left. It grew warmer, and there was a good deal of moisture -in the air. The low flat shores, cut up by irrigation canals, were -covered by date-palm groves. Dhows and other strange river craft, -laden with merchandise, dotted the surface of the brown waters, and -the glorious green of the foreshores was a welcome relief to eyes -tired of the arid sterility of the Arabian shore. A few miles below -Basra we steered a careful course, passing the sunken hulls of two -Turkish gunboats which the enemy had submerged in the fairway in the -hope of blocking the river channel and preventing the victorious -British maritime and war flotillas from reaching Basra. Like most -other operations undertaken by the Turks the effort was badly -bungled, and the channel was left free to our ships. - - - - -{20} - -CHAPTER III - -THE CITY OF SINBAD - -Arrival at Basra--A city of filth--Transformation by the -British--Introducing sport to the natives--The Arabs and the cinema. - - -Basra or Busra, the Bastra of Marco Polo, and for ever linked with -the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor, is one of the most important -ports of Asiatic Turkey, and sits on the right bank of the Shatt el -Arab a short distance below the confluence of the Tigris and the -Euphrates. - -It is built on low-lying marshy land where the malarial mosquito -leads an energetic and healthy life. Basra proper is about a mile -from the river, up a narrow and malodorous creek, and when the tide -is out the mud of this creek cries out in strange tongues. The -natives, however, seem to thrive upon its nauseating vapours. It is -at once the source of their water supply and the receptacle for -sewerage. In this delectable spot, as indeed throughout Asiatic -Turkey and Persia, sanitary science is still unborn, and the streets -are the dumping-ground for refuse. - -The long, narrow bellem, with its pointed prow, in general appearance -not unlike a gondola, is the chief means of communication between the -Shatt {21} el Arab and Basra itself. If the tide is low, the Arab in -charge poles up or down stream, and when you arrive at your -destination you generally pick your way through festering mud to the -landing-place. - -One's first feelings are of wonder and bewilderment that the entire -population has not long ago been wiped out by disease. Going up and -down stream at low tide I have seen Arab women rinsing the salad for -the family meal side by side with others dealing with the family -washing. Then the bellem boy, thirsty, would lean over the side of -the craft, scoop up a handful or two of the water, and drink it. As -successors to the dirty and lazy Turk the British in occupation of -Basra have set themselves to remedy this state of affairs, but it is -uphill work. Manners and customs of centuries are not easily laid -aside, and your Asiatic sniffs suspiciously at anything labelled -Sanitary Reform, while the very mention of the word Hygiene sounds to -him like blasphemy against the abominations with which he loves to -surround himself. The Turk never bothered his head whether the -inhabitants lived in unhealthy conditions. When an epidemic broke -out and carried off a certain proportion of the population, the -Turkish Governor would bow his head in meek resignation before the -inscrutable will of Allah. - -The architecture of Basra is of a distinctly primitive type. The -houses are built chiefly of sun-dried bricks, and the roofs are flat, -covered with mud laid {22} over rafters of date-wood and surrounded -by a low parapet. - -Basra had been used as the British base for the advance against the -Turks on the Tigris. From here had been rationed the army and the -guns that reconquered Kut and opened the difficult road to Bagdad. -The magician's wand of the British soldier-wallah wrought wonders in -the place. Malarial swamps were filled in, and hospitals and -administrative buildings erected. Wharves equipped with giant cranes -sprang into being on the quayside, and, as we were landed, the busy -river scene, with fussy tugs towing huge laden barges, and the -quayside packed with transports, irresistibly recalled some populous -port in the Antipodes or Britain itself, rather than the seaside -capital of a vilayet in Asiatic Turkey. - -That Basra had a great future in store for it as a shipping centre -was early recognized by Major-General Sir George McMunn, who for some -time held the post of Inspector-General of Lines of Communications at -Basra. He was one of those rare soldiers with a genius for -organization and a capacity for bringing to bear upon big problems a -wide range of outlook, and he was never hampered by those military -trammels which often mar the professional soldier and make a good -general an exceedingly bad civil administrator. So General McMunn -set to work to give Basra an impetus along the path of commercial -progress. He planned a model city {23} which was to include -residential and business sites, electric tramways, modern hotels, and -public parks. It was a stupendous undertaking, but McMunn -accomplished much in the face of great financial difficulties. He -endowed Basra with a first-class hotel run by a chef and an hotel -staff recruited from London, installed electric light, gave the -evil-smelling town a vigorous spring-cleaning, and with stone -quarried in Arabia buried beneath stout paving the slimy mud of some -of the Basra streets. - -Ashar which fronts the Shatt el Arab is really the business centre of -Basra. Its bazaars running parallel with Basra Creek are dark, -evil-smelling, and over-crowded by human bipeds who swarm about ant -fashion, and are born, live, and die in these purlieus. - -In the course of an hour during the busy part of the day you can -count on meeting representatives of all the races and creeds of Asia -in the streets and bazaars of Ashar or lower Basra. Here ebbs and -flows the flotsam of the East--Jews, Arabs, Armenians, Kurds, -Persians, Chaldeans (merchants or traffickers these!), and coolies -from India, Burma, and China, with wanderers from the remote khanates -of Russian Turkestan, the latter in quaint headdress and wearing -sheepskin coats whose vicinity is rather trying to sensitive noses -when the thermometer is well above eighty in the shade. - -General Byron, with Major Newcombe of the Canadian Contingent, -Captain Eve, some other members of our party, and myself were -quartered in {24} the old Turkish cavalry barracks, while the -remainder went into camp at Makina, two miles out. The Turks, it is -true, were gone never to return, but in the honeycombed recesses of -the crumbling dust-covered walls of Ashar barracks their troopers had -left behind many old friends who, from the very first, displayed an -envenomed animosity towards us, and attacked British officers and men -with a vigour which the Turkish Army itself had never excelled. -Every night raiding parties, defying alike our protective mosquito -nets and the poison-gas effect of Keating's, found their way into our -beds; and every morning we would crawl from between the sheets -bearing visible marks of these night forays. - -It is always said, and generally believed, that the British signalize -their occupation of a country by laying down a cricket pitch and -building a church. They did all these things and more at Basra. -There was a garrison church, a simple building with a special care -for the temperature of a Gulf Sunday. There were several sports -clubs, and one at Makina, which might be called the suburb of Ashar, -had good tennis courts. Beyond, in the desert, was a racecourse -where the local Derby and Grand National were run off. - -The ordinary native of Iran and of the "Land of the Two Rivers" has -not hitherto shown any marked taste for either mild or violent -physical exercise. But Basra, I found, was a noted exception to -this, and youth of the place were badly bitten by the {25} sports -mania. As the doctors would say, "the disease spread with alarming -rapidity, and spared neither young nor old." After a few weeks -devoted to picking up points as spectators at "soccer" matches, a -native team would secure possession of a rather battered football and -start work, "Basra Mixed" trying conclusions with "Ashar Bazaar," for -example. The rules were neither Rugby nor Association, but a local -extemporization of both; and the dress was not the classic costume of -the British football field, but a medley of all the garbs of Asia. -Stately Arabs in long flowing robes, suffering from the prevailing -sports fever, would forget their dignity to the extent of running -after a football and trying to kick it. Chaldean Christian would -mingle in the scrum with Jew and Mussulman. Individual players -sometimes received the kick intended for the ball. Off the field -this would have led to racial trouble and perhaps bloodshed, but as a -rule these slight departures from the strict football code were -accepted in the best possible spirit, being regarded no doubt as part -of the game itself. - -Of course things did not always run so smoothly. Sometimes the ball -was entirely lost sight of, and lay lonely and isolated in some -corner of the field, while the players would resolve themselves into -a sort of Pan-Asian congress on the ethics of games in general. -Everyone spoke at once and in his own tongue. On such occasions a -passing British soldier would be summoned to assist at the -deliberations, {26} and in "Na Poo" Arabic would straighten out the -tangle. Then play would be resumed, everybody bowing to the superior -wisdom of the soldier sahib, and accepting his decision -unquestioningly. - -The youth of Basra, more precocious than their elders, converted the -streets of Ashar into a playing-ground where tip-cat, bat and ball, -marbles, diabolo, and sundry other forms of juvenile recreation found -eager devotees at all hours of the day in narrow streets generally -crowded with army transport. - -The cinema also exercised a great influence on the native mind. -Never quite understanding its working, he accepted it all -philosophically as part of the travelling outfit of that strange race -of infidels from far away who had chased the Turks from the shores of -the Arabian Sea, who seemed to be able to make themselves into birds -at will, and who rushed over the roadless desert in snorting -horseless carriages. Men such as these were capable of anything, and -when the first cinema film arrived, the Arabs filled to overflowing -the ramshackle building which served as a theatre. In Basra I often -went to the cinema, not so much for the show itself as to watch the -joy with which that primitive child of nature, the Arab, followed the -mishaps and triumphs of the hero through three reels. How they were -moved to tears by his sufferings! And how they shouted with joy when -the villain of the piece was hoist by his own petard and his career -of rascality abruptly and fittingly terminated! - -{27} - -One thing, I found on talking to some of these native onlookers, -puzzled their minds exceedingly, and that was the morals and manners -of European women as shown on the screen. The Arab is a fervent -stickler for the conventionalities, and it was a great shock to his -religious scruples to see women promenading in low-necked dresses -with uncovered faces, frequenting restaurants with strange men not -their husbands, and imbibing strong drink. "The devil must be kept -busy in Faringistan raking all these shameless creatures into the -bottomless pit!" said one Arab to me, when I asked him what he -thought of the cinema. It was useless to seek to explain that cinema -scenes did not represent the real life of the Englishman or the -American, and that all our women do not earn their living as cinema -artists. - -In Basra I never saw a Mohammedan woman frequenting a cinema -performance. Even had she won over her husband's consent to such an -innovation, public opinion would veto her presence there, and she -would not be permitted to look upon this devil's machine illustrating -foreign "wickedness." - - - - -{28} - -CHAPTER IV - -AT A PERSIAN WEDDING - -Visit to the Sheikh of Mohammerah--A Persian banquet. - - -A few miles below Basra, on the Persian shore, at the point where the -Karun River joins the Shatt el Arab, are the semi-independent -dominions of the Sheikh of Mohammerah. His territory is part and -parcel of the moribund Persian Empire, but the Sheikh has long held -independent sway, and has ruled his little kingdom with Oriental -grandeur and benevolent despotism. He is a firm and convinced friend -of the British, and even at the darkest hour of our military fortunes -in the Gulf, when it seemed as if we might be driven from the lower -Tigris itself, the Sheikh was proof against Turkish intrigue and the -corrupting influence of Hun gold. - -His Excellency the Khazal Khan, K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E., to give him his -full title, like most Persian potentates in the tottering, crumbling -Empire of Iran, where the writ of the present "King of Kings" does -not run beyond the walls of Teheran, held undisputed sway over his -little state, and his authority was enforced by a nondescript army of -retainers. But he was a {29} generous host, a firm friend, and an -unforgiving enemy. - -One week-end while at Basra I was one of a few British officers -invited to assist at the elaborate festivities which precede a -Persian marriage. The contemplated matrimonial alliance was intended -to unite the family of the Sheikh and that of Haji Reis, his Grand -Vizier or Prime Minister. In the small party that dropped down the -river on one of His Majesty's gunboats, were the Admiral of the -Station, one or two generals, the Political Officer, the liaison -officer between the Indian Government and the ruler of Mohammerah, -and my friend Akhbar, a Persian from Manchester who had joined up -early in the War. As we dropped down stream past the Palace, a -salute was fired in our honour by the Sheikh's artillery-men with a -couple of old six-pounders. An antediluvian Persian gunboat dipped -her ensign as we steamed past. It was the first time I had seen a -warship or indeed any other vessel flying the Persian flag, and I -regarded her with interest. Akhbar, who despite his British uniform -and his long residence amongst us, remained always an ardent Persian, -professed to be very much hurt by some chance observations of mine -directed at the river gunboat and the Persian navy in general. - -The Palace was a rectangular building, with stuccoed front, standing -back from the water and approached by a winding stone staircase. On -landing we were received by the chief dignitaries of the {30} place -with the Grand Vizier at their head. There was much bowing and -salaaming, and it was here that I first made acquaintance with that -elaborate code of official and social ceremony which surrounds every -act of one's life in Persia. A guard of honour from the Sheikh's -household troops made a creditable attempt to present arms as we -stepped ashore. More soldiers lined the stairway leading to the -reception room. They wore a variety of uniforms, and were armed with -everything in the way of rifles, from antiquated Sniders to modern -Mausers and Lee-Enfields. Like most of the irregulars that we -encountered in Persia afterwards, they fairly bristled with -bandoliers stuffed full of cartridges. A Persian on the war-path, be -he tribal chief or simple armed follower, is generally a walking -arsenal. He is full of lethal weapons which nearly always include a -rifle of some kind and a short stabbing sword with an inlaid hilt. -He often displays a Mauser pistol as well, and usually carries enough -ammunition hung round him to equip a decent-sized small-arms factory. - -The Sheikh himself received us in the main reception hall, which was -covered with rare Persian carpets, any single one of which would be -worth a small fortune in London. The Prime Minister and his son, we -found, spoke excellent English, and the former, who was wearing the -conventional frock coat of the Occident, but no shirt collar, -presented each visitor in turn to our Arab host, a man just past {31} -middle life with all the stately grace and dignity of his Bedouin -forebears. He was dressed in native costume; his manners were easy -and full of charm. He had a dark, olive-tinted face, black beard and -wonderful lustrous black eyes. A strict adherent of the Shi'ite -sect, and an abstainer from strong drink himself, he was, -nevertheless, not averse to supplying it to his Western guests. The -Grand Vizier during his sojourn in Europe had evidently studied our -customs and civilization _au fond_. Apart from a knowledge of the -English language and literature, he had brought back with him a fine -and discriminating taste in the matter of aperitifs, knew to a nicety -the component parts of a Martini cocktail, and was a profound -connoisseur of Scotch whisky. Our party had few dull moments with -the Grand Vizier as cicerone, and our admiration for his versatility -rose by leaps and bounds. - -The dinner was _à la fourchette_. It is not always so in hospitable -Persia where, as a rule, host and guests sit in a circle on the floor -and help themselves with the aid of their fingers. Here everything -had been arranged in European fashion, and the long table was topped -by a rampart of specially prepared dishes with a lavishness that was -truly Oriental. It is a Persian custom to supply five times more -food than one's guests can possibly consume. What remains becomes -the perquisite of the servants of the household. - -According to Persian etiquette a son may not sit {32} down in the -presence of his father, so the bridegroom-elect had no place at the -board, and his active participation in the banquet was limited to -carrying out the duties of chief butler and waiting upon the guests. -It was hot and exhausting work, in the intervals of which he -liberally helped himself from a black bottle which stood on a table -behind the Grand Vizier's chair. Barefooted servitors passed nimbly -along the table, and saw to it that their master's guests wanted for -nothing. A plate was emptied only to be speedily replenished. - -We saw nothing of the bride-to-be. She played but a minor part in -the evening's entertainment. Nor were any other women of the -household to be seen. At one end of the banqueting hall was a -heavily curtained aperture. Occasionally this was furtively drawn -aside an inch or two, and a woman's veiled face would appear for an -instant, and as quickly disappear. It was the private view allowed -to the bride and her girl friends. - -The menu was inordinately long. Dish succeeded dish, and eat we must -unless we wished to cause dire offence to our host. He himself, -seated at the middle of the table, ate sparingly and drank but water, -his air of quiet impassivity giving place to a smile from time to -time as he listened to some Persian _bon mot_ or other from one of -his neighbours. - -The Sheikh excelled as a host. No sooner was the banquet at an end -than he told us that a display of {33} fireworks had been arranged in -our honour. Seats had been placed for the visitors on the long -veranda at the back of the palace and facing the extensive grounds. -No Persian feast is held to be complete without a pyrotechnic display -of some kind, and that organized for our pleasure would have done -credit to the best efforts of Brock or Pain. - -There were Catherine-wheels, rockets, and welcoming mottoes in -Persian and English which flared up merrily, until the whole grounds -were one blaze of light. - -The retainers entered fully into the spirit of the affair. Clad in -fireproof suits, they were hung round with squibs which were set -alight, and then the human Catherine-wheels carried out an -astonishing series of somersaults, to the intense delight of the -native portion of the audience. An English gunnery instructor, aided -by native workmen with material from the Sheikh's arsenal, had been -responsible for the pyrotechnic part of the entertainment. - -In the meantime the banqueting hall had been cleared, and presently -we were conducted thither, where, to the strains of a Persian -orchestra, native dancing boys showed their skill in a series of -emotional and highly sensuous gyrations. These youths were of a -distinctly effeminate appearance in their long flowing Persian robes, -and there was a look of brazen abandon in their more than suggestive -evolutions as they whirled round and round on the floor. - -{34} - -To these succeeded a quartette of Armenian girls in bright-hued -raiment and low-necked dresses, their bare bosoms covered with cheap -jewellery, their hair and costumes studded with glittering sequins, -and their ankles encircled by gilt metal bracelets giving them an air -of tawdriness and unspeakable vulgarity. Their movements were -graceful, with a certain artistic crudeness. To the clash of -cymbals, and with a jingling of their sequins and anklets, two would -whirl round the dancing hall, until sheer physical exhaustion -compelled them to seek a temporary respite on a divan; whereupon they -would be succeeded on the floor by the other pair who had been -awaiting their turn. This dancing by relays went on until the early -hours of the morning, and we began to be alarmed lest it should -continue for the duration of the War. Etiquette forbade us to leave, -so we did our best and stuck it out to the end. In the tobacco-laden -atmosphere, with the temperature distinctly sultry, and the windows -hermetically sealed I made a desperate but ineffectual attempt to -fight off drowsiness. At last I succumbed and dreamt that I was in -the Paradise of Mahomet listening to the music of the houris -entertaining some of the newly arrived Faithful. - -I woke with a start, for someone had prodded me in the ribs and told -me it was time to go, and by a swift transition I found myself back -at Mohammerah and our party bidding adieu to our kindly host and his -Grand Vizier. - -{35} - -It was too dark to attempt the passage of the river back to Basra, so -we crossed over to the house of Mr. Lincoln of the British Consulate -on the right bank of the Karun river and spent the remainder of the -night under his hospitable roof. - - - - -{36} - -CHAPTER V - -UP THE TIGRIS TO KUT - -Work of the river flotilla--Thames steamboats on the Tigris--The -waterway through the desert--The renaissance of Amarah--The river's -jazz-step course--The old Kut and the new--In Townshend's old -headquarters--Turks' monument to short-lived triumph. - - -Our stay at Ashar barracks was of brief duration. A week after -landing in Basra we received orders from General Headquarters to -proceed to Bagdad immediately, but steamer accommodation was limited, -and it was found impossible to embark the whole of our party at once. -However, a compromise was effected with the Local Embarkation -Officer, and place was found on an up-river steamer for our first -contingent, consisting of General Byron, twenty-four other officers -(of whom I was one), and forty N.C.O's. - -Our transport was an antiquated paddle steamer, broad of beam, and -the whole of her one deck was packed with troops bound for up-river -like ourselves. In addition, she towed, moored on either side, two -squat barges filled with troops and supplies. - -The navigation of the Tigris, even in peace time, {37} when the river -is unencumbered, is a hazardous undertaking. Its lower reaches are -flat and winding, and when it is in flood the banks are submerged. -The stream follows an erratic course, occasionally striking out on an -entirely fresh one, and the search for the new channel is often -attended with disaster for the daring river mariner. Yet up and down -the stream between Kut and Basra British seamen have zigzagged their -way by sheer pluck and perseverance, dumping down men and supplies at -the advanced base with unfailing regularity. The admirable part -played by these river skippers of the Tigris has never been told, and -so has never been properly appreciated by their countrymen at home. -Day and night they toiled to hurry up the needed reinforcements to -the hard-pressed battle line in Mesopotamia, and to feed the army -that was driving the Turk from the "Land of the Two Rivers." Drawn -from all parts of the Empire, they worthily represented the pluck, -courage, and unyielding tenacity of the British race. Had it not -been for the river skippers of the Tigris, shy, unostentatious men, -sparing of speech and indifferent to praise, the Mesopotamian -Campaign must have ended abortively; Kut could never have been -retaken, and the Turks would still have been in Bagdad. - -The despatches of victorious generals in Mesopotamia have been full -of references to valuable aid and service rendered by units and -individuals, but, it seems to me, they have entirely overlooked the -{38} great contribution of the men of the Tigris River Flotilla, who -have apparently been left without reward or recognition. - -In the waterway of the Shatt el Arab itself, and before we entered -the Tigris proper, we passed scores of river craft. There were dhows -laden to the gunwale with river produce being carried swiftly down by -the current towards Basra market. Here was an antiquated -sternwheeler with her lashed barges alongside, like an old woman with -parcels tucked under her arms, going to the base to load up supplies. -And, most wonderful of all, here was a London County Council steamer, -the _Christopher Wren_, which had abandoned the Thames for the Tigris -and the carrying of happy trippers from Blackfriars to Kew for the -transporting of Mr. Thomas Atkins and his kit part of the long river -journey towards Bagdad. Some of the Tommies on our steamer eyed her -enviously. Here was a touch of the far-distant homeland under -Eastern skies! There was a suspicion of a tear in some sentimental -eyes, but the wag of the party scored a laugh when he megaphoned with -his hands to the skipper of the Wren, "I'm for Battersea, I am!" - -A number of these L.C.C. boats had come out from London under their -own steam, making the long voyage to the Gulf and Basra through the -Bay of Biscay and across the Mediterranean and Red Seas, buffeted by -wind and wave, but without losing any of their personnel or suffering -any material {39} damage. It was a triumph of seamanship and British -pluck. - -The banks of the Tigris, and indeed of the Euphrates, at certain -seasons of the year are surely the most desolate places on the -habitable earth. The date-palm plantations of the Shatt el Arab are -succeeded by a monotonous landscape of dull brown desert stretching -away as far as the eye can see. To our right, as we wound and -twisted our way up river, we occasionally caught a glimpse of the -snow-clad mountains of Persia. Dotted here and there along the banks -are Arab villages, which seemed to be a conglomeration of goats, -sheep, and dusky-brown naked children, all thrown confusedly into the -picture. By way of variation, now and then we swept past a desert -oasis, where stood a few stunted palm-trees near which a tribe of -nomads had set up their black tents of goat's-hair and were spending -a week-end on the river bank before trekking afresh into the heart of -the desert. - -Your real Arab nomad is essentially a child of nature. He spends his -life in the wilderness and has a rooted objection--nay, it is, in -truth, a positive terror--to visiting any town, big or little. He -has an undefinable dread of venturing within a walled city, -apparently regarding it in much the same way as a wild bird would -regard an iron-barred cage. Any restriction of movement is irksome -to him. He loves the free life of the desert, with its limitless -possibilities, its far-stretching horizon, and its absence {40} of -streets and houses. He is of the tribe of Ishmael, destined to -wander on and on, ever remote from the haunts of his fellow-man. - -The semi-nomad, on the other hand, is less intractable, and does not -chafe so much under the yoke of Western civilization. He is frugal, -sober, and thrifty. We passed hundreds of his tribe who live on the -banks of the Tigris, cultivating a patch of arable land, and using a -wooden plough which must have been old-fashioned even in the days of -that earliest recorded agriculturist, Cain. - -We groped a tedious way along the sinuous Tigris, missing by a foot -or two a down-river steamer and its lashed barges, making fair -headway against the swirling waters which swept past us with the -speed of a millstream. The current carried us from side to side, -first bumping one bank, and then cannoning against the opposite one, -until it seemed as if the stout lashings of our captive barges must -be torn away. Where the river was especially narrow, we would tie up -to the bank and give right-of-way to a convoy going down stream. At -night, too, we would either tie up or anchor inshore, and at daylight -would be off again. - -In the bright clear atmosphere it was possible to see objects many -miles distant. Ofttimes we would catch sight of a steamer away to -our right or left, looking for all the world as if she were making an -overland trip and was stuck fast in the middle of the waterless -desert. But the seeming mystery was {41} explained by the winding -course of the river, which can only be likened to a series of figures -of eight. - -It took us about thirty hours to reach Amarah, which lies on both -banks of the Tigris and, by reason of its position, had become an -important coaling-centre on the lower part of the stream. There was -an air of bustle and activity about the place, for British -organization had descended upon it and rudely awakened it from the -sleep of centuries. British military and native police controlled -the town, and kept the more mischievous of the unruly Arab elements -in order. A swing-bridge had been thrown across the river to carry -vehicular traffic. River steamers were moored at the quays, taking -in or discharging cargo, and Indian and Arab coolies sweated in the -sun as they hurried along with great burdens on their backs. - -Our way to camp led through the Bazaar, which may, I think, lay claim -to be one of the filthiest and most malodorous in all the "Land of -the Two Rivers." It had rained heavily the previous night, and now -the unpaved roadway through the main bazaar was a foot deep in liquid -mud. The average native was wholly unconcerned and, while we picked -our steps carefully, mentally consigning Amarah and its abominable -streets to perdition, barefooted Arab women, wearing anklets of -silver, with a pendant through one nostril, and in their finest -raiment, would plod contentedly through this mire as if it were a -rose-bestrewn path. Tiny mites with no more clothing than a {42} -string of beads gave each other mud baths with the joy and enthusiasm -of children sporting in the sea at some European watering-place. - -Still, if Amarah disgusted us with its muddy streets and -evil-smelling bazaars, it had some compensating advantages, amongst -them its British Officers' Club. In a desert of dirt and discomfort -this was a veritable oasis, with its excellent cuisine, and smoking -and reading rooms provided with the latest three-months-old -newspapers and magazines. It stands on the river front, and from its -roof-garden a fine panorama opens at one's feet. In the foreground -are the busy river and the crowded quayside, and on the opposite bank -the white tents of the British camps blend with the dark green of the -date-palms. Still farther beyond, as a background to the picture, is -the dun-brown of the desert wastes. - -A wet camp is at all times an abomination, and our first night at -Amarah was not a pleasant experience. The transit camp is on a sort -of peninsula, and a few hours' rain converted it into a lake of mud. -We were housed in huts whose shape recalled a miniature Crystal -Palace, and whose semi-circular sides and roof were thatched with -palm netting. In the hut which I shared with Major Newcombe and -Captain Eve, during the early hours of the morning a heavy shower -poured through the roof as if it were a sieve. In the darkness there -was a scramble over the muddy floor in quest of waterproof sheets and -raincoats with which to set up a second line of defence for {43} our -leaky roof. Afterwards we all laughed heartily at the experience, -but at the time we were inclined to be wrathful, for an unexpected -and unlooked-for shower-bath in bed at 2 a.m., even on active -service, may ruffle the mildest of tempers. - -From Amarah to Kut we went by river, the journey occupying three -days. The military-constructed railway which has since been opened -does the journey in ten or twelve hours. Our steamer, No. 95, was a -comfortable one of her class for Tigris river travelling. Indeed in -this part of the world she would be listed as de luxe, inasmuch as -she possessed cabin accommodation and actually had a bathroom. The -trip itself was but a slight variation of the monotonous river -journey to Amarah. There were the same flat stretches of country now -and again relieved by a few palm-trees; the white tents of a British -river guard, a link in this long-drawn-out line of communications; or -some Arab village with its grouping of dilapidated palm-roofed huts, -its barking curs, and its mud-brown naked children. Occasionally -down by the banks there was a fringe of green where some native -cultivator, aided by the water from an irrigation canal, was rearing -a hardy spring crop. - -As on its lower reaches, the river pursued a devious path across the -face of the country until one grew giddy with attempting to follow -its windings. The Tigris is a most impulsive stream; it obeys no -will but its own, and is as erratic as any river of its size in the -world. However, as Kut is approached on the {44} up journey, it -broadens out into noble proportions, swift and deep, and for a few -miles behaves rationally, abandoning its geographical jazz-step over -the Mesopotamian plains. - -Kut--the scene of Townshend's immortal stand, with his handful of -troops diminished daily by famine and disease, holding off to the -last a powerful enemy--is situated at the end of a tongue of land at -a point where the Tigris, taking a mighty sweep, mingles its waters -with those of the Shatt el Hai. - -But a new Kut, a British Kut, a town of tents and wooden huts and -galvanized iron buildings, has sprung into being three miles below -the tottering walls of Turkish Kut, and about two miles from -Townshend's advanced trench line. In British Kut there are rough -wooden piers, hastily built, it is true, where the river steamers -moor, few attempting the difficult passage from Kut to Bagdad. Kut -is also an important railway junction, for the troops bound up river -were disembarked here, and stepped from the steamer deck into the -waiting troop-trains. - -We went up river in a motor launch, General Byron, Major Newcombe, -Captain Eve, and myself, to visit Townshend's famous stronghold. It -was with a feeling of emotion that we disembarked at the old stone -pier of Kut, and made our way along its broken unpaved streets, past -its crumbling wall, to the centre of the town. The route led through -the main business centre--it could hardly be called a bazaar--where -merchants and money-changers plied {45} their trades, and a blind -beggar in rags sat under the lee of a wall, with the sun shining full -on his sightless eye-sockets, droning a supplication for alms. The -wave of red war had passed and repassed over Kut, leaving it scorched -and maimed. Turk and Briton had fought for supremacy round and about -it, but that was more than a year ago, and Kut now dozed sleepily in -the hot afternoon sun, beginning already to forget the past and, with -the calm philosophic indifference of the East, accepting as a -predestined part of its daily life the Standard of Britain which had -replaced the Crescent of the Turk. - -The Arab policemen who guarded its unkempt streets were serving their -new masters faithfully, and those we passed, spick and span in -spotless khaki and tarbooshes, by their alert and soldierly bearing -gave unmistakable evidence of having graduated from the school of -that efficient, exacting, and most conscientious of mortals, the -British drill instructor. - -Presently, guided by a Staff Officer from the base headquarters, we -came to the house of the Hero of Kut. It was an unpretentious -dwelling, flat-roofed, and built of sun-dried bricks, with nothing -much to distinguish it from its hundreds of neighbours. Descending a -steep flight of steps, we came to the Serdab or underground apartment -common to most Mesopotamian houses, where the occupants hide for -shelter during the hottest hours of the blistering summer day. The -room was bare of adornment--a few chairs, a divan, and a table -covered with official {46} papers--that was all. It was now the home -of the local Political Officer, but it had changed little, if any, -since its former illustrious occupant walked out of it and up those -stone steps--his proud spirit unbroken, his heart heavy, but his -courage undimmed--to pass a captive into the hands of the Turks. - -None of our party could lay any special claim to be sentimental but, -standing there in the narrow underground room with its hallowed -associations, where a very gallant British General, the foe without -and disease and hunger within--he, too, alas! another victim of -high-placed incompetency--planned and schemed during those dark days -of the siege to break the throttling grip of the Turk, we felt we -were upon holy ground, and every one of us, moved by a common -emotion, raised our hands to our caps in salute. It was our tribute -of admiration and respect for Townshend and his heroes--for the men -who perished so nobly, no less than for their comrades maimed and -broken who survived the fall of Kut, many of them, unhappily, only to -pass anew through the gate of suffering and to end their lives as -prisoners in the hands of a brutal, ungenerous enemy to whom honour -and compassion are meaningless terms. - -It was not every day that the Turks could boast such a victory as -Kut, or that they found themselves with a British General and a -starving British force surrendering to their arms. Short-lived as -was their triumph, they lost no time in celebrating it by setting up -a commemorative monument. This stands on the {47} Tigris' bank close -to British Kut and the landing pier, and is in the form of an obelisk -of unhewn stone on a plinth of corresponding material fenced in by an -iron railing. A few obsolete cannon, the muzzles facing outwards, -are grouped round the base of the monument. An inscription in -Turkish records the fall of Kut and the capture of Townshend and his -men which, it recounts, was accomplished by the grace of Allah and -the prowess of the besieging Turkish Army. - -The next stage of our journey from Kut to Bagdad was a short one. A -night in a troop-train, and sunrise the following morning saw us -being dumped down at Hinaida Camp on the outskirts of the City of the -Caliphs. - - - - -{48} - -CHAPTER VI - -BAGDAD - -Arabian nights and motor-cars--The old and the new in Bagdad--"Noah's -dinghy"--Bible history illustrated--At a famous tomb-mosque. - - -Who has not heard and read of Bagdad, of its former glory and its -greatness? I set foot in it for the first time on March 20th, 1918, -the day after the arrival of our little party at Hinaida Transit Camp -on the left bank of the Tigris. - -As I tramped across the dusty Hinaida plain towards the belt of palm -groves which veils the city on the east, I had visions of Haroun al -Raschid, and fancied myself coming face to face with the wonders of -the "Arabian Nights." It was with something of a shock, then, that -on entering the city I encountered khaki-clad figures, and saw Ford -vans and motor lorries tearing wildly along the streets. In the main -thoroughfare, hard by British Headquarters, a steam roller was -travelling backwards and forwards over the freshly metalled roadway, -completing the work of an Indian Labour Corps; farther on, a watering -cart labelled "Bagdad Municipality" was busily drowning the fine-spun -desert dust that {49} had settled thickly on the newly born -macadamized street. Here was an Arab café, with low benches on the -inclined plane principle like seats in a theatre, where the occupants -sipped their Mocha from tiny cups, or inhaled tobacco-smoke through -the amber stem of a hubble-bubble, watching the passing show, and -betimes discussing the idiosyncrasies of the strange race of -unbelievers that has settled itself down in the fair city which once -had been the pride of Islam. - -Truly a city of contrasts! Cheek by jowl with the Arab café was an -eating-house full of British soldiers. The principal street runs -parallel with the river and, as one proceeded, it was possible to -catch glimpses of pleasant gardens running down to the water's edge -and embowering handsome villas--gardens where pomegranates, figs, -oranges, and lemons grew in abundance. The Oriental readily adapts -himself to changing circumstances, and unhesitatingly abandons the -master of yesterday to follow the new one of to-day. Already traces -of the Ottoman dominion were being obliterated. The Turkish language -was disappearing from shop signs to be replaced by English or French, -with, in some cases, a total disregard of etymology, such choice gems -as "Englisch talking lessons," "Stanley Maude wash company" (this -over a laundry), "British tommy shave room," showing at all events a -praiseworthy attempt to wrestle with the niceties of the English -language. - -Bagdad as I saw it in the first days following my {50} arrival struck -me as a place whose remains of faded greatness still clung about it. -No one could deny its claim to a certain wild beauty which age, dirt, -and decay have not been able wholly to eliminate. The glory of the -river scene is unsurpassable. - -To see Bagdad at its best one must view it from the balcony of the -British Residency (now General Headquarters). Here, as you look down -upon the river, the old bridge of boats connecting with the western -bank is on your right, and handsome villas where flowers grow in -profusion, the residences of former Turkish officials or wealthy -citizens, adorn the foreshore. - -The river is broad and majestic, and strange craft dot its surface. -Here is a Kufa, in itself a link with antiquity, a circular boat of -basketware covered with bitumen, sometimes big enough to hold ten men -and two or three laden donkeys. Its cross-river course is decidedly -eccentric. Propelled by crudely fashioned paddles wielded by sturdy -oarsmen, its progress from shore to shore is leisurely and cumbersome -as, caught into the eddying current, it twirls slowly, with a -rotatory movement, like the dying motion of some giant spinning-top. - -The cheerful Thomas Atkins promptly christened the kufa "Noah's -Dinghy," and lost no time in getting afloat therein. Some of the -Australians at Hinaida Camp organized a kufa regatta, the course -being across river and back, a distance of about two miles. A -waterproof sheet was attached as a sail {51} by one enterprising -Anzac, but even that did not help to accelerate very appreciably the -snail-like progress of his aquatic tub. Local tradition avers that -Sinbad the Sailor came spinning down from Bagdad to Basra in a kufa, -when he signed on at the Gulf port for his first ocean voyage. Who -knows? Kufas are depicted on some of the old Assyrian monuments. - -A close relative surely to the Kufa is the Kellik or Mussik raft of -the upper Tigris. Constructed of a square framework of wood buoyed -by inflated goat-skins, it is widely utilized as a cargo carrier on -these inland waterways. Piled high with hay and a miscellaneous -collection of live-stock, it will waddle off down river with a crew -of three or four, and half a dozen or so passengers. Sometimes the -cargo shifts, or the goat-skin bladders become deflated, and the -kellik, down by the nose or stern, grows more unwieldy than ever. A -little mishap of this kind never bothers the crew. They steer for -some convenient point on the river-bank where the water is shallow, -unhitch the defective skins, and inflate them afresh with the unaided -power of their own lungs. The cargo righted, and the trim of their -cumbersome raft restored, they will push off into midstream and -continue their venturesome journey, logging a steady two knots. - -But on an upstream trip it is another story. Then the laden or empty -kellik has to be towed, and hard work it is to make headway when the -river is in {52} flood and racing down to meet its brother, the -Euphrates, on their joint way to the Gulf. - -Going upstream the kellik keeps as close in shore as possible. Two -men in the boat keep her from going aground, while a couple of others -yoke themselves to a towline and move along the margin of the stream -much like the canal bargees in Holland. But on the Tigris there is -no well-defined towing path, and the course resolves itself into a -kind of zigzag cross-country obstacle race, and the agility and -dexterity with which these muscular native rivermen harnessed to the -towline of a heavily laden raft will negotiate sunken ground, canal -ditches, tumble-down village walls, and a few other natural hazards -on a stretch of Tigris' river-bank, is extraordinary to behold. The -life of a galley slave in Carthage must have been a soft snap indeed -compared with that of the dark-skinned toilers who tug at an up-river -kellik under the full force of a Mesopotamian sun. - -Bagdad as a city takes us back to the horizon rim of the world's -history. There still clings to it an air of musty antiquity and -prehistoric dirt which the efforts of its new masters, the British, -with pick-and-shovel sanitary science, and other new-fangled -inventions of Western civilization, have not entirely eradicated. -The beardless invaders from over the seas have sought to scrape clean -its ancient bones, to straighten out the kink in its narrow, -tortuous, and evil-smelling streets, and to let the light of day and -a little wholesome fresh air penetrate into the {53} gloom and -dampness of its rabbit-warren of a bazaar. Staid, solemn-looking -citizens, with the green turban of Mecca enveloping their venerable -heads, whose ancestors probably drifted in here when overland travel -was resumed after the Flood, have looked on in pious horror while -festering slum areas have been laid low by British pickaxes. These -Hadjis, fervent believers in tradition, and uncompromising opponents -of innovation, have caressed their beards thoughtfully when -confronted with the new order of things, and come to the philosophic -conclusion that, as Kipling has it, "Allah created the English mad, -the maddest of all mankind." - -Biblical history is no longer vague and shadowy, but takes on a new -meaning and an added significance to anyone who explores old Bagdad -with eyes to see. As I wandered through its bazaars in quest of -antiquities and bargains in bric-à-brac and rare damascened weapons, -I often forgot the primary object of my visit while strolling -silently about contentedly studying the hastening crowds who elbowed -and fought their way along the narrow streets, or watching the -complacent shopkeepers who sat cross-legged in their narrow, -cell-like shops, haggling over prices with some prospective buyer. -It was like throwing Biblical romance and Biblical tragedy on a -cinema screen, only that now it lived and was real flesh and blood. -Here were the descendants of the Jews of the -Captivity--shrewd-looking, sharp-featured merchants, traffickers in -gold and silver, {54} dealers in antiquities, a living link between -that very remote yesterday and the modern to-day, amassing much -wealth in the land of their perpetual exile, carrying on unbrokenly -the religion and traditions of Judaism--in dress, manners, customs, -and speech as unchanged and unchanging as on the day when the heavy -hand of the Babylonian oppressor smote their forbears and they were -led away into slavery. - -And here, too, now competing in commercial rivalry with the sons of -Abraham, are lineal descendants of Assyrians, Chaldeans, Medes, -Persians, and of those other warring races who between them made -history in the long ago. - -The descendants of the Jews of the Captivity have never wandered far -afield, and it would even seem that they have preferred exile to -repatriation. Bagdad formed part of Babylonia, and a three hours' -train journey to Hilleh on the Euphrates will land the Bagdad Jew of -an archæological turn of mind amidst the ruins of ancient Babylon. - -The Jew venerates Bagdad as a sort of lesser Zion. It was long the -seat of the Exilarch, and is still the rallying centre of Eastern -Judaism. Monuments and tombs of the mighty ones of the Chosen Race -are scattered over Lower Mesopotamia. There is the reputed tomb of -Ezra on the Shatt el Arab near Korna, that of Ezekiel in the village -called Kefil, while the prophet Daniel has a holy well bearing his -name at Hilleh near the ruins of Babylon. But the chief place of -pious pilgrimage for Bagdad Jews lies {55} in a palm grove an hour's -journey from the city on the Euphrates road. Here is said to be -buried Joshua, son of Josedech, a high priest towards the end of the -captivity period. - -Western Bagdad, on the right bank of the Tigris, always recognizing -and rendering a somewhat sullen obedience to the sway of the Turkish -Sultan, is separated from Eastern Bagdad by much more than the deep -waters of the river. Its inhabitants for the most part are -Mohammedans of the Shi'ite sect, as opposed to the orthodox or Sunni -creed of the Turks. The Shias may be described as Islamic -dissenters, and their cult is the state religion of Persia. -Ethnologically and politically they are closer akin to Iran than to -Turkey, and their eyes are more frequently turned to Teheran than to -Istambul. In Western Bagdad they have their own mosques, their own -bazaars, and their own shrines, and lead lives more or less isolated -from their Asiatic brethren on the opposite side of the river. - -During a visit to the famous Shi'ite mosque and shrine at Kazemain, a -suburb of the Western City, I found that the people, while outwardly -friendly and polite, were much more fanatical than the average Sunni -Mussulman, and were inclined to resent any attempt on the part of a -Giaour like myself to see the interior of their mosques and shrines. -I had for companions General Byron and Lieutenant Akhbar, the latter -a professing Shi'ite. We crossed by the new pontoon swing bridge -which now connects the {56} two shores, superseding the old bridge of -boats of Turkish days. - -The houses are huddled together, and are squat and meanly built, with -the low encircling walls and roofed parapets of sun-dried mud so -common to Persian villages. The streets are barely wide enough for -two pedestrians to pass abreast, and are full of holes or covered -with garbage. As for the inhabitants, they were miserably clad, and -the few women whom we chanced to encounter in our path hastily -stepped aside and, turning from us, made a furtive effort to veil -themselves by covering the upper part of their faces with a dirty -piece of rag produced from the voluminous folds of a sleeve-pocket. - -We did not tarry here very long. Quitting this waterside hamlet we -drove three miles to Kazemain itself, passing en route the terminus -of the Bagdad-Anatolian Railway, that great link of steel in the -chain of German world-expansion the completion of which, under the -existing concession, would have been commercially and economically -fatal to us in Western Asia. - -The tomb-mosque of Kazemain is one of the architectural landmarks of -Bagdad. Its twin domes and its four lofty minarets, all overlaid -with gold, are visible for miles as the traveller approaches Bagdad -from the west. When the rays of the noonday sun strike on these -gilded cupolas and graceful tapering columns it enhances their beauty -a hundredfold, and throws into bold relief all their harmony and {57} -symmetry. It recalled to me vividly, but in a minor degree, some of -the wonder and the glory of that other great monument of an Eastern -land--the Taj Mahal at Agra. But while the one is secular and -commemorative of earthly love, the other has a deeply religious -significance, for in the imposing mosque of Kazemain are buried Musa -Ibn Ja'far el Kazim and his grandson, Ibn Ali el Jawad, the seventh -and ninth of the successors of Ali, the son-in-law of Mahomet, and -recognized by the Shias as the rightful Caliphs of Islam. As a -centre of pilgrimage for Shi'ite Moslems, Kazemain ranks second after -Kerbela, the tomb of Hosain the Martyr; and from the point of view of -sanctity, Kazemain is considered to take even higher place than -either Samarra or Nejef, the other two Shi'ite shrines in the Vilayet -of Bagdad. - -The customary crowd of beggars, maimed, halt, and blind, whined to us -as we alighted before the great gate of Kazemain Mosque. Three or -four small boys, who had stolen a free ride by clinging to the back -of the automobile while it crawled dead slow through the gloomy, -winding streets of the bazaar, now demanded a pishkash (the Persian -equivalent of backsheesh). Mollahs, Sayyeds, and other reputed holy -men, springing apparently from nowhere, formed a ring around us, -deeply interested in our dress, our speech, the colour of our hair, -and our beardless faces. More especially was the wondering attention -of the crowd concentrated on Akhbar, himself a native Persian, -holding the King's commission and wearing {58} the King's khaki. -"What manner of man is this?" asked the puzzled onlookers. "Is he -Infidel or True Believer? for, by the Beard of the Prophet, he speaks -our holy tongue as well as we do ourselves!" - -Now there intervened an elderly personage in the Abba or flowing -robes affected by the better class of Persian, with a green kamarband -indicating his claim to lineal descent from the Prophet. The -new-comer, whose hair and beard were plentifully dyed with henna--a -never-failing sign, I was assured, of virtue and virility--offered to -go in search of the Mujtahid or Chief Priest. - -He returned presently with that important functionary, who salaamed, -but looked at us coldly and suspiciously, I thought. A whispered -colloquy now took place between himself and Akhbar. He had no doubt -as to the heterodoxy of the General and myself, but, on the other -hand, at first he was not convinced of the orthodoxy of Akhbar, this -professed Believer clad in Infidel garb. All Akhbar's impassioned -pleading failed to move him. Akhbar himself might enter freely, but -as for the two Unbelievers, they must not set foot within the -jealously guarded portals of the holy place. - -Up to this point the negotiations had been singularly free from -anything even remotely connected with coin of the realm. I think it -was the Mujtahid himself who, in his most winning manner, hinted that -"Blessed is he that giveth," and that even the dole of an Unbeliever -might win merit in the sight {59} of Allah. We gave accordingly, -whereupon the Mujtahid, out of the kindness of his heart, and by way -of requiting our generosity, said he would enable us to see something -of the Shi'ite "holy of holies." With himself as guide we were led -by a circular route to a caravanserai for pilgrims which stood close -to the high wall of the mosque. The place was untenanted, but, -mounting by a flight of rickety stairs to the flat and somewhat -unstable roof, we were able to overlook the interior courtyard of the -mosque, to note its gilt façade, and to watch the worshippers -performing their ablutions at the fountain in the centre of the -courtyard. With this we had to be content. - -The Shrine down to recent days had been a sanctuary for criminals -fleeing from justice, but the Turkish overlords, it is said, when a -fugitive happened to be of sufficient importance, were able by -cajolery and bribery to override Sanctuary and secure the man they -wanted. In consequence, Kazemain lost its popularity with fugitive -law-breakers. - -The populace at the termination of our visit gave us a hearty -send-off, and the beggars, whose persistence and persuasiveness it -was difficult to resist, having relieved us of sundry krans and -rupees, called down the blessing of Allah on our heads. - -The Sunni Moslems have many imposing places of worship in Bagdad. -The Mosque of Marjanieh is noted for its very fine Arabesque work, -bearing considerable resemblance to the ornamentations on the {60} -Mosque at Cordova, in Spain. There is also the Mosque of Khaseki, -which is believed to have been once a Christian Church. Its Roman -arch, with square pedestals and its spirally-fluted columns, reveal -an architectural school that is not Oriental. - -Outside the walls of the Western City is the reputed site of the tomb -of Zobeide, the wife of Haroun al Raschid. The eroding hand of Time -has dealt heavily with this once splendid mausoleum, but its -curiously-shaped pineapple dome is still intact, and survives proudly -amongst the ruin and decay of a dead-and-gone civilization. Niebuhr, -the German traveller who visited this tomb in the middle of the -eighteenth century, says he discovered an inscription setting forth -that it was the site of the ancient burying-place of Zobeide, but -that about 1488, Ayesha Khanum, wife of a Governor of Bagdad, was -also given sepulture there. Doubt is thrown upon the historical -accuracy of Niebuhr by many scholars, and there is a legend that -Zobeide was buried at Kazemain. - - - - -{61} - -CHAPTER VII - -EARLY HISTORY OF DUNSTERVILLE'S FORCE - -Jealousy and muddle--The dash for the Caspian--Holding on hundreds of -miles from anywhere--A 700-mile raid that failed--The cockpit of the -Middle East--Some recent politics in Persia--How our way to the -Caspian was barred. - - -Bagdad is not a pleasant place of residence when the Sherki, or south -wind, blows, and when at noonday the shade temperature is often 122 -degrees Fahr. For Europeans, work is then out of the question, and -it is impossible to venture abroad in the scorching air. There is -nothing for it but a suit of the thinnest pyjamas and a siesta in the -Serdab or underground room which forms part of most Bagdad houses. -The local equivalent of a punkah is usually to be found here, and -this helps to make life just bearable during the hot season. - -At Headquarters and administrative branches there was a welcome -cessation of labour from tiffin time until after the great heat of -the day. But the late Sir Stanley Maude, when in chief command at -Bagdad, demanded a very full day's work from his staff, and suffered -no afternoon siesta. He set the example himself, and on even the -hottest days was absent from his desk only during meal hours. Maude, -{62} splendid soldier and genial gentleman that he was, boasted of an -iron constitution which was impervious alike to Mesopotamian heat and -Mesopotamian malaria. - -The cool weather had already set in when the Bagdad party took up its -abode under canvas at Hinaida. We found already there an earlier -contingent which had been gathered together from units serving in -Mesopotamia and Salonika. No one knew quite what to do with us, and -General Headquarters was seemingly divided in mind as to whether we -should be treated as interlopers, and interned for the duration of -the War, or left severely alone to work out our own salvation, or -damnation, as we might see fit. The latter view carried the day, and -our welcome in official quarters was therefore distinctly chilling. -The difficulty chiefly arose, it appears, because General -Dunsterville, the leader of our expedition, had been given a separate -command, and was independent of the General commanding-in-chief in -Mesopotamia. Jealousy was created in high quarters. There was a -spirited exchange of telegrams with the War Office, in which such -phrases as "Quite impossible of realization," "Opposed to all -military precedent," are said to have figured prominently. - -In February, in the middle of the rainy season, and while the snow -still lay thick upon the Persian mountain passes, General -Dunsterville had collected some motor transports and, taking with him -a handful of officers, had made a dash for the Caspian Sea. {63} His -intention was to seize and hold Enzeli, the Persian port on the -Caspian, in order either to bluff or to beat the Russian Bolsheviks -there into submission, and to use it as a base for operations against -Baku, which had become a stronghold of German-Turkish-Bolshevik -activity. - -After untold difficulties, one party crossed the rain-sodden Persian -uplands, hewed a road over the snow-covered Assadabad Pass for their -Ford cars, and, although severely tried by cold and hunger, succeeded -in reaching Hamadan. Leaving a small band of men there to keep the -unfriendly Persian population in check, Dunsterville pushed on for -Kasvin, and thence to Resht, a few miles from Enzeli, brushing aside -the stray bands of armed marauders that sought to bar his progress. - -The goal was in sight, but, unsupported, and without supplies, and -hundreds of miles from his small party at Hamadan, he found himself -unable to hold on. His enemies were numerous and well-armed. Awed -at first by the appearance of this handful of British officers who -had unconcernedly motored into their midst after a seven-hundred-mile -raid across Mesopotamia and Persia, the Bolsheviks and their -German-subsidized Persian auxiliaries were for temporizing--nay, they -even invited the British General to a conference to discuss the -situation; and, in the hope of arriving at the basis of an -understanding, Dunsterville accepted the invitation to confer with -them. - -{64} - -In the meantime his enemies had not been idle. Their spies were -quick to report that no British reinforcements were arriving. -Dunsterville's numerical weakness was apparent, and the drooping -spirits of the Bolshevik Council revived. It had been cowed into -inaction, but now it grew bold, and its attitude became menacing. -The British General was presented with an ultimatum demanding his -immediate withdrawal on pain of capture and death. - -There was no help for it. Withdraw Dunsterville must, and did. The -Ford cars carrying the daring raiders sped away from the Bazaar of -Resht and back to Hamadan, and through streets crowded with armed and -hostile ruffians ripe for any crime. - -This, briefly, was the situation in the early days of March. -Dunsterville had leaped and failed. He was back at Hamadan, holding -on tenaciously, with a small body of officers and N.C.O.'s, no men, -lacking supplies, from which he was separated by hundreds of miles of -roadless country made doubly impassable by rain and melting snow, and -threatened with extermination by unfriendly tribesmen who, wolf-like, -were baying round him, eager yet afraid to strike. - -[Illustration: HOTEL D'EUROPE AT RESHT.] - -But, one will ask, what were Dunsterville and his force doing in -Persia at all? And why had Britain, who had gone to war with Germany -because the latter had overrun neutral Belgium, and who had professed -so much horror for Germany's aggression, why had she, of all nations, -violated Persian neutrality, {65} invaded Persian territory, and -ignored Persian protests? The answer is simply that we entered -Persia to defend Persian rights as much as to defend our own cause -and the cause of the Allies. The territory of the Shah had been -devastated by contending armies of Turks and Russians. It had been -swept by fire and sword; and now those twin handmaidens of ruthless -war, famine and disease, were abroad in the land of Iran, slaying -indiscriminately such of the wretched helpless populace as had -escaped the fury and the sword of Turk and Muscovite. Persia, by -reason of its geographical boundaries--its frontiers being -coterminous with those of Russia and Turkey--had in the early part of -the great world struggle become the cockpit of the Middle East. The -weak, emasculated Government of the Shah, a mere set of marionettes, -hopped about on the political stage of a corrupt capital. It had no -will of its own; and, even if it had, the constitutional advisers of -the "King of Kings" had no means of enforcing it. - -Hating Russia politically, and perhaps not without reason, coquetting -with Turkey because of the common religious bond of Islamism, Persia -herself very early in the War failed to observe the obligations which -neutrality imposed upon her. She aided and abetted the emissaries of -the Central Powers. Hun gold was the charm at which her gates flew -open to admit Prussian drill-instructors, whose business was to -organize and train the wild tribes of the south-west for raids -against our vulnerable right {66} flank in Mesopotamia. The -"Volunteers of Islam," a body of fanatical Mollahs with a leavening -of Turkish military officers and of bespectacled professors of German -Kultur, were recruited round Lake Van in Turkish Armenia. They had -for their object the preaching of a holy war in Afghanistan against -Britain, and the setting alight of our Indian north-west territory. -The "Volunteers of Islam," moving across the Persian frontier, -established their base in Persian Kermanshah preparatory to turning -their faces eastward in the long trek to Herat and the scene of their -Islamic and anti-British crusade. - -They were destined never to behold the mountain passes of their -"Promised Land," for, valour outrunning their discretion, these -militants of Islam and Potsdam, while engaged in the final -preparations for the journey to Afghanistan, were foolish enough to -throw in their lot with a Mesopotamian frontier tribe which was -thirsting to distinguish itself in battle against the British. The -combat duly took place, and the insolent tribesmen were punished for -their foolhardiness. In fact, they found extinction, instead of the -looked-for distinction; and many "Volunteers of Islam" were also -given sepulture by the vultures, the _concessionaires des tombeaux_ -in these parts. As for the survivors, they readily abandoned -Kermanshah for the greater security offered by the Armenian highlands. - -After the Russian military collapse in the winter of 1917, followed -by the Bolshevist triumph and the {67} signing of the shameful treaty -of Brest Litovsk, the Germans and their infamous allies, the -followers of Lenin and Trotsky, lost no time in making themselves -masters of the Caucasus. Tiflis fell, and arrayed itself under the -Red Banner of National Shame; Armenians, Georgians, and Tartars, all -victims of Turkish misrule, but hating each other more cordially than -they collectively hated the Osmanli oppressor, wrangling over their -respective claims to independent nationhood, varied by the absorbing -passion of slitting each other's throats, were all too busy to seek -to make common cause against the Bolshevik wolf when it appeared -before their fold in the guise of a German lamb. - -Would that all these nationless peoples of the Caucasus, who with so -much vehemence are always pleading their own inalienable right to -self-determination, possessed military gifts commensurate with their -brilliant, perfervid, never failing oratory! If they could fight -only half as well as they can talk, what unrivalled soldiers they -would be! - -The Bolsheviks and their German masters and paymasters, coming down -the railway line from Tiflis, speedily possessed themselves of Baku -and its oil wells. Immediately opposite Baku, and on the eastern -shore of the Caspian Sea, is Krasnovodsk, the terminus of the -Transcaspian Railway, that important strategic line which links up -the khanates of Russian Turkestan, connects, on the one hand, -Samarkand with Orenburg and the main _reseau_ of {68} Russian -railways, and, on the other, bifurcates and comes to a dead -stop--resembling the extended jaws of a pincers--within hailing -distance of the Afghan frontier. Once masters of the Caspian -littoral and of the Russian gunboats which patrolled its waters, the -Bolsheviks and their German allies were free to use the Transcaspian -Railway, and to menace India seriously by way of Afghanistan. - -At all events, they lost no time in invading Persia from the sea by -way of Enzeli. Here they found eager sympathisers and willing -auxiliaries in the Persian Democrats, a political party with -considerable influence and following in Resht itself and throughout -the Persian provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran. The Democrats laid -claim to represent the intelligentza of North-Eastern Persia. Their -profession of political faith was, broadly, "Persia for the -Persians," the abolition of all foreign meddling in Persian affairs, -and the ending of the Russian and British spheres of influence. But -it was against the British that their virulent hatred and political -conspiracies were chiefly directed. While they feared the British, -they despised the Russians. As one of the leaders of this "Young -Persia Movement" said to me when we had a heart-to-heart talk in -Kasvin, "To our sorrow we find that the British are honest and -incorruptible, therefore they are dangerous. Should they decide to -stay here, we could never hope to turn them out. On the other hand, -to our joy we recognize that neither the Russians nor the {69} Turks -possess these high moral attributes, consequently there was always -the hope that some day we might be able to escort the last of them to -the frontier." - -The "Young Persia" representative put his case concisely, fairly, and -without any tinge of political jaundice. None better than he -realized the impotency of the vacillating Teheran Government to -enforce its paper protests against the violation of Persian -neutrality. Its only military instrument was a ragged, unpaid, -undisciplined rabble, which international courtesy has been wont to -designate an Army. The Persian Democrats therefore linked up with -the Bolsheviks. But it would be erroneous to assume that their ranks -were recruited entirely from disinterested patriots, inspired by the -highest altruistic ideals, burning to rid their country of the -foreigner--be he Briton, Turk, or Russian--in order that Persia might -be free to work out her own political salvation in her own way and -without interference from anybody. Some there were in the ranks of -the Democrats actuated only by love of country, as they conceived it, -who, with noble resolve in their hearts, trod the financially -unremunerative path which led to the goal of political glory. There -was always plenty of elbow-room and never any overcrowding on this -road. The great majority of the Democrats, as I found them, put pul -(_i.e._, money) before patriotism, and for them a Turkish lira, or a -twenty-mark piece, had an irresistible attraction. - -{70} - -With the downfall of Russia as a military power, her Army, which had -pushed down through Persia in order to effect a junction with the -British in Mesopotamia, rapidly retreated, and as rapidly -disintegrated, smitten by the deadly plague of Bolshevism. -Discipline and organization were at an end; obedience was no longer -rendered to Army Chief, corps commander, or regimental officer, but -to the soldiers' own "Red Committee"--usually with a sergeant at its -head--which, besides usurping the functions of Generalissimo, became -the Supreme War Council of the Army, giving an irrevocable decision -upon everything from high strategy to vulgar plundering. Now two -Russian generals, named Bicherakoff and Baratof, appeared on the -troubled stage of Persian politics. From the debris of an army they -had gathered round them the odds and ends of stray Russian regiments, -bands of irregulars from Transcaucasia, and Cossacks from the Don and -the Terek--stout fighting men of the mercenary type, whose trade was -war and whose only asset was their sword. - -Both Bicherakoff and Baratof were loyal to the cause of Imperial -Russia and her Allies, and refused to bend the knee to Lenin and -Trotsky. They were willing to make war on our side as subsidized -auxiliaries. In short, these heterogeneous cohorts were for sale; -they possessed a certain military value, and the British taxpayer -bought them at an inflated price, and also their right, title, and -interest, if any, in the abandoned motor lorries, machine-guns, and -{71} military stores of all kinds which littered the track of the -retreating, disorganized Russian Army. The British military -treasure-chest also honoured a proportion of the Russian requisition -notes which had been given to the extent of millions of roubles in -exchange for Persian local supplies, and which the Persian holders -knew full well would never be liquidated by any Bolshevik Government -in Petrograd or elsewhere. - -Our friends, the Russians, having sold us their supplies for the -common cause, made some difficulty about handing them over. The -soldiers, it was said, claimed that war material was national -property, and objected to its appropriation unless they, representing -so many national shareholders, were each paid on a cash basis a -proper proportion of the purchase price. This was a deadlock that -was never satisfactorily adjusted. Our new Russian allies also -offered to sell us the 160 miles of road from Kasvin to Hamadan which -had been constructed by a Russian Company, and was being maintained -by a system of tolls levied upon goods and passengers. But the price -was so formidable that, if we had closed with the bargain, the -British Exchequer would have needed the wealth of Golconda to -complete the transaction. - -Bicherakoff and his volunteers concentrated at Kasvin, at the -junction of the roads leading to Resht and the Caspian in the north, -to Tabriz in the north-west, to Teheran in the south-east, and to -Hamadan {72} and Kermanshah in the south-west. Here they imposed an -effective barrier against the flowing tide of Bolshevism coming from -the Caspian, and it was hoped that they might be able to keep open -the road from Kasvin to Resht and Enzeli. - -The distance from Kasvin to Resht is about eighty miles. Half-way, -at Manjil, there is a road bridge over the Kizil Uzun River, and the -country beyond is covered with thick jungle, which fringes the -roadway on both sides. - -About the time the Russians were sitting down in Kasvin awaiting -developments, there appeared in the jungle country a redoubtable -leader named Kuchik Khan, who was destined to exercise considerable -influence on the military situation in the region of the Caspian. -Kuchik Khan was a Persian of a certain culture and refinement of -manner, endowed with courage, personal magnetism, and great force of -character. He possessed, moreover, no little knowledge of European -political institutions and of the science of government as practised -in the West. The personification of militant "Young Persia," he -proclaimed himself an apostle of reform. Preaching the doctrine of -Persian Nationalism in the broadest sense, he declared that he was -the uncompromising enemy alike of misrule within and interference -from without. Recruits, attracted by good pay and the prospects of -loot, flocked to his standard from amongst the harassed and overtaxed -peasant population, and were soon licked into tolerable military -shape by {73} German and Turkish officers. Rifles, machine-guns, -ammunition, military equipment, and money were also forthcoming from -German sources. His army, which had its own distinctive uniform, -grew rapidly, and it was not long before Kuchik Khan found himself -strong enough to bid defiance to Teheran and its feeble Government. -He set up as a semi-independent ruler, and had his own council of -political and military advisers. Kuchik Khan's tax-gatherers -collected and appropriated the Shah's revenues in Gilan and in part -of Mazandaran, and his power became paramount from Manjil to the -Caspian Sea. The Jungalis, as his followers were called, under -German instruction became proficient in trench warfare. Selecting a -good defensive position, they dug themselves in along the -Manjil-Resht road, and their advanced outposts held the bridge head -at Manjil itself. - -[Illustration: STONE BRIDGE AT SIAH RUD WHICH IS THE PROBABLE PLACE -OF ATTACK FROM ANY OF THE JUNGLE TRIBES. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT -THE HANTS SUFFERED CASUALTIES.] - -Kuchik Khan, as Persians go, was relatively honest, and was possibly -inspired by patriotic zeal; but this did not prevent his becoming a -pliant and very useful military asset in the hands of the enemies of -the Entente Powers. At their behest he bolted and barred the door -giving access to the Caspian and for the British, at all events, -labelled it, "On ne passe pas!" - - - - -{74} - -CHAPTER VIII - -OFF TO PERSIA - -Au revoir to Bagdad--The forts on the frontier--Customs house for the -dead--A land of desolation and death--A city of the past--An -underground mess--Methods of rifle thieves. - - -It was not until the beginning of April (1918) that the intermittent -rainfall practically ceased, and allowed a contingent of the -weatherbound Dunsterville party to turn their faces towards Hamadan, -where our General and his small force were said to be in dire straits. - -The advanced base near Baqubah on the Diala River, north-east of -Bagdad, where some of our unit were under canvas, was a quagmire; and -the road beyond the Persian frontier was reported to be impassable -for man, motor, or animal transport. But four consecutive days of -fine weather effected a transformation. The heat of the sun -converted the liquid mud of the plains into half-baked clay, and the -road itself showed a hard crust upon its surface. - -No time was lost in setting out for Persia. The force from the -advanced base began its march at daylight on April 5. Baggage and -transport were cut down to the lowest possible limits, and General -{75} Byron and I moved ahead of the column in a Ford van. - -On the first night we reached the headquarters of General Thompson, -commanding the 14th Division operating on the Diala. Next morning, -the weather still promising fair, we were off betimes, and, in spite -of road difficulties, at ten o'clock reached the Motor Transport -Depot at Khaniquin, the last town on the Turkish side. After a brief -halt to enable us to swop our somewhat war-worn car for a more -efficient one, we started again, and, within an hour of pulling up at -Khaniquin, had crossed the frontier into Persia. - -As we approached the boundary of the crumbling Ottoman Empire at this -point, the road wound round a low hill. On an eminence above stood a -tumble-down martello tower which once had held a Turkish guard; and -on a corresponding height on the other side were the ruins of a -Persian fort. From these vantage points the two Asiatic Empires, -both now crumbling in decay, had for centuries jealously watched each -other, quarrelling over a mile or two of disputed territory with all -the vehemence of their Oriental blood. - -Near Khaniquin, on the Turkish side, we saw what had once been the -Quarantine and Customs Stations. It was here that the corpse -caravans, coming from the interior of Persia and bound for Kerbela, -one of the holy places of the Shi'ite sect, halted and paid Customs -dues. It is the pious wish of every Persian {76} to be buried at -Kerbela, near the shrine of Hossain the Martyr. The town is in the -Vilayet of Bagdad, and in pre-war days the Turks derived a very -handsome revenue from tolls levied on dead Persians who were being -transported to their last resting-place beside the waters of the -Euphrates. It was a gruesome but lucrative traffic for the living, -whether Customs officials or muleteers. These caravans of dead, by -reason of the absence of anything approaching proper hygienic -precautions, probably also carried with them into Asiatic Turkey a -varied assortment of endemic diseases. When Persians whose -testamentary dispositions earmarked them for the last pilgrimage to -Kerbela died, they were buried for a year. At the end of this period -they were exhumed, enveloped in coarse sacking, lashed two by two on -the back of a mule, and carried to their new resting-place, -accompanied by bands of sorrowing friends and relatives. - -We were now well over the frontier, and found ourselves in a land of -desolation and death. Our way lay past ruined and deserted villages, -many of the inhabitants of which had been blotted out by famine. -Beyond a few Persian road guards in British pay, or an occasional -native labour corps road-making under the protection of a detachment -of Indian Infantry, the country seemed destitute of life. On the -other side of the frontier I had heard a good deal as to the -appalling economic conditions of Persia, and of the shortage of food; -but now, {77} brought face to face with the terrible reality, I -understood for the first time its full significance. - -Men and women, shrivelled and huddled heaps of stricken humanity, lay -dead in the public ways, their stiffened fingers still clutching a -bunch of grass plucked from the roadside, or a few roots torn up from -the fields with which they had sought to lessen the tortures of death -from starvation. At other times a gaunt, haggard figure, bearing -some resemblance to a human being, would crawl on all fours across -the roadway in front of the approaching car, and with signs rather -than speech plead for a crust of bread. Hard indeed would be the -heart that could refuse such an appeal! So overboard went our ration -supply of army biscuit, bit by bit, on this our first day in the -hungry land of the Shah! - -At Kasr-i-Shirin, where we made a short halt, we were soon surrounded -by a starving multitude asking for food. One poor woman with a baby -in her arms begged us to save her child. We gave her half a tin of -potted meat and some biscuits, for which she called down the blessing -of Allah on our heads. Her maternal solicitude was touching, for, -although it was evident that she was suffering from extreme hunger, -no food passed her lips until her baby had been supplied. - -The western slopes of Kasr-i-Shirin are covered with the remains of a -great city. The outline of extensive walls can be traced amidst the -debris of masonry. Masses of roughly hewn sandstone strew {78} the -ground. Within the ancient enclosure are heaps of tumble-down -masonry, all that exists of the houses that formerly stood there. -Some little distance away are traceable the ruined outlines of a -splendid palace with spacious underground apartments and beautiful -archways, once the residence of some Acharmenian or Sasanian monarch. -The remains of a rock-hewn aqueduct, with reservoir, troughs, and -stone pipes, which brought water to this city of antiquity from a -distance of twelve miles, are still to be seen. - -From Kasr-i-Shirin onwards there was a gradual descent to the bottom -of the Pai Tak Pass. It is three miles to the top of the Pass, and -there is a difference in altitude of about fifteen hundred feet. -Whatever else they may be, Persians are not roadmakers. Formerly the -only way to scale Pai Tak was by following a mule track which wound -round the sparsely wooded slopes of the hill. But now British -military engineers had done some useful spade work there; an -excellent road had been built with easy gradients, and Pai Tak was -negotiable for Ford cars, and even for heavily laden Peerless lorries. - -The view from the top was superb. On either side of the plateau -towered snow-capped mountains. We found in possession, under Colonel -Mathews, a British force consisting of the 14th Hants. The Colonel -himself was absent; but the officers of the battalion gave us a -hearty welcome, and fixed us up with quarters for the night. - -The Senjabi tribesmen round about were troublesome, {79} and their -leader, Ali Akhbar Khan, incited by German propagandists, seemed bent -upon coming into collision with the British. It was bitterly cold at -Surkhidizeh on the top of the Pai Tak Pass, and we enjoyed the warmth -and comfort of the Hants' mess quarters. - -This was an underground circular apartment, cut out of the earth, -into which you descended by a flight of wooden steps. The top was -roofed with canvas, tent fashion. - -Rifle thieves were active in the camp at Surkhidizeh. Wandering -Kurdish tribesmen showed special daring in this form of enterprise. -Scarcely a night passed without the Hants' Camp being raided for -arms. British rifles brought enormous prices when sold to the -Senjabi and other of the lawless nomads whose happy hunting-ground is -the "No Man's Land" in the neighbourhood of the Turko-Persian -frontier. Here a man was socially valued solely by the arms he -carried. He might be in rags as far as raiment was concerned, but -the possession of a .303 Lee Enfield, or a German Mauser, marked him -as a man of some distinction and importance in the country, one who -might be expected to do big things, and with whom it was well to be -on friendly terms. - -The average nomad whom I came across is not renowned for physical -courage, and in daylight he will think twice before attacking even a -single British soldier; yet these selfsame tribesmen would {80} -unhesitatingly raid a British bivouac nightly, and face the -possibility of death, in order to pilfer a couple of rifles. Rifle -raiding possessed for them a kind of fascination. The raiders often -failed and paid the penalty with their lives, but the attempts were -never abandoned for long. One method was for a brace of snipers to -fire on the sentry and on the guard, so creating a diversion. A -couple of their fellows, with their bodies well oiled, naked save for -a loin-cloth, and carrying each a long knife, would meanwhile crawl -into the camp at a place remote from the point of disturbance, and -snatch a rifle or two from beside the sleeping soldiers. If caught, -they used their knives, and invariably with fatal effect. Even if -detected the raiders usually got away, for in the darkness and -confusion it was difficult to fire upon them without incurring the -risk of hitting one of your own people. - -I was aroused from a sound sleep the first night at Surkhidizeh by -the noise of rifle firing, followed by an infernal hullabaloo. -Unbuttoning the tent flap, and rushing into the open, I found that -the rifle snatchers had been busy again. A native had wriggled -through the barbed-wire enclosure and, with the silence of a Red -Indian, had entered a tent occupied by men of the Hants battalion. -The soldiers slept with the sling of the rifle attached to the -waistbelt. Cutting through this without disturbing the owner, the -thief had bolted with the weapon. - -On leaving, he fell over some of the sleeping {81} occupants, who -were aroused and sought to grab him, but in the darkness and confined -space of the bell-tent, they missed the thief and grasped each -other's throats. The sentry fired, but failed of his mark. The -remainder of the guard and some Indian units also loosed off a few -rounds, but without success. - -The night favoured the enterprise. It was pitch dark. The raider's -friends, from the cover of some dead ground in the neighbourhood, -sniped the camp intermittently for the next hour or two, until -everybody grew exasperated, and wished that Persia with its marauding -bands, and the whole Middle East Question were sunk in the deep sea. - - - - -{82} - -CHAPTER IX - -THROUGH MUD TO KIRIND - -A city of starving cave-dwellers--An American woman's mission to the -wild--A sect of salamanders--Profiteering among the Persians--A -callous nation--Wireless orders to sit tight--Awaiting attack--The -"mountain tiger." - - -Next day we set out for Kirind, about fifteen miles from Surkhidizeh, -where a platoon of the Hants held an advanced post. After passing -Sar Mil and its ruined fort, we dipped down into a valley bordered by -high hills, where grew dwarf oaks, with a background of mountains -whose snow-topped peaks glistened in the warm spring sunshine. - -Our way lay over a black cotton-soil plain, and the road looked as if -it had recently been furrowed by a giant plough. It was hard going -for the Ford cars, and our difficulties were increased when rain -presently overtook us. Half an hour's downpour will convert any -Persian road into a morass, and that between Surkhidizeh and Kirind -is no exception to the rule. The Fords for once were baffled. The -leading car could get no grip on the slippery soil; its front wheels -revolved aimlessly, then by a mighty exertion moved forward a few -yards, only to come to an abrupt stop, up to its front axle in a -slimy {83} mud-hole. We temporarily jettisoned everything, and -pulled it out with a tow rope and the united efforts of a dozen -friendly natives who were not averse from a little physical labour -for a pecuniary reward. There was no getting rid of the glutinous -mud. It adhered to one's boots and clung to one's garments with a -persistency that was irritating and ruinous to the temper. The -fifteen miles' journey occupied four hours, and we were "bogged" -seven times before the cars finally got clear and gained the roughly -paved causeway which, skirting Kirind village, led to the British -military post. - -[Illustration: TYPICAL PERSIAN VILLAGE.] - -Kirind itself is a straggling and typical group of Persian -mud-houses. It clings haphazardly to both sides of a steep, narrow -gorge, closed at one end by a perpendicular wall of jagged limestone -rock, which rises sheer for a thousand feet. Beneath this frowning -rock-barrier nestles a village abominably and indescribably filthy, -inhabitated by an elf-like people in whom months of semi-starvation -had bred something of the sullen ferocity of a pack of famishing -wolves. There was in their eyes the glint of the hunted wild animal. -They fled at our approach--men, women, and children--diving into -dark, noisome, underground dens which exhaled a horrible effluvium, -or else bolting like so many scared wild-cats for some lair high up -amongst the limestone ridges. Some of the fugitives whom we rounded -up and spoke to compassionately answered with a terrified snarl, as -if dreading we should do them injury. Yet it {84} was chiefly the -Turk, that zealous propagandist of the tenets of Islam, whose -rapacity and cruelty had driven this fellow Moslem race to the -borderland of primitive savagery. - -Amid all the horror and misery of this desert of human despair we -found a Christian angel of pity, isolated, working single-handed, -striving to alleviate the terrible lot of the starving people. The -angel was an American woman, Miss Cowden, of the Presbyterian -Mission. Years before she had given up home, country, and friends in -obedience to a higher call, and was devoting her life and her -energies to the betterment of the temporal lot of the unhappy, -underfed, Persian children. She had learned their language, and -moved from village to village alone and unattended, carrying out her -great work of charity, and content to live in some dirty hovel. A -vocation surely demanding sublime self-abnegation, and calling, I -should think, for the highest attributes of faith and courage! I -hold no brief for foreign missionaries in general. I know that their -proselytizing methods have been the subject of severe criticism in -the public press and on the lecture platform. All the more reason, -therefore, why I should tell of a work which is being done so -unobtrusively, without hope of earthly recompense, and well beyond -the range of the most powerful "Big Bertha" of the cinema world. - -The Kirindis for the most part belong to the curious religious sect -called Aliullahis, about {85} whose beliefs and rites many strange -legends circulate. - -One of these concerns their immunity from injury by fire, and recalls -the "fire walkers" of the Tongan Islands. Aliullahian devotees, it -is said, will enter a kind of oven and stay there while fire is -heaped around it, making it red-hot. Then, covering their heads with -the burning cinders, they cry, "I am cold," and pass out unhurt. -Another ceremony consists in lifting bars of red-hot iron out of the -fire with their bare hands, their skin showing no signs of burning. - -Their religion seems to be a strange mixture of Mohammedanism and -Judaism, with doctrines from various other esoteric faiths grafted on -to it. Thus they number amongst their prophets Benjamin, Moses, -Elia, David, and Jesus Christ, and they have also a saint of peculiar -efficacy in intercession named Ali. Some investigators into their -creed maintain that Ali and Daoud (David) are one and the same -person; others think that Ali is so high up in the spiritual -hierarchy as only to be invoked through Daoud. In any case, their -prayer before battle is, "O Daoud, we are going to war. Grant that -we overcome our enemy!" They then sacrifice some animal, usually a -sheep, which is roasted whole. The High Priest prays over the -carcass and distributes the flesh in small portions to those present. -Communion in this sacrament appears to inspire the Aliullahian with -absolute confidence in the success of any undertaking it precedes. - -{86} - -Another of their beliefs is that of a successive incarnation of the -Deity in the greatest of their spiritual guides, seven of whom are -clubbed together under the name of "Haft-Tan." - -When in Mohammedan cities, they outwardly conform to the tenets -taught by the Prophet of the Crescent, but secretly they continue the -practice of their own mystic rites. They bury their dead without -prayer (after keeping the unembalmed corpse six days), but turn his -head to face Kerbela, as do the Mussulmans. - -They are recognizable from their long moustaches, since the Shiahs -are not allowed to have hair so long as to pass the upper lip. - -Some authorities proclaim them the remnant of the Samaritans who, as -related in 2 Kings xvii. 6 and 7, were carried into captivity by -Hoshea, King of Assyria; and Rawlinson, in his writings on Persia, -speaks of a rock-tomb which they regard as a place of special -sanctity. They call it, he says, Dukka-ni-Daoud (David's shop), -because they believe that the Jewish monarch was a smith by trade. - -We stayed two nights in Kirind village. Our quarters were a couple -of rooms above a stable which sheltered a sundry collection of goats, -sheep, two consumptive donkeys and their charvadars, some stray hens, -and two or three pariah dogs. Crossing a dirty courtyard, where -filth had accumulated for years, we climbed a broken stairway, and -were at home. The flat roof of the stable was our promenade; {87} -but, since it was full of holes, which were generally concealed by a -thin layer of sun-dried mud, great caution was needed to prevent a -sudden and undignified descent into the menagerie below. Our rooms -opened on to the roof of the stable. We slept on the floor, and, as -it was cold, our Persian servant bought some green wood and made a -fire in the only fireplace available, which consisted of a small -cavity in the mud floor. A hole in the upper roof supplied -ventilation, and served the purposes of a chimney. - -It was here that the Governor paid an official call upon General -Byron. He sent a servant to announce his coming, and presently -arrived accompanied by a retinue of unkempt, hungry-looking -officials, all wearing the chocolate-coloured sugar-loaf hat peculiar -to Persians. The Governor himself was a fat, pompous individual, -with a drooping moustache, unshaven face, and no collar. We wondered -at first whether the stubble on his chin was due to slothfulness, or -was a sign of mourning. We discovered it was the latter, a brother -of his having died recently through over-participation in food at -some local festivity. To look at the portly form of the Governor -made it quite evident that everybody was not going hungry in Kirind. -As he sat cross-legged on the floor, his fingers interlaced in front -of his breast, and twirling his thumbs, he looked exactly what he -was--the personification of hopeless incapacity and lethargy. "What -ashes are fallen on my head!" he moaned aloud, by way of expressing -sorrow for the {88} death of so many of the villagers from -starvation. Yet he himself had done nothing to lessen the ravages of -famine in the district, and was content to see the wretched -inhabitants die, without moving a finger to help them. - -His attitude was typical of officialdom throughout this starving -land. The Governor was a landowner, and probably, like others of his -class whom I came across later in Kermanshah and Hamadan, had plenty -of grain hidden away waiting for the day when the British -Commissariat, in order to feed starving Persians, would come and buy -it at inflated prices, thus enriching a gang of hoarding, avaricious -rascals. - -When General Byron spoke of what the British were doing elsewhere in -the way of feeding the famine-stricken, the Governor's eyes -brightened, and scenting the possibility of an advantageous -commercial deal in cornered wheat, he replied with a fervent -"Mash-allah!" (Praise be to God!) The suggestion that thieving local -bakers who had been profiteering at the expense of the starving -population might be taught a salutary lesson by having their ears -nailed to their bakehouse doors, or otherwise dealt with under some -equally benign Persian enactment, seemed to find favour in the eyes -of the Governor, for he answered, "Inshallah!" (Please God!) - -This Governor, who had so suddenly developed a keen interest in the -local food problem, was afterwards present at a full-dress parade of -Miss Cowden's {89} starvelings. The recipients of mission charity -were of both sexes, and varied from toddlers of three to their elders -of ten or twelve years. All they had in the way of clothing was a -piece of discoloured rag, or a section of a tattered gunny bag, -fastened round the loins. Physical suffering long endured was -indelibly stamped on their shrunken features and on their emaciated -frames. Each was given a substantial chunk of freshly baked -chipattee, or unleavened bread, and they were desired to eat it then -and there to prevent its being pilfered from their feeble hands by -hungry adult prowlers outside the mission buildings. They made no -demur, and ate ravenously. Bread is the staple diet, and generally -the only article of food, of the Persian poor; and this daily free -distribution must have been the means of preserving the lives of many -hundreds of Kirind children. Charity in the Anglo-Saxon meaning of -the word seems to find no home in the breast of the average Persian; -and each day there was a fight between local cupidity, as represented -by the Kirind bakers, and foreign generosity as exemplified by the -American Mission, which was spending its funds freely in order that -these unhappy children of an alien race might have bread and live. -Here, as elsewhere during my wanderings through Iran, I was painfully -impressed by the appalling callousness and indifference exhibited by -the ordinary Persian towards the sufferings of his own people. He -would not lift a hand to help a dying man, and dead, would leave {90} -him to the tender mercies of the dogs and vultures rather than -trouble to give him burial. - -One morning, while preparing for a further move eastward towards -Kermanshah, a wireless message, transmitted in haste from -Surkhidizeh, ordered us to sit tight and await developments and -reinforcements. We were warned that the Senjabis were restless, and -might any night swoop down on our slenderly-garrisoned post. Ali -Akhbar Khan, who was the Pendragon of the Senjabis and various stray -allied bands of nomadic robbers in these parts, was said to be -watching us from his eyrie up in the snow-capped hills. His martial -ardour had been stimulated to the verge of action by German gold and -German rifles, and the promise of much loot when our weak force had -been duly annihilated. To the careful, calculating Akhbar, and to -the wild tribesmen who had flocked to his standard at the very first -mention of the word "unlimited loot," the capture of the Kirind post -must have seemed the softest of soft things. To look our way and -resist temptation was like flying in the face of Providence. How -that dear old bandit's mouth must have watered in anticipation of -securing a fine haul of rifles, ammunition, and transport animals! - -All that stood between Akhbar Khan and the realization of his project -was a platoon of the 14th Hants under Lieutenant Gow, a Lewis gun, a -dozen Persian irregulars of doubtful fighting quality, and a very -unformidable barrier of two rows of {91} barbed wire. The camp was -on the edge of a narrow plateau facing the road. In the rear, where -this latter became merged in the hills, the smooth slope was like a -toboggan run, and the alert Senjabis, if they so wished, might have -slid from their hill-top sangars down on to the field of battle. But -they held aloof; their day was not yet. - -We spent an anxious night. Everybody was under arms waiting for the -threatened attack. Morning ended our period of suspense and brought -the looked-for reinforcements--a squadron of the 14th Hussars under -Captain Pope, a couple of guns, an additional platoon of the Hants, -as well as the Dunsterville contingent which had originally set out -from Baqubah. - -The "mountain tiger," as Ali Akhbar Khan was called in the -imaginative and picturesque vocabulary of the district, had -hesitated, and missed his chance. The reinforcing party was very -much disappointed at Akhbar's display of irresolution and his -reluctance to fight. Some amongst the bolder spirits contemplated -calling upon him in his mountain lair. But that was not to be. When -the "tiger" did spring later on, and sought to cut up a British -column, he received the lesson of his life. But our party was not -there to share in the glory of his undoing. - - - - -{92} - -CHAPTER X - -KIRIND TO KARMANSHAH - -Pillage and famine--A land of mud--The Chikar Zabar Pass--Wandering -dervishes--Poor hotel accommodation--A "Hunger Battalion"--A city of -the past. - - -From Kirind to Kermanshah, our next stage, is about sixty miles. For -the most part it is dreary, barren country, with a few isolated -villages astride the line of march. The whole land had been skinned -bare of supplies by Turk and Russian, and it was now in the throes of -famine. - -There was a good deal of similarity in the methods of these -successive invaders. They commandeered unscrupulously and without -payment, and what they could not consume or carry off they destroyed. -There was no seed wheat, and consequently no crops had been sown. -Many tillers of the soil had fled for their lives; those who had -remained were dying of hunger in this war-ravaged region. The arable -land which is noted for its fertility was forlorn and neglected; no -plough had touched its soil since the passing of the war storm, and -its abandoned furrows were temporarily tenanted by wandering crows -struggling to gain a precarious livelihood. It was desolation and -ruin everywhere. - -{93} - -This was the country into which we, too, now, in our turn adventured. -Armed robbers roamed from hill to plain and back again, holding up -and looting passing caravans, preying upon the miserable inhabitants -in the remote villages, and relieving them of anything in the nature -of food and live-stock that the greedy maw of Turk and Russian had -inadvertently overlooked. - -Little wonder that the terrified wayside inhabitants fled pell-mell -at the approach of our column! It took some persuasion to assure -them that they would not be "bled" afresh, nor put to the sword. Not -unnaturally, they had reason to dread the exactions of a third -invader, and both effort and time were needed to convince them that -our intentions were not hostile, but friendly. When confidence was -at last restored, the glad tidings of our exemplary behaviour sped -ahead of us from village to village, carried by that mysterious -agency which in the East lends wings to any news of import, and in -speed rivals wireless telegraphy. - -So it was that on our further progress ragged and cringing peasants, -all semblance of manhood driven out of them by hunger and oppression, -would crawl forth into the light of day from some dark hovel to beg, -firstly for their lives, and secondly for a morsel of bread. We -granted the one without question, but were not always able to comply -with the second demand. - -From Kirind our progress was slow. The first day, {94} Sunday, April -14th, we barely covered ten miles, arriving at Khorosabad late in the -afternoon, where we bivouacked under the lee of the hills. The road -beyond was a kind of hog's back strewn with limestone boulders which -proved too difficult for the laden Ford cars. To add to our troubles -the weather broke in the evening, and it rained steadily throughout -the night, so that our camping-ground became a swamp. The Hussars' -horses suffered from exposure, while the men themselves were wet -through and inclined to be grumpy. In the morning, as the weather -showed signs of mending, the march was resumed; but the Ford convoy -had to be left behind in charge of an escort to wait until the road -became passable. - -The infantry units marched through twelve miles of mud to Harunabad, -the next stage on the journey. It tried the men's endurance to the -utmost. The road was simply an unmetalled track across the plain; -there was no foothold in the saturated soil, and at each step a pound -or two of clay adhered to one's boots, necessitating frequent halts -to scrape them clean. The Persian muleteers were more fortunate. -They marched barefoot, and their movements were not handicapped by -the encumbering dead weight of adhesive earth. - -[Illustration: PERSIAN TRANSPORT.] - -Harunabad does not differ essentially from any other village in -South-Western Persia. Dirt and decay have laid their twin grip upon -its crooked streets, its tottering mud walls, and ruinous -habitations. {95} The inhabitants were as hungry as any other of -their class in Persia, and they crowded round the bivouac cookhouses -snatching eagerly at any morsel of food that was thrown to them. -General Byron, Captain Eve, Lieutenant Akhbar, and I lighted on a -couple of rooms in a disused caravanserai, and the local governor, -who seemed to bother less about backsheesh than the average of his -fellows, procured us some mutton and firewood. Two of his servitors -who had brought the supplies were demanding an exorbitant price--the -middleman's profit. The Governor, happening to arrive on the scene -while the haggling was proceeding, beat the grasping pair soundly in -our presence, and promised them a dose of the bastinado on the -morrow. Thoroughly abashed by their drubbing, and terrified by the -prospect of a fresh one next day, they fell upon their knees, begging -for mercy and forgiveness. The General successfully pleaded on their -behalf, and they showed their gratitude by kissing his hands, before -taking themselves out of range of the still wrathful eye of the -Governor. - -The night was cold, with a tinge of frost in the air. We sat round -the fire after supper drying our sodden garments and removing the -encrustations of Persian mud which had settled thickly upon them. -Sleep came to us easily after the fatigues of the day, and it was -with a feeling of deep personal resentment that we heard the Hussars' -trumpeter sound the reveille. - -{96} - -Most transport mules are longsuffering animals, but they rebel -occasionally. The Persian variety was inclined to be peevish, when -it came to early rising and taking afresh upon its sturdy back the -burden of the day. Those of our supply convoy, when prodded into -activity before sunrise, rarely failed to make their displeasure felt -by a vigorous protest lodged at random in some part of a charvadar's -anatomy. On the morning of our departure from Harunabad the mules -showed themselves especially intractable. It could hardly have been -because of any deep-rooted affection for the locality itself. -However, at the cost of much profanity and shouting on the part of -the muleteers, during which grave aspersions were cast upon the -character of the mules' ancestors, the rebellious beasts were cowed -into submissiveness and our column was soon floundering anew in the -mud of the Persian wilderness. - -A wind from the north blew across our path and sent the menacing -rain-clouds scurrying to the right-about. The sun, too, unveiled its -face, as if half-ashamed of its tardiness, and speedily dispelled the -curtain of white mist which arose from the sodden earth. The air was -keen and invigorating, but tempered by the warm breath of spring. -Men and horses and transport mules responded to the gladsome call of -Nature in her most beneficent mood. British soldier and Persian -charvadar each sang the wild songs of his native land, telling -invariably of {97} some fair, beauteous maiden whom the sentimental -songster had left behind somewhere in England or Iran. To the ears -of one riding on in advance, as I happened to be that day, this flow -of song blending with the deep note of the jingling mule-bells made -sweetest music. - -Four hours' march brought the head of the column to the top of the -Chihar Zabar Pass. The road went sheer down the reverse slope, -cutting across an immense plain carpeted with the deepest emerald -green. Here wild flowers grew in abundance--crocuses, daffodils, -daisies, violets, and a species of indigenous primrose, a woof of -rich, glorious colouring in the warp of green. This "Promised Land," -the work of Nature's own brush, stretched away from my very feet till -it mingled with the grey-blue of the distant horizon. What a -pleasing contrast to the dreary, desolate lowlands we had so lately -traversed! It was a most welcome prospect to eyes tired of looking -upon dull, monotonous landscapes. To me it was the fairest sight I -had yet seen in the land of Iran. - -While I was revelling in the beauty of the scene, there appeared on -the summit of the Pass, coming from this valley of enchantment, three -men whose dress and appearance excited my curiosity. They were -sturdily built, and dressed in black, skirted coats, fastened at the -waist by a girdle from which was suspended a sword and satchel. -Their beards were no longer than that permitted by the precepts of -{98} the Koran. They were without head-covering of any kind, and -their long hair fell free and untrammelled on their shoulders. The -trio wore shoes of Moroccan leather with pointed, turned-up toes and -silver buckles. Each carried a small silver-headed axe at the -"slope," as a cavalry trooper does a sabre. - -As they approached, my first feeling was one of alarm, and my hand -instinctively sought my revolver holster. Seeing this, the foremost -raised his hand in friendly salutation, and greeted me with, "Peace -be upon thee, O stranger!" They proved to be wandering dervishes who -begged their way from end to end of Persia, and to judge by their -raiment and their general well-to-do appearance, it must be a -profitable occupation. - -These dervishes, amongst the Persians of all classes, have a great -reputation for sanctity. The rich help them liberally, and even the -very poor will not turn a deaf ear to their request for aid. One of -them chattered away like a magpie, recounting adventures which were -not always of the kind one is prone to associate with the austerity -of a Religious Order. They had come on foot from Meshed in Eastern -Persia to Teheran, Hamadan, and Kermanshah, and were now bound for -Kerbela and the Shi'ite holy places in the vicinity of Bagdad. The -burdens of life sat lightly on their shoulders, and the destroying -hand of care had left no traces upon their merry, laughing faces. -They were a cheery trio, {99} forgetful of yesterday, unmindful of -to-morrow, and living only for to-day. - -They were full of a pleasant inquisitiveness, and withal as simple as -children. "Were there dervishes across the big water in Faringistan -(Europe), and had the man-birds (aviators) come to Bagdad?" they -asked. I told them they would see plenty of "man-birds" and -"wonder-houses" (cinemas) down yonder in Bagdad, but that an -itinerant Persian dervish would be a _rara avis_ amongst our -benighted folk, not one, so far as I knew, having yet shed the light -of his countenance upon our slow-going old Western world. With a -small cash contribution oh my part towards the expenses of their -journey, and on theirs the formal invocation of the blessing of Allah -upon my head, the dervishes and I exchanged cordial adieux, and -parted company on the summit of the Chihar Zabar. - -Our next halting-place was at Mahidast, a walled town which stands in -the midst of an immense plain seventy miles long by ten broad. It is -one of the most fertile tracts in Persia, and grows great crops of -wheat and barley for the market of Kermanshah. As for Mahidast -itself, it consists of a few dirty streets, unpaved and -evil-smelling, and a hundred houses, the greater number of which are -in ruins. Its inhabitants are chiefly Kalhur-Kurds, semi-nomads, who -migrate in winter with their flocks to the neighbourhood of Khaniquin -and Mandali. Mahidast is a great resort of pilgrims on the way {100} -to and from Kerbela, and in the main street stands a vast -caravanserai built by that industrious architect-ruler, Shah Abbas. - -I rode inside the great doorway of Shah Abbas' hostelry hoping to -find quarters here, but my nose was in revolt at once. A stagnant -pool covered with green slime, where myriads of mosquitoes and flies -were undergoing a course of field training, occupied the centre of -the courtyard, and this was flanked by festering heaps of garbage -amongst which lean, hungry-looking dogs were fossicking for an -evening meal. - -Turning in disgust from the loathsome spot, I encountered a farrash -(messenger) come from the Naib-ul-Hukumeh, or Deputy Governor, The -latter had heard of our arrival, and sent to conduct us to quarters -near his own dwelling. Our abode proved to be a smaller -caravanserai, its living-rooms adjoining the stables and looking out -on a manure heap. The Deputy Governor himself turned up presently, -and in the usual flowery Persian speech bade General Byron welcome, -and assured him that supplies of forage and fuel would be forthcoming. - -He hinted that, as the prowling Kurds of the district were keen -horse-fanciers, and not always able to discriminate between the -niceties of _meum_ and _tuum_, it would be advisable to mount a -stable guard. For this purpose he sent us eight truculent-looking -rascals, fairly bristling with weapons, who watched over our horses -while we sought to snatch a few hours' repose. - -{101} - -Sleep we found to be out of the question. Our sleeping-bags, the -latest of their kind from London, had no chance against the -incursions of the nimble Mahidast flea, or his bigger parasitical -brethren, whom pilgrim caravans had brought from the remote corners -of Persia. Emerging angry and unrefreshed from an unequal combat, we -quitted Mahidast at an early hour. The major portion of the -inhabitants were present to see us off, and incidentally to demand a -pishkash for services--chiefly imaginary--rendered us during our -sojourn. Akhbar paid off the fuel and forage vendors, and ransomed -our horses from the stable guard for a substantial sum in krans. He -next gave a considered decision in respect to the claim of the Deputy -Governor and his numerous retinue. The former modestly demanded an -amount which would have provided him with a comfortable life annuity, -pointing out that, as our throats were unsevered and our purses -untouched, we could afford to be generous, and reward his protecting -zeal. I did not wait for the end of the negotiations, but I heard -afterwards that Akhbar, whose temper had been sorely tried, consigned -the Deputy Governor to _jahannam_, and effected a compromise with his -insistent retainers for the equivalent of ten shillings. - -It is an eighteen-mile march to Kermanshah from Mahidast. The road -was harder, and it was easier travelling for the horses and transport -animals. There was a good deal of traffic too. We passed numerous -caravans, the first being one of tobacco {102} and general -merchandise bound for Bagdad. To this a number of pilgrims had -attached themselves for safety, and had hired an armed convoy to -protect them against plundering Kurds and, in a minor sense, the -exactions of the Persian road guards. These latter were supposed to -police the route, and had posts along the road. By way of recompense -they were allowed to levy baj (toll) upon travellers. But their -rapacity was boundless. They were said to stand in with the -freebooters of the district, and woe betide the simple traveller or -merchant who, journeying without armed retainers, fell into their -hands! Him they fleeced unmercifully, and if the victim were -inclined to protest against this bare-faced spoliation, he might -always be sure of receiving a sound beating in addition. - -So much for Persian road guards and their methods! The British -sought to remedy these abuses by subsidizing local chiefs to protect -a section of road, but the chiefs took the cash and stuck to it, -while the guards still dipped deeply into the pockets or into the -bales of merchandise of those who came their way. It was considered -a lucrative post, that of road guard, and much sought after by -gentlemen who hated the attendant risks of ordinary highway robbery, -and preferred the easier and surer means of growing rich by levying -toll in a quasi-official capacity. - -Presently we met a corpse-caravan bound for Kerbela with its -lugubrious freight. A contingent of road guards had gathered round -like so many {103} human vultures, and there was much haggling -between themselves and angry relatives of the defunct as to what a -dead Persian ought or ought not to pay to pass free and unhindered -over this section of the long and thorny road that led to the holy of -holies of the Shi'ite Moslem. - -On the banks of a stream by the roadside was a "hunger battalion" -resting. Its members, men and boys, were in a state of semi-nudity; -their few garments hung in tattered rags about their wasted bodies, -and all looked to be in the last stage of physical exhaustion from -starvation. For some the end had clearly come. They were incapable -of further effort, and lay waiting for a merciful death to cut short -their sufferings. Others there were who still clung despairingly to -the enfeebled thread of life. They crouched on the ground, gnawing -frantically at a handful of roots or coarse herbs with which they -sought to assuage the terrible pangs of unsatisfied hunger. A little -apart from the main body was a small group crooning a mournful dirge: -it was the funeral requiem of a man whom famine had killed. The body -was being prepared for burial and, before committal to earth, was -being washed in the stream which supplied a near-by village with -drinking water. - -We divided some food amongst the sorely stricken survivors of the -hunger battalion. It was all we could give. They were thankful, and -one man said that he and five companions had originally started {104} -from Hamadan, where the people were dying by hundreds daily, in the -hope of crossing the frontier to Khaniquin or Kizil Robat, at either -of which places they might get work and food in the British Labour -Corps. Of the six who had set out on this quest he was the sole -survivor. - -Kermanshah is a very old Persian city, and was known to writers and -travellers from the earliest Christian times. It once was a -flourishing industrial and commercial centre, but much of its -prosperity and glory have been dimmed by a succession of political -and economic vicissitudes. The town itself has a certain military -importance. It is close to the Turkish frontier, and is equidistant -from Bagdad, Ispahan, Teheran, and Tabriz. During the War Turks and -Russians occupied it in turn, and the Turks had a consul and a -consular guard here until their army was chased out of the province. - -Outside the town itself the nomadic and semi-nomadic population -consists chiefly of Kurds, and Kurdi is the language of the people as -distinct from the merchants. Cereals are extensively grown, but, -owing to the lack of communications, the cost of transporting grain -to Bagdad or Teheran was triple its local market value, and it was a -profitless enterprise. The grain rotted in Kermanshah while people -died of hunger in adjoining provinces. - -The chief trade route in Western Persia passes through Kermanshah, -and it is also an important market for transport mules, which are -bred in the {105} district. In pre-war days as many as 200,000 -pilgrims passed through Kermanshah each year on their way to and from -Kerbela and the other Shi'ite shrines in the Vilayet of Bagdad. The -bazaars were well stocked with British and foreign goods, and the -local traders were reputed to be wealthy. But the War and the coming -of the Turks were fatal to Kermanshah and its commerce; the shops -were closed, and the wealthier merchants hid their cash and valuables -and sought asylum elsewhere. - -Kermanshah suffered much during the Civil War of 1911-12. In July of -1911 it was occupied in the name of the ex-Shah, Muhammad Ali, by a -force of irregulars under Salar-ud-Dauleh, the ex-Shah's brother. In -the following February the Government troops reoccupied Kermanshah, -and the troops of the dethroned Shah were driven out. But a -fortnight later Salar-ud-Dauleh, aided by a large force of Kurds, was -back again; the town was plundered, and the Governor appointed by the -Constitutionalists had his legs cut off and was burnt alive. For the -next few months the redoubtable Salar and his military opponent, -Farman Farma, hunted each other in turn up and down Western Persia -until the Shah's rebellion was finally subdued. - -I found the streets of the town narrow and tortuous. The Zarrabiha -Street and that leading from the Darvaseh Sarab to the Chal Hassan -Khan are about the only two possible for carriages. In the Feizabad -quarter, which is remote from the bazaars, are the {106} houses of -the wealthy classes, with their immense courtyards, high walls, and -beautifully kept gardens. By contrast, the houses of the poor look -despicably mean, being simply a collection of mud hovels into which -the light of day penetrates with difficulty. - -The rain overtook us afresh at Kermanshah, and we had to stay there -for three days weatherbound. The Hussars and the remainder of the -column bivouacked on a hill near the British Consulate. It was far -from agreeable. The tents were already soaking wet after the -downpour at Khorosabad, and had had no time to dry. - -General Byron went to stay with the Kennions. Colonel Kennion was -Political Officer and Consul, and his wife, a very charming and -energetic lady, who held in her hands most of the threads of the -political happenings in Persia, worked hard all day in the office -ciphering and deciphering despatches. In the evening she entertained -her husband's guests and graced a hospitable table. - -The foreign colony of Kermanshah was not a large one. Besides the -Kennions, there were the Russian Consul and his wife, a French -Consul, Mr. and Mrs. Stead of the American Presbyterian Mission, and -Mr. Hale, local manager of the Imperial Bank of Persia. Hale has -travelled widely in Persia, and knew its elusive and nimble-witted -people better than most Englishmen. He was an excellent raconteur, -and I spent pleasant evenings in his company {107} laughing over -stories of adventure which irresistibly called to mind that great -exponent of Persian drollery, "Hadji Baba." - -Leaving our horses behind to be brought on by the marching column, -General Byron and six officers, including myself, moved by motor -convoy from Kermanshah on April 22nd. With luck we hoped to reach -Hamadan in two days. - -It is twenty-two miles to Bisitun Bridge and the crossing of the -Gamasiab, a tributary of the Kara river. The brick bridge over the -stream had been destroyed by the retreating Russians. It had not yet -been repaired, and we were to be faced with the difficult problem of -getting the Ford cars across to the eastern bank of the Gamasiab. -The recent rains had done their worst for the road track which led -over the great plain of Kermanshah, and the soil had been converted -into a kind of pulpy clay which the passage of recent caravans had -churned into puddle. The laden cars bravely struggled through it, -sinking occasionally to the axles in the treacherous mire. Finally, -we crawled out of this bog and struck a patch of hard road which led -to the village of Bisitun, where we halted to allow the other bogged -cars to join up. Beyond the straggling village of thirty houses or -so the great rock of Bisitun rises perpendicularly from the level -plain. - -Bisitun is famous for the inscriptions and tablets of Darius found -here. It lies on the highway from Ecbatana to Babylon, and was thus -chosen by various {108} monarchs as a fitting place for the record of -their exploits. - -It is to British pluck, tenacity, and will-power that the world owes -its definite and detailed knowledge of the Darius inscriptions. That -"King of Kings," as he proudly styles himself, saw to it that the -written account of his greatness should be at a height corresponding -with his fame, and had it placed 300 feet above the ground on the -wall of a dizzily perpendicular cliff. To climb this rock near -enough to read what Persian workmen chiselled there five hundred -years before the Christian era is the dangerous and difficult -undertaking accomplished by Rawlinson. - -The bas-relief tablets and inscriptions on Bisitun's famous cliff -wall have all but one object--to glorify Darius Hystaspes ("The great -King, the King of Kings, King of Persia, King of the Provinces"), and -to give the lie to any of his enemies or rivals who dared to proclaim -themselves monarchs also. ("This Gaumata the Magian lied: thus did -he speak: 'I am Bardiya; son of Cyrus, I am King!'") - -Grandiloquently the names of the countries over which Darius ruled -are set forth. They number twenty-three. A Persian Alexander the -Great was this "King of Kings." - -[Illustration: DARIUS INSCRIPTIONS AT BISITUN.] - -The bas-relief vividly portrays his conquest of the lesser chieftains -from whom he wrested their kingdoms. His foot is on the prostrate -form of the most formidable of these, Gaumata, while the others are -shown tied together by their necks, a sorry company {109} of defeated -royalties. Darius is depicted as physically towering above the men -of his day, a giant in every way. Over him hovers the Godhead, -Auramazdn, or Ormuzd, who, holding a circlet of victory in one hand, -with the other points out the mighty monarch as the wearer-designate. - -The whole is in a marvellous state of preservation, thanks to the -conscientious work of the craftsmen who laboured at it so many -thousand years ago. After first smoothing the surface of the rock, -they filled in every tiny crevice or crack with lead. Then they -chiselled deeply, and with astonishing accuracy, each character, -finally coating the whole with a silicious varnish, a protection -against climatic ravages which has stood the test imposed upon it -while countless generations of mankind have come and gone. - -When we reached the Gamasiab, we found the stream in flood, and a -six-knot current swirling through the brick arches of the damaged -bridge. There was a great gap in the central span, the latter -running to a point almost like a Gothic arch. Gangs of workmen were -busy repairing it, under Lieutenant Goupil, R.E. - -Captain Goldberg, of the Armoured Car Section, had preceded us to -Bisitun. Goldberg, who had ripped roads through East African jungle -to get within shooting distance of the Hun, claimed that in his -service lexicon there was no such word as fail, and that wherever a -transport mule could pass in Persia {110} he would take his lighter -cars. At Bisitun he was as good as his word. The animals of the -transport were ferried across on crudely constructed rafts to which -were attached inflated goatskins to give additional buoyancy. They -were of the type of the Mussik raft of the Tigris, and the scheme -worked successfully. But it was a tricky business when it came to -ferrying motor-cars over. Our own Fords were emptied of their -contents, and a single car was lashed on a raft which was then -man-hauled across a hundred yards of stream to the other bank. -Sometimes one of the guide-ropes gave way, and the raft and its -burden, caught by the swift current, would go gyrating down stream -until it was lassooed by pursuing coolies on a second raft. At other -times the wheel-lashings would part in transit, and the raft would -"nose dip" at a dangerous angle. Then the Persian labour coolies, -with wild shouts and cries, would jump into the water and restore the -equilibrium of the water-logged raft by clinging to its stern. All -our cars were in this manner safely carried over without serious -mishap, and the stores and baggage were brought on coolies' backs -across the wrecked bridge itself. On the eastern bank the Fords were -reloaded and the party got under way once more. - -We spent the night at Kangavar, a big village at the eastern end of -the Bisitun gap, and at the junction of the Hamadan Qum and -Daulatabad roads, fifty-five miles from Kermanshah. Kangavar reposes -at the foot of a lofty, snow-capped mountain, and is {111} built on a -series of natural and artificial mounds which rise corkscrew fashion -from the plain. Here are the ruins of a large temple or palace whose -history is lost in antiquity. That profound scholar and -archæologist, Rawlinson, thinks that Kangavar is the Chavon of -Diodorus, where, according to the Sicilian historian, Semiramis built -a palace and laid out a paradise. There also existed at Kangavar a -celebrated temple of Anaitis, whose lascivious cult was once -widespread in this ancient land. - -We were hospitably entertained by the representative of the Deputy -Governor, who is noted for his pro-British sympathies. The Sheikh, -our host, furnished us with quarters within his own residence, a -wonderful walled enclosure big enough to hold a battalion, and laid -out with beautiful gardens and fountains. In the trees the laqlaqs -(storks) nested, and down by the cool splashing fountains a peacock -in all the beauty of fully displayed plumage strutted proudly. - -We were seven officers to supper, but our host, in accordance with -the lavishness required by Persian hospitality, prepared enough food -for four times our number. His multitude of retainers looked on -while we ate, and what remained of the feast passed to them by right -of custom. - -It was with considerable misgivings that we heard that the shorter -road to Hamadan over the great Asadabad Pass, nearly eight thousand -feet high, was closed by snow. We accordingly took the longer {112} -and lower road by way of Parisva and Tasbandi which skirts the Alvand -mountain range. The cars bogged incessantly in the low, flat -country, but going over the Parisva Pass, where the gradients are -steep and great boulders strew the route, our progress was also very -slow. The cars had to be manhandled, being towed and pushed by -peasants collected from the neighbouring fields. There were several -"lame ducks" in the convoy, and before evening a number had broken -down altogether and had to be temporarily abandoned by the roadside -in charge of an armed guard. - -[Illustration: CARAVANSERAI, BISITUN.] - -Night had already fallen when the leading cars crawled into Hamadan, -having taken fourteen hours to cover a journey of about ninety-five -miles. Weary and travel-stained, we reported at British -Headquarters, and to our joy found that everyone was well, and that -the Dunsterville Garrison, overawing the turbulent section of the -population, was still in possession of this isolated post in the -heart of Persia. - - - - -{113} - -CHAPTER XI - -A CITY OF FAMINE - -In ancient Hamadan--With Dunsterville at last--His precarious -position--"Patriots" as profiteers--Victims of famine--Driven to -cannibalism--Women kill their children for food--Trial and -execution--Famine relief schemes--Death blow to the -Democrats--"Stalky." - - -Hamadan stands at a height of six thousand feet at the foot of the -Alvand range, which is covered with snow for ten months in the year. -In summer, when the tender shoots of the growing corn are pushing -above the earth, and the trees are blossom-laden, "every prospect -pleases." The reverse of the medal is presented after a brief -acquaintance with Hamadan's people, and one sadly recalls that "only -man is vile." - -It is said that modern Hamadan occupies the site of one of the -ancient Ecbatanas of the Greeks, of which there were seven, and that -it was the treasure city of the Achæmenian Kings, the place taken and -plundered by Alexander the Great when he was "strafing" the Eastern -World. However that may be, very few ancient remains have been -brought to light. On a hill outside the town are the ruins of a -{114} citadel, and a carved stone lion of venerable aspect and crude -workmanship crouches by the roadside not far from the British -Hospital Compound. This lion may once have adorned the façade of an -Achæmenian palace, but he has fallen from royal greatness to plebeian -utility; for it is popularly believed that he exercises a protective -influence against cholera, smallpox, plague, and kindred ills; and -Persian mothers bring their children and seat them on his stone back -to obtain immunity from disease. Famine is evidently not included, -or so many children would not have succumbed during the hunger days -of the spring and early summer of 1918, before that never-failing -talisman, the British Commissariat, exorcised the famine fiend. - -In Hamadan, too, is buried the celebrated philosopher and physician -of Bokhara, Abu ali ibn Sina, better known as Avicenna, the legend of -whose fondness for eleventh-century wine and women has come down -through all the ages, obscuring whatever reputation he may have -possessed as a healer or thinker. - -The Jews of Hamadan, and they are numerous, point with pride to the -site of the tombs of Esther and Mordecai. It is very uncertain -whether either of these personages who figure so prominently in the -Book of Esther is buried here. Within an insignificant-looking, -weather-worn, stucco-covered shrine in the grip of decay, are two -wooden sarcophagi covered with faded paint and bearing gilt -inscriptions in Hebrew of verses from the Book of Esther. - -{115} - -The Rabbi in charge, a sallow-faced man with a long white beard, who -had seen generations of Gentiles come and go while he kept watch and -ward here, assured me that the tomb of this heroine of the Jewish -race, who stooped to amatory conquest that her people might live, as -well as that of her shrewd relative, the opportunist Mordecai, were -of unquestionable authenticity. I will leave it at that. - -The arrival of our small party in Hamadan at the beginning of May -added a hundred or so additional rifles to the unwelcome and -uninvited skeleton force already there. As I related in a previous -chapter, General Dunsterville, after falling back from Resht, -established himself in Hamadan, his available fighting force being a -handful of officers and a baker's dozen of N.C.O's. He was in the -midst of a more or less hostile population of about 70,000, -one-fourth of whom were Turks or of Turkish origin and sympathies, -the remainder being Persian, with a small sprinkling of Jews and -Armenians. - -Yet he sat there unharmed while the Asiatic world wondered. His -position was precariousness itself. The full virulence of political -animosity was focussed upon him and his dangerously thin khaki line. -I am convinced that no Assurance Company, however speculative, would -have considered him a "safe life" during those dark and doubtful -days, when he was barricaded within the British Compound, alternately -waiting for the inglorious but picturesque death so fervently -promised him by the local Democrats, or {116} watching for the -reinforcements which dribbled fitfully from Bagdad and over Persian -plain and mountain. - -Hamadan was at once the foyer of Turkish espionage and of Persian -intrigue. The moribund association of local Democrats, merchants and -grain-growers, had been largely galvanized into anti-British activity -by Kuchik Khan, whose army of Jungalis still barred the road from -Manjil to the Caspian Sea. The Hamadan Democrats were "pure -patriots," who talked glibly in the local tea-houses of the blessing -of political freedom, cursed the British as mischievous, evil-minded -interlopers, and called upon Allah to bless their deliberations and -rid them of the British oppressor. Incidentally, they would meet in -secret conclave and decree a further increase in grain prices, which -meant a substantial gain to themselves. Supplies were refused to the -British except at very exorbitant rates; the profiteers waxed fat and -became more insolent; and the poor of Hamadan were left to die of -hunger, victims of Persian cupidity and Persian indifference. -Pamphlets, inflammatory in tone, and bearing the imprimatur of the -principal democratic club, were distributed broadcast in the streets, -and from these the victims of famine had at all events the -ante-mortem satisfaction of learning that it was the British who were -deliberately starving them to death in order that these beardless -intruders might the more easily overrun the whole land of Persia. - -{117} - -If a Persian Democrat be valorous in speech, he is fortunately -discreet in deeds. An ukase would go forth from Kuchik Khan that -there was to be a truce to temporizing, and that the Dunsterforce -must be sent without delay to the Jehannam of Unbelievers. "By -Allah, it will be accomplished!" would be the prompt reply. Then the -fearless Democrats, always careful never to risk their own skins -unduly, would hire some half-starved fedais or irregulars, who for a -kran or two would fire a few shots into British Headquarters, or, -under cover of dusk and a sand-bank, snipe some solitary officer or -soldier of our force. Whereat there would be much rejoicing in -democratic circles, and the club would sit up late drinking arak. - -Meanwhile the hunger mortality in Hamadan was increasing. Bread, the -chief, indeed the only, article of diet of the poor, was at 14 krans -a batman (roughly, the equivalent of ten shillings for 7 lbs.), and -the wheat combine saw to it that the price increased rather than -decreased. On May 6th Mr. McDouell, the British Consul, officially -computed that the daily deaths from starvation were two hundred. -Hamadan was a city of horrors. The unburied victims of famine--men, -women, and children--were lying in the streets and in the fields -adjoining British Headquarters. The Kashish or priest of the Shi'ite -mosque, who received a fee of about twopence for officiating at the -funerals of those buried in _forma pauperis_, admitted that the daily -interment-roll was {118} one hundred and sixty during the first -fortnight of May. The hunger-enfeebled survivors became herbivorous, -eating the grass in the fields like so many animals. A short course -of this diet proved as fatal as the want of bread, for it invariably -caused peritonitis and a lingering, agonizing death. - -But there was worse to come. The foodless people, driven crazy by -their sufferings, now resorted to eating human flesh. Cannibalism -was a crime hitherto unknown in Persia, and no punishment exists for -it under Persian law. The offenders were chiefly women, and the -victims children stolen from the doorsteps of their homes, or -snatched up haphazard in the bazaar purlieus. Mothers of young -children were afraid to leave them while they went to beg for bread, -lest in their absence they should be kidnapped and eaten. I never -went into the Bazaar or through the narrow, ill-paved streets without -a feeling of sickly horror at the sight of the human misery revealed -there. Children who were little better than human skeletons would -crowd round to beg for bread or the wherewithal to purchase it, and -in parting with a few coppers to them, one could not help shuddering -and wondering if they, too, were destined, sooner or later, to find -their way into the cooking-pot. - -The Persian Governor one day awoke from his habitual lethargy and -roused the local police, who set out on the track of the -child-eaters. A series of domiciliary visits brought to light -fragments of human bones and rags of clothing. They arrested {119} -eight women, who confessed that they had kidnapped, killed, and eaten -a number of children, pleading that hunger had driven them to these -terrible crimes. - -On the following day, May 8th, a yet more horrifying case of -cannibalism was discovered. Two women, mother and daughter, were -caught red-handed. They had killed the daughter's eight-year-old -child, and were cooking the body, when the police interrupted the -preparations for this horrible feast. The half-cooked remains were -removed in a basket, and an indignant crowd of well-fed Democrats -followed the wretched offenders to the police-station, threatening -them with death. - -Some of the people, who did not share the noble view of the Democrats -that the poor should starve rather than that cornered wheat should be -released, went to the telegraph office with the intention of -informing the weak and incapable Teheran Government of the true state -of affairs. - -But the Democrats would have none of that; it might upset their -carefully laid schemes for enrichment at the expense of the flesh and -blood of their fellows. There was no telling what effect a -telegraphed protest might have upon the supineness of the Shah's -Cabinet Ministers. Those administrative sluggards might be goaded -into some action bordering on interference with the policy of the -Hamadan Democrats, which Heaven forbid! So Democrat emissaries -picketed the Persian telegraph office, and pitched into the street -any of their adversaries who {120} questioned their right to impose -an arbitrary censorship. Thus was made manifest the "benign rule" of -the "friends of Persia" in all its callous disregard for the first -principles of humanity. - -On the following day there was the sequel to the case of child murder -by mother and daughter, when these two unfortunates paid the cruel -penalty imposed by Persian law for killing one's own offspring--that -of being stoned to death. The "execution" took place in front of the -Hamadan telegraph office. The condemned women, already on the -borderland of death from hunger, were staked down in two shallow pits -near where heavy stones were plentiful. Then the police, reinforced -by a willing mob, armed themselves with heavy boulders and pounded -the flickering life out of their emaciated frames, silencing for ever -their unavailing cries for pity and mercy. It was a revolting -spectacle, and although their crime was an abominable one, no one not -a Persian could repress a feeling of compassion for the wretched -creatures who, made desperate by hunger, had become so dead to all -human instinct as to kill and be prepared to eat their own flesh and -blood. - -Other women were apprehended and executed for child murder. It was -reported that there was plenty of wheat stored in private houses, and -it was urged that severe measures should be taken against the -hoarders. The men were still eating their evening meal of grass, -flavoured with a little salt. One of the favourite trysting-places -of the Democrat {121} stalwarts was the football-ground near the -Hospital Compound. Nearly every afternoon in fine weather, when the -ground was not being used for play, they sat there cross-legged--in -their brown and black loose-fitting robes, resembling so many -clucking hens on a roost--discussing and planning the overthrow of -the British, while hundreds of their own people lay dying around them -of starvation. - -In Hamadan, to add to our other difficulties, we were greatly -troubled with professional mendicants, whose ages varied from six to -sixty, and whose energy and begging zeal were unbounded. In time we -got to know them, chiefly, I think, because of their physical -fitness. They were always in the pink of condition, sound in wind -and limb, and could run a mile in pursuit of a likely dole without -turning a hair, while their vigorous lung power would have done -credit to a "cheap jack" auctioneer. - -I always did, and always shall, admire the wonderful patience and -clemency exercised by Dunsterville when faced with the Democratic -organization, which aimed at nothing short of wiping out both himself -and his force in Hamadan, if not by a _tour de force_, then by -starvation. They were always inciting the populace to rise and -finish us. But hungry men have little stomach for blood-letting, and -although those in Hamadan found it difficult enough to exist owing to -the food shortage, they were in no hurry to abridge their unhappy -days by flinging themselves on British bayonets. - -{122} - -The Hun or the Turk would have ended this intolerable situation long -ago by decorating Hamadan lamp-posts with the dangling bodies of -local Democrats; but Dunsterville was forbidden to embark upon any -strong measures. Our own Minister in Teheran, Sir Charles Marling, -kept warning us that we were neutrality-breakers, and wondering -whether the Persian Government, even by the exercise of all his (the -Minister's) diplomatic skill, could ever be induced to forgive us. -Sir Charles, who has since been transferred to some other sphere of -usefulness, was always quick to grasp and expound the Persian -official point of view. I often wonder if he ever busied himself -with attempting to understand that of the British concerning the -occupation of Hamadan and Kasvin. - -One of the contributory causes of the Hamadan famine was the insane -behaviour of the Russian Army when in occupation of the town and -district. They destroyed the growing crops of wheat and barley, and -wantonly wasted the grain they were unable to consume or carry off. -The Hamadan harvest is not ripe for gathering until about the first -week in July, so the British, in May, were faced with the problem of -feeding a starving population for some sixty days. It was not -incumbent upon them to do so, but both pity and policy coincided in -indicating the necessity for combating the evil of food shortage that -was so rapidly thinning out the population. - -With the approval of the British Government a {123} scheme of famine -relief was inaugurated by General Dunsterville. Labour gangs were -formed, and under the supervision of our officers the starving -multitude was set to work road-making. In about the first week three -thousand offered themselves for employment, and were enrolled. -Nominally, only the able-bodied were supposed to be eligible, but -judging by the human wrecks that one saw in the Labour Corps few of -this category existed in Hamadan. The road-makers, at the beginning, -were paid four krans per diem (a kran is, at war-exchange, the -equivalent of a franc), and it was stipulated that they should -provide themselves with a spade or mattock and a basket in which to -carry away the loosened earth. A number, it is true, did present -themselves armed with the narrow-bladed bilm or spade of the Persian -agricultural labourer, but there were hundreds who heroically tackled -the job equipped with nothing more efficacious than wooden -rice-spoons. Still, no one kicked at this, and the rice-spoon -wielders did their "bit," or attempted to do it to the best of their -enfeebled ability. Our object was rather to be content with some -colourable imitation of a _quid pro quo_ for cash disbursements, than -to exact a stiff day's labour from people wholly incapable of -performing it. - -In our blissful ignorance of Persian psychology, we fondly imagined -at first that the equivalent of £400 a day paid out in wages to -roadmakers would sensibly alleviate the prevailing distress. But we -{124} did not reckon upon Persian avarice, selfishness, and -untrustworthiness of character. The price of bread, somewhat to our -surprise, did not fall. In fact it became dearer than ever. The -bakers saw to that. Money was beginning to circulate more freely; -the very poor were no longer empty-fisted; so up went the price of -bread with a bound! In short, it was found that the more we -distributed in famine relief the lower fell the purchasing power of -the kran. Another thing, too, that militated against the successful -working of the "all cash" scheme of assistance was that it did not to -any extent ameliorate the pitiable lot of the women and children. -The men did not always bother to buy bread for their starving -dependents, preferring to dissipate their earnings in a nightly -carouse in an opium den--the local equivalent to a British gin palace. - -An unpleasant element of "graft" was also brought to light. No -Persian for very long can keep his itching fingers from other -people's money. The native foremen of the road gangs were not an -exception to the rule, and for a brief period they made a lucrative -income by trafficking in labour tickets. First they issued spurious -ones to their friends and relatives, none of whom had done a stroke -of work; they even sought, somewhat clumsily to be sure, to -counterfeit the official stamp which each ticket bore on its face. -They rubbed some Indian ink on the reverse side of a two-kran piece, -and with this stamped the forged tickets, adding a few pencil strokes -_à la {125} fantasie_ by way of giving a finishing touch of -verisimilitude. - -As the tickets entitled the bearers to draw four krans when presented -nightly at the pay office, the thieving foremen were in a fair way to -becoming rich by the time the fraud was discovered. The same -individuals were also in the habit of coercing their hapless -underlings into selling their tickets for a kran or two. These were -then resold to a middleman, who cashed them at their full face value. -But a liberal application of the bastinado worked wonders, and -speedily rendered such dishonest practices highly unpopular. - -Still, it was felt that some radical alteration was necessary if we -were to get full value for, and the Hamadan poor full benefit from, -the money that was being expended on their behalf. General Byron, a -level-headed practical soldier, and very wise in worldly knowledge, -who at this time was second in command to General Dunsterville, now -took over control of famine relief work. He decided upon an -alteration of the existing system of doles in favour of one -consisting of a free distribution in food supplemented by payment in -cash of two krans instead of four. Bread alone was deemed to be -insufficient, and it was felt that the starving people who toiled -daily road-making required some more nourishing food. After -overcoming many difficulties, official as well as unofficial, and -silencing the usual group of objectors who vowed that it could not be -done, the {126} General opened soup kitchens at several centres, and -fed as many as 2,000 hungry people per day. - -The recipients were delighted and grateful. But it was now that the -local Democrats, who throughout had stood aloof from the movement for -succouring their starving brethren, reached their high-level of -political strategy. It was not at all to their liking that the -detested British interloper was filling the empty stomachs of the -people gratis. In such circumstances they could not be expected to -revolt and join hands with the Democrats, and besides, if this free -distribution of food were not stopped, it would be a bad day for the -wheat-trust and inflated grain prices. So they set to work and -issued broadcast handbills warning the poor against partaking of -British soup, on the ground that it was heavily flavoured with -poison. It was part of another "deep-laid plot," they said, to kill -off all the Hamadani whom the ravages of famine had so far overlooked. - -The average Persian peasant is an ignorant and gullible individual as -a rule, but this time the Democrats overshot the mark and their -assertions were too much even for Persian credulity. The hungry -people came and ate. The second and succeeding days they came in -thousands. Barricades and armed soldiers were required to prevent -their storming the distribution centres and carrying off all the -available supply. And, to the dismay and horror of all good -Democrats, not a single one died from poisoning. This was the -deathblow to the prestige of the Democratic {127} movement. It lost -its grip on the people. There is nothing a Persian, or indeed any -Oriental, hates so much as being made to look ridiculous; and the -Democrats became the target for quip and jest in the bazaars of -Hamadan, until in rage they plucked their beards and tore their -garments, exclaiming, in accents of sorrow and humiliation, "Alas, -what ashes have fallen on our heads to-day!" - -But they rallied in their last ditch, and made an eleventh-hour -attempt to avert the consequences of the moral defeat which had -overtaken them. Kuchik Khan, the "Robin Hood" of the Caspian -Marches, yielding to democratic pleadings, and in the hope possibly -of discrediting British famine relief work, sent fifteen mule-loads -of rice to Hamadan to be sold for the benefit of the poor. But -Kuchik's agents had seized the rice without payment from growers -living in his "protected area," so he was able to play the merry game -of robbing the Persian Peter in order to comfort the Persian Paul. - -The artifice was too thin. Hamadan was not deluded. The British -were _de facto_ masters of the situation. They had conquered the -people of Hamadan not by the sword and halter of the Turk who had -preceded them, but by a modern adaptation of the miracle of the -loaves and fishes. - -By a _ruse de guerre_ the grain owners were induced to disgorge some -of their hoarded stocks. Telegrams purposely written _en clair_ -which passed between Bagdad and Hamadan made it appear that large -{128} supplies of wheat were being forwarded from Mesopotamia, -whereupon the local Hamadan hoarders rushed into the market and sold -readily at daily diminishing rates, until something like normal -prices were reached once more. And so the bottom fell out of the -wheat ring. - -Private foreign effort closely co-operated with the military in the -distribution of food and the relief of the famine-stricken. Dr. Funk -and Mr. Allen of the American Presbyterian Mission, Mr. McMurray of -the Imperial Bank of Persia, and Mr. Edwards, local manager of the -Persian Carpet Factory, amongst them spent considerable sums of money -and devoted a great deal of time to this work of charity. - -Mr. McMurray is a man possessing much business acumen and financial -ability, and as expert adviser to the British in occupation at -Hamadan he was able to render very great services to his country. -Too modest to seek reward or recompense of any kind, he nevertheless -had an honour thrust upon him. It was a minor class of a minor -decoration which a grateful Government in England somewhat -grudgingly, it seems, bestowed upon him in generous recognition of -his zealous labour in the common cause of Empire. So now, should he -attend a public function at home, and the question of precedence -arise, he will probably find himself ranking next after some lady -typist from the War Office, who can write shorthand and spell with -tolerable accuracy. To be {129} an unofficial Briton working for -Britain abroad is a very serious handicap for the Briton concerned. -The Government of the Empire sees to that. I have never been able to -discover exactly why it is, but the handicap holds good all the way -from Tokio to Teheran, and from Salonika to Archangel. Should you -desire to acquire merit, and you happen to be the possessor of a name -that betokens pure British ancestry, hide it, and let it be inferred -that the cradle of your race is somewhere in Palestine or the Middle -East. Then your path is easy. The India Office will pat you on the -back, and the British Foreign Office will ecstatically fold you to -its bosom. - -McMurray's bungalow was the chief trysting-place for the British -officers in Hamadan. It stands within the great walled enclosure or -compound where many members of the British and American colonies had -made their homes. It was a city within a city, fringed with trees -and pleasant pathways, and bordered by flower-beds. Mrs. McMurray -was always "at home" to her compatriots from about 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. -daily. While she fed starving Persians, she also gave luncheons and -dinners to British officers. Rarely were there fewer than six of the -latter billeted under her hospitable roof. The eaglets of the -R.A.F., and especially the fledglings still without their second -wing, found her an admirable foster-mother, who counselled them in -health and nursed them in illness, and was always a sympathetic -amanuensis when {130} fevered brows and unsteady hands attempted to -grapple with the problem of inditing a "line or two" for home to -catch the outgoing mail. - -Dunsterville, as he was popularly called, was a frequent visitor at -the bungalow. The original of Kipling's "Stalky," he rode easily and -without straining on the anchor of his reputation. He is -keen-witted, with an illimitable fund of dry, racy humour, and no -drawing-room was ever dull when the General was having his fling. As -a retailer of _bon mots_ the G.O.C. had no compeer in Hamadan. His -shafts were never envenomed, and his victims laughed as heartily as -anybody else, as, for instance, once when rations were running low -and cannibalism was in vogue among the poor of the city, -Dunsterville, turning to a very youthful A.D.C. whose cheeks were the -colour of a ripe apple, said in his droll way, "I shall never starve, -my lad, while you are about!" - -One of his _obiter dicta_ was that every British officer in Persia -should be compelled to pass a qualifying examination in "Hadji -Baba"--the Oriental Gil Blas--for he would then know more about the -Persians, their manners and customs, than could be acquired by months -of travel and unaided observation. - -"Stalky" had no fear of personal danger. He was an optimist who -always saw a diamond-studded lining to the blackest of clouds. It is -related of him {131} that at his fateful interview with the -Bolsheviks on the occasion of his raid on Resht he told the "Red -Committee" so many amusing stories in their own mother-tongue that -they quite forgot the principal business of the evening, which was to -sentence him (Dunsterville) to death. - - - - -{132} - -CHAPTER XII - -DUNSTERVILLE STRIKES AFRESH - -Official hindrances--A fresh blow for the Caucasus--The long road to -Tabriz--A strategic centre--A Turkish invasion--Rising of Christian -tribes--A local Joan of Arc--The British project. - - -By the middle of May Dunsterville began to feel his feet. -Reinforcements were trickling in, officers and N.C.O's., but no -fighting men, and always in the _petits paquets_ so beloved by the -parsimonious-minded officials who sat at General Headquarters down in -Bagdad. - -Dunsterville's own position was not an enviable one. His path was -beset by difficulties of every description, and, much against his -wish, he found himself engaged in a kind of triangular duel with -British officialdom at home and abroad. First the Minister in -Teheran, and apparently also the Foreign Office, were wringing their -hands in despair, asking what he was doing in Persia at all, and -urging him to "move on" towards the Caucasus. Next there was Bagdad, -who, deeply incensed that Dunsterville had an independent command, -and was in direct communication with the War Office, never lost a -chance of putting a retarding spoke in his wheel, {133} even going to -the extent of telegraphing up the line that no member of -"Dunsterforce" was to be furnished with supplies from the military -canteens. Then, finally, there was the War Office, who had sent him -to Persia in the first instance because it was the most direct route -to the centre of Bolshevik activities in the Caucasus. For some time -they continued to support him against the pretensions of Bagdad, but -ultimately they yielded, and Dunsterville and his force became -subordinate to the Bagdad command. Of course, there were, in -addition, the malcontents amongst the Persians, notably the Democrats -and their Turkish-German sympathizers, who had more than a passing -interest in all this bickering and wrangling. They, too, were -anxious that a British force should not sit down indefinitely in -Persia. - -At last it was determined to do something and to strike a fresh blow -for the Caucasus; but the initiative no longer rested with -Dunsterville. It had passed to Bagdad. New difficulties arose -immediately. How were the Caucasus to be reached--by the Caspian Sea -and thence by steamer to Baku? Or overland from northwards, through -the province of Azarbaijan to Tabriz and railhead? - -The direct route to the Caspian from Hamadan was not possible, -because Kuchik Khan and his Jungalis still held the Manjil-Resht -section of the road, and Dunsterville unaided was not then strong -enough to turn them out. True, there were the Russian auxiliaries -under Bicherakoff, but these valued allies {134} were making ready -for an offensive in their own leisurely fashion, and were not to be -"speeded up" by any known methods of British hustling. - -From Hamadan to Tabriz by way of Zinjan is about three hundred miles. -The route for the most part lies over difficult and mountainous -country, where supplies are scarce or hard to procure. The wild and -scattered tribesmen are not noted for extreme friendliness. Zinjan -itself is 115 miles from Hamadan in a northerly direction. The next -important stage on the road to Tabriz is Mianeh, eighty-five miles -north-west of Zinjan. From Mianeh, Tabriz itself is distant about -one hundred miles. - -Tabriz, the ancient Tauris, and capital of the province of -Azarbeijan, is the largest city in the Persian Empire, and the most -important commercial centre in all Iran. It is the residence of the -Valiahd, or heir-apparent to the Persian throne. It occupies much -the same position in north-western Persia as does Meshed in the -north-eastern part of the country. Marco Polo visited it during his -long overland trek to far Cathay, and found it a fair city, full of -busy merchants and wealthy citizens. - -But for the British, seeking to arrive within fighting distance of -the Turks, Germans, and Russian Bolsheviks overrunning the Caucasus, -Tabriz had its own special military importance. It was a point of -great strategic value. Julfa, on the Russian-Persian frontier, and -ninety miles from Tabriz, is the terminus of the Trans-Caucasian -Railway which runs to Tiflis, {135} the Caucasian capital and main -British objective. Tiflis is 320 miles from Tabriz. The railway -from the former city continues west to Poti and Batum, the shipping -ports on the Black Sea, and east (also from Tiflis Junction) to Baku -and its oilfields on the Caspian Sea. - -From Julfa, connecting with the Trans-Caucasian Railway, a Russian -company had built a branch line to Tabriz, and an extension to Sharaf -Khane on the eastern shore of Lake Urumia. On the lake itself was a -fleet of Russian-owned steamers, which maintained communication -between the railhead at Sharaf Khane and Urumia city, famous as the -legendary birthplace of Zoroaster, which is on the western shore of -the lake, and about twenty-five miles from Sharaf Khane. - -When the Russian Army, stricken by the deadly plague of Bolshevism, -retreated northwards towards Tiflis, they accommodatingly left behind -at Sharaf Khane, for the use of the first comer, their fleet of lake -steamers, hundreds of guns of heavy and medium calibre, dumps of -shells and small-arms ammunition, thousands of serviceable rifles, -and quantities of other military stores. - -The Turkish frontier line, passing about forty-five miles west of -Urumia, continues due north to its junction with the territorial -boundaries of Russia and Persia on the perpetual snow-clad summit of -the Greater Mount Ararat. The region round Lake Van having been -cleared of potential enemies--the {136} Russians had retired, and the -Armenians were put to the sword--the Turks, swinging eastward, lost -no time in crossing the frontier and violating Persian territory. -They pleaded military exigencies for the step they had taken, and -turned a very deaf and unsympathetic ear to the mere paper -remonstrances of the Persian Government. But in the invaded -territory they met with severe and unexpected opposition, not from -their own Islamic kindred, but from hated and despised Infidels of -the Christian sect. - -Urumia is the centre of a thickly populated Christian district, and -the headquarters of French, Armenian, American, Russian, and British -religious missions to the Nestorian Christians. These latter, with -few exceptions, inhabit the plains and lowlands; but in the bleak, -almost inaccessible mountain regions, live and thrive some brave and -warlike tribes who are also Nestorian Christians, and who are -generically known as Jelus. They had suffered much from religious -persecution at the hands of Kurd, Persian, and Turk, and over and -over again in their mountain eyries, with rifles in their hands, they -had put up a brave fight against the Moslem oppressor in defence of -hearth and home and the temples of their faith. - -Nestorians and Jelus once more made common cause against the common -Turkish enemy. Already warned by the fate of the hapless Armenians, -they were under no delusion as to what would befall them should the -Osmanli triumph--it meant extermination, root and branch. - -{137} - -Badly equipped and badly armed, but heroically led, the combined Jelu -Army took the field under Agre Petros, generalissimo, and Mar Shimon, -the Nestorian Patriarch. With the latter went his sister, Surma -Khanin, who fought in the ranks of the Christian army, and whose -lion-like bravery and devotion under enemy fire speedily led to her -being known as the Nestorian Jeanne d'Arc. - -A force of Turkish regulars belonging to the 6th Division, plundering -and burning as it went, on May 17th was surprised by the Jelus on the -River Barandoz, south of Urumia, and cut to pieces, the victors -capturing the guns and greater part of the supplies. Thus came to -naught the Turkish plan for the taking of Urumia by means of a -combined attack from the south and from Salmas in the north! The -captured artillery and supplies gave the Jelus a new lease of -military life, and they were able for some time afterwards to keep -the Turk at bay. Everyone realized that, without military help from -the British, the Urumia Christians must be overwhelmed by the Turks -sooner or later. - -This, then, was briefly the situation towards the middle of May. The -Turk, battered and bruised after his encounter with the Jelus, was -pulling himself together for another and more carefully prepared -spring. He hung around Khoi, whence he threatened Urumia on the -western shore of the lake, and Sharaf Khane and its rich booty of -Russian guns and military stores on the eastern shore. - -{138} - -While the Turk was probably inwardly debating whether he should not -bring matters to a climax by descending on Tabriz to possess himself -of the Persian end of the Trans-Caucasian Railway and the Russian -military stores at Sharaf Khane all at one swoop, some official folk -in remote Bagdad and remoter London were discussing between -themselves with great earnestness and energy whether it would not be -possible and practicable to forestall him by marching a column from -Hamadan to occupy Tabriz, seize the railhead, establish a base for -operations against Tiflis and the Caucasus generally, and stretch out -a helping hand to the sorely pressed Nestorian-Jelu Army on the other -side of Lake Urumia. - -[Illustration: DRILLING JELUS AT HAMADAN.] - -The British Minister in Teheran got wind of the project and jumped -upon it heavily. The Persians would not like it; it would offend -their susceptibilities; they were almost certain to be annoyed, and -diplomatic complications, etc., etc., were sure to follow. It is a -little way British Ministers sometimes have. They become -over-zealous and over-cautious, ever dreading a hair-breadth -departure from the narrow limits of the conventional protocol. There -followed a good deal of official wobbling and indecision. First the -"Ayes" had it, then the "Noes," and meanwhile much precious time was -wasted. Ultimately, some strong man somewhere--it is rumoured that -he lives down Whitehall way--got a firm grip of the problem, and -flung his weight into the scale on the side of the "Ayes"; and the -{139} "Noes," including the far-seeing Minister, were routed. - -The word "go" was given in Hamadan, and then began the great Olympian -race--the goal Tabriz, with Turk and Briton pitted one against the -other. - - - - -{140} - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE RACE FOR TABRIZ - -A scratch pack for a great adventure--Wagstaff of Persia--Among the -Afshars--Guests of the chief--Capture of Zinjan--Peace and -profiteering. - - -On May 21st a small British column left Hamadan for the north-west of -Persia. It was anything but a formidable fighting force as far as -numerical strength was concerned. It comprised fifteen British -officers, one French officer, and about thirty-five British N.C.O's. -The whole party was armed with rifles and some also carried swords, -infantry or cavalry pattern, which had been dug out of the Ordnance -Store at the last moment. - -Even as our equipment was varied, so was there certainly something -distinctly Quixotic about our saddlery and our chargers. Of the -latter, some were a fresh issue by the Remount Department, and ranged -from heavy limber horses to light 'Walers. Then there were Persian -"Rosinantes," bare-boned and razor-backed. The humble Persian mule -and humbler donkey were also impressed into the service of carrying -some British officer or sergeant forward on the great adventure. - -For adventure it certainly was. Our orders were {141} to march on -Zinjan, where a few hundred Turks were said to be holding a post, -defeat or disperse them, raise and train Persian levies, and, with -these auxiliaries to aid us in the fighting line, push on to Tabriz, -and, if possible, dispose of any Turks who might be inclined to -dispute our entry into the capital of Azarbaijan. We had a Lewis -gun, but no artillery. We had a medical officer, but scant medical -and surgical stores; no ambulance or stretchers, but a couple of -dhoolies, to each of which a mule was harnessed fore and aft. -Baggage and supplies were cut down to a minimum, for the column, if -such it could be termed, was to be self-supporting, and to live on -the country, not always an easy task in the starving land of Persia. - -This British forlorn hope was led by Major Wagstaff of the Indian -Army, an officer who had spent years in Persia attached to the South -Persia Rifles, and had an intimate knowledge of the Persian as a -fighter and as an intriguer. Wagstaff spoke the language of the -country with great fluency, and knew all the tribes from Fars to -Azarbaijan with the intimacy of an ethnological connoisseur. I -remember that he held the Persian in high esteem, believed him to be -courageous to a certain extent, honest according to his lights, and -altogether possessing the makings of a soldier. But then Wagstaff -was born an optimist! - -Our route lay due north from Hamadan to Zinjan, where it was intended -that we should cut in on the {142} main Tabriz road that runs from -Teheran by way of Kasvin. The Turks, too, had been active in this -district lately. Small reconnoitring parties of them were said to -have made their way down through Azarbaijan to the neighbourhood of -Mianeh and Zinjan, in quest of supplies and military information. In -a sense they were operating on favourable ground, for a large -proportion of the inhabitants of Azarbaijan are of Turkish origin. -They belong to the same race as the Turks on the north side of the -Araxes (Russian-Persian frontier) who occupy the valley from Julfa to -Erivan, and with whom those in Azarbaijan have blood ties. - -The Afshari is one of the powerful Turkish tribes known as Kizil -Bashis, which settled in Persia in the seventeenth century, and at -the present day more than a quarter of the descendants of the Afshari -live in Azarbaijan. It was to smash the growing power of these -newcomers from across the Persian border that Shah Abbas organized -the tribesmen in north-eastern Azarbaijan, who were known as -Shahsavans--"Shah loving." But their loyalty did not last long. -They soon turned their arms against their royal master, and joined -the Russians in the campaign of 1826, forming an enduring alliance -with their tribal enemies, whom they ultimately absorbed into their -bosom. The Shahsavans are a turbulent crew, well aware of their -strength and fighting value, and have from time to time terrorized -the Persian Government. In 1912 they revolted in the vicinity {143} -of Ardabil, and it took a combined Persian-Russian force of five -thousand men and a four months' campaign to suppress them. - -After six days' march we were in the country of the Afshar tribe, one -of the five main branches of Shahsavans, which is credited with being -able to put a thousand mounted and armed men in the field. The chief -of the Afshars, Jahan, Shah Jahan, we found sojourning in one of his -villages called Karasf. A day's march from this village we were met -by a messenger from the Amir Afshar, as he is generally called, who -invited us to make a detour and break our journey at Karasf. - -It was at the close of a hot, dusty afternoon that we reached the -Amir's abode, very tired after a long march. The Amir's headman bade -us welcome, and announced that we were to be the guests of his master -during our stay. The customary sacrificial offering of sheep was -made in our honour, and our horses were led away by native mihtaran -or syces. As for ourselves, we were installed in a spacious -caravanserai with a retinue of servants to wait upon us. The Amir -Afshar proved an admirable host, and supplies were forthcoming in -abundance from the many villages in his domains. - -Ascertaining that several members of the party were poorly mounted, -he sent us six horses, the very best of his blood stock. The Amir -lives in semi-regal style, and, as paramount chief of the Afshar -tribe, is lord of his people and the arbiter of the lives {144} and -fortunes of about five thousand tribal families, who render him -unswerving, unquestioning obedience. Here was ancient feudalism in -the heart of the twentieth-century Persian Empire! Although owing a -nominal allegiance to the "King of Kings" in Teheran, the Amir -apparently did not bother his head very much about party intrigues or -the trend of national politics at the Court of the Shah. He did his -own intriguing, and did it exceptionally well. A man of -extraordinary ability and political shrewdness, he first coquetted -with the Turks and then with the British, adroitly playing one off -against the other in the great game of politics. Too careful to -commit himself irrevocably to one side or the other while the Great -World War was still undecided, this Oriental Vicar of Bray -nevertheless contrived to maintain a cordial and unbroken friendship -with both Turk and Briton. If a Turkish emissary, backing up his -persuasive pleadings with a bag of gold, besought him to put an end -to neutrality and to place his resources and his small army of -irregulars at the service of his blood relatives, the Amir always -accepted the gold cheerfully, and fervently wished success to the -Turkish arms. Then the British, not to be outdone by the Turk, would -ask, as a guarantee of his good faith, for fifty or a hundred armed -levies from amongst his tribesmen. The Amir invariably agreed in -principle, but he would point out that no self-respecting Afshari -could fight at his best unless equipped with a British rifle. The -latest pattern {145} army rifle would be forthcoming to the number -required, but then a border foray would always be staged about the -same time, and the wily Amir would plead, and with some show of -reason, that he needed every sowar he had to prevent his territory -being overrun by his powerful and unscrupulous tribal neighbours. -Still, for all that, during the darkest of the famine days, he kept -the British commissariat well supplied with grain, and that, too, at -a reasonable price. - -Our host was usually "at home" to distinguished visitors from four to -five a.m. He sent to say that the state of his health forbade his -receiving us at the more conventional hour of noon. The Amir, I -learned afterwards, was a confirmed opium-eater, his daily dose of -the drug being far in excess of the quantity consumed by our own -candid de Quincey. He was an old man, verging on eighty, but -although his physical health was indifferent, his mental energies -were unimpaired. He rarely ventured abroad, and spent his days and -nights in the privacy of his apartment, abandoning himself to the -full enjoyment of his enthralling passion of opium-eating. At -daylight he was usually recovering from his latest dose of the drug. -Then he would partake of a little food, see callers, read his -letters, and depart for dreamland again, carried thither on the wings -of the insidious and baneful poppy extract. - -One morning at dawn the members of the Wagstaff Mission paid a -ceremonial call on the Amir. {146} Fortunately we were accustomed to -early rising. We were conducted to his presence with considerable -ceremony, and found him reclining on the floor of a large apartment -covered with rare Persian rugs. There was little else in the way of -furniture in the place. I saw before me an old man with shrivelled, -sunken features, piercing black eyes, and a grey beard growing on a -face the colour of yellow parchment. A long, thin, bony hand was -held out for us to shake in turn, the Amir excusing himself from -rising on account of physical weakness. He bade us welcome in a -quavering, piping voice. - -Whatever else may have been his infirmities, it soon became clear -that he had a remarkably alert brain. The most recent phases of the -European War, the varying fortunes of the participants engaged -therein, the latest tit-bit of scandal from Teheran, and the -pretensions of the Turks to territorial occupation of Azarbaijan and -possible aggrandizement at the expense of Persia, all these topics -drew from the aged but mentally virile potentate pungent and -sagacious criticism. He talked high strategy with all the assurance -of a Field-Marshal, and gleefully told how he had politically -out-manoeuvred the wily, calculating Turk in a recent little _affaire -à deux_. While he spoke he ran his hand idly through a pile of -correspondence, read and unread, opened and unopened, which littered -the floor beside him. Letter-filing has evidently not reached any -high standard at Karasf. - -{147} - -I think we all fell under the spell of our host's well-informed mind -and his world-wide interests, and when he asked if there had been any -Cabinet changes recently in London, and whether Lloyd George was -still Chief Minister of our King, we felt that the march of -contemporary events, rapid indeed as they can be sometimes, had -failed to outstrip the keen alertness of the overlord of Karasf. - -On May 29th, having previously exchanged adieux with our kindly host, -we set out from Karasf. The weather was now oppressively hot, and it -was becoming increasingly difficult to march during the noon-day -heat. We accordingly moved off earlier, and usually contrived to -take the road about sunrise daily, halted at noon for an hour or so, -and then on again, finishing the day's march early in the afternoon -in the welcome shade of some garden on the outskirts of a village and -close to a good water-supply. - -A day's trek from Karasf took us beyond the confines of the Amir's -territory. Couriers whom he had despatched in advance of us warned -his local headmen of our coming, and we lacked nothing in the way of -supplies. We crossed rough, broken country, wound over mountain -passes, and down into pleasant valleys beyond. Our advent, it was -clear, caused much excitement in the countryside, but the people, -while they sometimes held aloof, were never unfriendly. We were -passing through a country less {148} ravaged by starvation than the -region close to Hamadan. Food was more plentiful, and the "hunger -battalion," with its suffering members, was not to be seen in the -Persian North-West. - -We were also gradually losing touch with Persian as a spoken -language. It was being supplanted by Turki, the dialect of -Turkish-Persian spoken by the peasant classes in the province of -Azarbaijan. As we rode north we were sensible of this linguistic -change. First the peasants we met in the village spoke Persian and -understood Turki; farther north Persian was understood, but not -spoken with any fluency; until, north and north-west of Zinjan, Turki -entirely ousts the native Persian, the latter as a spoken language in -many cases being quite unknown to the villagers. - -So far we had seen nothing of any hostile Turks. A body of their -cavalry and a few infantry were reported to be at Zinjan, but the -villagers told us they had not come farther south, or anywhere in the -neighbourhood of our own line of march. A few robber bands -occasionally quitted their mountain lairs and descended into the -plain, taking us for some peaceful merchant caravan, probably -unarmed, and therefore an easy prey for these wild freebooters of the -hills. But, on reconnoitring closer and discovering their mistake, -they did not tarry, and turning about, went off into the hills as -fast as their wiry ponies could carry them. - -{149} - -On the afternoon of May 30th we arrived within ten miles of Zinjan, -and camped on a bare and desolate sand tract close to the main road. -A Persian tea-house, with its walls crumbling to ruins, stood by the -wayside. Tea there was none, and the occupier had disappeared, -leaving his establishment to the care of the wild dogs and prowling -hill robbers that nightly infested it. It was empty now, and -abominably filthy, so I sat outside under the lee of the tea-house -wall which afforded a little protection from the scorching heat, -holding a very tired horse, and waiting for the sun to take himself -from off the hot plain in order that we might seek both rest and -refreshment. - -At daylight on May 31st we broke camp early and moved cautiously -forward in the hope of surprising the Turkish force in Zinjan, -leaving the baggage and stores behind under a guard. Our total -striking force was thirty all told, half of which was under Major -Wagstaff and the remainder under Captain Osborne, 2nd King Edward's -Horse. - -Zinjan is a town of 24,000 inhabitants, shut in by high hills on the -east and west, between which lies an immense plain traversed by the -Zinjaneh Rud. On both banks of this river are beautiful gardens -enclosed by walls of baked brick. If the Turks meant to make a stand -here, they had found an admirable defensive position, and one from -which it would take a couple of battalions to dislodge them. -Osborne's party worked round to the west and north {150} in order to -threaten the retreat of the enemy, while Wagstaff and his small band, -including myself, halted under cover of a garden wall to the south of -the town. - -Some Persian Charvadars coming out of the town volunteered the -information that the Turks holding Zinjan, whose numbers were -variously estimated at from two to three hundred, were already in -flight, and galloping away northwards as hard as they could go. The -news of our approach must have reached them early. No doubt our -numerical strength had been magnified tenfold by the imaginative -native spy who had carried the intelligence of our advance. - -This information decided Wagstaff. In a moment we had flung -ourselves into the saddles and, with a wild British cheer that shook -sleepy folk out of their beds, we dashed across the stone bridge -spanning the river and so into Zinjan. We rode first for the -bazaars, hoping to round up in that quarter some stray Turks who had -overstayed their leave when the town was being evacuated. But we -found none. - -If our sudden arrival failed to surprise the Turks, it certainly -alarmed the inhabitants of Zinjan. Panic seized them. In the -bazaars the women and children fled at our approach, and the -shopkeepers, trembling in every limb, made frantic efforts to bolt -and bar their premises. Finding that the new-comers neither robbed -nor maltreated anyone, the bazaar lost its {151} attack of "nerves," -and recovered its habitual calm. Business instincts got the better -of physical fear. Shutters came down with a run, and as a slight -token of local appreciation, and in honour of our coming, all bazaar -prices were immediately, and by universal consent, increased one -hundred per cent. - - - - -{152} - -CHAPTER XIV - -CAPTURE OF MIANEH - -Armoured car causes consternation--Reconnoitring the road--Flying -column sets out--An easy capture at the gates of Tabriz--Tribesmen -raid the armoured car--And have a thin time--Turks get the wind up. - - -Zinjan having thus passed into our hands without the firing of a -shot, the Wagstaff column established its headquarters in a garden -villa a mile north of the town, near the junction of the road to -Mianeh. The Indo-European Telegraph Company had an office in Zinjan, -and we were speedily in communication with Kasvin, eighty miles to -the south-east. - -Osborne's small party soon turned up, having failed to round up any -Turks. Indeed, the latter bolted from Zinjan with amazing celerity, -so much so that their commandant, Major Ghalib Bey, left behind some -of his papers and personal effects. - -During our march on Zinjan, Dunsterville headquarters had moved up -from Hamadan to Kasvin in order the more effectively to co-operate -with Bicherakoff and his Russian volunteers in the impending -operations against Kuchik Khan and his Jungalis, who were holding the -Manjil-Resht road. - -A few hours after we had taken peaceable possession {153} of Zinjan, -Lieutenant Pierpont, with a light armoured car mounting a machine-gun -and a Ford convoy bringing supplies for our force, arrived from -Kasvin. The car, as it lumbered through the narrow bazaar streets, -scraping its way round sharp corners where there was scarcely room to -swing a cat, visibly impressed the susceptible native mind, and -damped the pro-Turkish enthusiasm of the militant local Democrats. -Its presence exercised a salutary moral influence, and although there -were mutterings of discontent at our unceremonious seizure of the -town, the stodgy barrel of the machine-gun peeping from the turret of -the armoured car was in itself sufficient to overawe all the -anti-British hotheads of Zinjan. - -On the morning following our arrival in Zinjan Major Wagstaff sent me -off with the armoured car to reconnoitre the road towards Mianeh. I -had with me Lieutenant Pierpont, who was in charge of the car and its -crew of three, and Lieutenant Poidebard of the French Army, who was -attached to our column. In addition to the car there were a couple -of Ford vans carrying spare petrol and stores for the journey. -Official road reports in our possession covering the section of the -route between Zinjan and Mianeh were indefinite and even conflicting. -The road ahead was in places reputed to be "good for wheeled -transport," but whether it was passable for an armoured car was -highly problematical. - -Our first day's journey was devoid of thrill. We forded the shallow -waters of the Zinjan Rud and one {154} of its tributary streams, -towed the car in places with the two Fords as tugs, and at others -built a plank bridge to carry it over deep mud holes. - -At the village of Nik Be, or Nikhbeg, which is about thirty miles -from our starting-point, the inhabitants fled in terror at the sight -of the strange iron-clad monster moving down the village high street. -The very dogs took fright and set out for some remote part of -Azerbaijan with their tails between their legs. Even the usually -placid transport donkey was not proof against the prevailing -infection of fear, and kicking his load free, he betook himself -elsewhere. The general impression appeared to be that the Evil One -himself had dropped in for a morning call. In five minutes from our -entry into the village not a human face was to be seen, and a silence -as of death itself reigned everywhere. Presently we dug out some of -the terrified villagers from various subterranean hiding-places and -prevailed upon them to inspect the "monster" at close range. Finding -it now stood the test well, and that it behaved in a rational way, -they grew bolder, and patted its khaki-painted sides affectionately, -as one would stroke a dog of dubious friendliness. - -On the succeeding day, by dint of a good deal of spade work, we -reached Jamalabad, about fifteen miles from Mianeh, where the road -approaches the Baleshkent Pass. The ascent to the pass from the -Jamalabad side is about three miles from the village, and the road -mounts abruptly at a very sharp angle. {155} On the reverse slope it -zigzags down the side of a gorge which made one giddy to look at. It -required the united efforts of fifty sturdy villagers from Jamalabad -to push the car to the top of the pass, but, even if we could have -negotiated the descent in safety, it was doubtful if we should ever -have been able to climb back by the precipitous corkscrew ascent. - -To be caught by the Turks at the bottom of the Pass unsupported would -mean disaster for the expedition, so very reluctantly we turned the -armoured car's head for Zinjan. We learned that there were Turks in -Mianeh, but none of those who had quitted Zinjan in such haste before -the advance of the Wagstaff column had come along the Jamalabad road. - -Pierpont, who was in charge of the car, was a mild-mannered youth, -but of a very warlike disposition, and was much disappointed that we -had not had a brush with his old enemy, the Turk. Down Mesopotamia -way he once charged an infantry position and engaged in "close -action" by laying his armoured car alongside a front-line trench, -where he speedily closed the account of its defenders with -machine-gun fire. - -Another swift stroke now placed us in possession of Mianeh and -brought us eighty miles nearer Tabriz. - -Captain Osborne, taking with him a small detachment from Wagstaff's -force, as well as a contingent of hastily recruited Persian -irregulars, was despatched from Zinjan over the recently reconnoitred -{156} route. He had a convoy of Ford vans, took with him the -armoured car under Lieutenant Pierpont, and pushed forward rapidly, -negotiating the difficult Baleshkent and the still more difficult -Kuflan Kuh Passes. The Kuflan Kuh at its highest point is 5,750 -feet, and the ascent on the south side and descent on the north side -are very difficult for ordinary wheeled transport. This is -especially so on the south slope, which, in a series of short, sharp -gradients rises 2,000 feet in two miles. - -By the aid of a good deal of native labour the armoured car was -safely taken over the formidable Kuflan Kuh, and duly made its -appearance in Mianeh. The Turks were reported to have had a small -post here, but when Osborne's party entered Mianeh the enemy had -already withdrawn towards the north-west. - -The premises of the Indo-European Telegraph Company, which had a -stout wall and a compound, were selected as British headquarters. -Leaving a part of his slender command here to hold the place until -Wagstaff and his main body could come up, Osborne with the -armoured-car patrol and a few British N.C.O's pushed along the Tabriz -road, crossed the Shibley Pass twenty miles south-east of Tabriz, and -reconnoitred up to the gates of the city itself. It was a hazardous -and daring undertaking, but it would have succeeded, and we could -easily have won the race to Tabriz and so checkmated the less -enterprising Turks, had a few companies of {157} British troops been -available to hurry to the support of Osborne. But one cannot very -well expect the equivalent of a sergeant's guard to perform the work -of a battalion, and to hold a city of 200,000 inhabitants whose -attitude was doubtful from the point of view of friendship. So -Osborne had to fall back slowly towards Mianeh. - -The armoured car had by this time used up all the spare tyres and -inner tubes, and, when the retirement over the Shibley Pass began, it -was going on bare rims. Its mobility was impaired, and, while it -could still fight, it certainly could not run, and its tyreless -progress over the mud and boulders which pass for a road in -Azerbaijan was slow and painful. - -The limping car looked an easy prey to Turk or prowling robber -hordes. So thought a band of two hundred Shahsavan tribesmen, as -they rode down from the hills one morning on one of their periodical -forays. They had watched the car from afar, and noted its limping -gait and its helplessness. - -In that corner of upper Azerbaijan, from the Tabriz road east to -Ardabil and the Caspian Sea, and north towards the Russian frontier, -there roam free and unhampered a score or so of sub-tribes of the -Shahsavan Clan, wild and lawless rascals for the most part, but not -wanting in courage or in that rude chivalry common to the Asiatic -hillmen. The Shahsavani handle a rifle skilfully. Pillaging is for -them both a livelihood and a distraction. They are the recognized -tax-gatherers of the Tabriz road, and {158} will rob a fat caravan, -or disarm and strip the Shah's Cossacks, with equal impunity. - -And now the tribesmen got their lesson. The car stood on the -roadside while Lieutenant Pierpont and his men were preparing -breakfast. Approaching to within eight hundred yards, the raiders -opened out, and charged to the accompaniment of wild yells. Then the -machine-gun in the turret of the immobile car spoke up in reply. It -sprayed the charging horsemen with lead; they broke and fled; but, -reforming, came on anew. The gun spat more leaden hail, and this -time the tribesmen had had enough; they fled in disorder, and ever -afterwards gave a very wide berth to all such devilish contrivances -as armoured cars and machine-guns. - -The Turks now grew seriously alarmed at our temerity in threatening -to snatch Tabriz from their impending grasp. It was the door to the -Caucasus and to one of the Turkish main theatres of military -operations. It was a prize worth having, and for the Turks the -possession of the capital of Azerbaijan was of scarcely less vital -importance than it was for the British themselves. Kuchik Khan had -already effectively barred the gate to Resht and shut us off from the -Caspian on the east; now the Turk was completing the "bottling-up" -process, for he was closing the door of Tabriz in our face and -getting in the way of our reaching Tiflis in the north. - -[Illustration: ROAD NEAR RUDBAR. THE TWO LARGE ROCKS IN THE -FOREGROUND REPRESENT ONE ATTEMPT OF THE JUNGALIES TO BLOCK THE ROAD.] - -During the first week in June the Turks bestirred themselves and -began their campaign of close and {159} active co-operation with -Kuchik Khan. Turkish troops hurriedly moved on Tabriz from the -neighbourhood of Khoi and the direction of Julfa. Ali Elizan Pasha, -who designated himself "Commander of the Ottoman Army in the province -of Azerbaijan," issued a flamboyant proclamation addressed to his -dear Persian brethren and co-religionists asking them to rally to his -standard and to make common cause with his Army of Liberation which -was pledged to free Persia from the thraldom of the Infidel. So the -Turks moved in, and were welcomed by the Persian officials and by the -Valiahd or heir-presumptive with manifestations of joy, and the -Entente consuls and citizens of the Entente countries moved out as -fast as slow-moving Persian transport could carry them. - -Once in Tabriz, the Turks did not let the grass grow under their -feet. They were bent on giving us a Roland for our Oliver. They -assiduously cultivated the good graces of the local Persian -Democrats, actively identified themselves with the Ittahad-i-Islam, -or Pan-Islamic movement, and set about the recruiting and training of -local levies with which to harry us in Azerbaijan. The Turks also -formally notified the Teheran Government that it was their intention -to extend their occupation to the Persian capital, so as to complete -the spiritual and political resurrection of the Shah's Empire. - -Mahmud Mukhtar Pasha, a Turkish military leader of some renown, -entered Tabriz on June 15th, gave {160} his blessing to the -Pan-Islamic propagandist movement, and promised the militants amongst -the Democrats that there would soon be no British left in Azerbaijan -or elsewhere in Persia to trouble the peace of mind of those -patriots. The good work was furthered by such zealous Democrats and -Turkophiles as Hadji Bilouri, Mirza Ismael Noberi, and the Sheikh -Mehamet Biabari, who contrived to combine piety with politics for a -cash consideration. - -The Turks, while lavish with oratory, were niggardly with money. In -short, they were bad paymasters, happily for the British; otherwise -the latter would not have been in Azerbaijan as long as they were. -They enrolled fedais or native levies, but forgot to pay them, -whereupon the levies deserted and took service with the British down -Mianeh way, arguing, logically enough, if crudely, that Turkish -promises would not buy bread, and that the money of the Infidel was -better than none at all. - -The Turks, too, by their rapacity early estranged popular feeling. -They commandeered right and left without payment, and in the bazaar, -at the point of the pistol, they compelled merchants and -money-changers to accept their depreciated paper currency at an -inflated rate of exchange as against Persian krans. - - - - -{161} - -CHAPTER XV - -LIFE IN MIANEH - -Training local levies--A city of parasites and rogues--A knave turns -philanthropist--Turks getting active--Osborne's comic opera -force--Jelus appeal for help--An aeroplane to the rescue--The -Democrats impressed--Women worried by aviator's "shorts"--Skirmishes -on the Tabriz road--Reinforcements at last. - - -When the Wagstaff Mission finally reached Mianeh from Zinjan it began -to collect grain supplies, by purchase, and set to work to raise and -train irregulars. Although the Persian hates drill and discipline, -there was no dearth of recruits for the local army. The pay was -good, about £2 a month with rations and uniform, which meant -affluence to the average Persian villager, who was usually too poor -to buy enough bread to keep himself alive. - -Mianeh, which is rightfully credited with being the most unhealthy -spot in North-Western Persia, has a population of about 7,000. It is -the chosen home of a poisonous bug (Argas Persicus) whose bite -produces severe fever and occasionally death. There is also a set of -parasites, human this time, whose sting is very deadly in a financial -sense. They are the Merchants' and Grain-Growers' Guilds, {162} and -they were always attempting to dip deep and dishonestly into the -British treasure chest. It would be doing this delectable spot no -injustice to say that, in proportion to its population, it can boast -a greater percentage of unchained rogues than any other town in the -whole province of Azerbaijan. - -One of these knaves turned "philanthropist" once. He begged the -Mission to start relief works to help the starving poor of Mianeh, -and offered to supply the British with spades for excavation work at -cost price. The spades were paid for and the relief work -started--and about a week later it was accidentally discovered that -the "philanthropist" was collecting two krans a day as spade hire -from the dole of the starving peasants! On another occasion he -induced a too-confiding officer to sanction the payment of a sum of -money for rendering less malodorous the streets of this pestiferous -town. The money was drawn, and then its recipient discovered that -the people were partial to noxious vapours, and had conscientious -objections to any interfering and misguided foreigner meddling with -their pet manure heap. So nothing was done, but the money -disappeared. Such is morality as practised in this corner of the -Shah's dominions! - -The Telegraph Compound which, during our occupation of Mianeh, served -as Wagstaff's headquarters, stood on the brink of a knoll overlooking -the main street leading to the Bazaar Quarter. On the face of a -corresponding eminence opposite, and divided {163} by a bend of the -road, was the local Potter's Field, where friendless peasants and -penniless wanderers from afar who had paid the great debt of Nature -within the inhospitable walls of Mianeh were interred (when the lazy -townsfolk found time to give them sepulture) in a hastily dug and -shallow grave. In the meantime the defunct ones were wont to be -dumped down on a rude bier and left there, sometimes for a whole day, -under the fierce rays of a mid-June sun. Mianeh was as uncomfortable -for the dead as it was unhealthy for the living. Truly, few Persians -seem to possess any olfactory sensitiveness. They would pass the -Potter's Field hourly, showing no concern at the repulsiveness that -must have assailed their eyes and noses. - -News filtered down the road from Tabriz that the Turks there were -displaying great activity. They were daily being reinforced, and -made no secret of their intention to attempt, when sufficiently -strong, the task of chasing the British from Azerbaijan. They -established posts on the Tabriz road southwards as far as Haji Agha, -about sixty miles from Mianeh. - -The answer to all these Turkish preparations for breaking our slender -hold upon Azerbaijan was for Wagstaff urgently to ask for -reinforcements and especially mountain guns. In the meantime he sent -Osborne back up the Tabriz road, with all the fighting men that could -be spared, to watch the enemy and to attempt to prevent his breaking -farther south. {164} Osborne's chief reliance was placed on the few -British N.C.O.'s who accompanied him. Beyond these, all he had to -stem any Turkish advance was about half a squadron of newly enrolled -irregular horse and a couple of platoons of native levies who had -been taught the rudiments of musketry and elementary drill. - -Their appearance, at all events, was very warlike, not to say -terror-inspiring, and, like some of the wild tribes of Polynesia, -they relied chiefly on the effectiveness of their make-up when on the -"war-path" to bring about the discomfiture of their enemies. The -Sowars were unusually awe-inspiring, hung about as each was with two -or three bandoliers studded with cartridges. Each carried a rifle, a -sword of antique design, and a short stabbing blade. - -The Naib, or Lieutenant, who commanded them, was equally formidable -from the point of view of arms and equipment. He had a Tulwar shaped -like a reaping-hook, and a Mauser pistol, the butt of which was -inlaid with silver. - -The tactics of the Sowar levies were something in the nature of a -compromise between a "Wild West" show and _opéra bouffe_. They would -gallop at full speed up a steep hill, brandishing their rifles over -their heads and yelling fiercely the while. It was always a fine -spectacular display with a dash of Earl's Court realism thrown in. -The rifles of the Sowars had a habit of going off indiscriminately -during these moments of tense excitement when they {165} were riding -down an imaginary and fleeing enemy, and the British officers who -watched their antics found it expedient in the interests of a whole -skin to remain at a respectful distance from the manoeuvring, -or--should one say, performing?--Sowars. - -Swagger and braggadocio were the principal fighting stock-in-trade of -the levies and their Persian officers. They were always clamouring -to be led without delay against the Turks in order that we might have -an opportunity of witnessing what deeds of valour they would perform -under enemy fire. The time did come, and our brave auxiliaries found -themselves in the front line with a Turkish battalion about to pay -them a morning call--and we realized more fully than ever that the -hundred-years-old dictum of that incomparable humorist, Hadji Baba, -still held good, "O Allah, Allah, if there were no dying in the case, -how the Persians would fight!" - -The Turks having outstripped us in the race to Tabriz, a belated -attempt was made early in July to get in touch with the sorely -pressed Jelus in Urumia and stretch out to them a succouring hand. -They had sent us a despairing appeal for help. Their ammunition was -running out; their available supplies were nearly exhausted; and they -were on the verge of a military collapse. The Turks threatening -Urumia had offered terms if the Jelus laid down their arms, but, -fearing treachery if they accepted, the War Council of the Jelus -refused the enemy offer, advising unabated resistance, and urging -that an {166} attempt should be made by the whole army to break out -towards the south and march in the direction of Bijar and Hamadan, in -order that they might find safety behind the British lines. - -Lieutenant Pennington, a youthful Afrikander airman who was noted for -his coolness and daring, was despatched from Kasvin on July 7th. He -was to fly to Urumia carrying a written assurance of speedy British -aid for the beleaguered garrison there. Pennington made a rapid -non-stop flight to Mianeh, covering the distance from Kasvin in a -little over two hours. He spent a day at Mianeh, where he carried -out a series of useful demonstrations intended to impress the local -Democrats. They had never seen an aeroplane before, and were rather -vague as to its offensive potentialities. Moreover, they had been -inclined to be scornful of our want of military strength so glaringly -revealed at Mianeh. But now, at all events, the Democrats were duly -impressed by Pennington and his machine. They argued that, if one -aeroplane could come from Kasvin in a couple of hours, so could a -whole flotilla, and armed with death-dealing bombs. Not altogether -ignorant of the doctrine of consequences, the Democrats realized the -value of oratorical discretion; so for a while they put a curb on -their poisonously anti-British tongues. - -Meanwhile Pennington continued his aerial journey to Turkish-menaced -Urumia, the city by the lake shore, where a Christian army was -sheltering and wondering anxiously whether it was succour or the -{167} sword that awaited it. Within two hours of leaving Mianeh, the -intrepid airman was crossing over Lake Urumia heading for the western -shore. He dropped low on approaching the city itself, and his -unexpected appearance brought consternation to the inhabitants. -Aeroplanes were unknown in those parts. They felt that this visitor -from the clouds could hardly be a friend; therefore he was presumably -a foe. Reasoning thus, the Jelus lost no time in blazing away a -portion of their already slender stock of ammunition in the hope of -bringing him down. The aviator had many narrow escapes, and so had -his machine. He landed with a few bullet holes through his clothing, -but his aeroplane, happily, had not been "hulled," or he would have -been immobilized at Urumia. - -As he alighted, the Jelus rushed up to finish him off, for they were -not noted for being over-merciful to Turks falling into their hands. -But seeing that he was English, they embraced him as a preliminary, -and then carried him shoulder-high into the city. He was the hero of -the hour. The people were delirious with joy, and women crowded -round and insisted on kissing the much-embarrassed aviator. As the -weather was very hot, Pennington was wearing the regulation khaki -shorts. One Nestorian woman, after gazing compassionately at the -airman's bare, sunburnt legs, and noting the brevity of his nether -garment, shook her head sadly and said she had not realized till then -that the British, too, were feeling the effects of the War and were -suffering from a {168} shortage of clothing material. There was a -whispered consultation with some sister-Nestorians, and a committee -was formed to remedy the shortcomings of Pennington's kit. The women -ripped loose their own skirts and, arming themselves with needles and -cotton, pleaded to be allowed to fashion complete trousers for the -aviator, or at least to be permitted to elongate by a yard or so the -pair of unmentionables he was wearing. The youth blushed furiously, -and was at great pains to explain that there was still khaki in -England, and that it was convenience, and not any scarcity of -material, that had caused the ends of his trousers to shrink well -above his knees. - -Pennington flew back from Urumia, and it was arranged that the Jelus -with their women and children were to march south by way of Ushnu and -Sain Kaleh to meet a British relieving force moving up from Hamadan -and Bijar. - -Early in August Osborne had several brushes with the Turks on the -Tabriz road. The enemy flooded our lines with spies, chiefly -Persians from Tabriz, and pushed reconnoitring patrols as far south -as Haji Agha, forty miles from Tabriz. In these road skirmishes our -Persian levies behaved with their characteristic unsteadiness. Once -they were fired upon by hidden infantry at seven hundred yards, they -forgot their promised display of valour, their courage oozed out at -their boots, and they promptly bolted. An aerial reconnaissance -revealed detachments of cavalry, artillery, and infantry marching -{169} south along the Tabriz road, but Headquarters in Bagdad refused -to attach any importance to this concentration, and for the moment -were deaf to Wagstaff's reiterated demand for reinforcements, and -especially for a mountain gun or two. - -Captain Osborne and his party now dug themselves in at Tikmadash, -about fifty miles from Mianeh and a corresponding distance from -Tabriz, and fixed his headquarters in a serai close to the village -which commanded the Tabriz road. There was a supporting British post -at Karachaman not far from the main Tabriz road and fourteen miles to -the south-east. - -Wagstaff's repeated pleadings with "high authority" at last began to -bear fruit. It was a generally accepted military axiom out in -Mesopotamia and Persia that, if you were insistent enough in your -demands for an extra platoon or two, with a gun or an aeroplane -thrown in, you were either given the goods, or dubbed a -"flannel-footed fool" and relegated to the cold shades of official -oblivion. It was generally the latter. When Wagstaff, therefore, -heard that he had been given a whole squadron of 14th Hussars, a -platoon of the 14th Hants, and a platoon of Ghurkas, as well as a -section of a howitzer battery and a couple of mountain guns, his -habitual soldierly calm deserted him, and he almost wept for joy on -the neck of his adjutant, debonair "Bobby" Roberts of the 4th Devons. - -"C" squadron of the 14th Hussars had made a {170} forced march from -Kasvin. Its ranks had been thinned by fever, and it barely mustered -eighty sabres when it rode over the Kuflan Kuh Pass to Mianeh. It -had but two officers, Lieutenants Jones and Sweeney, fit for service. -But there was no respite. Fever-racked troopers and leg-weary -horses, after a night's halt at Mianeh, started on a fifty-mile march -to Tikmadash, where a handful of British were holding up a Turkish -force already numbering nearly a thousand and growing daily. The -tired infantry who had "legged it" all the way from Kasvin were also -pushed north in the wake of the cavalry. - - - - -{171} - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE FIGHT AT TIKMADASH - -Treachery of our irregulars--Turkish machine-gun in the -village--Headquarters under fire--Native levies break and -bolt--British force withdrawn--Turks proclaim a Holy War--Cochrane's -demonstration--In search of the missing force--Natives mutiny--A -quick cure for "cholera"--A Turkish patrol captured--Meeting with -Cochrane--A forced retreat--Our natives desert--A difficult night -march--Arrival at Turkmanchai--Turks encircling us--A fresh -retirement. - - -The Turks came against Osborne at Tikmadash on September 5th. For -days previously they had been carefully preparing for the attack. - -Overnight they sent into the village, unperceived by the British, an -infantry detachment which fraternized with the inhabitants and also -with a small party of our irregulars who were on observation duty -there. The treacherous irregulars said nothing of the presence of -the Turks in their midst, and made common cause with them at once. -Towards midnight the Turks smuggled in a machine-gun, which they -subsequently mounted on the flat roof of the dwelling of a Persian -official. At daylight the Turks, from cover of the village itself, -opened a violent machine-gun fire on the headquarters of Osborne, -which were in a serai a short distance on {172} the Mianeh side of -Tikmadash village. All the officers, some eight or ten in number, -lived here. There were two doors to the serai on two different sides -of the building. Both these exits were sprayed with machine-gun -fire. There was nothing for it but to open the door and run the -gauntlet. It was like coming within the vortex of a hail-storm, yet, -surprising to relate, few were hit. - -Beyond the weak units of the 14th Hussars, the Hants, and the -Ghurkas, Osborne had nothing to depend upon in this critical hour -save levies recruited in Mianeh and elsewhere who, in spite of their -boastings, were always fire-shy. They took up a position this -morning at Tikmadash, but it was clear from the beginning that their -hearts were not in the business. - -After firing some shrapnel into the position, the Turks stormed it -with two thousand infantry. The shell fire had already stampeded the -Persians, but their British officers, Captains Heathcote, Amory, and -Trott of the Devons, and Hooper of the Royal West Kents, by dint of -persuasion and threats, temporarily stopped the disorderly flight, -and induced the wavering men to follow them back into the line. But -a few more shells from the Turkish gun, which burst with telling -accuracy, finished the resistance of the levies. Osborne had no -artillery, the mountain battery section from Mianeh not having yet -arrived. - -This time the portion of the line held by the levies {173} doubled up -like a piece of paper. Panic seized them, and they fled with all the -swiftness of hunted animals, throwing away their rifles as they ran. -The Hants, Ghurkas, and Hussars were now all that was left to cover -the retirement. The Turks were working round both flanks and, had -the British hung on, the whole force would have been surrounded and -killed or captured. Some of the British soldiers were so incensed at -the cowardice of the Persians that they turned their rifles against -the fugitives and shot them in their tracks. - -When a retirement was seen to be inevitable, the charvadars were -ordered to load up the stores and medical supplies at the serai. In -the midst of their preparations the levies broke and fled. This -decided the charvadars, who showed themselves to be as arrant cowards -as the rest of their race. Cutting away the lashings securing the -loads on the transport mules, they jumped on the animals' backs and -galloped panic-stricken to the rear. - -Captain John, of the Indian Medical Service, who had worked like a -Trojan attending to the wounded under fire, now collected three or -four British N.C.O's. and sought to rally the runaway charvadars, or -at least to recapture some of the transport mules. As well might -Dame Partington have tried to mop back the waves of the Atlantic. -John, however, did succeed in moving the British wounded, but all the -officers' kits, medical supplies, and ammunition fell into the hands -of the enemy. - -{174} - -The sadly diminished and battered British force withdrew to -Karachaman, preceded by the fleeing native levies, who magnified the -extent of our reverse, and as they ran spread panic amongst the -villages on our line of retreat. - -Eight days before the Turks hit us at Tikmadash, news had filtered -through to Mianeh that the enemy was becoming active in Eastern -Azerbaijan. Raiding parties of Turkish cavalry had penetrated to -Sarab, eighty miles east of Tabriz, and stray bands of tribal levies -who had taken service under the Turkish flag were reported farther -east towards Ardabil and the Caspian littoral. They distributed -proclamations broadcast announcing a Jehad or Holy War against the -British, and calling upon the people to rally to the banner of the -Ittahad-i-Islam, or Pan-Islamic movement, and so make an end of the -Infidel occupation of Persia. The hapless villagers themselves had -little choice in the matter; compulsion was drastically applied, and -a village that showed hesitation, or evinced any apathy in embracing -the tenets of the political-cum-religious and Turkish-controlled -Ittahad-i-Islam, was laid waste, its inhabitants maltreated, or -sometimes put to the sword. - -The Turks further showed their contempt for Persian authority by -seizing the telegraph office at Sarab and kicking out the detachment -of Persian Cossacks who held the place in the name of the Shah and -did police duty in the district. These Cossacks, in common with the -rest of their brigade, were under {175} the command of a Russian -officer. He evidently harboured some extraordinary view as to his -duty towards the Shah's Government, for he accepted with meek -submissiveness the imperative orders of the Turks to take himself and -his command out of Eastern Azerbaijan without any unnecessary delay. -The Persian Cossacks, the "paid protectors of the poor," to give them -one of their official designations, rarely "protected" anybody unless -as a financial investment, and their brutality and greed for illicit -gain caused them to be as much dreaded by the Persian peasant and -bazaar shopkeeper as were those brutal, plundering ruffians, the -Turkish Bashi-bazouks whom the senior partner in the Pan-Islamic firm -had let loose in upper Azerbaijan. - -To counteract enemy activity round Sarab and Ardabil a small mounted -force was despatched from our post at Karachaman under Captain Basil -Cochrane of the 13th Hussars. Cochrane had with him about forty -British enlisted Sowars of Khalkhal Shahsavans. Moving across the -mountains, he boldly rode into Sarab. The Turks, assuming his to be -but the advance guard of a large British force, scattered at his -approach. The Governor and the townsfolk welcomed him effusively, -and promised him military support. But Persian promises are not -always redeemable, as we had already found to our cost. Turkish -cavalry were advancing afresh and threatening his rear, so Cochrane, -who was fifty miles as the crow flies from the nearest British post, -{176} had to let go his hold on Sarab, and retire towards the south. -Then a veil of silence enshrouded his movements; and at Mianeh -headquarters it was feared that he had been cut off and killed with -his whole party. - -I had just come back from a long trek, and had stretched my weary -self out on a camp bed and gone fast to sleep, booted and spurred, -when someone shook me vigorously. I awoke and found it was Wagstaff, -chief of the Mission, with orders for me to take out a mounted party -and go in search of Cochrane. I mustered the available Sowars of the -station, about fifty in all. They were recruited from the Shahsavan -tribesmen, and we had had hitherto no reason to suspect their -fidelity. But immediately they divined that trouble was brewing and -that they might get a "dusting" from the Turk, they decided that -Mianeh was a healthier place than Sarab, and mutinied to a man. -Neither threats nor persuasion could move them. Having, so to speak, -thrown in their hands, they dismounted from their shaggy, -fleet-footed hill ponies, and stood sullenly with folded arms, -refusing obedience to all orders. - -Leaving Wagstaff to deal with the mutinous Sowars, I collected about -a dozen of my own Persian police, and with these and two British -N.C.O's., Sergeants Calthorpe, R.F.A., and Saunders of the 13th -Hussars, set off on my mission. - -We marched the greater part of the night, and early next day reached -Turkmanchai on the Tabriz {177} road, twenty-five miles north-west of -Mianeh. Here I impressed ten Sowars of ours who, feigning illness -and suffering from "fire-shyness," had stolen out of the trenches at -Tikmadash. Our route from Turkmanchai lay nearly due north towards -the foothills of the lofty Bazgush Range and the country of the -Khalkhal sub-tribe of Shahsavans. We bivouacked for the night in the -prosperous village called Benik Suma, which stands in the middle of -an arboreal-cloistered dale watered by a shallow but swift-running -mountain stream. Supplies were plentiful, and the hand of famine had -not touched this secluded Persian hamlet, which nestled so cosily -beneath the glorious foliage of oak and chestnut. - -When the march was resumed in the morning, it was found that four of -the "malingerers" from Turkmanchai had deserted overnight. My little -command did not seem at all easy in its mind at the prospect of -having a brush with the enemy, and every hour that brought us nearer -to the hill country an increasing number of Sowars reported sick and -begged to be allowed to fall out. - -At first I was puzzled by the spread of this sudden malady, for the -symptoms were identical in each case--severe abdominal pains; but -presently the mystery was explained. I encountered on the road a -Persian Cossack who had ridden in from the Sarab district, and had -come across the mountains that lay ahead of us. He volunteered the -information that in a village about twenty miles distant he had {178} -seen a Turkish cavalry patrol. Our Sowars on hearing this looked -very glum, and four of them at once complained of violent illness. -They rolled on the ground in pretended agony, artfully simulating an -acute cholera seizure. This time, and without much difficulty, I -diagnosed the disease as being that of pure funk, or what is commonly -known in military parlance as "cold feet." While sympathizing with -the sufferers, I gravely told them that I had instructions to shoot -off-hand any of my command who became cholera-stricken, and to burn -their bodies in order to prevent the disease spreading. The result -was little short of magical. The "severe pains" disappeared, and the -patients made such a wonderful recovery that within half an hour they -were able to mount their horses and turn their faces towards Sarab -once more. And the "epidemic" did not reappear. - -We entered the mouth of the gloomy Chachagli Pass in the Bazgush -Range. Horsemen afar off had hovered on our flanks and reconnoitred -us carefully, but the distance was too great to tell whether they -were enemy irregulars or simply roving Shahsavans in search of -plunder, who would impartially despoil, provided the chances were -equal, Briton, Turk, or Persian. - -The Chachagli Pass, a trifle over 8,000 feet, must surely be the most -difficult to negotiate in the whole of the Middle East. The road or -track from the southern entrance of the Pass follows a narrow {179} -valley shut in by a high gorge. A huge mass of limestone rock, -parting company with some parent outcrop several thousand feet above -our heads, has fallen bodily into the shallow stream which rushes -down the Pass, damming up its waters momentarily. The stream is -angry, but not baffled, at this clumsy effort to bar its path. -Gathering volume and strength, and mounting on the back of the -impeding boulder, it dives off its smooth surface with all the energy -and vim of a miniature Niagara, and goes on its way humming a merry -note of rejoicing. - -After traversing the stream repeatedly, the road tilts its nose in -the air and mounts sharply. With just enough room for sober-going -mules to pass in single file, it skirts the brink of a precipice -until the top is reached. The rocks radiated a torrid heat that -September morning, and the sun struck across our upward path. It was -difficult climbing, for there is not in all the Chachagli Pass enough -tree shade to screen a mountain goat. - -On the north side of the summit the road descends just as abruptly; -the track is narrow and rugged, and it requires careful going to -avoid toppling over the unramped side and down into the rock-studded -bed of the stream. - -It was nearing sunset on the evening of September 2nd, and my small -force was preparing to bivouac for the night, when two Sowars who had -been foraging in a village to the west came galloping with news of -the enemy. They had learned that a party of {180} Turkish irregulars -had halted in a hamlet three miles away. - -We moved in the direction indicated and found the information was -correct. The enemy horsemen, believing themselves secure, had -neglected to mount a guard. They had off-saddled and were sleeping -peacefully in the shade of a mud-walled compound when we burst into -the place and surprised them. They were ten in all. Rudely -disturbed in their siesta, they surrendered without firing a shot. -The prisoners comprised two Turkish N.C.O's., six Sowars, and two -agents of the Ittahad-i-Islam. They had evidently been "billposting" -and recruiting, for their saddlebags contained letters addressed to -Turkish sympathizers in the district and also the red armlets worn as -a distinguishing badge by the newly enrolled fedais who undertook to -fight under the crescent-flag of the Osmanli. - -My own Sowars were greatly elated over this minor success. Their -spirits rose accordingly, and they now professed to regard the -fighting Turk with disdain, and to be prepared to match themselves -single-handed against a whole troop of the enemy. - -But it was all mere bombast. The prisoners were sent down to Mianeh -with an escort of six of these "valorous" levies. On the way they, -though, of course, unarmed, overpowered the guard, took the arms and -horses, and escaped. - -At daylight next morning, September 3rd, the march northwards was -resumed. Our advanced {181} guard was fired upon by some armed -horsemen, who retired. Following them up, we found that they were -some of Cochrane's scouts who had mistaken us for Turks. Cochrane -himself I came across two hours later. With his little force he had -retreated without loss from Sarab, and had taken up a snug defensive -position on the brow of a wooded eminence, where he placidly awaited -whatever fate might send him first--the attacking Turk, or the -succouring British. - -The tribesmen were friendly towards us, and, attracted by the -prospect of good pay, were offering themselves freely as recruits. -Making due allowance for the fighting instability of our levies, we -felt we were strong enough to hold on, and if the worst came to the -worst, and we were outnumbered, capable of putting up a running fight -with the enemy. - -But the end bordered on the dramatic, and came with an abruptness -that neither of us had foreseen. As related in a previous chapter, -Osborne was heavily attacked at Tikmadash on the morning of September -5th, and the news of his retreat and the advance of the Turks along -the Tabriz road did not reach Cochrane and myself until 2 a.m. on the -morning of the 6th. It was a ticklish situation. Go forward we -could not, and our only way back was over the gloomy fastness of the -Chachagli Pass. The Turks, we knew, were advancing rapidly, and we -mentally saw them already astride our one line of retreat and -ourselves trapped at the south exit of the Pass. - -{182} - -There was no time to be lost. So, destroying our surplus stores, and -with grim faces, we set off in the darkness of the night. Our levies -surmised that something had gone wrong with the British, and fear -gripped their hearts. They deserted wholesale and without waiting to -bid us adieu. There was a picket of fifteen Persians and a British -sergeant in a village a mile to our front. The sergeant alone -reported back. His command had "hopped it" when they realized that -danger threatened. Five miles behind us on the crest of the ridge -there was an observation post of thirty irregulars with a Naib or -native lieutenant and two British N.C.O's. The Naib had the previous -evening vaunted his personal prowess, and assured Cochrane and myself -that no Turks would pass that way except over his lifeless body. But -when we reached his post in the blackness of the night, we discovered -that the gallant Naib had fled none knew whither, and taken all his -men with him. We never saw him again. The two N.C.O's. had mounted -guard alternately, and we found them cursing Persian irregulars and -Persian perfidy with a degree of vigour and a candour that did -adequate justice to their own private view of the situation. - -Cochrane is an Afrikander born, and as resourceful and plucky a -soldier as ever donned khaki. Used to night marching on the veldt, -he led the advanced guard of our party through the intricate, -labyrinthian windings of the Chachagli Pass where a single false step -meant death. It was nerve-straining work, this {183} night march in -the darkness, with men, horses, and transport mules following each -other in blind procession and groping for a foothold on the narrow -causeway. That mysterious dread of the unseen and the unknown, ever -present on such occasions as these, clutched with a tenfold force the -timorous hearts of the native levies who had survived the earlier -stampede at the beginning of the retreat. Their teeth chattered, and -their trembling fingers were always inadvertently pressing triggers -of loaded rifles, which kept popping off and heightening the nerve -tension. - -We got clear of the Pass shortly after daylight. Fortunately the -Turks were not there to intercept our march. With the passing of the -long night vigil, and the coming of the dawn, gloom was dispelled; -life assumed a rosier tint, and the levies recovered some of their -lost spirits and waning courage. Once free of the imprisoning hills, -and out on the broad plateau that dipped southwards to intersect the -Tabriz road, we headed straight for Turkmanchai. Once we rode into a -village as fifty well-mounted horsemen, disturbed like a covey of -frightened birds, bolted out at the other end. We found that they -were Shahsavan robbers, who looked upon our party as potential -enemies. Turkish cavalry in extended order were visible on the -skyline as we gained the shelter of Turkmanchai. - -We reached this spot in the nick of time. Osborne's force had been -compelled to evacuate Karachaman, {184} the position occupied after -Tikmadash, and his sorely pressed command was now trickling into -Turkmanchai with the Turks at their heels. Turkmanchai village is at -the base of a steep hill. At its summit the road from Tabriz -squeezes through a narrow-necked pass. Here the Hants and the -Ghurkas took up a position in order to arrest the Turkish advance. A -section of a mountain battery had arrived overnight. The Turkish -cavalry appeared in column of route, out of rifle fire as yet, and -blissfully ignorant of our possession of artillery. The cavalry made -an admirable target. Two well-directed shells burst in the midst of -the astonished horsemen. Their surprise was complete, and wheeling -they opened out and galloped wildly for cover. The impromptu salvo -of artillery set them thinking, and they did not trouble us again -that day. - -To hold Turkmanchai was impossible. We had stopped the Turks in -front, but they were working round our flanks, and it was only a -question of hours when we should be isolated and cut off from Mianeh. -We were outnumbered by fully ten to one, and the flanking parties of -cavalry which the enemy threw out were alone larger than the British -combined force of regulars and irregulars. - -A fresh retirement was decided upon, and on the morning of September -7th we evacuated Turkmanchai. The wounded and the sick were removed -in transport carts, and two hours after midnight the head of the -column moved slowly off in the darkness. {185} I was in charge of -the advanced guard, and found myself in command of a varied -assortment of Persian irregulars, some of whom had "distinguished" -themselves at Tikmadash and Karachaman and had been "rounded up" by -British troops during the retreat. They were a motley crew, and what -infinitesimal amount of pluck they ever possessed had long ago -evaporated. In the advanced guard it was difficult to restrain their -impetuosity. They dashed off at top speed as if they were riding a -fifty-mile Derby race to Mianeh. But their one impelling motive was -to place as many miles as possible of dusty road between themselves -and the oncoming Turks before daylight. - -By dint of threats of summary punishment they were brought to heel -and ultimately held in leash. Silence it was impossible to impose, -short of some form of gagging, and they chattered like a cageful of -monkeys, utterly heedless of the danger of betraying our presence to -the enemy. Then, too, their superheated imagination saw Turks -growing on every bush. "Osmani anja!" "Osmani anja!" (The Turks are -there!) they would cry, indicating some village donkey or goat taking -a hillside stroll. Fortunately for us, the Turks showed themselves -to be singularly lacking in energy, and were not keen on risking a -night attack in unknown country, or they might have ambushed the -advanced guard half a dozen times before it got clear of the danger -zone. With our Persian "braves" to rely upon, there {186} would -surely have been a "regrettable incident" to record officially. - -The Turks waited for daylight, and then they attacked the main body -and the rearguard, but were beaten off, and the column extricating -itself reached Mianeh in safety. - - - - -{187} - -CHAPTER XVII - -EVACUATION OF MIANEH - -We have a chilly reception--Our popularity wanes--Preparation for -further retirement--Back to the Kuflan Kuh Pass--Our defensive -position--Turks make a frontal attack--Our line overrun--Gallantry of -Hants and Worcesters--Pursuit by Turks--Armoured cars save the -situation--Prisoners escape from Turks--Persians as fighters. - - -Mianeh, pampered, spoon-fed Mianeh, which had grown fat on British -bread and comparatively wealthy on British money, gave the retreating -column a chilly reception. - -The bazaar looked at us askance, and the Democrats spat meaningly in -our direction and muttered a malediction upon our heads. There was -joy in the eyes of the people which they took no pains to conceal. - -The news of the Turkish success, much magnified in passing from mouth -to mouth and village to village, had preceded our arrival, and the -barometer of bazaar sentiment, always a sure gauge of Persian public -opinion, had veered round to "stormy." - -And "stormy" it was to be. It was felt that the sands of the British -glass had run out. The attitude of the people underwent a sudden -change {188} from cringing supplication to one of thinly veiled -hostility. Fawning officials, who had battened upon our liberality -and profited by our largesse, now fell over themselves in their -efforts to sponge the slate clean and write upon it a Persian -improvised version of the "Hymn of Hate." They threw the full weight -of their mean souls into the job. In the bazaar they buzzed about -like so many poisonous gadflies, and in order to curry favour with -their new masters-to-be they incited the people to anti-British -demonstrations, and beat and imprisoned humble folk whose friendship -for our nation was disinterested and had not been offered on the -local commercial basis of so many krans per pound. With one -exception, all the district notables--who had always been reiterating -their professions of friendship, and to whom we had paid large sums -as subsidies for faithless, turn-tail levies, or as purchase price -for grain--went over to the enemy. Our Mianeh police, my own -command, or those of them who were Persians, followed the general -example and ran off to join the Turks. - -There was one notable exception. Four Kurds who belonged to the -police and who could not be intimidated or cajoled, stood firm and -refused to be carried off by the wave of desertion, and they remained -to guard the Mission premises. - -After Turkmanchai we did not tarry long in Mianeh. Preparations were -at once made for a further retirement. The Turks were coming on -{189} slowly and methodically, and apparently in no immediate hurry -to hustle us out of Mianeh. The long and, in a sense, rapid marches -of the previous five days during hot weather had told upon the -Turkish infantry, and now the advancing enemy had cried a halt in -order that his tired troops might enjoy a brief repose. - -Our next defensive position was the Kuflan Kuh or Qaplan Kuh (the -panthers' hill) Pass, which lies five miles south-east of Mianeh. -The main range of the Kuflan Kuh runs roughly from east to west, and -the Tabriz-Zinjan road passes over its crest at a height of about -five thousand feet. At the end of the Mianeh plain, and some two -miles from the village itself, there is a solid brick bridge over the -Karangu River. Once the river is crossed, coming from Mianeh, the -rise begins gradually, and the foothills of the Pass are met with a -mile or so from the river bank. The ascent from the northern or -Mianeh end is very difficult, and the road mounts between two -perpendicular walls of rock. The gradient is steep, and the outer -edge of the roadway was wholly unprotected until a British labour -corps took the job on hand and interposed a coping-stone barrier -between the exposed side of the road and the abyss below. The same -workers also plugged up some of the gaping holes in the roadway which -had existed from time immemorial. - -On Sunday, September 8th, the whole of Major Wagstaff's force bade -farewell without regret to {190} Mianeh, marched across the Karangu, -and placed the formidable barrier of the Kuflan Kuh between itself -and the advancing enemy. Wagstaff established his headquarters in a -ruined caravanserai near the stone bridge which spans the Kizil Uzun -River at the southern entrance to the Pass. All the stores of wheat -and barley which had been accumulating in Mianeh were destroyed -before evacuation, and the rearguard crossed the Karangu without -molestation either from the Turks or from their new allies, the -Mianehites, who were hourly showing themselves more hostile to the -retiring British. - -[Illustration: NORTH GATE, KASVIN.] - -Headquarters at Kasvin now began to be alarmed at the uninterrupted -southward advance of the Turks, for, if Zinjan fell, Kasvin might be -expected to follow, and our line of communications from Hamadan -towards the Caspian would be cut. General Dunsterville himself was -away in Baku, fighting Bolsheviks and Turks. Some weeks earlier, -with the help of Bicherakoff and his Russians, he had rooted out -Kuchik Khan from his jungle fastness, and opened the road from Manjil -to Resht and the Caspian Sea. - -Wagstaff was accordingly ordered to hold the Kuflan Kuh at all costs, -but what he was to hold it with was not quite clear, inasmuch as his -total dependable fighting strength of Hants, Ghurkas, and 14th -Hussars did not exceed 250 bayonets and 50 sabres, the few remaining -levies being a negligible quantity. He had been given a machine-gun -detachment, a {191} mountain battery section, two field guns, and a -howitzer. His main position was on a line of low hills extending for -about three miles below the northern face of the Pass, and commanding -the approaches from the Mianeh plain and the brick bridge across the -Karangu. The guns were on the reverse or southern slope of the Pass, -whence by indirect fire they could make it unpleasant for an enemy -crossing the Karangu bridge or fording the shallow river itself. - -A platoon of the Worcesters arrived to reinforce our attenuated line, -and Colonel Matthews of the 14th Hants took over command on the 9th. -The Turks had now occupied Mianeh in force, and during the ensuing -two days were busy preparing for an offensive movement. They pushed -a considerable body of infantry down to the cultivated fields -bordering the north bank of the Karangu. Here, amongst the boundary -ditches, topped with low bushes, they found a certain amount of -ready-made cover, and they subjected our advanced posts on the right -to a harassing fire. These were held by levies with a stiffening of -British officers and British N.C.O's. The Persians, as usual, became -"jumpy" whenever Turkish bullets hummed in their immediate vicinity, -and as they were utterly lacking in elementary fire-control they were -a source of vexatious perplexity to their British officers and -sergeants. One officer, in despair at their utter unreliability -under fire, pleadingly suggested that they might be withdrawn {192} -altogether, and himself left with two British sergeants to hold the -post. - -Even after making due allowance for the complete worthlessness of our -Persian auxiliaries, we hesitated to believe that the Turks would -commit themselves to a frontal attack on the Kuflan Kuh. Given a -sufficiency of reliable troops, it would have been an admirably -strong defensive position, and any enemy who came "butting" against -it with lowered head would have found the experiment a costly one. - -But the Turks had seemingly gauged the measure of our strength and -our weakness more accurately than we had ourselves, for, eschewing -anything in the nature of new-fangled turning movements, they came at -us in the good old-fashioned way, and by the most direct route. - -The attack was delivered after breakfast on September 12th, and on -the part of the enemy there was no sign of hurry or confusion. Two -thousand infantry, highly trained and admirably handled, belonging to -one of their crack Caucasian divisions, crossed the river in extended -order and flung themselves against our line. The shock of contact -was first felt on the right, where the Persians were in position. -These latter promptly broke and fled in utter disorder, all attempts -to rally them proving futile. Our line was now in the air, so to -speak, with the Persians scuttling like rabbits up towards the -entrance to the Pass. It was short and bloody work. - -{193} - -The Hants and the Ghurkas had now to bear the brunt of the attack. -The Turks, reinforced, came on in surging waves and flowed over their -trenches. Both units made a gallant but ineffectual fight, and were -forced back up the Pass, suffering considerable losses. The enemy -followed up his advantage and stormed the Pass itself. A last stand -was made at the summit to cover the retreat of the guns. Here Hants -and Turks fought hand to hand with bayonet and clubbed rifle, until -the sadly diminished remnant of this brave battalion, after losing -their gallant sergeant-major, were literally pushed over the crest -and down the reverse slope. But they had stood their ground long -enough to save the guns from capture. - -The Worcesters, who had been in reserve on the southern slope, now -came doubling into action to the assistance of the hard-pressed -Hants. Taking shelter behind the boulders which are plentiful on -both sides of the roadway, they covered the retirement, driving the -Turkish snipers off the summit of the Pass and arresting any -immediate pursuit on the part of the enemy. - -The caravanserai at the Kizil Uzun Bridge, where Colonel Matthews had -his headquarters, being now untenable, he withdrew with his remaining -force across the Baleshkent Pass to Jamalabad on the road to Zinjan. -As for the runaway levies, some of them did not halt until they had -placed a good twenty miles between themselves and the scene of the -Kuflan Kuh fighting. - -{194} - -The Turks pursued us to Jamalabad, but it was the last kick. Their -offensive spent itself here, thanks to a new factor which had entered -into the game. This was the armoured car sections, light and heavy, -under Colonel Crawford and Lieutenant-Colonel Smiles, which, when our -position was indeed precarious, had been rushed up from Kasvin and -Zinjan in support of our retiring column. The Turks got a bad -peppering at Jamalabad, and a few miles farther south at Sarcham -where the cars were in action. The enemy had no liking for this sort -of fighting, and troubled us no more. They withdrew from Jamalabad -and, in anticipation of a counter-offensive on our part, proceeded to -fortify themselves on the Kuflan Kuh. - -A week after the fight at the Kuflan Kuh two men of the Hants who had -been captured by the Turks arrived in our lines, clothed in nothing -save a handkerchief apiece. While their captors were squabbling -amongst themselves as to the distribution of the worldly possessions -of the prisoners, the latter had slipped away unperceived and gained -Jamalabad. There they were waylaid by Persian thieves, badly beaten, -stripped of their clothing, and left for dead on the roadside. -Still, they were a plucky pair, for, recovering, they set out afresh, -and, completing a fifty-mile tramp in the blazing sun without food or -raiment, rejoined their unit. - -The Crawford armoured cars and the Matthews column slowly fell back -on Zinjan, and there {195} ended the military activities of the -Tabriz expedition. - -My strictures on the fighting value of the Persian may appear unduly -severe. I fully realize that one had no right to expect very much -from a mass of raw, undisciplined material. The men were hastily -recruited, and their training, necessarily circumscribed by the -exigencies of time, could not have been anything but perfunctory and -imperfect in the circumstances. But I am tilting rather at the -theory prevalent in certain quarters at the inception of the Tabriz -Expedition that one had only to send British officers into the -highways and byways of Azerbaijan and that they would find there -"ready-made" soldiers endowed with a fine fighting spirit, hardly -inferior in quality to our own superb infantry, men who would stand -up to trained and efficient soldiers like the Turks. Having once got -the half-trained levies into the trenches, their British officers -were expected to hold them by sheer force of will-power, and to -hypnotize them into taking aim at an enemy without shutting both -eyes. Now the bubble of Persian fighting efficiency has been -pricked, and we have a more just appreciation of the virtues and -shortcomings of the Persians as a unit in a modern army. - - - - -{196} - -CHAPTER XVIII - -CRUSHING A PLOT - -Anti-British activities--Headquarters at Hamadan--Plans to seize -ringleaders--Midnight arrests--How the Governor was entrapped. - - -Back in Hamadan, the fierce political enmity of the Democrats, which -had been quiet for some time, broke into fresh activity after the -removal of Dunsterville headquarters to Kasvin at the end of May. - -General Byron, who was in charge at Hamadan, speedily discovered -through his Intelligence Officers that the local Democrats were bent -on making things merry for the British, if they possibly could. -Previous rebuffs had taught the Democrats the value of silence and a -more complete method of organization. Their defects in these -directions were now to some extent remedied. Turkish gold, too, was -forthcoming, and the Democrats of Hamadan became a secret political -organization--a sort of Persian Mafia or Camorra--which was hatching -a political conspiracy against the British. It was the -Ittahad-i-Islam again at work. This organization, while outwardly -making common cause with the Islamic malcontents of Hamadan and -elsewhere, was in secret working strenuously for Turkey and the -Turkish cause, and the Democrats {197} who were caught in its net -were but a means to that end. - -One thing, however, soon became clear--that a vast network of Turkish -espionage, with ramifications through Persia, had its headquarters in -Hamadan. For many weeks the organization was allowed to have free -rein in the carrying out of its "holy work." - -Its propaganda mills worked long and late; its agents came and went; -Turkish emissaries slipped into Hamadan and out again without any -difficulty, and the leaders of the Hamadan movement, which aimed at -our overthrow by a _tour de force_, must have often chuckled to -themselves at our apparent simplicity and at the ease with which we -had been outmatched by Oriental cunning. - -While feigning blindness, the British were very watchful indeed. It -was like the story of the faithful retainer of the Samurai noble in -feudal Japan who set out to avenge his lord's death. His enemies -were powerful and vigilant, but in the end his carefully simulated -indifference threw them completely off their guard, and he triumphed. -So it was in Hamadan, where sharp wits were pitted against sharp -wits. In time the chiefs of the inner ring of the Hamadan -combination grew careless. Little by little, their secret signs and -passwords, their working programme, their membership roll, and even -full details of the Turkish system of espionage in Persia generally, -passed into our hands. There was little more to wait for. It was -time to strike. - -{198} - -But a fresh difficulty immediately presented itself. The plotters, -in co-operation with Kuchik Khan, had fixed the date for an armed -revolt against British occupation; and what afterwards happened in -Egypt, was, in June of 1918, deliberately and carefully planned to -take place in Hamadan. There were practically no troops in the town -at the time, and the torch of revolt once lighted and the work of our -extermination begun, ten or twelve officers with a couple of dozen of -N.C.O's. of Dunsterforce could not for long have resisted the -determined onslaught of a fanatical and arrack-incited population of -70,000. - -To arrest the leaders openly in daylight would assuredly have -precipitated a disaster, and led to bloodshed, and probably to our -own undoing. The inner council of the conspiracy consisted of -fifteen members, and included the Persian Governor and a number of -local notables. - -Secrecy and surprise were essential; so the plan hit upon was a night -descent simultaneously on the whole band, an officer and two N.C.O's. -being detailed for each arrest. - -The procedure in the following case may be taken as typical of the -others: In the early hours of the morning a Persian batman in the -employ of a British officer was directed to deliver a sealed envelope -marked "From O.C. Hamadan" at the house of one of the plotters. The -messenger, hammering at the door, aroused the sleepy watchman within, -and told him {199} that he had an important letter to deliver from -the British General. "Come back in the morning," would reply the -watchman, "my master is in bed and asleep." The messenger, duly -coached, would reply, "That is impossible. Open the door. The -letter, I know, is important, for I have been given ten krans to -deliver it safely." The watchman, while wary and inclined to be -suspicious of belated callers, was also avaricious, and was not going -to let slip any chance of netting a few krans. As had been -anticipated, his greed overcame his caution. He opened the door in -order to claim his share of the late letter delivery fee. As soon as -he did so, a couple of stalwart British sergeants, springing out of -the darkness, seized, bound, and gagged him. Once within the -high-walled courtyard of the house, the rest was easy. It was but a -few steps to the sleeping apartments, and the proscribed conspirator -as a rule woke up to find the chilly muzzle of a British service -revolver pressing against his temple. He was gagged to prevent his -raising an alarm; his hands were bound; and, thus helpless, he was -carried off and dumped into a covered motor lorry, where an armed -guard saw that he came to no harm. - -But the Persian Governor himself was the most difficult of the whole -band to surprise and arrest. His residence was in a big walled serai -at the extreme end of Hamadan, and, in accordance with Persian -custom, and by reason of his official position, he lived surrounded -by a guard of about fifty men. To {200} deal with him tact and -finesse were necessarily called into play. - -The task of securing the Governor quietly and without unnecessary -fuss fell to the lot of a Colonel who had learned something of native -ways in Rhodesia and East Africa. He was an Irishman possessing a -glib tongue, a knowledge of Persian, and all the suavity of his race. -He also had the advantage of being known to the Governor and his -entourage. So, when he knocked at the door of the Governor's -residence at an hour long after midnight, the watchman admitted him -without hesitation. The guard turned out and eyed the intruder -suspiciously, but, finding it was the sartip sahib (Colonel) from the -British Mission who was making inquiries about the state of the -Governor's health, they yawned sleepily and betook themselves to the -shelter of their blankets, vowing inwardly that the eccentricities of -this strange race called English who paid ceremonious visits in the -middle of the night were beyond the comprehension of any Oriental -mind. - -"There has come wonderful news from Teheran, and the Governor must be -told at once," said the visitor, flourishing a big envelope with many -red seals attached thereto. - -"Good," replied the janitor deferentially, "the Governor is enjoying -sweet repose, but if it is the wish of the Colonel Sahib, I will take -him the paper." - -"Alas, that it should be so!" interposed the caller gravely, "but -into his own hands alone am I permitted {201} to deliver this -precious letter. Go, faithful one! Summon your illustrious master, -the protector of the poor, and the friend of the oppressed! I will -remain on guard by the open door, and none shall enter in your -absence." - -The ruse succeeded. The servitor departed on his errand, and in a -few minutes returned with the Governor clad in a dressing-gown and -slippers. He greeted the Colonel, who handed him the envelope which -contained a blank sheet of paper. It was dark on the threshold where -the Governor stood tearing open the missive, so the Colonel proffered -the aid of his electric torch. Presently the Governor, divining that -something was amiss, looked up with a start, and found himself -covered with a revolver. "Come with me," said the officer tersely, -"and, above all, do not resist or attempt to summon help!" The -trapped official obeyed with docility, and followed his captor to a -waiting automobile, into which he was bundled and placed in charge of -a British guard. Two sentries at the guardroom door kept the Persian -guard within in subjection while the Governor's papers were being -seized. These latter proved to the hilt his complicity in the plot -that was being hatched to destroy British lives in Hamadan. The -deposed official--accompanied by copies of the incriminating -documents--was sent as a present to the Teheran Cabinet, with a -polite request for an explanation of the gross treachery of their -unfaithful servant. - -{202} - -The coup had succeeded without the firing of a shot, and the back of -the conspiracy was broken, for it was left impotent and leaderless. -Before sunrise all the captives, with the exception of the Governor, -were on their way to Bagdad and an internment camp. - -An amusing sidelight on the affair was the attitude of the Persian -police in Hamadan. Hearing of the arrests, they assumed the worst. -They bolted, taking refuge in the neighbouring cornfields, where they -remained a whole day under the impression that they were the sole -survivors of a "general massacre" of inhabitants carried out by the -British. - - - - -{203} - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE FIRST EXPEDITION TO BAKU - -Kuchik Khan bars the road--Turk and Russian movements--Kuchik Khan's -force broken up--Bicherakoff reaches Baku--British armoured car crews -in Russian uniforms--Fighting around Baku--Baku abandoned--Captain -Crossing charges six-inch guns. - - -In a previous chapter I pointed out that Kuchik Khan was in military -possession of the Manjil-Resht road, and that the Russians under -Bicherakoff were concentrating at Kasvin preparatory to trying -conclusions with this amiable bandit--the cat's-paw of Turkish-German -intrigue--who was barring Bicherakoff's route to the Caspian and to -Russia. - -At the end of May, in order to bring about a more effectual -co-operation between his own force and that of the Russian commander, -General Dunsterville transferred his headquarters from Hamadan to -Kasvin. - -The original purpose of the Dunsterville Mission, it will be -recollected, was to fight Bolshevism by the organizing of Armenians -and Georgians and, if possible, Tartars, in the Southern Caucasus. -This had now become difficult of realization, owing to {204} the -series of bewildering and kaleidoscopic changes in Transcaucasia -which had profoundly affected the entire political and military -situation. For example, the virus of Bolshevism had infected the -Russian troops in Baku; the Germans had landed at Batum and, by -making peace with the Georgians, were placed in possession of Tiflis. -The Turks had arranged a peace pact with the Armenians which left -their armies free to invade north-west Persia, prosecute a vigorous -campaign against the Nestorians of Urumia, and, finally, overrun the -Caucasus as a preliminary to co-operating with the Germans in their -contemplated advance on Baku. Now the Bolshevik leaders in Baku -refused to recognize the right of either of the rival belligerent -groups--the Central Powers or the Entente--to spoil the flavour of -their military hotch-potch in any way. It suited the blasé Russian -palate, and that should be sufficient. The Bolsheviks, at all -events, were consistent to the extent that, while they opposed the -advance of the Germans and Turks towards Baku, they more than once -resolutely refused to accept the proposed aid of British troops to -help them in overcoming the forces of the Central Powers. - -[Illustration: DRILLING ARMENIANS AT BAKU.] - -Negotiations with Kuchik Khan had ended abortively. The leader of -the Jungalis was quite prepared to permit Russian troops to withdraw -from Persia if they wished, and to pass through his "occupied -territory" to their port of embarkation on the Caspian. But British, -"No!" They had no business {205} in Persia at all, he argued, and if -they were desirous of going to Russia, they would have to find some -other road. - -The haughty tone of this communication angered the Russian General, -and he sent Kuchik Khan an ultimatum, calling upon him to evacuate -the Manjil position with all his followers, or be prepared to take -the consequences. As Kuchik ignored this, a combined Russian-British -force was sent against him on June 12th. Two of the British armoured -cars which the year previously had formed part of the Locker-Lampson -unit in Russia proper, were present at the attack. After a brief -bombardment, a white flag was hoisted on the Manjil bridge position, -and two German officers issued from the trenches to parley. They -offered, on behalf of Kuchik Khan, to come to terms with the Russians -and allow them to pass, provided a similar concession was not -demanded by the British. Bicherakoff's reply was to dismiss the -impudent _parliamentaires_, and to intimate that Kuchik Khan and his -whole force could have fifteen minutes in which to lay down their -arms and surrender. Nothing happened, so at the end of the -stipulated period the advance was ordered, and the Russians and -British stormed the enemy trenches and speedily disposed of the -Jungalis holding them. Kuchik and a portion of his army, with his -two German military advisers, escaped for the time; but, after -another drubbing had been administered to him, the crestfallen -Jungali leader was glad to make {206} peace, dismiss his German staff -officers and drill instructors and release McLaren and Oakshott, two -Englishmen, who had spent months in captivity. - -The road to Resht and Enzeli was open at last, and Bicherakoff moved -to the Caspian without delay and set about embarking his command for -Baku. As a leader, Bicherakoff was popular amongst his men; and in -the Caucasus he enjoyed deserved prestige as a soldier. He was -pro-Russian--that is to say, anti-Bolshevik; and it was felt that his -own personal influence, no less than the presence of his troops at -Baku, would serve as a powerful antidote to Bolshevik activity in -Southern Caucasia. - -Bicherakoff's contingent embarked at Enzeli on July 3rd. A British -armoured car battery accompanied the Russians, and, in order not to -ruffle unduly the susceptibilities of the Bolsheviks, British -officers and men wore Russian uniforms. But these they discarded on -landing at Baku. Bicherakoff, who made a favourable impression -locally and was well received by the inhabitants of the great oil -centre, lost no time in seeking out and engaging the Turks, who were -menacing Baku from two sides. A good deal of heavy fighting went on -during the middle of July, and the British armoured cars rendered -signal services, being engaged almost daily in close-quarter fighting -with the Turks, enfilading their infantry and breaking up their -threatened attacks, and, on another occasion, repulsing a cavalry -charge with heavy loss to the enemy. - -{207} - -Bicherakoff, however, soon found that the local troops were not to be -relied on, even when they professed their readiness to fight under -his flag and against the Turks. On July 29th the Turks, who seemed -bent on getting possession of Baku at any cost, succeeded in -capturing Adji-Kabul station, a short distance south-west of Baku. -Using this as a pivot, they swung northwards in order to complete the -envelopment of Baku. - -The Russian commander now became anxious for his own safety. -Realizing his powerlessness to carry on an effective offensive, and -fearing lest he should be shut up in Baku when the Turkish encircling -movement became complete, he hurriedly abandoned the town, and with -his British armoured car auxiliaries went off north by rail towards -Derbend and Petrovsk, to operate against the Bolsheviks and Dageshani -Tartars who were terrorizing the country bordering on the Caspian. - -In the attack on Petrovsk, the armoured car unit led under the -command of Captain Crossing. Their fire threw the Bolshevik troops -into confusion, and, when the latter broke, the cars pursued them -through the town, capturing several hundred of their number. A -battery of six-inch guns which had subjected the attacking force to -an annoying fire was with extraordinary temerity engaged by the -armoured cars and put out of action by the simple, but dare-devil -expedient of dashing up within range and shooting all the gunners. -This splendid and heroic deed won {208} for Captain Crossing--"the -super-brave Crossing," as Bicherakoff designated him--the Cross of -St. George, and the Order of St. Vladimir for Lieutenant Wallace; nor -in the distribution of awards for gallantry were the men who -accompanied the two officers in the armoured car charge against the -guns forgotten by the grateful Russian commander. - - - - -{209} - -CHAPTER XX - -THE NEW DASH TO BAKU - -Treachery in the town--Jungalis attack Resht--Armoured cars in -street-fighting--Baku tires of Bolshevism--British summoned to the -rescue--Dunsterville sets out--Position at Baku on arrival--British -officers' advice ignored--Turkish attacks--Pressing through the -defences--Baku again evacuated. - - -We were soon to discover that we had not cut the claws of the Jungali -tiger, and that he was yet capable of giving us serious trouble. - -There had been a good deal of unrest amongst the disbanded followers -of Kuchik Khan. Men had gone back to their villages to brood over -their reverse of fortune. The hotheads amongst them were not at all -satisfied at the easy way in which they had been beaten out of their -entrenchments on the Manjil road. Various pretexts were put forward -with a view of explaining away the sharp reverse they suffered on -that occasion. Further, there was a recrudescence of propaganda -activity amongst them, carried on by Turkish agents and sympathizers -who came and went in the jungle country on the shores of the Caspian. - -Bicherakoff and his Russians had gone off to Baku, and a small force -of British alone was holding {210} Resht. Admirable for the -Jungalis' plan, thought their leaders! This time they would be able -to settle their account with the British without any intervening -Russian mixing himself up in the business. - -Early on July 20th a large force of Jungalis made a surprise attack -on Resht. Aided by armed partisans within who, once the attack -developed, brought hitherto concealed rifles into play from window -and roof-top, the enemy achieved a distinct measure of success. The -street fighting was desperate and severe. The attacking force fought -with great bravery, determination, and skill. They dug themselves -in, and threw up barricades the better to aid them to hold ground -they had won. - -But, although the greater part of Resht passed into their hands, -following their first impetuous dash, the Jungalis were never able to -make themselves masters of the south-western section of the town -which was held by British troops. They knocked their heads against -this in vain. It was left to the armoured cars, moreover, once more -to demonstrate their great value in street fighting. The heavy cars -of the Brigade and the 6th Light Armoured-Motor Battery were rushed -into action, and although the streets had been dug up by the enemy in -order to impair the mobility of the Brigade, the latter made short -work of the Jungalis, driving them from point to point, and from -street to street, until the town was once more in our possession. -The enemy found themselves at a complete disadvantage {211} when -facing armour-plated fighting machines. The moral effect of these -alone, apart from their fire efficiency, proved disastrous to Jungali -nerves, and spread panic and disorganization in the ranks of the foe. -Profiting by the bitter example of treachery that the Jungali attack -had furnished, the British this time were less lenient when it came -to imposing terms upon the beaten enemy. - -Towards the end of July signs of dissension showed themselves amongst -the Bolshevik militants who controlled the political and military -destinies of Baku, a matter of which I wrote in the previous chapter. -The Turks were without the gates. Bicherakoff had gone north, and -the Bolshevik military machine had helplessly broken down. It could -neither organize any scheme of defence, nor evolve any offensive plan -for relieving the city from the gradually tightening grip of the -Turk. The people of Baku found that mediocrity and mendacity were -but poor and unsatisfactory weapons with which to attempt to arrest -the march of a modern army, and these were about all the Bolsheviks -possessed in their mental arsenal. Above the chaos and welter of -discordant opinion arose the murmurings of a discontented, -fear-stricken people. They had suffered much from Bolshevik -oppression and from Bolshevik ineptitude, and clamoured for a new set -of _dramatis personæ_ and the recasting of the principal roles in the -Baku tragedy. So these political _farceurs_, the Bolsheviks, were -figuratively hissed off the boards, and disappeared {212} down the -stage trap-door to an oblivion which, alas! was but temporary. They -were baffled, but not beaten. - -Their places were taken by men holding saner and less violent -political views. One of the first official acts of the new Baku -Government was to summon the British to their aid. - -It was the chance for which Dunsterville had lived and waited, and he -lost no time in grasping it. At Enzeli he embarked a mixed force of -about two thousand, made up of unattached Imperial and Dominion -officers of the original Dunsterforce, a battalion or so of the North -Staffords, a detachment of Hants, howitzer and field gun sections, -two armoured cars, two sections of the motor machine-gun company, and -other sundry units and details which had been commandeered from Resht -for the move upon Baku. - -The advanced guard disembarked at the Caspian oil port on August 5th, -and the remainder speedily followed. - -The position in Baku was not one to inspire confidence. There were -Bolshevik troops in the town who did not attempt to conceal their -displeasure at the arrival of the British. The "Red Committee," too, -was gathering fresh strength and planning the overthrow of its -successors in office--the Government that had invited Dunsterville to -Baku. Muddle and confusion prevailed everywhere. Jealousy, -distrust, and bickering were rife amongst the heterogeneous, {213} -ill-disciplined mass of Russians and Armenians which passed for an -army in Baku. It was computed that there were about 20,000 Russians -of various political hues, ranging from bright Bolshevik red to sober -Imperial grey, in and around the town, while the number of Armenian -auxiliaries was estimated at 5,000. Yet the brunt of the fighting -had to be borne by the British infantry, chiefly the North Staffords, -for it was rarely that over 5,000 of our more than doubtful allies -could be rounded up to assist in holding the far-flung defensive line -of Baku. - -Despite the stiffening of British troops in the front line, the moral -encouragement of British officers, and the active material support of -British artillery and British armoured cars, it was found impossible -to infuse any real or lasting enthusiasm into the Baku army. It had -its own ethics of fighting and stuck to them. War, it was felt, was -a job not to be taken too seriously, and must never be allowed to -interfere with one's customary distractions, nor with one's business -or social engagements. Russians and Armenians would leave a "back -to-morrow" message, and casually stroll out of the front-line -trenches, whenever they felt in the mood, to go off to attend some -political meeting in Baku, or seek refreshment and questionable -enjoyment at some of the local cafés. - -The position of the unattached British officers was a difficult one -in Baku. They were there in an {214} advisory capacity chiefly, but -their counsel and presence were alike resented by all parties, -political and military. Suggestions for a more efficient -co-operation between infantry and artillery, for the filling up of -dangerous gaps in the line, the better siting of trenches, or the -establishing of observation posts and the employment of "spotters," -were usually received in silence and with a disdainful shrug of the -shoulders. - -While striving to beat off the Turk outside, the British, too, had to -sit on the head of the rabid Bolshevik within, and prevent his -regaining his feet and running amuck once more. - -The economic situation was also serious. Food supplies were -lamentably short, and the available stock was running low. A -super-commercial instinct had been developed, and gross profiteering -was widely practised. It was true that the pre-war standard value of -the paper rouble had suffered a heavy depreciation, but this hardly -justified the exorbitant tariff of some of the Baku restaurants. It -was no uncommon thing for them to exact five roubles for the bread -eaten at meals, and about seventy roubles for the very indifferent -meal itself. - -Colonel Keyworth, R.H.A., was appointed to the command of the troops -in the Baku area. His heavy duties confined him a good deal to the -port itself, and he was unable to see very much of the defensive -perimeter; but he had excellent coadjutors in Colonel Matthews of the -Hants, and in Colonel {215} Stokes of the Intelligence Department, an -officer who had been for many years British Military Attaché in -Teheran. Then, too, there was Lieutenant-Colonel Warden, a blunt, -straight-spoken Canadian, and a very keen and efficient infantry -soldier whose permanent telegraphic address in Flanders had been -"Vimy Ridge." Warden was generally an optimist, but the Baku problem -was responsible for his passing sleepless, unhappy nights; and -finally he gave up attempting to instil martial ardour into the -non-receptive mind of the Baku soldier. In his own racy speech, -redolent, of his native prairie, he summed up his efforts in this -direction as being as futile as trying to flog a dead horse back to -life. - -I am not so much concerned with describing the military operations in -detail as I am with laying stress upon the many difficulties that -beset the path of the British during their first and short-lived -occupation of Baku. The wonder is that, instead of giving in after a -few days, they were able to cling to the position for weeks. - -On August 26th, the Turks, who had been preparing for days, delivered -a heavy attack against the Griazni-Vulkan sector. Their advance took -place under cover of destructive artillery fire which caused many -casualties. The section of the line where the Turks struck first was -held by about one hundred and fifty of the North Staffords, supported -by four machine-guns of the Armoured Car Brigade. Despite severe -losses, the Turks, being reinforced, pressed {216} home the attack, -and the auxiliary troops on the right flank were flung back and -forced to retire. At this point two of the machine-guns failed to -hear the order to retreat, and fought the Turks until their crew were -surrounded and cut off. The other machine-gun section, under -Lieutenant Titterington, stuck it to the last, and when they withdrew -the Turks were already firing upon them from the rear. But the -surviving members of the gun crews managed to "shoot" their way -through the ranks of the foe. - -The enemy, who had suffered very heavily in the attack of the 26th, -resumed the offensive on the 31st, when he bit another slice out of -the thinly held line and captured the position known as Vinigradi -Hill. After this the Turk advanced from success to success, slowly -driving back the garrison on the inner defensive line. - -[Illustration: GROUP OF THE STAFFORDS, WHOSE HEROIC ATTEMPT TO -RECOVER THE SITUATION FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN RETIREMENT WILL ALWAYS -BE REMEMBERED AT BAKU. THE SCENE WAS AT BALADADAR STATION.] - -His crowning victory was the storming of the Voltchi Vorota sector on -the morning of September 14th. An Arab officer who deserted two days -previously furnished full particulars of the impending attack, but -his information was regarded with suspicion. It proved, however, to -be absolutely correct, for the enemy made a feigned attack on the -neighbouring Baladjari sector and delivered his main blow against -Voltchi Vorota. He got home at once, driving out the Russian troops, -who retreated in some confusion. An armoured car, however, -intervened between the retiring troops and the oncoming enemy, and, -although heavily shelled by the Turkish batteries, {217} it -manoeuvred adroitly, paralyzing the advance by its deadly fire and -allowing the broken Russians time to reform with a leavening of -British bayonets. The Turks later in the day converted the feigned -into a real attack, and broke through at Baladjari. - -This series of reverses contracted the daily shrinking perimeter -still more. It was now clear to Dunsterville that his troubled -occupancy of Baku had come to an end, and orders were issued for an -immediate evacuation. The Bolsheviks had got the upper hand again. -Their attitude was doubtful and, in the first instance, they had -objected to the troops being withdrawn, threatening to use the -Caspian fleet of gunboats to fire on the laden transports should the -latter attempt to sail. It was not exactly altruism, nor the -promptings of a generous nature, that led them to do this. On the -contrary, it was rather a tender regard for their own cowardly skins. -Should the victorious enemy storm the town the British would serve as -a useful chopping-block upon which the Turks might expend their fury; -and, if the worst came to the worst, and there was no other way out -of a disagreeable dilemma, grace and favour might be won from the -Osmanli by uniting with him in administering the _coup de grâce_ to -the trapped and betrayed remnant of Dunsterville's Army of Occupation. - -Although the town lay defenceless and at their mercy, the -Turks--victims probably of their periodical inertia--did not follow -up their advantage. The {218} Bolsheviks hesitated to strike, and, -after the motor-cars, stores, and transport had been destroyed, the -evacuation was successfully carried out under the menacing guns of -the Caspian Fleet. - -Captain Suttor, an Australian officer, and two sergeants, were -overlooked in the hurry of embarkation. But they escaped and, -boarding a steamer full of Bolshevik fugitives, induced the Captain -to land them at Krasnovodsk on the eastern shore of the Caspian and -the terminus of the Trans-Caspian Railway. Suttor knew that a -British military post had been established there. Of this the -Bolsheviks were ignorant, and their fury and amazement were great -when they found themselves marched off as prisoners. - -[Illustration: SIX-INCH HOWITZER IN ACTION AT BAKU WITH A DETACHMENT -OF DUNSTERFORCE GUNNERS.] - -The day after the British evacuation of Baku the Turks entered, and -for two days the town was given over to pillage, many of the Armenian -irregulars being killed in cold blood by the enemy. - - - - -{219} - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE TURKS AND THE CHRISTIAN TRIBES - -Guerrilla warfare--Who the Nestorian and other Christian tribes -are--Turkish massacres--Russian withdrawal and its effect--British -intervention. - - -The Nestorians, Jelus, and other racially connected Christian groups -who, in the region around Lake Urumia, had been carrying on a -guerrilla warfare against the Turks, at the beginning of July were -reduced to very sore straits indeed by losses in the field, disease, -and famine. - -As already related in a previous chapter, Lieutenant Pennington, a -British aviator, flew into Urumia in the first week in July, carrying -General Dunsterville's assurance of speedy help. The leaders of -these Christian peoples, in full accord with the British, decided -that after evacuating Urumia an attempt should be made to break -through to the south in the direction of Sain Kaleh and Bijar, in -order to get in touch with the British relieving column which was -marching north from Hamadan bringing ammunition and food supplies. - -For the better understanding of this narrative, some explanation is -due to the reader as to who and {220} what are the Nestorians and -their kindred Christian clans who were now about to run the gauntlet -of the Turkish Army operating in the Lake Urumia district. - -The Nestorians are the followers of the Patriarch of Constantinople -who was condemned for heresy in the year A.D. 431. They inhabit -Kurdistan and north-western Persia, are also known as Assyrians, and -are indeed often loosely referred to as Syrians. They live in that -portion of the country which the Bible has familiarized to us as -Assyria, and are confusedly termed Syrians, not because they come -from Syria proper on the Mediterranean littoral, with its cities of -Antioch, Aleppo, and Damascus, but rather because their rubric and -sacred writings are in ancient Syriac, while the language of the -people themselves is modern Syriac. - -Hundreds of years ago the seat of the Nestorian or Assyrian -Patriarchate was near Ctesiphon on the Tigris, a short distance below -Bagdad. But the Turkish conquerors persecuted the Christians, the -Patriarch was forced to flee, and finally took refuge at Qudshanis, -in the highlands of Kurdistan. The present spiritual head of the -Assyrians, who is ecclesiastically designated Mar Shimun, is said to -be the one hundred and thirty-eighth Catholicos, or Patriarch, of the -Nestorian Church. - -At the outbreak of the European War there were three distinguishable -main groups of Assyrian Christians. One inhabited the Upper Tigris -Valley beyond {221} Mesul and the hilly country towards Lake Van; a -second was to be found on the Salmas-Urumia plateau and in the -mountainous country bordering on the Persian-Turkish frontier; the -third group lived on the Turkish side of the frontier between Lake -Van and Urumia. Roughly they may be classified as Highlanders and -Lowlanders, with various tribal subdivisions, of which one of the -better known is the Jelu group. - -Urumia itself is the scene of considerable foreign missionary -activity, and is the headquarters of the Anglican, American, French, -and Russian religious missions to the Assyrian Christians. Each had -its own well-defined sphere of influence, and worked in the broadest -spirit of Christian tolerance. When war burst upon this unhappy -land, anything in the nature of sectarian rivalry and proselytizing -zeal vanished, to give place to a united effort to aid and materially -comfort the victims of Turkish fury. - -The retreat of the Russians from Urumia, at the beginning of January, -1915, left some thousands of Urumia Christians who were unable to -accompany them at the mercy of the Turks and their savage -auxiliaries, the Kurds; and the usual massacre followed. The -Christians, though poorly armed, defended themselves as best they -could, and the survivors were driven to seek sanctuary in the -American Mission Compound. Those who surrendered and gave up their -arms to the Turks were put to death without mercy. At the beginning -of May, 1915, the {222} army of Halil Bey, operating in North-Western -Persia, was routed by the Russians, who reoccupied Urumia. But the -beaten Turks in their retreat westwards killed every Christian -tribesman they could find. A second Russian evacuation of Urumia in -August, 1915, led to a fresh exodus of the able-bodied Assyrian -fighting men, and to another massacre of those who remained behind. - -From then until 1918 they had endured all the horrors and -vicissitudes of war, with its fluctuations of victory and defeat. -The Christian army had put up a brave fight against the Turks after -the final Russian withdrawal from North-Western Persia. Now, hemmed -in and suffering from hunger, they were about to attempt a third -exodus, this time towards the South into the British lines. - -During the last week in July the Christian army--probably about -10,000 fighting men, but with its ranks swelled to 30,000 by women -and children refugees--withdrew from Urumia and marched southwards. -The Turks gave pursuit and much harried their rearguard, which they -subjected to artillery fire, inflicting severe losses. Ultimately -the retreat under Turkish pressure degenerated into a rout, during -which the mass of fugitives was severely cut up. In the course of -the panic which prevailed, the Nestorian Army lost its artillery and -its remaining supplies, while many of the women and children were -abandoned in the general _sauve qui pent_, and fell into the hands of -the enemy. - -{223} - -The Turks reoccupied Urumia on August 1st, and vented their -displeasure upon the defenceless people in the customary Turkish way. -The aged were killed, and young girls were carried off and subjected -to a fate worse than death. - -Mgr. Sontag, the head of the French Lazarist Mission, a saintly man -who was revered even by the local Moslems amongst whom he had lived -for many years, was one of those who fell victims to the blind fury -of the Turkish soldiery when they found themselves once more masters -of Urumia. - -At Sain Kaleh and Takan Teppeh, to the north-west of Bijar, the -British were able to intervene between pursuers and pursued. The -Nestorians, a sadly diminished band, were drafted back to Bijar and -thence south to Hamadan. Harbouring vindictive feelings against -Moslems in general as a result of the atrocities perpetuated upon -them by the Turks, it is not perhaps surprising that they in their -turn made an onslaught upon the inhabitants of the Persian villages -encountered _en route_, and left them in much the same condition as -the man who, going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among thieves. - -Mar Shimun, the spiritual head, and Agha Petros, the recognized -military leader, accompanied the Nestorians from Urumia. The -survivors of the exodus were put in a concentration camp at Hamadan -with their women and children. The able-bodied and healthy amongst -the men were subsequently drafted out and sent to Bakuba near Bagdad, -where {224} an attempt was made by the British to organize and train -them into fighting units. They received good pay and rations, but -proved very difficult material to handle. Their wild, free lives had -apparently unfitted them for a régime of discipline and ordered -restraint. A large contingent refused to sign attestation papers -lest they should be sent to fight overseas. It was useless -attempting to reassure them on this point, and to tell them that all -the military service they were expected to render in return for -British pay and British rations was that of defending their own -country against the common enemy, the Turk. It may be that their -physical sufferings had demoralized them, but the irregulars of Agha -Petros were incapable of attaining an ordinary degree of military -efficiency as judged by British standards. They were a perpetual -source of embarrassment to the British officers entrusted with their -training. The experiment proved a failure, and at last, on the Turks -suing for an armistice, the men of Agha Petros' command were -disbanded and sent back to their own country. - - - - -{225} - -CHAPTER XXII - -IN KURDISTAN - -The last phase--Dunsterforce ceases to exist--The end of Turkish -opposition--Off to Bijar--The Kurdish tribes--Raids on Bijar--Moved -on by a policeman--Governor and poet. - - -It was in South-Western Kurdistan that I saw the last phase of the -war between the Turks and ourselves. - -At the end of September, Dunsterforce had ceased to exist, at any -rate under that name. Dunsterville himself had gone down to Bagdad -to discuss the whole Caucasian and North Persian situation with -General Headquarters, and the officers of Dunsterforce had either -gone back to their units in France, Salonika, and Egypt, or had been -absorbed by the North Persian force which was concentrating under -General Thompson at Enzeli for a fresh smack at the Turk in Baku. - -After his capture of the oilfields' port, the enemy seemed to have -reached the last stages of physical exhaustion, and to be incapable -of further effort. His push through from Tabriz towards Zinjan and -Kasvin had been finally arrested, and he had been driven back to his -entrenchments on the Kuflan Kuh Pass, where he was well content to -sit down to {226} a peaceful, inoffensive life, smoke his -hubble-bubble, nurse his blistered feet lacerated by long marches on -unfriendly Persian roads, and, in general, by his exemplary behaviour -earn "good conduct" marks from the inhabitants of the zone of -occupation. - -But in the country to the west of Mianeh and south of Lake Urumia the -enemy was still inclined to spasmodic activity. It was in this -region that he had harried the Nestorian Army as it was fighting its -way to the south and to safety. At the beginning of October, 1918, -the Turks held Sauj Bulagh, the local capital of the Kurds of -Azerbaijan, Sakiz, Sain Kaleh, and Takan Teppeh, all of which were in -more or less precarious touch with Kowanduz on the western slopes of -the Kurdistan Range, and thence with the main and sole surviving -Turkish Mesopotamian Army which was clinging tenaciously to Mosul. -Their occupation of these several strategic points on the Persian -side of the frontier enabled the Turks to threaten the British post -at Bijar, on the confines of South-Western Kurdistan, and in a sense -to menace the British occupation of Hamadan. - -[Illustration: GENERAL VIEW OF THE SCENE FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN -RETIREMENT.] - -But Allenby's smashing blow at the Turk in Palestine had its -repercussion in the remote highlands of Persia and in the remoter -region of the Caspian Sea. Its effect was instantaneous. It broke -the Turkish grip on Baku and appreciably loosened his hold on -Azerbaijan. He withdrew from Mianeh and made ready to evacuate -Tabriz and retire into his own territory in an eleventh-hour effort -to {227} buttress up his remaining Asiatic provinces which, one after -the other, were tottering beneath the sledgehammer blows of the -British. - -Early in October the wheel of fate and the illness of a brother -officer led to my being transferred from Caspian Headquarters to -Bijar, as Assistant Political Officer and Intelligence Officer. I -looked it up on the map and started. It was a long and interesting -zigzag trek across Persia, first south-west to Hamadan, then -north-west to Bijar and the wild country of the Kurdish tribes. - -Few Europeans can lay claim to any intimate knowledge of Kurdistan -and its predatory but fascinating people. It is distinctly remote -from the beaten tourist track. Russian and German travellers and -scholars have nibbled at the ethnological and philological problems -which it presents, and, much more recently, our own Major Soane in -his remarkable book, "Through Kurdistan in Disguise," draws aside the -veil a little, and we are able to take a peep at Kurdish life and -manners naturally portrayed. - -Kurdistan cannot be said to possess either natural or political -boundaries, for it embraces both Persian and Turkish territory, and -in it live people who are not racially Kurds. Broadly speaking, it -may be said to stretch from Turkish Armenia on the north to the -Luristan Mountains on the south, and the Turkish-Persian frontier -cuts it into two longitudinal sections. Persian Kurdistan, then, is -bounded by Azerbaijan on the north, the Turkish frontier on the {228} -west, Kermanshah on the south, and Khamseh and Hamadan on the east. -Its old administrative capital is Sinneh. - -Its geographical outline is one of bold and rugged mountains which in -winter are covered deep in snow. Narrow valleys run far into the -flank of the towering hills, and it is here, taking advantage of -these natural barriers, that the villages cluster and the inhabitants -attempt to keep warm during the long, bitter, and often fireless, -winter months. - -A nonsense rhymester who evidently knew something of the proclivities -of the Kurds once scored a palpable bull's-eye on the target of truth -when he wrote: - - "The hippo's a dull but honest old bird; - I wish I could say the same of the Kurd." - - -The Kurds themselves have more traducers than friends outside their -own country. As the great majority of them are Sunni Moslems, it has -been pointed out, and with a certain element of truth, that the root -of the Persian-Kurdish Question is the religious hatred between Sunni -and Shi'ah, just as the root of the Turkish problem is the undying -hatred between Moslems and Christians. Kurmanji, the main Kurdish -language, has been incorrectly described as a corrupt dialect of -Persian, whereas it is really a distinct philological entity, tracing -an unbroken descent from the ancient Medic or Avestic tongue of Iran. - -I had a good deal to do officially with several of {229} the -principal Kurdish tribes, such as the Mukhri, Mandumi, and Galbaghi, -while I was stationed at Bijar, and I cannot agree with the generally -accepted estimate of their character as "a lazy, good-for-nothing set -of thieves." They are admittedly fierce and intractable, of noted -predatory habits, and ready to prey with equal impartiality upon -Persian or Christian neighbour. On the other hand, I found that they -were neither cruel nor treacherous; they are never lacking in -courage, and possess a rude, but well-defined sense of hospitality -and chivalry. - -Unarmed, save for a riding-crop, and accompanied only by a few -Sowars, I have gone into their villages in search of raiders--not -always a pleasant task amongst Asiatic hill tribes--and the -inhabitants would be amiability itself. Here one saw the happier -side of these wild, free people who, revelling in the unrestrained -life and the health-giving ozone of their native mountains, find the -trammelling yoke of modern civilization about as irksome and fearful -an infliction as a bit and saddle are to an unbroken colt. - -What I liked about the Kurds was their habit--the common inheritance -of most free men--of looking their interlocutor straight in the face. -Their women, many possessing great physical beauty, and glorious -creatures all, would crowd round to do the honours to those visiting -their village. Amongst the Kurds the women are allowed a great deal -of freedom. They shoot and ride like so many Amazons. It is true -they are the hewers of wood and the drawers of {230} water in the -village or community, but, save for lacking parliamentary -enfranchisement, they do not seem to have many grievances against the -masculine portion of the Kurdish world. They always go unveiled, are -not a bit "man-shy," and, unlike their Moslem sisters in Turkey and -Persia, do not consider themselves spiritually defiled when their -faces are gazed upon by some Infidel whom chance has thrown across -their path. - -From this I do not wish it to be inferred that the Kurdish women are -immodest in conduct, or of what might be described as "flighty -morals." Far from it. - -These self-same tribesmen who received us so hospitably in their -villages, and gave us entertainment of their best--treating us in -friendly fashion according to their laws, because we had come -trusting to their honour in the guise of friends and without hostile -intent--would, when they took the "war path" and raided a British -post, put up a spirited fight, fully bent on killing or being killed. - -Persian Kurds are largely pastoral and nomadic. There are the -sedentary tribes who are the tillers of the soil and never move very -far away from home. The nomads, on the other hand, roam with their -flocks and herds and womenfolk from winter to summer quarters and -vice versa, and it is during these periodical migrations that the -inherited predatory instincts of the Kurds are given free rein. Many -are the armed forays made on a peaceful {231} Persian neighbour's -stock. Often there is resistance, and occasionally an attempt at -reprisals; so a respectably-sized Persian-Kurdish hill-war may have -had as its origin the theft of half a dozen goats by Kurdish robbers. -Stray bands of brigands who had made life more than usually -interesting for some Persian village or other, if pursuit became too -vigorous and they were threatened with capture, were always able to -escape the consequences of their depredations by slipping over the -frontier and seeking bast (sanctuary) in Turkish territory. - -Whether the Kurds are, or are not, the descendants of those -first-class fighting men of long ago who opposed the retreat of the -Ten Thousand through the bleak mountain passes of Kurdistan, they -undeniably are imbued with a certain pride of ancestry which -manifests itself in various little ways. No pure nomadic Kurd will -ever engage in manual labour, which he looks upon as a disgrace, and -a job fit only for helots, nor will he become a Charvadar (muleteer). - -The Kurd undoubtedly possesses an unenviable reputation for -lawlessness amongst the more law-abiding Persians and Turks of this -wild and turbulent frontier land. He is handicapped, perhaps, to -this extent, that, being an alien to the Turk in language, and to the -Persian in religion, he is looked upon as a pariah, and the hand of -both is ever raised against him. Being resentful and overbearing, if -not arrogant, in manner, and knowing no legal code beyond that which -a rifle imposes, he seeks to enforce his {232} own arbitrary -ready-made justice, to call it by that name. So the merry game goes -on, and up amongst the snows of Kurdistan Persian and Kurd and Turk -kill each other on the slightest pretext, and often for no -ascertainable cause. - -The Kurd is always well armed, and usually well mounted--often at the -expense of some lowland Persian villager. He invariably affects the -national costume, which is an abbreviated coat and enormous baggy -trousers, with a capacious Kamarband of coloured silk in which he -carries pipe, knife, and odds and ends. - -Ten armed Kurds riding into Bijar, a town of 10,000 inhabitants, -would start a panic in the Bazaar. Shutters would go up and -shopkeepers would vanish as if by magic, while the small force of -Persian police in the place, who were usually suffering from the -combined effects of malnutrition and arrears of pay, would discreetly -go to cover, and not be seen again until the visitors had departed. -Usually a British military policeman, armed with a stout stick, would -be sent to handle the delicate situation, to see that there was no -looting, and that the King's peace was preserved inviolate by these -quarrel-seeking, pilfering rascals from beyond the hills. - -Bijar itself, unhappily for the peace of mind and pocket of its -shopkeeper-citizens and wealthy agriculturists, is unhealthily near -the "Bad Man's Land" of the nomad Kurds. It is built in a cup-shaped -{233} hollow surrounded by barren peaks, and its altitude (5,200 -feet) gives it a rigorous winter climate. The enclosed gardens which -usually lend a touch of picturesque embellishment even to the meanest -and dirtiest of Persian towns are lacking at Bijar. It grows wheat -and corn in abundance on the long, wide plateau which stretches -unbrokenly for miles between the bare, rugged hills. The arable land -is so fertile, and its acreage so abundant, that but one-third is -cultivated yearly. The average wheat yield is enormous, yet the -people are always hovering on the border-line of starvation, the -result of mismanagement, misappropriation, and all the other evils -which may be grouped together under the head of Persian official -maladministration. - -When the British marched into Bijar in the summer of 1918 anarchy and -disorder were paramount. The Persian Government is supposed to keep -a garrison here, but the oldest inhabitants had never seen it. If it -did exist, it was carefully hidden away and not allowed to meddle in -such troublesome affairs as Kurdish forays. The Turks during their -occupancy looted Bijar very thoroughly, and roving Kurds, too, when -short of supplies--and that was often--never forgot to extend their -unwelcome patronage to the local bazaars, on the principle of -"Blessed is he that taketh, for he shall not want." - -The Governor was a local resident, and his office an unpaid one as -far as the Persian treasury was concerned; but his power was great -and his rule {234} arbitrary, and the post brought him considerable -emoluments. He was a timid and vacillating but well-meaning -individual, who always trembled at the knees when brought face to -face with the unusual. The mere brandishing of a loaded pistol -anywhere in his immediate vicinity would throw him into a paroxysm of -terror. He spoke halting French, and was afflicted with the -prevailing Persian mania for verse-writing. Still, he never allowed -his literary pursuits to clash with or nullify his keen commercial -instincts; and he grew daily in affluence. - -But even a Persian peasant has his limits of endurance when he finds -himself being ground to fine powder in the mill of oppression and -corruption. Those of the Bijar district were no exception. After -having been systematically looted all round, by Turk, Kurd, and -dishonest local officials, they rose in revolt when a demand was made -upon them for the payment of the Government Maliat, or grain tribute. -They followed up an emphatic refusal by threatening to duck the -Governor and his coadjutor, the Tax-collector, in the local -horsepond. The latter fled the town, while as for the terrified -Governor, he promptly shut himself up, seeking bast (sanctuary) with -an ill-armed following within the sacred precincts of his serai. -From the roof, one of his retinue, using his hands for a megaphone, -sent out an urgent S.O.S. call to the British, with the result that a -compromise was effected; the Governor was rescued from his -undignified plight, and the angry peasants {235} were appeased by his -promise that the collection of the unpopular tax would rest in -abeyance until Teheran gave its decision on the subject. - -Our job in sitting down in Bijar was to hold the place against the -Turks and prevent their coming back, to instil a little wholesome -respect for law and order into the minds of the plunder-loving Kurds, -and to stop them from eating up the smaller and unprotected Persian -fry. To keep the Turk at bay and hold the Kurd in awe, we had -approximately a couple of squadrons of the 14th Hussars, under -Colonel Bridges, a detachment of the Gloucesters in charge of Captain -Stephenson, machine-gun and mountain battery sections, and a couple -of hundred of Persian levies who were commanded by Captain Williams, -an Australian officer. Colonel Bridges was in command of the whole -force. The total certainly did not err on the side of numerical -superiority. - -The day after I reached Bijar the Governor arrived to pay an official -call. After the usual formalities as laid down by Persian etiquette -for ceremonies of this kind had been safely negotiated, he begged my -acceptance of a manuscript copy of his poems, and incidentally hinted -that, as the district was in the throes of famine, he would have no -objection to collaborating in the purchasing of wheat with British -money in order to alleviate the prevailing distress. - - - - -{236} - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE END OF HOSTILITIES - -Types of Empire defenders--Local feeling--Dealing with Kurdish -raiders--An embarrassing offer of marriage--Prestige by -aeroplane--Anniversary of Hossain the Martyr--News of the -Armistice--Local waverers come down on our side of the -fence--Releasing civil prisoners--Farewell of Bijar--Down country to -the sea and home. - - -I have often wondered if the British who stayed at home, through -force of circumstances rather than any reluctance to participate in -the Great War, can have had any conception of the varying types of -men who helped to uphold British interests in this remote and -little-known corner of the Asiatic Continent. Here, then, are a few -of them taken at random! - -There was Hooper, an Australian Captain, who in civil life was a -farmer on a rock-girt island off the Tasmanian coast, and had been -through more than one big push in France. Williams, also an -Australian officer, was a Rhodes Scholar from the University of -Adelaide. He commanded Persian levies, made a hobby of dialects, and -was always eager to try his growing wisdom teeth on such abstruse -problems as "How the camel got his hump," or, "Why Jonah gave the -whale indigestion." But he was a good {237} lad, was this youthful -pedant, a fearless soldier, and an untiring worker who, in a few -months, gained a surprising knowledge of colloquial Persian. Then -there was Seddon, a Government land surveyor from New Zealand, who -also had looked on Red War in Flanders. In cold weather, of all -times, he was always shedding surplus garments, until there was a -positive danger of his arriving at the stage of the "altogether." -Seddon was fiercely intractable on the subject of hygiene as applied -to clothing, and would hear of no compromise where his cherished -principles were concerned. It was said that he was wont to lie awake -at night planning new curtailments in his winter kit. Still, there -must have been some wisdom in his methods, for, although thinly clad -during the early winter months, he was always in perfect health, and -escaped the pulmonary maladies which proved fatal to so many others -who looked askance at him and his hygienic, minimum-clothing theory. - -We had Gordon Wilson who came from the Argentine to enlist at the -outbreak of the War and attempted to leap the age-limit barrier. His -ardour was somewhat damped on being refused by the Home Authorities. -But, nothing daunted, he went to France, joined the Foreign Legion, -and saw a good deal of fighting. He was afterwards transferred to a -British Field Battery and given a commission, and lost no time in -winning the M.C. - -In the 14th Hussars was a lieutenant named Voigt, {238} an Afrikander -born, who had gone through the South African campaign. One day, -riding with Voigt and his troop of Hussars in a "punitive" expedition -against raiding Kurds, I asked him casually--and quite forgetful of -the momentous past--with whom he had served in South Africa. He -replied with the flicker of a smile on his broad, sun-tanned face, "I -was with Louis Botha's commando." And such is the material out of -which has been woven our thrilling island story! - -Up to the moment of the Turkish collapse, towards the end of October, -many of the notables of Bijar were inclined to be dubious concerning -our possibility of success. These cautious individuals shaped their -conduct accordingly. They "hedged" very carefully, to use a sporting -phrase, and, in order to avoid all risks, backed both sides. One -wealthy Persian resident whom I particularly remember was lavish of -lip-service. He would call round to the Mission Headquarters at -least twice a week to assure us of his ever-enduring devotion, and of -his hopes of success for British arms. About the same time he would -be sending off a courier to the Turkish commander in our front -telling him that he was his devoted servitor and that it would be a -blessed day for all True Believers when the Infidel British were -driven out of Persian Kurdistan. So much for Persian duplicity. Our -"friend" was a confirmed "pulophile," which is an impromptu -Perso-Greek expression for "money-lover," and, while awaiting {239} -our military downfall, he had no conscientious objections to seeking -to rob us right and left in wheat transactions. - -On the whole the various Kurdish chiefs kept their peace pact with -the British, and for a time strove hard to walk in the path of -honesty and to cease from annexing their neighbours' flocks and -herds. But occasionally temptation proved too strong to be resisted, -and there would come a recrudescence of pillaging and violence. The -Mandumis and the Galbaghis were the chief offenders. Their subtle -imagination was never at a loss for a plausible pretext to condone -their lawlessness. Once, when Mandumi tribesmen attacked a British -post at an outlying village called Nadari, a certain Mustafa Khan, -the chief of the guilty raiders, sent a very apologetic letter -pleading for forgiveness, and pointing out that the regrettable -occurrence arose through a "misunderstanding" on the part of his -tribesmen who possessed an inordinate love of well-conditioned sheep. -Times were hard, and if the poor Kurds were not to be allowed to -replenish their larders by the time-honoured method of pilfering, -then, in the name of Allah, he asked, what was to become of them? -This curious and essentially Kurdish plea of "extenuating -circumstances" was backed up by a letter from the tribal Mujtahid, or -priest, who wrote that he was a simple man of God saying his prayers -regularly and knowing little of secular affairs. His tribesmen had -evidently been maligned by their {240} enemies--"May the Evil One -pluck their beards!" He had always exhorted his people to remain -friendly with the British, and would continue to do so. - -On this occasion Mustafa Khan escaped with a fine and a reprimand, -but he was obviously looking for trouble, and it soon overtook him. -He became very insolent. Some of his men stopped and robbed the -British native courier, and the Chief sent a message that he would -soon come and raid Bijar itself. There was nothing to do except to -teach Mustafa Khan a much-needed lesson. However, before the -salutary drubbing could be administered, Mustafa and his men, -throwing discretion to the winds, and forgetful of their oft-repeated -promises to be of good behaviour, got completely out of hand, cleaned -out several Persian villages, and indulged in a veritable orgy of -lawlessness. - -Then Mustafa, with consummate skill, having no case of his own, set -about abusing the other side. He blamed the hapless villagers, and -accused them of having killed two of his Sowars who had gone into the -Persian village to "purchase" corn. The villagers in question, he -remarked, were liars, and the sons of the Father of Lies--"May -perdition be their lot!" But this time his defence of provocation -was found to be unjustifiable; a richly deserved punishment was meted -out to him, and for long afterwards he led an exemplary life. - -Nabi Khan was another Kurdish freebooter who gave considerable -trouble before he was finally {241} subdued and made to see the error -of his ways. From the point of view of stature and general physique -he was one of the finest looking men I have ever seen. He stood a -good 6 feet 4 inches in his socks, belying the prevailing idea that -the Kurds are of small stature. In an evil moment for himself, he -threw in his lot with the Turks, and for a brief period made things -right merry for the British. He fought like an enraged tiger in -defence of his village stronghold, but was put to flight after -suffering severe loss. He thought the thing out for a couple of -weeks, and then, like the old sportsman that he was, came in and -surrendered, saying that he had lost, and was ready to pay the full -price. It is easy to be generous to a chivalrous foe, and Nabi had -been all that, so he found that he had not thrown himself upon our -mercy in vain. - -I well remember the morning that Nabi surrendered. His name and his -fame had preceded him to Bijar, and, as he strode down the Bazaar -with a belt full of lethal weapons, his very appearance inspired -terror in the breasts of the pusillanimous Persian traders, and they -bolted for cover like so many scared animals. In addition to his -stature, Nabi was a man of handsome appearance. He had a bold, open -countenance, and was brief and blunt of speech. Brushing past the -startled Persian janitor, whom he disdained to notice, he made a -dramatic entry into the Political Office at Bijar. Flinging his -weapons on the table, he exclaimed, "I have been {242} foolish; aye, -misguided by evil counsellors; I have lost, and am here to pay the -price. Do with me what you will. But you may tell your Shah that I -regret the past and am willing to make amends." Peace was arranged -with Nabi Khan, and the pact he kept very faithfully, becoming one of -our most ardent partisans in the difficult country and amongst the -turbulent folk over whom he held sway. He policed his district, and -did it very thoroughly, proving a veritable terror to evildoers; and -he suppressed Turkish propaganda with a vigour that demonstrated his -real earnestness in the British cause. - -After the manner of his kind, as a further evidence of his good -faith, and in order to set a time-enduring seal upon his treaty of -friendship, he was anxious to negotiate a Kurdish-British matrimonial -alliance. After a good deal of preliminary verbal manoeuvring, he -definitely broached the project, and suggested the giving in marriage -of his daughter, a very comely damsel, to the Political Officer. The -latter was completely taken aback and, not being a Moslem, had -visions of all sorts of unpleasant legal complications should he ever -set foot in England with a supplementary wife. However, he faced the -trying situation with commendable fortitude, and cast about for a -means whereby he might be enabled to retreat with honour, and without -offending Kurdish susceptibilities. Nabi was tactfully informed -that, while the offer was much appreciated, the acceptance {243} of a -Kurdish bride would entail no end of complications for at least one -of the parties concerned, as an unsympathetic British law had long -set its face against bigamy. In fact, isolated enthusiasts in khaki -who, as a relief from the tedium of trench life, had sought to -popularize plural marriages in England had been rewarded by a term of -imprisonment. This was news indeed for the benevolent-minded Nabi, -but he did not insist further, and the incident terminated happily. - -The Kurds are in many respects as simple as European children of -tender age. They had heard much about the wonderful flying machines -of Faringistan, and, never having seen an aeroplane, were inclined to -be sceptical, and to treat reputed aerial adventures as so many -"travellers' tales." A Kurdish chief came to call on me one day -seeking enlightenment. He had seen automobiles, and admitted that -they puzzled his primitive brain. "Why," he asked honestly enough, -"is the horse put inside the box, and why does this strange creature -prefer petrol to barley by way of food?" It took a long time to -knock into his head some primitive notion of motor traction. Then he -inquired, "Is it true that in Faringistan, as currently reported, men -make themselves into birds and soar in the air like eagles?" The -reply, as they say in Parliament, was in the affirmative, but the -Kurdish seeker for knowledge remained frankly incredulous. A few -days after the conversation, a youthful Scottish aviator, who was -{244} familiarly known as "Little Willie McKay," arrived by air from -Hamadan in order to give Bijar and the Kurdistan hill-folk a taste of -his quality. It was a day of days, and inaugurated a new era in the -local Mohammedan calendar, for it marked the flight of the -terror-stricken Faithful towards a place of safety away from the -aerial monster that, appearing from out of a clear sunlight sky, -swooped down on the town. The youthful McKay was a noted aerial -stunt artist, and he executed an extensive and varied programme for -the edification of those of the astonished onlookers who had steeled -their courage to the point of sticking it out. The houses are -flat-roofed, and here the spectators assembled to watch the show. As -the aviator nose-dived occasionally, it was amusing to see the -celerity with which they dropped flat on their faces, fearing lest -they should be caught by the talons of the "man-bird" and carried off -heaven knew where. Later on, at the local aerodrome, the people -came, timidly enough at first, to peep at the monster; but they did -their sightseeing cautiously from a respectful distance, and it was -only necessary for the engine to throb once or twice fretfully, and -for the propeller to revolve, to bring about an instantaneous -stampede. Thenceforth no one ever doubted that the British were -miracle workers, and had at their disposal an unlimited supply of -magic to assist in the overthrowing of their enemies. - -The Moharran, or anniversary of the death of {245} Hossain the -Martyr, is an occasion for the display of great religious fervour by -the Shi'ite Moslems. It fell on October 17th, and the Bijar Bazaar -was closed and the houses draped in mourning. It is perhaps the only -day in the year when the average Persian looks in deadly earnest, and -when his fanaticism is aroused to such a pitch as to make him at all -dangerous to persons of other creeds. There was a procession through -the streets, and the chief incidents of the martyrdom were re-enacted -by a devoted band of Shias. The "body" of the Sainted One was -carried on a bier and, in order that the finishing touch of realism -should not be lacking, the covering of the bier was plentifully -bedaubed with blood, while the head of the "corpse" was enveloped in -gory bandages. The _mise en scène_ was completed by the addition of -a local troupe representing Hossain's wives and adherents who, -according to legend, were also put to death by the hated rival sect, -the Sunnis. The followers in the procession, in a burst of religious -frenzy, gashed their faces or bodies with swords or knives, and, with -blood streaming from the self-inflicted wounds, were not exactly a -pleasant spectacle to look upon. A Persian youth employed at the -British Headquarters was one of those who achieved religious merit -and local distinction on the occasion. Having volunteered for the -role of follower, he had his head cut open by a local barber, and off -he went to join in the quasi-religious ceremony. In the afternoon he -was back at his job {246} with his poor damaged head swathed in -bandages and feeling very proud indeed of his exploit. - -Bijar was very excited by the intelligence that arrived on November -1st. We received an official notification that an armistice had been -concluded with Turkey, at the request of the latter Power, and that -hostilities were to cease at once. The Governor made an official -call to offer his felicitations, and to congratulate the British on -their triumph over another of their enemies. He dissimulated his -real feelings with great artfulness, for while openly professing joy -at our victory he was sorrowing in secret that a Moslem Power should -have been overthrown by an Infidel. Still, he made the best of it, -and candidly told some of his intimates who were inclined to be -tearful because their religious pride had been wounded by the success -of our arms, that the British, after all, had shown more real -humanity and compassion in dealing with the oppressed Persians than -ever had their coreligionists, the Turks. - -The Governor having set the example in offering his congratulations, -all the local notables were quick to follow, and they told us what, -curiously enough we had never realized before--that throughout the -long-drawn-out War they had always ardently wished for the complete -triumph of the British. We accepted their assurances, although -finding it difficult to reconcile them with many of their actions -when our military fortunes were not of the brightest. - -An official communication was sent off by messenger {247} to the -Turkish commander, informing him of the armistice, and inquiring if -he were prepared to abide by its conditions and order a cessation of -hostilities on his side. But the enemy had evidently had the news as -soon as we had, and decided to end the war then and there. When our -messenger reached the Turkish position, it was only to find the place -abandoned, the commander and every man having gone, leaving no -address. The messenger trekked after them for a day, but their haste -was so great that he was unable even to come up with their rearguard, -so he returned to Bijar with the letter undelivered. And that was -the last we heard of the Turk in the region of Southern Kurdistan. - -Everybody in Bijar was now our sincere friend and well-wisher. The -Bazaar was beflagged in honour of our victory. Ours was the winning -side, of that there could be no doubt. The Governor was more -assiduous than ever in his professions of undying devotion, and he -was always planning fresh schemes for manifesting his goodwill and -friendship. He even hit upon the expedient of declaring an amnesty -for Persians incarcerated in the local gaol. At his urgent -solicitation, I visited the prison to decide upon the offenders who -were to benefit by this generosity. It was a filthy, evil-smelling -hole. Lying upon a stone floor were about a dozen offenders, all -huddled together and chained like so many wild beasts. There was a -Jew who had been arrested for debt. He wore round his neck a heavy -iron collar {248} like the joug of the Scottish pillory. He speedily -divined my mission, and was clamorously insistent that he should be -the first to be set free. Chained to him were two Persians, one of -whom had been arrested for manslaughter and the other for petty -larceny. - -In this foetid den, and near the trio already mentioned, was a young -Persian girl of attractive appearance--an unregenerate Magdalene, as -it turned out, who had been put in chains for a breach of the -somewhat elastic Persian law governing public morality. She alone -made no protestation of innocence and no appeal for release. Perhaps -that was why I suggested she should be the first to have her fetters -struck off and be set free. She seemed dumbfounded at first, but on -realizing that liberty awaited her, she burst into tears, and showed -her gratitude by kissing my hand. It seemed a pity to leave the -other poor wretches, however guilty they might have been, to rot in -this terrible dungeon; so I availed myself to the full of the -privilege of the amnesty and asked that all should be liberated, -including the loquacious Jew debtor. This was done, and the poor, -dazed creatures walked out of the prison doors and once more breathed -the purer air of freedom. - -With the granting of the armistice to Austria came the welcome orders -for the British force to evacuate Bijar and retire to Hamadan. On -news of Austria's defection from the side of her German ally becoming -known, the Governor arrived to offer fresh felicitations. {249} But -a shadow clouded his beaming self-satisfied countenance when he -learned that the British were to withdraw immediately. He became -greatly perturbed at the news, for he feared the ever-present menace -of Kurdish incursions, and trembled for the safety of Bijar and the -wealth of its Bazaar. "What will become of us all?" he asked in -despair. "When the British go, the Kurds will come, and then----" -He made a significant gesture across his throat. - -The Governor returned next day with a deputation of the inhabitants -to ask that a British garrison might be left behind to carry out the -duty which really devolved upon the Persian Government, that of -protecting its subjects against acts of lawlessness. He pleaded hard -and earnestly. They would find fuel, food, and quarters free for the -soldiers who were to remain. First he suggested twenty, then a -dozen, and finally he said, "Take pity on us, and send a message by -the lightning-flash (wireless) to the British King asking him to -permit three of his soldiers to remain here to protect the people. -Then the Kurds will never bother us at all." It was certainly a -tribute to our worth and fighting value. Gently but firmly the -Governor had to be led to understand that it was impossible. The -soldiers had homes and wives in far-off Faringistan across the Black -Water; their duty was done, and home they must go. - -The deputation set off with bowed heads and {250} sorrowing hearts. -It was kismet, and the decree of Destiny could not be set aside. - -The wealthier inhabitants, however, made every effort to save -themselves and their worldly possessions. All available transport -was bought up at enhanced prices, and an exodus from Bijar preceded -the British evacuation. - -On November 7th Colonel Bridges and his column bade farewell to -Bijar. The inhabitants, or at least those of them who were too poor -to take flight, turned out _en masse_ to speed the parting troops. -They had got to know and to admire the splendid British soldier who -is always a gentleman, who had fought the battle of the Persian -people against Kurdish brigand and Turkish regular, and whose -ofttimes scanty ration he was always ready to share with any roadside -starveling who crossed his path. The Governor and a numerous retinue -rode for two miles with the head of the column. On a bare plateau, -exposed to a keen, biting wind, and under a lowering sky, the last -farewells were cordially exchanged. The Governor told us that the -British had left behind an ineffaceable record for justice and -generosity. I think it was sincerely meant and devoid of any -exaggeration. - -[Illustration: HARVESTING IN PERSIA.] - -It took seven days to reach Hamadan. The snow overtook us on the -second day out, and the bitter Kurdistan winter set in with extreme -severity. The Indian transport camels, unaccustomed to extreme cold, -and not possessing the thick fur coating of their {251} Afghan -brother, died in numbers, and the Indian Charvadars followed their -example. - -From Hamadan there was the long trek down-country and over the -snow-clad Asadabad Pass. But the weather grew milder and brighter as -we steadily dropped down from the high altitudes, neared the warmer -plains of Mesopotamia, and left Persia behind us. At last came the -day when our long overland journey was to end, and Xenophon's -war-worn soldiers never cried more exultingly "Thalatta!" "Thalatta!" -at the sight of the sea, than we did on reaching the shores of the -Persian Gulf. - - - - -{252} - -APPENDIX - - -THE WORK OF THE DUNSTERFORCE ARMOURED CAR BRIGADE - -I am giving the following account of the work of the Armoured Car -Brigade with General Dunsterville's Mission, not only because the -Brigade deserves fuller mention than I have been able to give -elsewhere in this book, but because some description of their -operations will give a better idea of the difficulties of transport, -stores, etc., with which the whole force had to deal. For my facts -in this instance I have been allowed access to an official report by -the men who actually did the work. - -The Brigade, commanded by Colonel J. D. Crawford, was organized in -squadrons of eight cars each. In addition it had a mobile hospital -of fifty beds, and the usual supply column. - -The Brigade had originally been known as the Locker-Lampson Armoured -Car Unit, and its work in Russia in the earlier stages of the war is -one of the most stirring stories of the whole campaign. For its -present work, it began to mobilize in England during the latter -months of 1917. The personnel was obtained by the transfer from the -R.N.A.S. of officers and men who had been serving in the Armoured -Car Unit in Russia. - -{253} - -Owing to the internal conditions of Russia, the personnel arrived in -small parties at long intervals, the last party leaving Russia as -late as March, 1918. The unit was made up to strength by the -enlistment of personnel from motor and other munition works in -England. The cars and material were all to be provided from England, -and the necessary orders for their manufacture were issued without -delay. The armoured cars were of Austin make, and mounted two -machine-guns in twin turrets. - -A demand for the early presence of some cars with the Mission -necessitated the despatch of an advanced party, the last draft of -which landed in May, 1918. - -This party consisted of 21 officers, 450 other ranks, with 8 armoured -cars, 24 lorries, 30 touring cars, 44 Ford box vans, 32 motor-cycles, -and other stores and equipment. - -That it was impossible to concentrate and fully equip the unit in -England before despatch overseas was unavoidable, but unfortunate -from the point of view of organization. The delay in the despatch of -the remainder of the unit was a further misfortune. The absence of -many of the specialist personnel and much of the essential equipment -increased the difficulties with which the Brigade was faced. Some of -the personnel and considerable equipment never reached the Brigade -until it was withdrawn from Persia. - -Of the personnel that did arrive nearly 40 per cent. had only joined -the Army in January, 1918, were {254} devoid of all training, and had -often no mechanical knowledge. - -By May 15th the advanced party, together with such cars and personnel -as arrived later, were concentrated at Hinaidi, and preparations for -the move into Persia were rapidly pushed forward. - -On May 14th a start was made to establish petrol dumps at -Tak-i-Garra, Kermanshah, and Hamadan, and by May 15th these were -sufficiently stocked to permit of the move of "A" Squadron, which -left Hinaidi on May 17th. In connection with the establishment of -these dumps it is worthy of note that the Brigade Peerless lorries -were the first heavy lorries to cross the Pai Tak and Asadabad -Passes, in spite of expert opinion that the road was impassable for -heavy lorries. - -It will be simpler to follow the actual operations of the Brigade if -each series of operations, although concurrent, are dealt with -separately: - -1. Operations against the Jungalis. - -2. Operations with General Bicherakoff's Force in the Caucasus. - -3. Operations at Baku. - -4. Operations at Zinjan. - - - -OPERATIONS AGAINST THE JUNGALIS. - -"A" Squadron arrived at Hamadan on June 7th. At this time General -Bicherakoff's troops were concentrating at Manjil. The Jungalis -under Kuchik {255} Khan were prepared to permit the Russian forces to -continue their withdrawal to Russia, but were opposed to the passage -of any British troops through their territory to Enzeli, a port on -the Caspian. General Bicherakoff refused to sever his connection -with the British, and prepared to attack the Jungalis who were -entrenched covering Manjil Bridge. He applied to General -Dunsterville for such assistance as he could give. - -Orders were received by the Brigade on June 8th for all cars to -proceed to Kasvin, to take part in these operations. The cars were -much in need of overhaul after their long trip from Bagdad, and the -work of getting them ready for the road was pushed forward as fast as -possible, cars as they became ready being sent forward. One battery -left Hamadan on June 9th, and the whole squadron was on the road by -June 13th. - -At this point the Rubberine tyres with which the cars were fitted -gave considerable trouble, and failed to stand the wear necessitated -by running over metalled roads. The average mileage per tyre worked -out at 60 instead of 500 miles, and spares were soon used up. To -obtain further supplies from railhead 400 miles distant necessitated -a delay of at least ten days. By stripping some cars it was possible -to maintain the others on the road, but by June 27th only two cars -were mobile. - -As regards the failure of Rubberines, it must be remembered that -these tyres are solely intended for {256} work in action, and not for -long-distance running. However, pneumatic tyres had not been sent -from England, and efforts to supply the deficiency by local purchase -failed. Some tyres were purchased, but it was not possible to get -the necessary fittings to enable Warland rims to be efficiently -converted to take the pneumatics. - -As soon as the abnormal expenditure of Rubberines was experienced, -arrangements were made to maintain a sufficient supply, and the cars -were not off the road again on this account, although they consumed -in one month 75 per cent. of the estimated year's supply. -Considering that a single Rubberine tyre weighs 200 pounds, the -strain imposed on the transport of the Brigade in maintaining a -sufficient supply was considerable. - -From June 13th to July 20th the cars were mainly employed on convoy -duties, and for defensive purposes at Resht and Manjil. - -On June 28th one armoured car was in action along the Kasmar road, -supporting infantry who were attempting the rescue of an A.S.C. -officer who had been captured by the Jungalis. Captain J. Macky was -wounded in this engagement. - -On July 20th the Jungalis made a determined attack on Resht, which -they occupied. They, however, failed to drive back the British -troops camped on the south-west outskirts of the town. Both the -armoured cars of the Brigade and those of the 6th L.A.M. Battery took -a prominent part in the fighting, {257} and later in the relief of -isolated parties cut off in the town. The street fighting was heavy -and difficult. Trenches were dug across the road and barricades -erected, but the armoured cars thoroughly proved their suitability -for street fighting. Their moral effect materially assisted in -clearing the enemy out of the town a few days later. Captain G. N. -Gawler was wounded during the fighting. - -On July 28th, to relieve the pressure at Resht, and to make troops -available to assist in the defence of Baku, the Brigade offered to -organize a motor machine-gun company from the personnel of "B" and -"C" Squadrons then training at Hamadan, awaiting the arrival of their -cars from England. The offer was accepted, and the company, -consisting of sixteen machine-guns (with crews), left Hamadan on July -30th. The machine-guns and ammunition were carried in sixteen Ford -vans, and the personnel in the Brigade Peerless lorries. It was -decided that half the company should remain at Resht until the -situation there improved, the other half proceeding to Enzeli to be -in readiness to embark for Baku should the situation there permit. - - - - OPERATIONS WITH GENERAL BICHERAKOFF'S FORCES - IN THE CAUCASUS. - -General Bicherakoff.s troops embarked at Enzeli on July 3rd. No. 2 -Battery, "A" Squadron, was ordered to accompany them. In order to -avoid {258} possible trouble with the Bolsheviks, they wore Russian -uniform, but later were ordered to discard it. The force landed at -Aliyat, south of Baku, on July 4th, and proceeded by rail to -Kurdamir, which was reached at midnight, July 7-8th. The cars were -immediately detrained, and by 4 a.m. two cars were in action on the -Russian right, near Kara Sakal, and remained in action all day -against the Turkish advanced troops. - -Two reconnaissances were successfully carried out in this area under -cover of darkness, during the night, July 8-9th, and the Turkish -outposts engaged. A reconnaissance at dawn, 3.40 a.m., on July 9th, -met with heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. - -The Turks attacked the village of Kara Sakal at 5 a.m. Their advance -was greatly hampered by fire from the cars which covered throughout -the day the withdrawal of the Russian troops in this sector to -Kurdamir. On two occasions, the Turks having deployed in the -proximity to the road, the cars ran right up into the opposing lines -of infantry, which they enfiladed, forcing the Turks to withdraw. - -On July 10th the Russians, after a reconnaissance by the armoured -cars, attacked, but failed to reach their objective. An enemy -counter-attack was repulsed by the armoured cars, which eventually -covered the withdrawal of the infantry to Karrar. A determined -attack on the rearguard by enemy cavalry was repulsed by one armoured -car, with heavy loss to the enemy. - -{259} - -The battery withdrew to Sagiri on the llth, and was employed -continuously in reconnaissance from July 12th to 18th. - -Owing to the defection of the troops protecting General Bicherakoff's -right, he was compelled to retire to Ballajari, which was reached -without incident on July 23rd. The armoured cars formed a portion of -the rearguard and carried out one reconnaissance at Kara Su, without, -however, meeting any enemy troops. - -On July 26th one armoured car was ordered to carry out a -reconnaissance along Shemaka-Baku road. This car failed to return. -A force sent out to look for it found two bodies, which were -identified as the driver of a Ford touring car, and a batman, both of -whom were travelling in Captain Hull's touring car. Unofficial -reports have been received that a British officer and four men were -prisoners at Elizabetpol. No details as to what actually happened -are available. - -On July 29th the Turks took Adji-Kabul Station, to the south-west of -Baku, and began an encircling movement to the north. General -Bicherakoff, not wishing to be shut up in Baku, withdrew northwards. -The armoured cars acted as rearguard, Kirdalana being reached at 6.30 -p.m. From hereon the armoured cars travelled by rail to Hatcmas, -which was reached on August 10th. Although the force was continually -harassed by Tartars, the armoured cars took no part in the fighting. - -{260} - -On August 11th the cars were sent forward by rail to Kudat, to -operate against the Tartars. The country being impassable for -armoured cars, they returned to Hatcmas. - -On August 12th a general advance was made on Derbend, but the cars -still travelled by rail. The Bolsheviks retired from Derbend after -desultory fighting, and the town was occupied on August 15th at 9.20 -a.m. - -The train on which the armoured cars were travelling was smashed in a -collision south of Derbend, and the armoured car personnel were -responsible for the rescue of many men, under conditions calling for -gallantry and endurance. Two N.C.O's. received the M.S.M. for -their gallant behaviour on this occasion. - -The armoured cars were not in action again until the attack on -Petrovsk on September 3rd. The armoured cars preceded the infantry -at 4.30 p.m., and, driving in the Bolshevik troops, engaged a battery -of 6-inch guns at close range, driving the gunners off the guns and -capturing them. They pursued the Bolshevik troops through the town, -driving some 600 of them into the hands of the Cossacks, who had got -round to the north of the town. - -One armoured car was now immobile, owing to back-axle trouble, and -was out of action until September 20th, when necessary spare parts -were received from Baku. - -{261} - -The cars remained at Petrovsk till September 10th for overhaul, every -facility and excellent workshops being placed at their disposal by -General Bicherakoff. - -On September llth the cars were sent to Temi-Khan Shuna, thirty miles -south of Petrovsk, to co-operate in operations being carried out at -that place against a mixed force of 600 Turks and 1,500 Dageshani -Tartars. The operations fell through owing to an armistice being -arranged on the 12th. The cars remained at Temi-Khan Shuna to -maintain order until the 19th. - -On September 18th three Russian armoured cars, which had been under -the orders of the Brigade at Baku, and had proceeded to Petrovsk when -the evacuation took place, were attached to No. 2 Battery. - -On September 27th two armoured cars (one D.A.C. Brigade and one -Russian) were ordered to embark to join Colonel Sleseneff at Briansk. -The cars were disembarked at Starri Terechnaya by 11 a.m. on the -30th, and left for Alexandrisk, which was reached at 6 p.m. the same -evening, moving to Marinova on October 2nd. Here touch was gained -with General Alexieff by aeroplane. - -The advance was continued, Seri Brakovka being reached on the 3rd. - -The cars moved to Breedeekin on October 12th, reporting to the -headquarters of the force (General Mestoulov), on the outskirts of -Kislyar, at 8.30 a.m. on {262} the 13th. An attack on Kislyar was -ordered for the 14th. One armoured car was ordered to precede the -infantry attack, and clear the enemy trenches at 12 noon, after a -preliminary bombardment. The car was driven forward until the wheels -rested on the parapet, and the trenches were enfiladed, and the -Bolshevik infantry fled. The car, whilst returning to bring forward -the Russian infantry, was hit by a direct shell, which killed three -of the crew and wounded Captain Crossing and the driver. At this -point the Russian infantry panicked, and, failing to restore order, a -general withdrawal was ordered to Breedeekin. - -The personnel of the British armoured car was withdrawn to Petrovsk, -which was reached on September 18th. - -On October 26th No. 2 Battery, which had served with General -Bicherakoff since July 3rd, was ordered to return to Enzeli to rejoin -the Brigade. - -During the whole period, Captain Barratt, R.A.M.C., was mainly -responsible for the medical work with General Bicherakoff's force, -and received the 4th Class of the Order of St. Vladimir for his work. - -Captain Crossing, D.S.C., who had commanded this battery, received -the St. George's Cross for gallantry, and also the 4th Class of the -Order of St. Vladimir. - -Lieutenant E. W. Wallace also received the 4th Class of the Order of -St Vladimir, and several St. George's Crosses were awarded to the -men. - - - -{263} - -OPERATIONS AT BAKU. - -At the end of July the new Government in Baku asked for British -assistance. One section of No. 1 Battery (two cars) and two sections -of the motor machine-gun company embarked at Enzeli, arriving at Baku -August 5th. The remaining section of No. 1 Battery and two sections -of the machine-gun company were withdrawn from Resht on August 6th, -embarking the same evening for Baku, which was reached on August 7th. - -Owing to the presence of Bolshevik troops in the town, the armoured -cars and machine-gun company did not proceed to the line. There were -constant threats that the Bolsheviks intended to attempt to turn out -the new Government by a _coup de main_. The armoured cars "stood to" -every night, whilst machine-guns were located in various buildings -commanding the streets leading to the quarter of the town in which -the British troops were billeted. - -In order to stiffen and encourage the local forces, British troops -were sent into the line on August 9th. One section of the motor -machine-gun company took up positions at Voltchi Vorota on the left -of the line, co-operating with detachments of the Staffords. Efforts -were also made to organize the Russian machine-guns in this section -of the line, with some success. (The organization of the Russian -machine-guns was later handed over to Major Vandenberg.) - -On the same date two armoured cars and one and {264} a half sections -of the motor machine-gun company were sent to Zabrat, to take part in -operations being carried out against Mashtagi. These two cars were -constantly in action, handling very severely about 100 Turks who were -found sitting and lying about behind a hedge. - -The machine-guns took up positions in the Armenian lines. These -machine-guns were taken forward, and then covered the advance of the -Armenians. No serious attack on Mashtagi was, however, at any time -made by the local forces. - -One incident in this area is worth recording. At the request of -Headquarters a Brigade Vauxhall Staff car was lent for the purpose of -taking Tartar delegates to the front line, from whence it was -intended that the delegates should make their way behind the Turkish -lines and arrange terms with the local Tartars. Through some error, -the car, also containing in addition to the delegates two sergeants -of the Brigade, was sent on through the lines and captured by the -Turks. Sergeant Miks was captured on this occasion. Russian born, -he was a local linguist, and had gone through some remarkable -adventures, whilst keeping under observation the movements of the -Bolsheviks in Baku. - -On August 14th one section of guns took up a position in the line at -the foot of Griazni Vulkan, to the north-east of Baladjari Station. -The next few days were fully occupied in the construction of -machine-gun emplacements. Two armoured cars {265} and a half-section -of the motor machine-gun company were retained in Baku in reserve to -maintain order in the town. On August 24th one of these armoured -cars proceeded to Griazni Vulkan, where it remained in support of the -line. - -On August 26th the Turkish attack, the imminence of which was evident -from the daily reconnaissance reports, materialized against Griazni -Vulkan. The advance took place under cover of heavy and destructive -artillery fire, which caused considerable casualties. The line at -the point of the attack was held by 150 Staffords and four -machine-guns of the Brigade motor machine-gun company. The attack -was three times brought to a halt, the machine-guns doing great -execution. One gun's crew withdrew their gun from its emplacement, -which had overhead cover, and remounted it on top in order to obtain -a greater field of fire. Enemy reinforcements coming up about 2 p.m. -caused the troops on the right flank to fall back. The two -machine-guns in this area, however, remained at their posts, and were -last seen still firing, although completely surrounded. - -The remainder of the infantry were forced to withdraw, but this order -did not reach the remaining two guns, which only left their positions -when they found small parties of enemy in rear of them. Fifty per -cent. of the crews became casualties whilst withdrawing. Lieutenant -Titterington, who was in charge, was compelled to use his revolver. - -The armoured car in this sector, which, owing to {266} the impossible -nature of the ground, had not previously been able to come into -action, now covered the withdrawal of the remnants. These were -reorganized by Major Ruston, a new line formed, and a further -withdrawal carried out in good order to a line some 2,000 yards to -the east. Fresh gun crews were immediately organized from batmen and -other employed men of the Brigade, and sent forward to man the two -guns that were left. - -On August 27th the section of the machine-gun company was withdrawn -from Voltchi Vorota, and received orders to report to the O.C. 39th -Brigade, who took over charge of the Baladjari Sector on the evening -of August 26th. The new line ran from Baladjari to Vinagradi. Two -guns were placed in position at Baladjari and two on Vinagradi Hill. - -The Turks had suffered so heavily on the 26th that they waited till -the 31st before resuming their attack. During the interval -reorganization was carried out, and, owing to heavy casualties, crews -were only available for two sections of machine-guns and three -armoured cars. One armoured car was immobile owing to magneto -trouble, and did not come again into action whilst at Baku. The -Turks attacked Vinagradi Hill on August 31st, and, as the flanks of -the infantry were too exposed to permit of sustained resistance, they -withdrew shortly after the attack developed. Orders again did not -reach the two machine-guns in this sector, who maintained their -position single-handed for an hour and a half, {267} inflicting -considerable casualties before they were forced to withdraw, owing to -enemy fire, from the rear. They took up a fresh position on the -railway-line east of Baladjari. - -During the whole of the period of fighting two armoured cars and six -machine-guns (reduced to four after August 26th) remained inactive in -the Mashtagi area. - -The capture of Dighiya on September 1st endangered the security of -the force in front of Mashtagi, which accordingly withdrew. The -armoured cars and machine-guns took up a position about 1,000 yards -south of Balakhani. - -The Turkish success made the evacuation of Baku advisable, and orders -were issued for evacuation to take place in the evening. These were -later cancelled owing to the attitude of the local authorities and -Caspian Fleet, and orders issued for a last stand to be made on the -inner defensive line. - -The next few days were spent in building the necessary defences. - -On September 1st the Russian armoured car section, consisting of two -heavy cars mounting 3-pounders, and two light cars with maxims, under -the command of Lieutenant-Colonel the Marquis Albrizzi, were placed -under the orders of the Brigade. They were mainly employed -supporting attacks against Tartar villages on the right flank, which -never materialized. - -Between September 1st and 13th a general {268} concentration of the -Turks was noticed south-west of Baladjari. On the evening of the -12th an Arab officer deserter gave full details of the expected -Turkish attack, which was to take place during the early hours of the -morning on the 14th against the Voltchi Vorota Sector, a feint being -made to hold the troops at Baladjari. The attack developed as stated -at 6 a.m. on the 14th. The feint attack in front of Baladjari was -heavily handled by our machine-guns and rapidly brought to a -standstill. The main attack, however, against the local troops, -progressed satisfactorily. - -The two armoured cars from Baladjari were withdrawn to the Seliansky -Barracks at the north-west corner of the town at 9 a.m. Their -departure opened up the left flank of the position at Baladjari. -This, together with the danger of being cut off by the main attack, -forced the Baladjari detachment to withdraw at 1.30 p.m. They were -covered by the machine-guns, which retired successfully, the last gun -only leaving when the Turks were within 100 yards of their position, -three members of the crew being wounded during the withdrawal. They -took up a fresh position on the top of a ridge some 600 yards to the -rear. - -At 8 a.m. one armoured car was ordered out along the Voltchi Vorota -road. It here engaged the enemy single-handed for two and a half -hours, and though shelled intensively, managed to escape destruction -by continuously moving in a figure of {269} eight in the very small -space available for manoeuvre. This checking of the main attack -allowed the Russian forces to be re-formed in rear and stiffened up -with British troops. The remaining two armoured cars from Baladjari -were ordered into action along the Baladjari road, with orders to -prevent the troops withdrawing from Baladjari from being cut off. -They were in action in this area the whole day, running up among the -Turkish troops and inflicting very heavy casualties, destroying three -enemy machine-guns and dispersing in panic some Turkish cavalry which -were massing for the attack. - -At 11 a.m. the machine-gun section from the Balakhani road was -withdrawn, and remained in reserve throughout the afternoon near -Seliansky Barracks. - -At 5 p.m. orders for the evacuation of Baku were received, the -armoured cars being disposed as follows, to cover the withdrawal of -the infantry: - - 1 car on the Dighiyar road. - 1 " " " Baladjari road. - 1 " " " Voltchi Vorota road. - - -The withdrawal commenced at 8 p.m. and was carried out without -incident, the last car arriving at the embarkation point at 10 p.m. - -Owing to the still doubtful attitude of the local authorities and -Caspian Fleet, it was considered inadvisable to delay whilst the -armoured cars were embarked, and orders were issued for their -destruction, as well as for the destruction of the motor {270} -transport which had accompanied the Brigade, and which had done most -useful work in rationing the Brigade and other British troops in the -line. The following cars were consequently destroyed: - - 4 Austin armoureds. - 6 Vauxhall tenders. - 3 Ford touring cars. - 2 Ford ambulances. - 18 Ford vans. - 1 Ford van (belonging to Wireless Section). - - -Kazian was reached on September 16th. - -During the fighting leading to the evacuation the Russians' cars -under the Marquis Albrizzi rendered valuable assistance, and covered -the withdrawal of the local troops in the early morning of the 15th, -and were eventually evacuated with General Bicherakoff's detachment -to Petrovsk, where they were attached to No. 2 Battery of the Brigade. - - - -OPERATIONS AT ZINJAN. - -During the fighting at Baku a considerable concentration of troops at -Tabriz enabled the Turks to advance towards Zinjan, driving our -outposts at Mianeh across the Kufian Kuh. - -Eight more armoured cars from England arrived at Hamadan on September -1st. In spite of the fact that the majority of the personnel for -these cars had been taken to form the machine-gun company, the -balance of personnel was rapidly organized and "E" Squadron formed. -The cars needed considerable {271} attention mechanically, and this -was rapidly carried out, cars as they were fit for the road being -despatched to Zinjan. - -The serious threat to the main communications to Enzeli by this -Turkish advance necessitated the consideration of a general -withdrawal to Hamadan on September llth. In spite of mechanical -difficulties, the Brigade offered to get the whole squadron to Zinjan -immediately, and, further, to organize from batmen and cooks -sufficient crews to man four machine-guns, the whole being carried in -a Peerless lorry. This squadron and machine-gun section were -concentrated at Zinjan by September 16th, and their addition to the -small force justified a stand being made north of that place, and the -orders for the evacuation being held in abeyance. Reconnaissances, -in which one section 6th L.A.M. Battery played a considerable part, -were pushed out as far as Jamalabad, where Turkish cavalry were -engaged. - -"E" Squadron had considerable trouble from back axles giving. The -presence of armoured cars undoubtedly checked the advance of the -Turkish troops beyond Jamalabad. - -An additional twelve armoured cars left Bagdad on August 19th, -arriving at Hamadan on September 1st. These cars also needed -overhauling, and in view of the back-axle trouble experienced by "E" -Squadron it was considered desirable to take down all back axles and -thoroughly overhaul them. In the meantime the personnel of "D" -Squadron was collected, {272} organized, and trained. This squadron -was stationed at Hamadan, for fear of any possible advance of Turkish -troops from Urumia via Bijar. - -A road reconnaissance towards Bijar was carried out by two armoured -cars on October 3rd. These reported that the road was impassable, -and the country unsuitable for armoured cars some sixty miles north -of Hamadan. - -On the formation of Norperforce on September 14th, it was pointed out -that Persia did not offer opportunity for the employment of a large -number of armoured cars, whilst there was great difficulty in -obtaining the requisite petrol to keep the Brigade mobile. It was -considered that the armoured-car work could be carried out by eight -cars, especially as the approach of winter would make movement -impossible. Much of the work would be in the nature of patrol work, -and previous experience had shown that this was very expensive in -Rubberine tyres. The pneumatic tyres for the cars had not up till -that date arrived from England. - -Accordingly, on October 2nd the withdrawal to Mesopotamia commenced. - -There are one or two features of interest as regards the rationing -worthy of record. - -Owing to the heat and the rapidity with which fresh meat went bad, -considerable difficulty was experienced in rationing convoys, which -might be absent several days from main rationing bases. No tinned -meat was available, and after several experiments {273} a successful -method of dry-salting and sun-drying mutton was found. Meat thus -treated proved very palatable when soaked and cooked, and kept even -in the hottest weather for several weeks. - -Jam was made from fruit purchased locally, and stored in earthenware -jars, a jam ration being issued to the men the whole time they were -in Persia. Crushed wheat proved excellent for porridge. - -This excellent result was mainly due to the initiative and hard work -of the Brigade Quartermaster, Captain Lefroy and his staff. - -To sum up, the Brigade, in addition to entirely supporting its own -personnel in rations, munitions, and stores of all kinds, afforded -very considerable assistance in transport to Dunsterforce. It -maintained all armoured cars which had arrived from England, working -over 1,000 miles from railhead, and had all available personnel in -the fighting-line as a machine-gun company at Baku, some 800 miles -from railhead. The whole time it was solely dependent on its own -efforts. - -The work was entirely due to the magnificent body of officers and men -forming the unit, who have worked throughout unsparingly in whatever -duty they have been called upon to perform. The gallantry shown by -the men of the machine-gun company in the fight of August 26th, when -they stayed with their guns to the last, is enhanced by the fact that -practically all these men had under eight months' service in the Army. - - - - -{274} - - - - - -NDX - -INDEX - - -ADJI-KABUL, 207 - -Afshar tribesmen, 142, 143 - -Agre Petros, 137 - -Akhbar, Lieutenant, 15, 29, 55, 67, 58, 101 - -Alexandria, 10 - -Ali Akhbar Khan, 79, 90 - -Aliullahis, 84-86 - -Ali Elizan Pasha, 159 - -Allen, Mr., 128 - -Alvand Mountains, 112 - -Amarah, 41-43 - -American Presbyterian Mission, 84, 89, 106, 128 - -Amory, Captain, 172 - -Ardabil, 175 - -Armoured cars, 109, 194, 205, 206, 207, 210, 252 _et seq._ - -Ashar, 23 - -Assadabad Pass, 63, 111 - -Azarbaijan, 133, 157, 163 - - - -Bagdad, 47-60 - -Baku, 63, 67, 135, 190, 206, 207, 208, 212, 226 - -Baleshkent Pass, 154, 193 - -Baqubah, 74 - -Baratof, General, 70 - -Basra, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 29 - -Batum, 135 - -Benik Suma, 177 - -Bicherakoff, General, 70, 71, 133, 203, 208 - -Bijar, 227, 232, 246 - -Bisitun, 107 - -Bolshevik activities, 63, 64, 66, 67, 71, 72, 134, 135, 204, 211 - -Bray, Captain, 4 - -Bridges, Colonel, 250 - -Byron, Brigadier-General, 3, 10, 23, 36, 55, 75, 87, 100, 196 - - - -Cachagli Pass, 178, 179, 182, 183 - -Calthorpe, Sergeant, 176 - -Cannibalism, 118, 119 - -Caspian Sea, 62, 63, 68, 71 - -Caucasus, 67 - -Chesney, General, 17 - -Chihar Zabar Pass, 97 - -Cinema, native interest in, 26 - -Cochrane, Captain Basil, 175, 182 - -Cooper, Captain, 15 - -Cowden, Miss, 84 - -Crawford, Colonel, 194 - -Crossing, Captain, 207 - - - -Derhend, 207 - -Dervishes, 98 - -Diala River, 74 - -Donnan, Colonel, 5, 6, 9 - -Dunsterville Force, 2, 60 _et seq._, 74, 112, 133, 198, 212, 225 - -Dunsterville, General, 62, 63, 64, 74, 115, 123, 130, 133, 190, 203, -212, 225 - - - -Edwards, Mr., 128 - -Enzeli, 63, 68, 206 - -Eve, Captain George, 4, 15, 23, 42 - - - -Famine, scenes and relief work, 77, 88, 89, 103, 117 _et seq._ - -Football, native enthusiasm for, 24, 25 - -Funk, Dr., 128 - - - -Gamasiab, 107 - -German activities, 63, 65, 66, 73, 204 - -Gilan, 68 - -Goldberg, Captain, 109 - -Goupil, Lieutenant, 109 - -Gow, Lieutenant, 90 - - - -Haji Agha, 163 - -Hale, Mr., 106 - -Hamadan, 63, 71, 112 _et seq._, 140, 196 - -Hampshire Regiment, 78, 82, 90, 169, 172, 184, 190, 194 - -Harunabad, 94 - -Heathcote, Captain, 172 - -Hinaida camp, 47 - -Hooper, Captain, 172, 236 - -Hussars (14th), 91, 94, 169, 172, 190 - - - -Jamalabad, 154, 193 - -Japanese naval escort, 3, 8, 9 - -Jelus, 136, 137, 165, 219 - -John, Captain, 173 - -Jones, Lieutenant, 170 - -Julfa, 134 - -Jungalis, 73, 116, 204, 205, 209, 254 - - - -Kalhur Kurds, 99 - -Kangavar, 110 - -Kara River, 107 - -Karachaman, 174, 183 - -Karangu River, 189 - -Karasf, 143, 147 - -Kasr-i-Shirin, 77 - -Kasvin, 63, 71, 72, 190 - -Kazemain, 56, 57 - -Kellik (native raft), 51 - -Kennion, Colonel, 106 - -Kerbela, 75 - -Kermanshah, 66, 72, 90, 92, 104 - -Keyworth, Colonel, 214 - -Khaniquin, 75, 99, 104 - -Khaseki, mosque of, 60 - -Khazal Khan, 28 - -Khorsabad, 94 - -Kirind, 82, 83 - -Kizil Robat, 105 - -Kizil Uzun River, 72, 190 - -Koweit, 17, 18 - -Krasnovodsk, 67 - -Kuchik Khan, 72, 73, 116, 127, 133, 158, 198, 203, 208 - -Kufa (native boat), 50, 51 - -Kuflan Kuh Pass, 156, 189 - -Kurdistan, 225 - -Kurds, 100, 228, 239 - -Kut, 37, 44, 45 - - - -L.C.C. Steamers on the Tigris, 38 - -Lincoln, Mr., 35 - - - -McDouell, Mr., 117 - -McKay, "Willie," 244 - -McMunn, Major-General Sir George, 22 - -McMurray, Mr. and Mrs., 128, 129 - -Mahidast, 99, 101 - -Makina, 24 - -_Malwa_ (P. and O. Liner), 1, 3 - -Mandali, 99 - -Manjil, 72 - -Marjanieh mosque, 59 - -Marling, Sir Charles, 122 - -Marriage ceremonies (Persian), 29 _et seq._ - -Mar Shimon, 137 - -Matthews, Colonel, 78, 191, 214 - -Maude, Sir Stanley, 61 - -Mazandaran, 68 - -Mianeh, 155, 156, 161, 186, 187, 188 - -Milman, the "amphibious purser", 6, 7 - -Mohammerah, Sheikh of, 28 - -Mussick (native raft), 51 - -Mustafa Khan, 239 - - - -Nabi Khan, 240 - -Nadari, 239 - -Nestorians, 136, 219 - -Newcombe, Major, 23, 42 - -Niebuhr, 60 - -Nikhbeg, 154 - - - -Orenburg, 67 - -Osborne, Captain, 149, 155, 156, 163, 167, 171 - - - -Pai Tak Pass, 77 - -Parisva, 112 - -Pennington, Lieutenant, 166 - -Persians at cinema, 26 - -Persians at football, 25 - -Persian marriage ceremony, 29 _et seq._ - -Persian native levies, 172, 173, 180, 182, 185, 191, 195 - -Petrovsk, 207 - -Pierpoint, Lieutenant, 153, 155, 158 - -Poidebard, Lieutenant, 153 - -Pope, Captain, 91 - -Poti, 135 - -Presbyterian Mission, American, 84, 89, 106, 128 - - - -Resht, 63, 68, 71, 206, 209 - -Rifle thieves, 79, 80 - -Roberts, Captain, 169 - -Robertson, General Sir William, 2 - -Russia, effect of fall of, on Persian affairs, 70, 135 - -Russian movements, 63 (_see also_ Bicherakoff, General) - - - -Samarkand, 67 - -Sarab, 174, 175 - -Sarcham, 194 - -Saunders, Sergeant, 176 - -Seddon, Lieutenant, 237 - -Senjabi tribesmen, 78, 90 - -Shahsavan tribesmen, 157 - -Sharaf Khane, 135 - -Shatt el Arab, 18, 19, 20 - -Shibley Pass, 156 - -Shi'ite sect, 55, 75 - -Smiles, Colonel, 5, 194 - -Soane, Major, 227 - -Staffordshire (North) Regiment, 213, 215 - -Stead, Mr. and Mrs., 106 - -Stokes, Colonel, 215 - -Surkhidizeh, 79 - -Surma Khanin, 137 - -Suttor, Captain, 218 - -Sweeney, Lieutenant, 170 - - - -Tabriz, 71, 134, 139, 141, 156, 159, 163 - -Taranto, 1, 3 - -Tasbandi, 112 - -Teheran, 71 - -Thompson, General, 75, 225 - -Tiflis, 67, 134 - -Tigris, River, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 - -Tigris River flotilla, 37, 38 - -Tikmadash, 169, 171 - -Titterington, Lieutenant, 216 - -Townshend, General, 44-47 - -Trott, Captain, 172 - -Turkmanchai, 176, 183, 184 - -Turkish activities, 137, 138, 142, 158, 163 - - - -Urumia, 135, 168 - - - -Van, Lake, 66, 135 - -Voigt, Lieutenant, 237 - -"Volunteers of Islam," 66 - - - -Wagstaff, Major, 141, 150, 153, 161, 169, 176, 189 - -Wallace, Lieutenant, 208 - -Warden, Colonel, 5, 215 - -Williams, Captain, 236 - -Wilson, Gordon, 237 - -Worcestershire Regiment, 191 - - - -"Young Persia" movement, 68, 69,72 - - - -Zinjan, 141, 149 - -ENDX - -BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, GUILDFORD, ENGLAND - - - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's With the Persian Expedition, by M. 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H. Donohoe - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: With the Persian Expedition - -Author: M. H. Donohoe - -Release Date: September 18, 2020 [EBook #63224] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -WITH THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-front"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-front.jpg" alt="THE ROAD TO BIRKANDI." /> -<br /> -THE ROAD TO BIRKANDI. -</p> - -<h1> -<br /><br /> - WITH THE PERSIAN<br /> - EXPEDITION<br /> -</h1> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - BY<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> - MAJOR M. H. DONOHOE<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> - LATE ARMY INTELLIGENCE CORPS<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - ILLUSTRATED<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - LONDON<br /> - EDWARD ARNOLD<br /> - 1919<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t4"> - (<i>All rights reserved</i>)<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - TO THE MEMORY OF<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> - MY COMRADES OF THE IMPERIAL AND<br /> - DOMINION FORCES<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> - WHO, IN THE CONCLUDING YEAR OF THE GREAT WAR,<br /> - GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE WORLD'S FREEDOM<br /> - IN PERSIA AND TRANSCAUCASIA.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pv"></a>v}</span> -</p> - -<h3> -PREFACE -</h3> - -<p> -No one can be more alive than I am to the fact that -of the making of war books there is no end, nor can -anyone hear mentally more plainly than I do how, at -each fresh appearance of a work dealing with the world -tragedy of the past five years, weary reviewers and -jaded public alike exclaim, "What? Yet another!" Why, -then, have I added this of mine to the already -so formidable list? -</p> - -<p> -Well, chiefly because in the beginning of 1918 Fate -and the War Office sent me into a field of operations -almost unknown and unheeded of the average -home-keeping Briton—viz., that of North-West Persia, in -the land lying towards the Caucasus and the Caspian -Sea; and my experiences there led me into bypaths -of the Great War so unusual as to seem well worth -describing, quite apart from the military importance -of the movements of which they were but a minute -part. -</p> - -<p> -However, in the latter aspect, too, I hope my book -will serve as a useful footnote to the history of the -gigantic struggle now happily ended. -</p> - -<p> -The story of the Persian campaign needed to be -told, and I am glad to add my humble quota to the -recital. It is the story of a little force operating far -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pvi"></a>vi}</span> -away from the limelight, unknown to the people at -home, and seemingly forgotten a great part of the -time even by the authorities themselves. It was to -this force—commanded by General Dunsterville, -and hence known to those who knew it at all as -"Dunsterforce"—that I was attached, and it is -about it that I have written here. I have tried to -make clear what the "Dunsterforce" was, why it -was sent out, and how far it succeeded in accomplishing -its mission. In order to do this I have been -obliged to treat rather fully both of local geography -and politics. For here we had no clear-cut campaign -in which all the people of one country were in arms -against all the people of another country. No! It -was a very mixed-up and complicated business, as -anyone who troubles to read what I have written will -readily see. -</p> - -<p> -Then, again, it was a war waged distinctly off the -beaten track. During its progress we came across -tribes to whom Great Britain was as some legendary -land in another solar sphere—tribes to whom the -aeroplane and the automobile were undreamed-of -marvels—tribes, finally, whose habitat and modes of life and -thought are almost as unknown to the average -European as his are to them. For this reason I have -devoted some space to descriptions of places and -people as I saw them. -</p> - -<p> -A word should perhaps be said as to how and why -I happened to be there at all. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pvii"></a>vii}</span> -</p> - -<p> -War has figured very largely in my life. For the -past twenty years, as Special Correspondent of the -<i>Daily Chronicle</i>, I have been privileged to be present -at most of the world's great upheavals, both military -and political. -</p> - -<p> -From July, 1914, on, for some eighteen months, I -followed the fortunes of the Entente armies in the -field as a war chronicler, first in Serbia, next in -Belgium, and afterwards in Italy and Greece—a poor -journalistic Lazarus picking up such crumbs of news -as fell from the overladen table of Dives, the Censor. -But I was not happy, because I felt I was not doing -my "bit" as effectively as I might; so I followed the -example of millions of other citizens of the Empire -and joined the army. Detailed to the Intelligence -Corps, I was sent first to Roumania, then to Russia. -Escaping from the "Red Terror" in Petrograd, I -finally found myself one day embarking for the -remote land of Iran as Special Service Officer with -"Dunsterforce"—at which point this chronicle -begins. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -THE AUTHOR. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> - PARIS,<br /> - <i>October</i>, 1919.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pix"></a>ix}</span> -</p> - -<p class="t3b"> -CONTENTS -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap01">CHAPTER I</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE START OF THE "HUSH-HUSH" BRIGADE -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -A mystery expedition—Tower of London conference—From -Flanders mud to Eastern dust—An Imperial forlorn -hope—Some fine fighting types—The amphibious purser—In -the submarine zone—Our Japanese escort -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap02">CHAPTER II</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -EGYPT TO THE PERSIAN GULF -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Afloat in an insect-house—Captain Kettle in -command—Overcrowding and small-pox—The s.s. <i>Tower of -Babel</i>—A shark scare—Koweit -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap03">CHAPTER III</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE CITY OF SINBAD -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Arrival at Basra—A city of filth—Transformation by the -British—Introducing sport to the natives—The Arabs and -the cinema -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap04">CHAPTER IV</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -AT A PERSIAN WEDDING -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Visit to the Sheikh of Mohammerah—A Persian banquet -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap05">CHAPTER V</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -UP THE TIGRIS TO KUT -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Work of the river flotilla—Thames steamboats on the -Tigris—The waterway through the desert—The renaissance of -Amarah—The river's jazz-step course—The old Kut and -the new—In Townshend's old headquarters—Turks' -monument to short-lived triumph -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Px"></a>x}</span> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap06">CHAPTER VI</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -BAGDAD -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Arabian nights and motor-cars—The old and the new in -Bagdad—"Noah's dinghy"—Bible history illustrated—At -a famous tomb-mosque -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap07">CHAPTER VII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -EARLY HISTORY OF DUNSTERVILLE's FORCE -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Jealousy and muddle—The dash for the Caspian—Holding -on hundreds of miles from anywhere—A 700-mile raid -that failed—The cockpit of the Middle East—Some recent -politics in Persia—How our way to the Caspian was -barred -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap08">CHAPTER VIII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -OFF TO PERSIA -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Au revoir to Bagdad—The forts on the frontier—Customs -house for the dead—A land of desolation and death—A -city of the past—An underground mess—Methods of rifle -thieves -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap09">CHAPTER IX</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THROUGH MUD TO KIRIND -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -A city of starving cave-dwellers—An American woman's -mission to the wild—A sect of salamanders—Profiteering -among the Persians—A callous nation—Wireless orders -to sit tight—Awaiting attack—The "mountain tiger" -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap10">CHAPTER X</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -KIRIND TO KERMANSHAH -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Pillage and famine—A land of mud—The Chikar Zabar -Pass—Wandering Dervishes—Poor hotel accommodation—A -"Hunger Battalion"—A city of the past -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pxi"></a>xi}</span> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap11">CHAPTER XI</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -A CITY OF FAMINE -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -In ancient Hamadan—With Dunsterville at last—His -precarious position—"Patriots" as profiteers—Victims of -famine—Driven to cannibalism—Women kill their -children for food—Trial and execution—Famine relief -schemes—Deathblow to the Democrats—"Stalky" -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap12">CHAPTER XII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -DUNSTERVILLE STRIKES AFRESH -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Official hindrances—A fresh blow for the Caucasus—The long -road to Tabriz—A strategic centre—A Turkish invasion—Rising -of Christian tribes—A local Joan of Arc—The -British project -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap13">CHAPTER XIII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE RACE FOR TABRIZ -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -A scratch pack for a great adventure—Wagstaff of -Persia—Among the Afshars—Guests of the chief—Capture of -Zinjan—Peace and profiteering -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap14">CHAPTER XIV</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -CAPTURE OF MIANEH -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Armoured car causes consternation—Reconnoitring the -road—Flying column sets out—An easy capture at the gates -of Tabriz—Tribesmen raid the armoured car—And have a -thin time—Turks get the wind up -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap15">CHAPTER XV</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -LIFE IN MIANEH -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Training local levies—A city of parasites and rogues—A knave -turns philanthropist—Turks getting active—Osborne's -comic opera force—Jelus appeal for help—An aeroplane -to the rescue—The democrats impressed—Women -worried by aviator's "shorts"—Skirmishes on the Tabriz -road—Reinforcements at last -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pxii"></a>xii}</span> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap15">CHAPTER XVI</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE FIGHT AT TIKMADASH -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Treachery of our irregulars—Turkish machine gun in the -village—Headquarters under fire—Native levies break -and bolt—British force withdrawn—Turks proclaim a -Holy War—Cochrane's demonstration—In search of -the missing force—Natives mutiny—A quick cure for -"cholera"—A Turkish patrol captured—Meeting with -Cochrane—A forced retreat—Our natives desert—A -difficult night march—Arrival at Turkmanchai—Turks -encircling us—A fresh retirement -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap17">CHAPTER XVII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -EVACUATION OF MIANEH -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -We have a chilly reception—Our popularity wanes—Preparation -for further retirement—Back to the Kuflan Kuh -Pass—Our defensive position—Turks make a frontal -attack—Our line overrun—Gallantry of Hants and -Worcesters—Pursuit by Turks—Armoured cars save the -situation—Prisoners escape from Turks—Persians as -fighters -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap18">CHAPTER XVIII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -CRUSHING A PLOT -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Anti-British activities—Headquarters at Hamadan—Plans to -seize ringleaders—Midnight arrests—How the Governor -was entrapped -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap19">CHAPTER XIX</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE FIRST EXPEDITION TO BAKU -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Kuchik Khan bars the road—Turk and Russian movements—Kuchik -Khan's force broken up—Bicherakoff reaches -Baku—British armoured car crews in Russian -uniforms—Fighting around Baku—Baku abandoned—Captain -Crossing charges six-inch guns -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pxiii"></a>xiii}</span> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap20">CHAPTER XX</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE NEW DASH TO BAKU -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Treachery in the town—Jungalis attack Resht—Armoured -cars in street-fighting—Baku tires of Bolshevism—British -summoned to the rescue—Dunsterville sets out—Position -at Baku on arrival—British officers' advice ignored—Turkish -attacks—Pressing through the defences—Baku -again evacuated -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap21">CHAPTER XXI</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE TURKS AND THE CHRISTIAN TRIBES -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Guerrilla warfare—Who the Nestorian and other Christian -tribes are—Turkish massacres—Russian withdrawal and -its effect—British intervention -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap22">CHAPTER XXII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -IN KURDISTAN -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -The last phase—Dunsterforce ceases to exist—The end of -Turkish opposition—Off to Bijar—The Kurdish tribes—Raids -on Bijar—Moved on by a policeman—Governor -and poet -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#chap23">CHAPTER XXIII</a> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -THE END OF HOSTILITIES -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -Types of Empire defenders—Local feeling—Dealing with -Kurdish raiders—An embarrassing offer of marriage—Prestige -by aeroplane—Anniversary of Hossain the Martyr—News -of the Armistice—Local waverers come down on -our side of the fence—Releasing civil prisoners—Farewell -of Bajar—Down country to the sea and home -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -APPENDIX -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#appendix">THE WORK OF THE DUNSTERFORCE ARMOURED CAR BRIGADE</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#index">INDEX</a> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="Pxv"></a>xv}</span> -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-front">THE ROAD TO BIRKANDI</a> ... <i>frontispiece</i> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-004">BRITISH-TRAINED PERSIAN POLICE</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-064">HÔTEL D'EUROPE AT RESHT</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-072">STONE BRIDGE AT SIAH RUD</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-082">TYPICAL PERSIAN VILLAGE</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-094">PERSIAN TRANSPORT</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-108">DARIUS INSCRIPTIONS AT BISITUN</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-112">CARAVANSERAI, BISITUN</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-138">DRILLING JEHUS AT HAMADAN</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-158">ROAD NEAR RUDBAR</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-190">NORTH GATE OF KASVIN</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-204">DRILLING ARMENIANS AT BAKU</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-216">GROUP OF STAFFORDS AT BALADADAR STATION</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-218">SIX-INCH HOWITZER IN ACTION AT BAKU</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-226">GENERAL VIEW OF SCENE FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN RETIREMENT</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-250">HARVESTING IN PERSIA</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> -<a href="#img-001"><i>Map ... facing page</i> 1</a> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-001"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-001.jpg" alt="Map" /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap01"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P1"></a>1}</span></p> - -<p class="t2"> -WITH THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER I -<br /><br /> -THE START OF THE "HUSH-HUSH" BRIGADE -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -A mystery expedition—Tower of London conference—From -Flanders mud to Eastern dust—An Imperial forlorn hope—Some -fine fighting types—The amphibious purser—In the -submarine zone—Our Japanese escort. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Scarcely had dawn tinged the sky of a February day -in 1918 when there crept out of the inner harbour -of Taranto a big transport bound for Alexandria. -It was laden with British and Dominion troops. -</p> - -<p> -All were for service overseas. There were units -for India and Egypt, a contingent of Nursing Sisters -for East Africa, and a detachment of Sappers for -Aden. The transport stealing noiselessly towards -the open sea was the P. and O. liner <i>Malwa</i>, and, as a -precaution against submarine attack, she had been -so extensively and grotesquely camouflaged by -dockyard artists in black and white that some of her own -crew coming alongside on a dark night had difficulty -in recognizing her. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Malwa</i>, too, had on board the members of a -military expedition, surely one of the most -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P2"></a>2}</span> -extraordinary that ever crossed the sea to fight the battles -of the Empire in distant lands. Our official -designation was the "Dunsterville" or "Bagdad Party"; -but War Office cynics, and the damsel who sold us -our patent filters and Tommy Cookers at the military -equipment stores in London, knew us as the -"Hush-hush" Brigade. And the "Hush-hush" Brigade -we were privileged to remain. This nickname met -us in Alexandria, followed us to Cairo and distant -Basra, and preceded us to the City of the Caliphs -on the shores of the muddy-brown Tigris. -</p> - -<p> -On the eve of the departure from England of -the main body for the Italian port of embarkation, -a heart-to-heart talk between General Sir William -Robertson and the members of the Bagdad Party -had taken place at the Tower of London. The veil -of official secrecy was drawn ever so little aside, and, -allowed a peep behind, we beheld a field of military -activity with a distinctly Eastern setting. Men who -had been "over the top" in Flanders heard with -a joyous throb of expectation that the next time -they went into the line would be probably somewhere -in Persia or the Caucasus. They were as happy as -children at the prospect, finding it a welcome relief -from muddy tramps through the low-lying lands of -the Western Front, the dull grey skies, the monotony -of life in flooded trenches under incessant -bombardment, varied only by an occasional rush across -No-Man's Land to get at the Hun throat. We were going -from mud to dust, but hurrah! anyway. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P3"></a>3}</span> -</p> - -<p> -On that February morning, as the <i>Malwa</i> slipped -past Taranto town and into the roadstead where lay -her Japanese destroyer escort, the roll-call of the -Bagdad Party showed a strength of 70 officers and -140 N.C.O's. This was to be the nucleus of a force -which we hoped would combat and overthrow -Bolshevism, make common cause with Armenians, -Georgians, and Tartars, raise and train local levies, -and bar with a line of bayonets the further progress -of Turk and German by way of the Caspian Sea -and Russian Turkestan towards the Gates of India. -</p> - -<p> -With few exceptions our party consisted of -Dominion soldiers gathered from the remote corners -of the Empire. There were Anzacs and Springboks, -Canadians from the far North-West, men who had -charged up the deadly shell-swept slopes of Gallipoli, -and those who had won through at Vimy Ridge. -They were, in fact, a hardened band of adventurous -soldiers, fit to go anywhere and do anything, men -who had lived on the brink of the pit for three years -and had come back from the Valley of the Shadow -of Death. -</p> - -<p> -The War Office needed the raw material for a -desperate enterprise. It was found by Brigadier-General -Byron, himself an able and experienced -soldier with a brilliant South African fighting -reputation. He went across to Flanders and picked out -the cream of the fighting men from the South African -contingent and from the magnificent Australian and -Canadian Divisions. I do not recall a single officer -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P4"></a>4}</span> -or N.C.O. who had not won at least one decoration -for bravery. We had with us, too, a small party -of Russian officers who, fleeing from the Red -Terror when their army broke and melted away, -remained loyal to the Entente, and volunteered -for the Caucasus, where they hoped to prove to the -Bolsheviks that the cause of Russian national and -military honour was not entirely lost. -</p> - -<p> -Our Russian allies for the Caucasus were mostly -young men, enthusiastic and keen soldiers, endowed -with the splendid fighting spirit of the old Russian -Army such as I knew it in the early spring campaign -of 1915 in Bukovina, when it fought with empty -rifles and stood up to the encircling Austrians in -those terrible February days that preceded and -followed the evacuation of Czernowitch. -</p> - -<p> -On the <i>Malwa</i>, I remember, we had with us Captain -Bray, an Anglo-Russian who had been a liaison -officer in London, and spoke English like an -Englishman. Then there was a Colonel who had been -earmarked for death when his regiment mutinied and -went "Red" at Viborg in Finland. Scantily clad, -he had escaped his would-be assassins, fleeing -bare-footed into the darkness of the Finnish winter night. -After many hairbreadth escapes he had gained -Swedish territory and safety. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-004"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-004.jpg" alt="BRITISH TRAINED PERSIAN POLICE." /> -<br /> -BRITISH TRAINED PERSIAN POLICE. -</p> - -<p> -There was also Captain George Eve, an -Anglo-Russian mining engineer, who came from South -America to enlist, and who, because of his accent -and foreign appearance, had been arrested more than -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P5"></a>5}</span> -once in the front line in Flanders on suspicion of -being a German spy dressed in British uniform. -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Smiles of the Armoured Car Section was -another interesting figure. A descendant of Smiles -of "Self-Help" fame, he had won the D.S.O. and -the Cross of St. George while fighting with the -Locker-Lampson unit in Russia. -</p> - -<p> -Where practically every second man had a record -of thrilling deeds behind him it is difficult to -individualize, but a word must be given to Colonel -Warden, D.S.O., of the Canadian Contingent. -"Honest John" was the affectionate nickname -bestowed upon him by the ship's company, who found -a special fascination in his childlike simplicity of -character combined with exceptional soldierly qualities. -</p> - -<p> -Another refreshingly original type was Colonel -Donnan, the C.O. of the party. Apart from other -things, his physical qualities seemed to mark him -out for the important post he occupied. They were -calculated to strike terror into any Hun or other -heart. A veritable Sandow, his burly thick-set -figure, black bristling moustache, and dark piercing -eyes were valuable assets for the man whose task -was to discipline such a mixed company as ours, -and the nurses affected an exaggerated terror of -them, well knowing (the minxes!) that they were -but the outworks of the fortress behind which was -entrenched the Colonel's kind heart—outworks apt -to go down like ninepins when assailed by a woman's -tearful pleadings. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P6"></a>6}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Donnan is one of the strong, silent -Englishmen who have done so much in an unostentatious -way to push the interests of the British Empire in -the far-off places of the earth. A great Orientalist, -he has passed through many Eastern lands in disguise, -bringing back precious fruits of his labours in -a store of information, both military and political, -gathered in his journeyings. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Malwa</i> boasted an amphibious purser named -Milman. For three and a half years, ever since the -war began, he had been sailing up and down the seas -from London to Rio, and from Bombay to Liverpool, -and he knew from personal contact the summer and -winter temperature of the Mediterranean Sea better -than did any meteorologist from collected data. In -fact, he had been torpedoed so many times that he -had begun to look upon it as part of the routine of -his daily life. He possessed a life-saving suit, his -own improved design, which was at once the wonder -and admiration of all who inspected it. It was of -rubber, in form not unlike a diving dress, with a -hood which came over the head of the wearer and -was made fast under the chin. In front were two -pockets, which always remained ready rationed with -a spirit-flask, some sandwiches, and a pack of patience -cards. It was the purser's travelling outfit when he -was overboard in the Mediterranean or elsewhere and -waiting to be hauled on board a rescue boat. -</p> - -<p> -Occasionally when, in harbour, time hung heavily -on his hands, this amphibious purser would clothe -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P7"></a>7}</span> -himself in his rubber suit, slip over the ship's side, -and go off for an outing. Once in Port Said, while -gently floating off on one of these aquatic excursions, -he was sighted by the port guardship, and a -picket-boat was sent to fish him out under the impression -that he was dead. "This bloke is a gonner all -right!" said one of the crew, as he reached for him -with a boathook. Then the "corpse" sat up and -said things. So did the spokesman of the astonished -crew when, having recovered from the shock, he -found his voice again. -</p> - -<p> -Milman was a cheery optimist. Nothing ever -perturbed him. He was a recognized authority on -"silver fish" (<i>i.e.</i>, torpedoes) and cocktails, was an -excellent raconteur, and possessed all the suavity and -tact of a finished diplomat. When nervous ladies -worried the doctor and cross-examined him as to -the habits and hunting methods of Hun submarines, -he invariably passed them on to the purser, and -always with the happiest results; for, under the -spell of Milman's racy talk, they soon forgot their -fears. -</p> - -<p> -The second day out from Taranto brought us well -within the submarine danger zone. We changed -course repeatedly, for wireless had warned us of the -proximity of the dreaded sea pirate. The <i>Tagus</i>, -our fellow transport, proved herself a laggard; she -was falling behind and keeping station badly, and -the Commodore of our Japanese escort was busy -hurling remonstrances at her in the Morse code. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P8"></a>8}</span> -Our three Japanese destroyers made diligent and -efficient scouts. They gambolled over the blue -waters of the Mediterranean like so many -sheepdogs protecting a moorland flock. Now one or -another raced away to starboard, then to port, then -circled round and round us, took station amidships, -or dropped astern. -</p> - -<p> -Their tactics, perhaps one should say their antics, -must have been extremely baffling, even exasperating, -to any enemy submarine commander lying low in -the hope of bagging the <i>Malwa</i> or the <i>Tagus</i>. Nothing -seemed to escape the keen-eyed sailors of the Mikado's -navy. Experience had taught them the value of -seagulls as submarine spotters. Endowed with -extraordinary instinct and eyes that see far below the -surface of the sea, the resting gulls detect a -submarine coming up anywhere in their vicinity, take -fright, and hurriedly fly away. Whenever the gulls -gave the signal—and there were many false alarms—a -Japanese destroyer would race to the spot in -readiness for Herr Pirate; but he never appeared. -</p> - -<p> -However, the Hun was not always so cautious. -There was great rejoicing on board the <i>Malwa</i> when -the wireless told us that west of us, in the Malta -Channel, Japanese vigilance had been rewarded, -transports saved from destruction, and two enemy -submarines sent to the bottom. It was all the work -of a few minutes. Whether the enemy failed to sight -the destroyers, or whether they intended to chance -their luck and fight them, is not quite clear. At all -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P9"></a>9}</span> -events, Submarine No. 1 popped up dead ahead of -one destroyer and was promptly rammed and sunk. -Submarine No. 2 met with an equally unmistakable -end. It had already singled out a transport for -attack, when a second Japanese destroyer engaged -it at seven hundred yards' range and blew its hull -to pieces. -</p> - -<p> -Nevertheless it was an anxious time for us on the -<i>Malwa</i> living in hourly dread of being torpedoed. -The Nursing Sisters professed to treat the danger -with scorn; they were courageous and cheery souls, -and would unhesitatingly have faced death with the -equanimity of the bravest man. -</p> - -<p> -Ten in the forenoon and five in the afternoon were -the hours of greatest peril, when submarine attacks -might be specially expected. Everyone "stood to" -at these hours, wearing the regulation lifebelt, and -ready to take to the boats if the ship were hit and -in danger of sinking. Colonel Donnan, C.O. ship, -was a strict disciplinarian. He enhanced the -somewhat piratical ferocity of mien with which nature -had gifted him by always carrying his service revolver -buckled on and ready for any emergency, and the -Nursing Sisters professed to be in great trepidation -each time at inspection parade when he ran his -critical eye over their life-saving equipment. Of -course knots sometimes went wrong, and the strings -of the life-belt were tied the incorrect way; but -volunteers were never lacking to adjust the erring -straps and to see that they sat on a pretty pair of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P10"></a>10}</span> -shoulders in the manner laid down in Regulations, -while the ferociously tender-hearted C.O. smiled -approval. -</p> - -<p> -On the fourth day after leaving Taranto the <i>Malwa</i> -steamed into Alexandria Harbour. Everyone was -in the highest spirits. We had escaped the -submarine peril, and the period of nervous tension while -waiting in expectancy of a bolt from the deep was -happily over. It was a glorious spring day; the -warm, radiant sun of Egypt gave us a fitting welcome. -</p> - -<p> -The stay in Alexandria of the Bagdad Party was -short. Orders came through from headquarters that -we were to proceed to Suez by rail as soon as possible -to join a waiting troopship there. That night there -were many tender leave-takings in quiet secluded -nooks on the upper deck of the <i>Malwa</i>. During our -four days' journey from Taranto the Australians on -board had proved themselves to be as deadly effective -in love as they are in war. But now had come the -parting of the ways, with the pain and bitterness of -separation. Perhaps a kindly Fate may reunite some -of these sundered ones, but for many that can never -be. At least three of those bright, cheery Australian -lads sleep in soldiers' graves beneath the soil of -Persia, far from their own South Land and from the -girls to whom they plighted their troth that last -night in the harbour of Alexandria beneath the -starry Egyptian sky. -</p> - -<p> -General Byron, his orderly officer, and myself left -the same evening for Cairo en route for Suez. Next -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P11"></a>11}</span> -day we had time to obtain a fleeting glimpse of the -Pyramids, take tea at Shepheards', and be held to -ransom by an energetic British matron who ordered -us to "stand and deliver" in the name of some -philanthropic institution which had not the remotest -connection with the War or any suffering arising -out of the War. The General furnished the soft -answer that turneth away wrath, and with that, plus -a small contribution for supplying wholly unnecessary -blankets to the aboriginal inhabitants of some tropical -country, we were allowed to retain the remainder of -our spare cash and to continue our journey in the -Land of Egypt. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap02"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P12"></a>12}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER II -<br /><br /> -EGYPT TO THE PERSIAN GULF -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Afloat in an insect-house—Captain Kettle in -command—Overcrowding and small-pox—The s.s. <i>Tower of Babel</i>—A shark -scare—Koweit. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Forty-eight hours after disembarking at Alexandria -we were steaming down the Gulf of Suez on board a -second transport bound for the Persian Gulf. -</p> - -<p> -It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast -than that between the vessel which brought us across -the Mediterranean and the one that was now carrying -us towards the portals of the Middle East. The -latter was a decrepit steamer, indescribably filthy, -which had been running in the China trade for a -quarter of a century. Though favoured by the -mildest of weather, the old tub groaned in every -joint as she thumped her way down the Red Sea -towards the Indian Ocean. Long overdue for the -scrap-heap, when the war broke out she was turned -into a transport, and thenceforth carried cargoes of -British troops instead of Chinese coolies. Her decks -and upper works were thickly encrusted with dirt, -the careful hoarding of years; and a paint-brush had -not touched her for generations. Her cabins were -so many entomological museums where insect life -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P13"></a>13}</span> -flourished. In the worm-eaten recesses of the -woodwork lurked colonies of parasites gathered from -every corner of the globe, fighting for the principle -of self-determination of small nations. The -bathroom door, held in place by a single rusty hinge, -hung at a drunken angle, and the inflow pipe of the -bath was choked with rust. At night, as you slept -in your bunk, playful mice, by way of establishing -friendly relations, would nibble at your big toe, and -a whole family of cockroaches would attempt new -long-distance-sprinting records up and down the -bedclothes. -</p> - -<p> -The Captain of the ship was a sharp-featured -ferret-eyed individual who sometimes wore a collar. -No one knew his exact nationality, but he bore a -tolerable resemblance to Cutcliffe Hyne's immortal -"Captain Kettle." Indeed, he was said to cultivate -this resemblance by every means in his power. He -had a pointed, unshaven chin; he wore a much-faded -uniform cap tilted over one ear. On the bridge you -would see him with hands thrust deep in his trouser -pockets and chewing a cigar. As master of a tramp, -he had nosed his way into almost every port in both -hemispheres. He had traded from China to Peru, -and along the Pacific Coast of America. In his -wanderings he had acquired a Yankee accent and a -varied and picturesque polyglot vocabulary which, -when the floodgates of his wrath were opened, he -turned with telling effect upon his Lascar crew or -his European officers. He was a man of moods and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P14"></a>14}</span> -strange oaths, a good seaman with a marked taste -for poker and magazine literature of the cheap -sensational kind. -</p> - -<p> -Such, then, was our ship, and such its skipper! -When we had arrived at Suez, where we embarked, -there were several cases of smallpox amongst its -Lascar firemen. The Embarkation Officer had feared -infection, and had hesitated to send us on board; -but he was overruled by a higher authority -somewhere in Egypt or England. There was no other -transport available, it was said; the units for India -and for Persia were urgently needed; and, smallpox -or no smallpox, sail we must—and did. -</p> - -<p> -The ship was terribly overcrowded. The Indian -troops "pigged it" aft; the British troops were -accommodated in the hold; and those of the officers -who were unable to find quarters elsewhere -unstrapped their camp bed and slept on deck. -Fortunately it was the cool season in the Red Sea; the -days were warm, but not uncomfortably so; and the -nights were sharp and bracing, the head-wind which -we carried with us all the way to Aden keeping the -thermometer from climbing beyond the normal. -</p> - -<p> -Once clear of Suez everybody settled down to -work, a very useful relief to the discomforts of life -on an overcrowded transport. Youthful subalterns -joining the Indian Army set themselves to study -Hindustani grammars and vocabularies with the -valiant intention of acquiring colloquial proficiency -before they even sighted Bombay. Members of the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P15"></a>15}</span> -Bagdad Party, stimulated by this exhibition of -industry, tackled Persian and Russian. We had two -officers who offered themselves as teachers of the -language of Iran—Lieutenant Akhbar, a native-born -Persian whose English home was at Manchester, and -Captain Cooper of the Dorsets, who had studied -Oriental tongues in England, and had been wounded -at Gallipoli in a hand-to-hand fight with the Turks. -</p> - -<p> -For Russian also there was no lack of teachers, -the Russian officers, Captain Eve, and I taking -charge of classes. In my own section, elementary -Russian, I had twenty-two N.C.O.'s as eager and -willing pupils. The majority were Australians, and, -although dismayed at first by the bizarre appearance -of the unfamiliar characters, and the seemingly -unsurmountable difficulties of what one Anzac aptly -described as "this upside-down language," they put -their backs into it with very remarkable results, -plodding away at their lessons hour after hour with -unwearying zeal. Some had picked up a smattering -of "Na Poo" French on the Western Front; a few -spoke French fairly well; but the majority knew no -foreign language at all; yet the quick alert Australian -brain captured the entire Russian alphabet in forty-eight -hours after beginning the preliminary assault. -</p> - -<p> -I have sometimes thought since that to the Gods -on High our ship must have appeared a sort of -floating Tower of Babel, so intent on speaking strange -tongues were each and all. -</p> - -<p> -Before we reached the Indian Ocean, one of the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P16"></a>16}</span> -ship's officers disappeared in a mysterious manner. -He was missed from the bridge at midnight and, -although diligent search was made, no trace of him -was ever found, and it had to be assumed that he -had jumped or fallen overboard. Our Goanese -stewards who were Christians looked upon this -incident with the greatest misgivings. Knowing the -superstitions of the Lascar crew, they secretly felt -that the missing officer had been thrown overboard -by some of them to placate a huge shark that had -been following the ship for days. The Lascars have -a great dread of such company at sea. To their -untutored minds this voracious brute following a -vessel foretells death to someone on board; so better -a sacrificial victim than perhaps one of themselves! -</p> - -<p> -Personally, I do not think for a moment that -Lascar superstition was responsible for the -disappearance of the missing man, nor that these people -are given to the propitiation of the Man-Eaters of -the Red Sea. But when, two nights later, one of -the Lascars vanished as mysteriously as had the -ship's officer, and this too in calm weather, it looked -as if some Evil Spirit had found a place on board. -Stewards and crew now became terrified. The former -would not venture alone on the deck at night, and -the Lascars, sorely puzzled over the fate of their -comrade, went about their work in fear and trembling. -</p> - -<p> -This dread of the mysterious and the unseen -became contagious and affected others outside the -ship's company. Subalterns who had been sleeping -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P17"></a>17}</span> -on hammocks slung close to the ship's rail and whose -courage had been proved on many a field, now -decided that, shark worship or no shark worship, they -would be safer elsewhere, and transferred themselves -to the 'tween decks. Anyhow, the Sea Demon must -by this time have been satisfied, for we lost no more -of our personnel. -</p> - -<p> -We arrived off Koweit in the Gulf of Persia on -March 1st, seventeen days after leaving Suez. -</p> - -<p> -Koweit, or Kuwet, is an important seaport on the -Arabian side at the south-west angle of the Persian -Gulf, about eighty miles due south of Basra, our port -of destination. Kuwet is the diminutive form of -Kut, a common term in Irak for a walled village, -and the port lies in the south side of a bay twenty -miles long and five miles wide. Seen through our -glasses it did not seem a prepossessing place, for the -bare stony desert stretched away for miles behind the -town. Yet only by accident had it escaped greatness. -In 1850 General Chesny, who knew these parts -by heart, recommended it as the terminus of his -proposed Euphrates Valley Railway; and, when the -extension of the Anatolian Railway to Bagdad and -the Gulf was mooted, Koweit was long regarded as a -possible terminus. But the War altered all that, -and it is doubtful now if Koweit, which lives by its -sea commerce alone, will even achieve the distinction -of becoming the terminal point of a branch line of -the railway which is destined to link up two continents. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P18"></a>18}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Turks and Germans have long had their eyes -open to the great possibilities of Koweit. The former -in 1898 attempted a military occupation, but were -warned off by the British, and abandoned their -efforts to obtain a foothold in this commercial -outpost of the Gulf, while the ruling Sheikh was sagacious -enough to be aware of the danger of Turkish absorption, -and to avert it by placing his dominions under -the protection of Great Britain. The German-subsidized -Hamburg-Amerika Line made an eleventh -hour attempt to capture the trade of the Gulf, and -in the months immediately preceding the War devoted -special attention to Koweit and Basra trade, carrying -freight at rates which must have meant a heavy -financial loss. It was all part of the German -Weltpolitik to oust us from these lucrative markets of -the Middle East, and to secure for German shipping -a monopoly of the Gulf carrying trade. With the -German-controlled Bagdad Railway approaching -completion, one shudders to realize what would have -been our fate economically, if the sea-borne trade -of Basra and Koweit had passed under the flag and -into the hands of the enterprising Hun. -</p> - -<p> -Basra lies about eighty miles to the north of -Koweit. It is here that the Shatt el Arab (literally -the river of the Arabs, or, otherwise, the commingled -Euphrates and Tigris) empties itself into the Persian -Gulf. Vessels with a greater draught than nineteen -feet cannot easily negotiate the bar. Our own -transport was bound for Bombay, so it was with a feeling -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P19"></a>19}</span> -of thankfulness that we quitted her for ever and -were transferred to a British India liner, the <i>Erinrupy</i>, -which since the beginning of the War has been used -as a hospital ship. She was spick and span, and the -general air of cleanliness was so marked after the -filthy tub that had conveyed us from Suez that we -trod her decks and ventured into her cabins with an -air of apologetic timidity. -</p> - -<p> -It was half a day's run up river to Basra. Next -morning we were speeding along with the swirling -brown waters of the Shatt el Arab lapping our -counter, the land of Iran on our right, and that of -Irak on our left. It grew warmer, and there was a -good deal of moisture in the air. The low flat shores, -cut up by irrigation canals, were covered by -date-palm groves. Dhows and other strange river craft, -laden with merchandise, dotted the surface of the -brown waters, and the glorious green of the foreshores -was a welcome relief to eyes tired of the arid -sterility of the Arabian shore. A few miles below -Basra we steered a careful course, passing the sunken -hulls of two Turkish gunboats which the enemy had -submerged in the fairway in the hope of blocking -the river channel and preventing the victorious -British maritime and war flotillas from reaching -Basra. Like most other operations undertaken by -the Turks the effort was badly bungled, and the -channel was left free to our ships. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap03"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P20"></a>20}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER III -<br /><br /> -THE CITY OF SINBAD -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Arrival at Basra—A city of filth—Transformation by the -British—Introducing sport to the natives—The Arabs and the cinema. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Basra or Busra, the Bastra of Marco Polo, and for -ever linked with the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor, -is one of the most important ports of Asiatic Turkey, -and sits on the right bank of the Shatt el Arab a -short distance below the confluence of the Tigris -and the Euphrates. -</p> - -<p> -It is built on low-lying marshy land where the -malarial mosquito leads an energetic and healthy -life. Basra proper is about a mile from the river, -up a narrow and malodorous creek, and when the -tide is out the mud of this creek cries out in strange -tongues. The natives, however, seem to thrive upon -its nauseating vapours. It is at once the source of -their water supply and the receptacle for sewerage. -In this delectable spot, as indeed throughout Asiatic -Turkey and Persia, sanitary science is still unborn, -and the streets are the dumping-ground for refuse. -</p> - -<p> -The long, narrow bellem, with its pointed prow, in -general appearance not unlike a gondola, is the -chief means of communication between the Shatt -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P21"></a>21}</span> -el Arab and Basra itself. If the tide is low, the -Arab in charge poles up or down stream, and when -you arrive at your destination you generally pick -your way through festering mud to the landing-place. -</p> - -<p> -One's first feelings are of wonder and bewilderment -that the entire population has not long ago -been wiped out by disease. Going up and down -stream at low tide I have seen Arab women rinsing -the salad for the family meal side by side with others -dealing with the family washing. Then the bellem -boy, thirsty, would lean over the side of the craft, -scoop up a handful or two of the water, and drink it. -As successors to the dirty and lazy Turk the British -in occupation of Basra have set themselves to remedy -this state of affairs, but it is uphill work. Manners -and customs of centuries are not easily laid aside, -and your Asiatic sniffs suspiciously at anything -labelled Sanitary Reform, while the very mention of -the word Hygiene sounds to him like blasphemy -against the abominations with which he loves to -surround himself. The Turk never bothered his -head whether the inhabitants lived in unhealthy -conditions. When an epidemic broke out and carried -off a certain proportion of the population, the Turkish -Governor would bow his head in meek resignation -before the inscrutable will of Allah. -</p> - -<p> -The architecture of Basra is of a distinctly primitive -type. The houses are built chiefly of sun-dried -bricks, and the roofs are flat, covered with mud laid -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P22"></a>22}</span> -over rafters of date-wood and surrounded by a low -parapet. -</p> - -<p> -Basra had been used as the British base for the -advance against the Turks on the Tigris. From here -had been rationed the army and the guns that -reconquered Kut and opened the difficult road to -Bagdad. The magician's wand of the British -soldier-wallah wrought wonders in the place. Malarial -swamps were filled in, and hospitals and administrative -buildings erected. Wharves equipped with giant -cranes sprang into being on the quayside, and, as -we were landed, the busy river scene, with fussy -tugs towing huge laden barges, and the quayside -packed with transports, irresistibly recalled some -populous port in the Antipodes or Britain itself, -rather than the seaside capital of a vilayet in Asiatic -Turkey. -</p> - -<p> -That Basra had a great future in store for it as a -shipping centre was early recognized by -Major-General Sir George McMunn, who for some time -held the post of Inspector-General of Lines of -Communications at Basra. He was one of those rare -soldiers with a genius for organization and a capacity -for bringing to bear upon big problems a wide range -of outlook, and he was never hampered by those -military trammels which often mar the professional -soldier and make a good general an exceedingly bad -civil administrator. So General McMunn set to -work to give Basra an impetus along the path of -commercial progress. He planned a model city -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P23"></a>23}</span> -which was to include residential and business sites, -electric tramways, modern hotels, and public parks. -It was a stupendous undertaking, but McMunn -accomplished much in the face of great financial -difficulties. He endowed Basra with a first-class -hotel run by a chef and an hotel staff recruited from -London, installed electric light, gave the evil-smelling -town a vigorous spring-cleaning, and with stone -quarried in Arabia buried beneath stout paving the -slimy mud of some of the Basra streets. -</p> - -<p> -Ashar which fronts the Shatt el Arab is really the -business centre of Basra. Its bazaars running parallel -with Basra Creek are dark, evil-smelling, and -over-crowded by human bipeds who swarm about ant -fashion, and are born, live, and die in these purlieus. -</p> - -<p> -In the course of an hour during the busy part of -the day you can count on meeting representatives -of all the races and creeds of Asia in the streets -and bazaars of Ashar or lower Basra. Here ebbs -and flows the flotsam of the East—Jews, Arabs, -Armenians, Kurds, Persians, Chaldeans (merchants or -traffickers these!), and coolies from India, Burma, -and China, with wanderers from the remote khanates -of Russian Turkestan, the latter in quaint headdress -and wearing sheepskin coats whose vicinity is rather -trying to sensitive noses when the thermometer is -well above eighty in the shade. -</p> - -<p> -General Byron, with Major Newcombe of the -Canadian Contingent, Captain Eve, some other -members of our party, and myself were quartered in -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P24"></a>24}</span> -the old Turkish cavalry barracks, while the remainder -went into camp at Makina, two miles out. The -Turks, it is true, were gone never to return, but in -the honeycombed recesses of the crumbling -dust-covered walls of Ashar barracks their troopers had -left behind many old friends who, from the very first, -displayed an envenomed animosity towards us, and -attacked British officers and men with a vigour -which the Turkish Army itself had never excelled. -Every night raiding parties, defying alike our -protective mosquito nets and the poison-gas effect of -Keating's, found their way into our beds; and every -morning we would crawl from between the sheets -bearing visible marks of these night forays. -</p> - -<p> -It is always said, and generally believed, that the -British signalize their occupation of a country by -laying down a cricket pitch and building a church. -They did all these things and more at Basra. There -was a garrison church, a simple building with a -special care for the temperature of a Gulf Sunday. -There were several sports clubs, and one at Makina, -which might be called the suburb of Ashar, had good -tennis courts. Beyond, in the desert, was a racecourse -where the local Derby and Grand National were -run off. -</p> - -<p> -The ordinary native of Iran and of the "Land of -the Two Rivers" has not hitherto shown any marked -taste for either mild or violent physical exercise. -But Basra, I found, was a noted exception to this, -and youth of the place were badly bitten by the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P25"></a>25}</span> -sports mania. As the doctors would say, "the -disease spread with alarming rapidity, and spared -neither young nor old." After a few weeks devoted -to picking up points as spectators at "soccer" -matches, a native team would secure possession of a -rather battered football and start work, "Basra -Mixed" trying conclusions with "Ashar Bazaar," for -example. The rules were neither Rugby nor -Association, but a local extemporization of both; and the -dress was not the classic costume of the British -football field, but a medley of all the garbs of Asia. -Stately Arabs in long flowing robes, suffering from -the prevailing sports fever, would forget their dignity -to the extent of running after a football and trying -to kick it. Chaldean Christian would mingle in the -scrum with Jew and Mussulman. Individual players -sometimes received the kick intended for the ball. -Off the field this would have led to racial trouble -and perhaps bloodshed, but as a rule these slight -departures from the strict football code were accepted -in the best possible spirit, being regarded no doubt -as part of the game itself. -</p> - -<p> -Of course things did not always run so smoothly. -Sometimes the ball was entirely lost sight of, and -lay lonely and isolated in some corner of the field, -while the players would resolve themselves into a -sort of Pan-Asian congress on the ethics of games in -general. Everyone spoke at once and in his own -tongue. On such occasions a passing British soldier -would be summoned to assist at the deliberations, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P26"></a>26}</span> -and in "Na Poo" Arabic would straighten out the -tangle. Then play would be resumed, everybody -bowing to the superior wisdom of the soldier sahib, -and accepting his decision unquestioningly. -</p> - -<p> -The youth of Basra, more precocious than their -elders, converted the streets of Ashar into a playing-ground -where tip-cat, bat and ball, marbles, diabolo, -and sundry other forms of juvenile recreation found -eager devotees at all hours of the day in narrow streets -generally crowded with army transport. -</p> - -<p> -The cinema also exercised a great influence on the -native mind. Never quite understanding its working, -he accepted it all philosophically as part of the -travelling outfit of that strange race of infidels from -far away who had chased the Turks from the shores -of the Arabian Sea, who seemed to be able to make -themselves into birds at will, and who rushed over -the roadless desert in snorting horseless carriages. -Men such as these were capable of anything, and -when the first cinema film arrived, the Arabs filled -to overflowing the ramshackle building which served -as a theatre. In Basra I often went to the cinema, -not so much for the show itself as to watch the joy -with which that primitive child of nature, the Arab, -followed the mishaps and triumphs of the hero through -three reels. How they were moved to tears by his -sufferings! And how they shouted with joy when -the villain of the piece was hoist by his own petard -and his career of rascality abruptly and fittingly -terminated! -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P27"></a>27}</span> -</p> - -<p> -One thing, I found on talking to some of these -native onlookers, puzzled their minds exceedingly, -and that was the morals and manners of European -women as shown on the screen. The Arab is a -fervent stickler for the conventionalities, and it was -a great shock to his religious scruples to see women -promenading in low-necked dresses with uncovered -faces, frequenting restaurants with strange men not -their husbands, and imbibing strong drink. "The -devil must be kept busy in Faringistan raking all -these shameless creatures into the bottomless pit!" -said one Arab to me, when I asked him what he -thought of the cinema. It was useless to seek to -explain that cinema scenes did not represent the -real life of the Englishman or the American, and -that all our women do not earn their living as cinema -artists. -</p> - -<p> -In Basra I never saw a Mohammedan woman -frequenting a cinema performance. Even had she -won over her husband's consent to such an innovation, -public opinion would veto her presence there, -and she would not be permitted to look upon this -devil's machine illustrating foreign "wickedness." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap04"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P28"></a>28}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IV -<br /><br /> -AT A PERSIAN WEDDING -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Visit to the Sheikh of Mohammerah—A Persian banquet. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -A few miles below Basra, on the Persian shore, at -the point where the Karun River joins the Shatt el -Arab, are the semi-independent dominions of the -Sheikh of Mohammerah. His territory is part and -parcel of the moribund Persian Empire, but the -Sheikh has long held independent sway, and has -ruled his little kingdom with Oriental grandeur and -benevolent despotism. He is a firm and convinced -friend of the British, and even at the darkest hour -of our military fortunes in the Gulf, when it seemed -as if we might be driven from the lower Tigris itself, -the Sheikh was proof against Turkish intrigue and -the corrupting influence of Hun gold. -</p> - -<p> -His Excellency the Khazal Khan, K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E., -to give him his full title, like most Persian potentates -in the tottering, crumbling Empire of Iran, where the -writ of the present "King of Kings" does not run -beyond the walls of Teheran, held undisputed sway -over his little state, and his authority was enforced -by a nondescript army of retainers. But he was a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P29"></a>29}</span> -generous host, a firm friend, and an unforgiving -enemy. -</p> - -<p> -One week-end while at Basra I was one of a few -British officers invited to assist at the elaborate -festivities which precede a Persian marriage. The -contemplated matrimonial alliance was intended to -unite the family of the Sheikh and that of Haji Reis, -his Grand Vizier or Prime Minister. In the small -party that dropped down the river on one of His -Majesty's gunboats, were the Admiral of the Station, -one or two generals, the Political Officer, the liaison -officer between the Indian Government and the ruler -of Mohammerah, and my friend Akhbar, a Persian -from Manchester who had joined up early in the War. -As we dropped down stream past the Palace, a -salute was fired in our honour by the Sheikh's -artillery-men with a couple of old six-pounders. An -antediluvian Persian gunboat dipped her ensign as we -steamed past. It was the first time I had seen a -warship or indeed any other vessel flying the Persian -flag, and I regarded her with interest. Akhbar, who -despite his British uniform and his long residence -amongst us, remained always an ardent Persian, -professed to be very much hurt by some chance -observations of mine directed at the river gunboat -and the Persian navy in general. -</p> - -<p> -The Palace was a rectangular building, with -stuccoed front, standing back from the water and -approached by a winding stone staircase. On landing -we were received by the chief dignitaries of the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P30"></a>30}</span> -place with the Grand Vizier at their head. There -was much bowing and salaaming, and it was here -that I first made acquaintance with that elaborate -code of official and social ceremony which surrounds -every act of one's life in Persia. A guard of honour -from the Sheikh's household troops made a creditable -attempt to present arms as we stepped ashore. More -soldiers lined the stairway leading to the reception -room. They wore a variety of uniforms, and were -armed with everything in the way of rifles, from -antiquated Sniders to modern Mausers and -Lee-Enfields. Like most of the irregulars that we -encountered in Persia afterwards, they fairly bristled -with bandoliers stuffed full of cartridges. A Persian -on the war-path, be he tribal chief or simple armed -follower, is generally a walking arsenal. He is full -of lethal weapons which nearly always include a rifle -of some kind and a short stabbing sword with an -inlaid hilt. He often displays a Mauser pistol as -well, and usually carries enough ammunition hung -round him to equip a decent-sized small-arms -factory. -</p> - -<p> -The Sheikh himself received us in the main -reception hall, which was covered with rare Persian -carpets, any single one of which would be worth a -small fortune in London. The Prime Minister and -his son, we found, spoke excellent English, and the -former, who was wearing the conventional frock coat -of the Occident, but no shirt collar, presented each -visitor in turn to our Arab host, a man just past -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P31"></a>31}</span> -middle life with all the stately grace and dignity of -his Bedouin forebears. He was dressed in native -costume; his manners were easy and full of charm. -He had a dark, olive-tinted face, black beard and -wonderful lustrous black eyes. A strict adherent of -the Shi'ite sect, and an abstainer from strong drink -himself, he was, nevertheless, not averse to supplying -it to his Western guests. The Grand Vizier during -his sojourn in Europe had evidently studied our -customs and civilization <i>au fond</i>. Apart from a -knowledge of the English language and literature, he -had brought back with him a fine and discriminating -taste in the matter of aperitifs, knew to a nicety the -component parts of a Martini cocktail, and was a -profound connoisseur of Scotch whisky. Our party -had few dull moments with the Grand Vizier as -cicerone, and our admiration for his versatility rose -by leaps and bounds. -</p> - -<p> -The dinner was <i>à la fourchette</i>. It is not always -so in hospitable Persia where, as a rule, host and -guests sit in a circle on the floor and help themselves -with the aid of their fingers. Here everything had -been arranged in European fashion, and the long -table was topped by a rampart of specially prepared -dishes with a lavishness that was truly Oriental. It -is a Persian custom to supply five times more food -than one's guests can possibly consume. What -remains becomes the perquisite of the servants of the -household. -</p> - -<p> -According to Persian etiquette a son may not sit -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P32"></a>32}</span> -down in the presence of his father, so the bridegroom-elect -had no place at the board, and his active -participation in the banquet was limited to carrying out -the duties of chief butler and waiting upon the guests. -It was hot and exhausting work, in the intervals of -which he liberally helped himself from a black bottle -which stood on a table behind the Grand Vizier's -chair. Barefooted servitors passed nimbly along the -table, and saw to it that their master's guests wanted -for nothing. A plate was emptied only to be speedily -replenished. -</p> - -<p> -We saw nothing of the bride-to-be. She played -but a minor part in the evening's entertainment. -Nor were any other women of the household to be -seen. At one end of the banqueting hall was a -heavily curtained aperture. Occasionally this was -furtively drawn aside an inch or two, and a woman's -veiled face would appear for an instant, and as -quickly disappear. It was the private view allowed -to the bride and her girl friends. -</p> - -<p> -The menu was inordinately long. Dish succeeded -dish, and eat we must unless we wished to cause -dire offence to our host. He himself, seated -at the middle of the table, ate sparingly and -drank but water, his air of quiet impassivity -giving place to a smile from time to time as he -listened to some Persian <i>bon mot</i> or other from one -of his neighbours. -</p> - -<p> -The Sheikh excelled as a host. No sooner was the -banquet at an end than he told us that a display of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P33"></a>33}</span> -fireworks had been arranged in our honour. Seats -had been placed for the visitors on the long veranda -at the back of the palace and facing the extensive -grounds. No Persian feast is held to be complete -without a pyrotechnic display of some kind, and that -organized for our pleasure would have done credit -to the best efforts of Brock or Pain. -</p> - -<p> -There were Catherine-wheels, rockets, and welcoming -mottoes in Persian and English which flared -up merrily, until the whole grounds were one blaze -of light. -</p> - -<p> -The retainers entered fully into the spirit of the -affair. Clad in fireproof suits, they were hung round -with squibs which were set alight, and then the -human Catherine-wheels carried out an astonishing -series of somersaults, to the intense delight of the -native portion of the audience. An English gunnery -instructor, aided by native workmen with material -from the Sheikh's arsenal, had been responsible for the -pyrotechnic part of the entertainment. -</p> - -<p> -In the meantime the banqueting hall had been -cleared, and presently we were conducted thither, -where, to the strains of a Persian orchestra, native -dancing boys showed their skill in a series of -emotional and highly sensuous gyrations. These youths -were of a distinctly effeminate appearance in their -long flowing Persian robes, and there was a look of -brazen abandon in their more than suggestive -evolutions as they whirled round and round on the -floor. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P34"></a>34}</span> -</p> - -<p> -To these succeeded a quartette of Armenian girls -in bright-hued raiment and low-necked dresses, their -bare bosoms covered with cheap jewellery, their hair -and costumes studded with glittering sequins, and -their ankles encircled by gilt metal bracelets giving -them an air of tawdriness and unspeakable vulgarity. -Their movements were graceful, with a certain artistic -crudeness. To the clash of cymbals, and with a jingling -of their sequins and anklets, two would whirl round -the dancing hall, until sheer physical exhaustion -compelled them to seek a temporary respite on a -divan; whereupon they would be succeeded on the -floor by the other pair who had been awaiting their -turn. This dancing by relays went on until the -early hours of the morning, and we began to be -alarmed lest it should continue for the duration of -the War. Etiquette forbade us to leave, so we did -our best and stuck it out to the end. In the -tobacco-laden atmosphere, with the temperature distinctly -sultry, and the windows hermetically sealed I made -a desperate but ineffectual attempt to fight off -drowsiness. At last I succumbed and dreamt that -I was in the Paradise of Mahomet listening to the -music of the houris entertaining some of the newly -arrived Faithful. -</p> - -<p> -I woke with a start, for someone had prodded me -in the ribs and told me it was time to go, and by a -swift transition I found myself back at Mohammerah -and our party bidding adieu to our kindly host and -his Grand Vizier. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P35"></a>35}</span> -</p> - -<p> -It was too dark to attempt the passage of the -river back to Basra, so we crossed over to the house -of Mr. Lincoln of the British Consulate on the right -bank of the Karun river and spent the remainder of -the night under his hospitable roof. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap05"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P36"></a>36}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER V -<br /><br /> -UP THE TIGRIS TO KUT -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Work of the river flotilla—Thames steamboats on the -Tigris—The waterway through the desert—The renaissance of -Amarah—The river's jazz-step course—The old Kut and the -new—In Townshend's old headquarters—Turks' monument -to short-lived triumph. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Our stay at Ashar barracks was of brief duration. -A week after landing in Basra we received orders from -General Headquarters to proceed to Bagdad -immediately, but steamer accommodation was limited, -and it was found impossible to embark the whole of -our party at once. However, a compromise was -effected with the Local Embarkation Officer, and -place was found on an up-river steamer for our first -contingent, consisting of General Byron, twenty-four -other officers (of whom I was one), and forty -N.C.O's. -</p> - -<p> -Our transport was an antiquated paddle steamer, -broad of beam, and the whole of her one deck -was packed with troops bound for up-river like -ourselves. In addition, she towed, moored on -either side, two squat barges filled with troops and -supplies. -</p> - -<p> -The navigation of the Tigris, even in peace time, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P37"></a>37}</span> -when the river is unencumbered, is a hazardous -undertaking. Its lower reaches are flat and winding, -and when it is in flood the banks are submerged. -The stream follows an erratic course, occasionally -striking out on an entirely fresh one, and the search -for the new channel is often attended with disaster -for the daring river mariner. Yet up and down the -stream between Kut and Basra British seamen have -zigzagged their way by sheer pluck and perseverance, -dumping down men and supplies at the advanced -base with unfailing regularity. The admirable part -played by these river skippers of the Tigris has never -been told, and so has never been properly appreciated -by their countrymen at home. Day and night they -toiled to hurry up the needed reinforcements to the -hard-pressed battle line in Mesopotamia, and to -feed the army that was driving the Turk from the -"Land of the Two Rivers." Drawn from all parts -of the Empire, they worthily represented the pluck, -courage, and unyielding tenacity of the British race. -Had it not been for the river skippers of the Tigris, -shy, unostentatious men, sparing of speech and -indifferent to praise, the Mesopotamian Campaign must -have ended abortively; Kut could never have been -retaken, and the Turks would still have been in -Bagdad. -</p> - -<p> -The despatches of victorious generals in Mesopotamia -have been full of references to valuable aid -and service rendered by units and individuals, but, -it seems to me, they have entirely overlooked the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P38"></a>38}</span> -great contribution of the men of the Tigris River -Flotilla, who have apparently been left without -reward or recognition. -</p> - -<p> -In the waterway of the Shatt el Arab itself, and -before we entered the Tigris proper, we passed scores -of river craft. There were dhows laden to the -gunwale with river produce being carried swiftly down -by the current towards Basra market. Here was -an antiquated sternwheeler with her lashed barges -alongside, like an old woman with parcels tucked -under her arms, going to the base to load up supplies. -And, most wonderful of all, here was a London -County Council steamer, the <i>Christopher Wren</i>, which -had abandoned the Thames for the Tigris and the -carrying of happy trippers from Blackfriars to Kew -for the transporting of Mr. Thomas Atkins and his -kit part of the long river journey towards Bagdad. -Some of the Tommies on our steamer eyed her -enviously. Here was a touch of the far-distant -homeland under Eastern skies! There was a -suspicion of a tear in some sentimental eyes, but the -wag of the party scored a laugh when he megaphoned -with his hands to the skipper of the Wren, "I'm for -Battersea, I am!" -</p> - -<p> -A number of these L.C.C. boats had come out -from London under their own steam, making the -long voyage to the Gulf and Basra through the Bay -of Biscay and across the Mediterranean and Red -Seas, buffeted by wind and wave, but without losing -any of their personnel or suffering any material -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P39"></a>39}</span> -damage. It was a triumph of seamanship and -British pluck. -</p> - -<p> -The banks of the Tigris, and indeed of the -Euphrates, at certain seasons of the year are surely -the most desolate places on the habitable earth. -The date-palm plantations of the Shatt el Arab are -succeeded by a monotonous landscape of dull brown -desert stretching away as far as the eye can see. -To our right, as we wound and twisted our way up -river, we occasionally caught a glimpse of the -snow-clad mountains of Persia. Dotted here and there -along the banks are Arab villages, which seemed to -be a conglomeration of goats, sheep, and dusky-brown -naked children, all thrown confusedly into the -picture. By way of variation, now and then we -swept past a desert oasis, where stood a few stunted -palm-trees near which a tribe of nomads had set up -their black tents of goat's-hair and were spending a -week-end on the river bank before trekking afresh -into the heart of the desert. -</p> - -<p> -Your real Arab nomad is essentially a child of -nature. He spends his life in the wilderness and has -a rooted objection—nay, it is, in truth, a positive -terror—to visiting any town, big or little. He has -an undefinable dread of venturing within a walled -city, apparently regarding it in much the same way -as a wild bird would regard an iron-barred cage. -Any restriction of movement is irksome to him. He -loves the free life of the desert, with its limitless -possibilities, its far-stretching horizon, and its absence -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P40"></a>40}</span> -of streets and houses. He is of the tribe of Ishmael, -destined to wander on and on, ever remote from the -haunts of his fellow-man. -</p> - -<p> -The semi-nomad, on the other hand, is less -intractable, and does not chafe so much under the -yoke of Western civilization. He is frugal, sober, -and thrifty. We passed hundreds of his tribe who -live on the banks of the Tigris, cultivating a patch -of arable land, and using a wooden plough which -must have been old-fashioned even in the days of that -earliest recorded agriculturist, Cain. -</p> - -<p> -We groped a tedious way along the sinuous Tigris, -missing by a foot or two a down-river steamer and -its lashed barges, making fair headway against the -swirling waters which swept past us with the speed -of a millstream. The current carried us from side to -side, first bumping one bank, and then cannoning -against the opposite one, until it seemed as if the -stout lashings of our captive barges must be torn -away. Where the river was especially narrow, we -would tie up to the bank and give right-of-way to a -convoy going down stream. At night, too, we would -either tie up or anchor inshore, and at daylight -would be off again. -</p> - -<p> -In the bright clear atmosphere it was possible to -see objects many miles distant. Ofttimes we would -catch sight of a steamer away to our right or left, -looking for all the world as if she were making an -overland trip and was stuck fast in the middle of the -waterless desert. But the seeming mystery was -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P41"></a>41}</span> -explained by the winding course of the river, which -can only be likened to a series of figures of eight. -</p> - -<p> -It took us about thirty hours to reach Amarah, -which lies on both banks of the Tigris and, by reason -of its position, had become an important coaling-centre -on the lower part of the stream. There was -an air of bustle and activity about the place, for -British organization had descended upon it and -rudely awakened it from the sleep of centuries. -British military and native police controlled the -town, and kept the more mischievous of the unruly -Arab elements in order. A swing-bridge had been -thrown across the river to carry vehicular traffic. -River steamers were moored at the quays, taking in -or discharging cargo, and Indian and Arab coolies -sweated in the sun as they hurried along with great -burdens on their backs. -</p> - -<p> -Our way to camp led through the Bazaar, which -may, I think, lay claim to be one of the filthiest and -most malodorous in all the "Land of the Two Rivers." It -had rained heavily the previous night, and now -the unpaved roadway through the main bazaar was -a foot deep in liquid mud. The average native was -wholly unconcerned and, while we picked our steps -carefully, mentally consigning Amarah and its -abominable streets to perdition, barefooted Arab women, -wearing anklets of silver, with a pendant through one -nostril, and in their finest raiment, would plod -contentedly through this mire as if it were a rose-bestrewn -path. Tiny mites with no more clothing than a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P42"></a>42}</span> -string of beads gave each other mud baths with the -joy and enthusiasm of children sporting in the sea -at some European watering-place. -</p> - -<p> -Still, if Amarah disgusted us with its muddy streets -and evil-smelling bazaars, it had some compensating -advantages, amongst them its British Officers' Club. -In a desert of dirt and discomfort this was a veritable -oasis, with its excellent cuisine, and smoking and -reading rooms provided with the latest three-months-old -newspapers and magazines. It stands on the -river front, and from its roof-garden a fine panorama -opens at one's feet. In the foreground are the busy -river and the crowded quayside, and on the opposite -bank the white tents of the British camps blend with -the dark green of the date-palms. Still farther -beyond, as a background to the picture, is the -dun-brown of the desert wastes. -</p> - -<p> -A wet camp is at all times an abomination, and our -first night at Amarah was not a pleasant experience. -The transit camp is on a sort of peninsula, and a few -hours' rain converted it into a lake of mud. We -were housed in huts whose shape recalled a miniature -Crystal Palace, and whose semi-circular sides and -roof were thatched with palm netting. In the hut -which I shared with Major Newcombe and Captain -Eve, during the early hours of the morning a heavy -shower poured through the roof as if it were a sieve. -In the darkness there was a scramble over the muddy -floor in quest of waterproof sheets and raincoats -with which to set up a second line of defence for -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P43"></a>43}</span> -our leaky roof. Afterwards we all laughed heartily -at the experience, but at the time we were inclined -to be wrathful, for an unexpected and unlooked-for -shower-bath in bed at 2 a.m., even on active service, -may ruffle the mildest of tempers. -</p> - -<p> -From Amarah to Kut we went by river, the journey -occupying three days. The military-constructed -railway which has since been opened does the journey -in ten or twelve hours. Our steamer, No. 95, was a -comfortable one of her class for Tigris river -travelling. Indeed in this part of the world she would -be listed as de luxe, inasmuch as she possessed cabin -accommodation and actually had a bathroom. The -trip itself was but a slight variation of the monotonous -river journey to Amarah. There were the same flat -stretches of country now and again relieved by a -few palm-trees; the white tents of a British river -guard, a link in this long-drawn-out line of -communications; or some Arab village with its grouping -of dilapidated palm-roofed huts, its barking curs, -and its mud-brown naked children. Occasionally -down by the banks there was a fringe of green where -some native cultivator, aided by the water from an -irrigation canal, was rearing a hardy spring crop. -</p> - -<p> -As on its lower reaches, the river pursued a devious -path across the face of the country until one grew -giddy with attempting to follow its windings. The -Tigris is a most impulsive stream; it obeys no will -but its own, and is as erratic as any river of its size -in the world. However, as Kut is approached on the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P44"></a>44}</span> -up journey, it broadens out into noble proportions, -swift and deep, and for a few miles behaves rationally, -abandoning its geographical jazz-step over the -Mesopotamian plains. -</p> - -<p> -Kut—the scene of Townshend's immortal stand, -with his handful of troops diminished daily by famine -and disease, holding off to the last a powerful enemy—is -situated at the end of a tongue of land at a point -where the Tigris, taking a mighty sweep, mingles its -waters with those of the Shatt el Hai. -</p> - -<p> -But a new Kut, a British Kut, a town of tents -and wooden huts and galvanized iron buildings, has -sprung into being three miles below the tottering -walls of Turkish Kut, and about two miles from -Townshend's advanced trench line. In British Kut -there are rough wooden piers, hastily built, it is true, -where the river steamers moor, few attempting the -difficult passage from Kut to Bagdad. Kut is also -an important railway junction, for the troops bound -up river were disembarked here, and stepped from -the steamer deck into the waiting troop-trains. -</p> - -<p> -We went up river in a motor launch, General -Byron, Major Newcombe, Captain Eve, and myself, -to visit Townshend's famous stronghold. It was -with a feeling of emotion that we disembarked at the -old stone pier of Kut, and made our way along its -broken unpaved streets, past its crumbling wall, to -the centre of the town. The route led through the -main business centre—it could hardly be called a -bazaar—where merchants and money-changers plied -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P45"></a>45}</span> -their trades, and a blind beggar in rags sat under the -lee of a wall, with the sun shining full on his sightless -eye-sockets, droning a supplication for alms. The -wave of red war had passed and repassed over Kut, -leaving it scorched and maimed. Turk and Briton -had fought for supremacy round and about it, but -that was more than a year ago, and Kut now dozed -sleepily in the hot afternoon sun, beginning already -to forget the past and, with the calm philosophic -indifference of the East, accepting as a predestined -part of its daily life the Standard of Britain which -had replaced the Crescent of the Turk. -</p> - -<p> -The Arab policemen who guarded its unkempt -streets were serving their new masters faithfully, and -those we passed, spick and span in spotless khaki -and tarbooshes, by their alert and soldierly bearing -gave unmistakable evidence of having graduated from -the school of that efficient, exacting, and most -conscientious of mortals, the British drill instructor. -</p> - -<p> -Presently, guided by a Staff Officer from the base -headquarters, we came to the house of the Hero of -Kut. It was an unpretentious dwelling, flat-roofed, -and built of sun-dried bricks, with nothing much -to distinguish it from its hundreds of neighbours. -Descending a steep flight of steps, we came to the -Serdab or underground apartment common to most -Mesopotamian houses, where the occupants hide for -shelter during the hottest hours of the blistering -summer day. The room was bare of adornment—a -few chairs, a divan, and a table covered with official -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P46"></a>46}</span> -papers—that was all. It was now the home of the -local Political Officer, but it had changed little, if -any, since its former illustrious occupant walked out -of it and up those stone steps—his proud spirit -unbroken, his heart heavy, but his courage undimmed—to -pass a captive into the hands of the Turks. -</p> - -<p> -None of our party could lay any special claim to be -sentimental but, standing there in the narrow -underground room with its hallowed associations, where a -very gallant British General, the foe without and -disease and hunger within—he, too, alas! another -victim of high-placed incompetency—planned and -schemed during those dark days of the siege to break -the throttling grip of the Turk, we felt we were upon -holy ground, and every one of us, moved by a common -emotion, raised our hands to our caps in salute. It -was our tribute of admiration and respect for -Townshend and his heroes—for the men who perished -so nobly, no less than for their comrades maimed -and broken who survived the fall of Kut, many of -them, unhappily, only to pass anew through the gate -of suffering and to end their lives as prisoners in -the hands of a brutal, ungenerous enemy to whom -honour and compassion are meaningless terms. -</p> - -<p> -It was not every day that the Turks could boast -such a victory as Kut, or that they found themselves -with a British General and a starving British force -surrendering to their arms. Short-lived as was their -triumph, they lost no time in celebrating it by setting -up a commemorative monument. This stands on the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P47"></a>47}</span> -Tigris' bank close to British Kut and the landing -pier, and is in the form of an obelisk of unhewn -stone on a plinth of corresponding material fenced -in by an iron railing. A few obsolete cannon, the -muzzles facing outwards, are grouped round the base -of the monument. An inscription in Turkish records -the fall of Kut and the capture of Townshend and -his men which, it recounts, was accomplished by the -grace of Allah and the prowess of the besieging -Turkish Army. -</p> - -<p> -The next stage of our journey from Kut to Bagdad -was a short one. A night in a troop-train, and -sunrise the following morning saw us being dumped -down at Hinaida Camp on the outskirts of the City of -the Caliphs. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap06"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P48"></a>48}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VI -<br /><br /> -BAGDAD -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Arabian nights and motor-cars—The old and the new in -Bagdad—"Noah's dinghy"—Bible history illustrated—At a famous -tomb-mosque. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Who has not heard and read of Bagdad, of its -former glory and its greatness? I set foot in it for -the first time on March 20th, 1918, the day after the -arrival of our little party at Hinaida Transit Camp -on the left bank of the Tigris. -</p> - -<p> -As I tramped across the dusty Hinaida plain -towards the belt of palm groves which veils the city -on the east, I had visions of Haroun al Raschid, and -fancied myself coming face to face with the wonders -of the "Arabian Nights." It was with something -of a shock, then, that on entering the city I -encountered khaki-clad figures, and saw Ford vans -and motor lorries tearing wildly along the streets. -In the main thoroughfare, hard by British -Headquarters, a steam roller was travelling backwards and -forwards over the freshly metalled roadway, -completing the work of an Indian Labour Corps; farther -on, a watering cart labelled "Bagdad Municipality" -was busily drowning the fine-spun desert dust that -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P49"></a>49}</span> -had settled thickly on the newly born macadamized -street. Here was an Arab café, with low benches on -the inclined plane principle like seats in a theatre, -where the occupants sipped their Mocha from tiny -cups, or inhaled tobacco-smoke through the amber -stem of a hubble-bubble, watching the passing show, -and betimes discussing the idiosyncrasies of the -strange race of unbelievers that has settled itself -down in the fair city which once had been the pride -of Islam. -</p> - -<p> -Truly a city of contrasts! Cheek by jowl with the -Arab café was an eating-house full of British soldiers. -The principal street runs parallel with the river and, -as one proceeded, it was possible to catch glimpses -of pleasant gardens running down to the water's -edge and embowering handsome villas—gardens where -pomegranates, figs, oranges, and lemons grew in -abundance. The Oriental readily adapts himself to -changing circumstances, and unhesitatingly abandons -the master of yesterday to follow the new one of -to-day. Already traces of the Ottoman dominion -were being obliterated. The Turkish language was -disappearing from shop signs to be replaced by -English or French, with, in some cases, a total -disregard of etymology, such choice gems as "Englisch -talking lessons," "Stanley Maude wash company" -(this over a laundry), "British tommy shave room," -showing at all events a praiseworthy attempt to -wrestle with the niceties of the English language. -</p> - -<p> -Bagdad as I saw it in the first days following my -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P50"></a>50}</span> -arrival struck me as a place whose remains of faded -greatness still clung about it. No one could deny -its claim to a certain wild beauty which age, dirt, -and decay have not been able wholly to eliminate. -The glory of the river scene is unsurpassable. -</p> - -<p> -To see Bagdad at its best one must view it from -the balcony of the British Residency (now General -Headquarters). Here, as you look down upon the -river, the old bridge of boats connecting with the -western bank is on your right, and handsome villas -where flowers grow in profusion, the residences of -former Turkish officials or wealthy citizens, adorn -the foreshore. -</p> - -<p> -The river is broad and majestic, and strange craft -dot its surface. Here is a Kufa, in itself a link with -antiquity, a circular boat of basketware covered with -bitumen, sometimes big enough to hold ten men and -two or three laden donkeys. Its cross-river course -is decidedly eccentric. Propelled by crudely -fashioned paddles wielded by sturdy oarsmen, its -progress from shore to shore is leisurely and -cumbersome as, caught into the eddying current, it twirls -slowly, with a rotatory movement, like the dying -motion of some giant spinning-top. -</p> - -<p> -The cheerful Thomas Atkins promptly christened -the kufa "Noah's Dinghy," and lost no time in -getting afloat therein. Some of the Australians at -Hinaida Camp organized a kufa regatta, the course -being across river and back, a distance of about two -miles. A waterproof sheet was attached as a sail -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P51"></a>51}</span> -by one enterprising Anzac, but even that did not -help to accelerate very appreciably the snail-like -progress of his aquatic tub. Local tradition avers -that Sinbad the Sailor came spinning down from -Bagdad to Basra in a kufa, when he signed on at -the Gulf port for his first ocean voyage. Who -knows? Kufas are depicted on some of the old -Assyrian monuments. -</p> - -<p> -A close relative surely to the Kufa is the Kellik -or Mussik raft of the upper Tigris. Constructed of -a square framework of wood buoyed by inflated goat-skins, -it is widely utilized as a cargo carrier on these -inland waterways. Piled high with hay and a -miscellaneous collection of live-stock, it will waddle -off down river with a crew of three or four, and half -a dozen or so passengers. Sometimes the cargo -shifts, or the goat-skin bladders become deflated, -and the kellik, down by the nose or stern, grows -more unwieldy than ever. A little mishap of this -kind never bothers the crew. They steer for some -convenient point on the river-bank where the water -is shallow, unhitch the defective skins, and inflate -them afresh with the unaided power of their own -lungs. The cargo righted, and the trim of their -cumbersome raft restored, they will push off into -midstream and continue their venturesome journey, -logging a steady two knots. -</p> - -<p> -But on an upstream trip it is another story. Then -the laden or empty kellik has to be towed, and hard -work it is to make headway when the river is in -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P52"></a>52}</span> -flood and racing down to meet its brother, the -Euphrates, on their joint way to the Gulf. -</p> - -<p> -Going upstream the kellik keeps as close in shore as -possible. Two men in the boat keep her from going -aground, while a couple of others yoke themselves -to a towline and move along the margin of the stream -much like the canal bargees in Holland. But on the -Tigris there is no well-defined towing path, and the -course resolves itself into a kind of zigzag cross-country -obstacle race, and the agility and dexterity -with which these muscular native rivermen harnessed -to the towline of a heavily laden raft will negotiate -sunken ground, canal ditches, tumble-down village -walls, and a few other natural hazards on a stretch -of Tigris' river-bank, is extraordinary to behold. -The life of a galley slave in Carthage must have been -a soft snap indeed compared with that of the -dark-skinned toilers who tug at an up-river kellik under -the full force of a Mesopotamian sun. -</p> - -<p> -Bagdad as a city takes us back to the horizon -rim of the world's history. There still clings to it -an air of musty antiquity and prehistoric dirt which -the efforts of its new masters, the British, with -pick-and-shovel sanitary science, and other new-fangled -inventions of Western civilization, have not entirely -eradicated. The beardless invaders from over the -seas have sought to scrape clean its ancient bones, -to straighten out the kink in its narrow, tortuous, -and evil-smelling streets, and to let the light of day -and a little wholesome fresh air penetrate into the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P53"></a>53}</span> -gloom and dampness of its rabbit-warren of a bazaar. -Staid, solemn-looking citizens, with the green turban -of Mecca enveloping their venerable heads, whose -ancestors probably drifted in here when overland -travel was resumed after the Flood, have looked on -in pious horror while festering slum areas have been -laid low by British pickaxes. These Hadjis, fervent -believers in tradition, and uncompromising opponents -of innovation, have caressed their beards thoughtfully -when confronted with the new order of things, -and come to the philosophic conclusion that, as -Kipling has it, "Allah created the English mad, the -maddest of all mankind." -</p> - -<p> -Biblical history is no longer vague and shadowy, -but takes on a new meaning and an added significance -to anyone who explores old Bagdad with eyes to see. -As I wandered through its bazaars in quest of -antiquities and bargains in bric-à-brac and rare -damascened weapons, I often forgot the primary -object of my visit while strolling silently about -contentedly studying the hastening crowds who elbowed -and fought their way along the narrow streets, or -watching the complacent shopkeepers who sat cross-legged -in their narrow, cell-like shops, haggling over -prices with some prospective buyer. It was like -throwing Biblical romance and Biblical tragedy on a -cinema screen, only that now it lived and was real -flesh and blood. Here were the descendants of the -Jews of the Captivity—shrewd-looking, sharp-featured -merchants, traffickers in gold and silver, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P54"></a>54}</span> -dealers in antiquities, a living link between that very -remote yesterday and the modern to-day, amassing -much wealth in the land of their perpetual exile, -carrying on unbrokenly the religion and traditions of -Judaism—in dress, manners, customs, and speech as -unchanged and unchanging as on the day when the -heavy hand of the Babylonian oppressor smote their -forbears and they were led away into slavery. -</p> - -<p> -And here, too, now competing in commercial -rivalry with the sons of Abraham, are lineal descendants -of Assyrians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, and -of those other warring races who between them -made history in the long ago. -</p> - -<p> -The descendants of the Jews of the Captivity have -never wandered far afield, and it would even seem -that they have preferred exile to repatriation. Bagdad -formed part of Babylonia, and a three hours' train -journey to Hilleh on the Euphrates will land the -Bagdad Jew of an archæological turn of mind amidst -the ruins of ancient Babylon. -</p> - -<p> -The Jew venerates Bagdad as a sort of lesser Zion. -It was long the seat of the Exilarch, and is still the -rallying centre of Eastern Judaism. Monuments -and tombs of the mighty ones of the Chosen Race -are scattered over Lower Mesopotamia. There is the -reputed tomb of Ezra on the Shatt el Arab near -Korna, that of Ezekiel in the village called Kefil, -while the prophet Daniel has a holy well bearing his -name at Hilleh near the ruins of Babylon. But the -chief place of pious pilgrimage for Bagdad Jews lies -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P55"></a>55}</span> -in a palm grove an hour's journey from the city on -the Euphrates road. Here is said to be buried -Joshua, son of Josedech, a high priest towards the -end of the captivity period. -</p> - -<p> -Western Bagdad, on the right bank of the Tigris, -always recognizing and rendering a somewhat sullen -obedience to the sway of the Turkish Sultan, is -separated from Eastern Bagdad by much more than -the deep waters of the river. Its inhabitants for the -most part are Mohammedans of the Shi'ite sect, as -opposed to the orthodox or Sunni creed of the Turks. -The Shias may be described as Islamic dissenters, -and their cult is the state religion of Persia. -Ethnologically and politically they are closer akin to Iran -than to Turkey, and their eyes are more frequently -turned to Teheran than to Istambul. In Western -Bagdad they have their own mosques, their own -bazaars, and their own shrines, and lead lives more -or less isolated from their Asiatic brethren on the -opposite side of the river. -</p> - -<p> -During a visit to the famous Shi'ite mosque and -shrine at Kazemain, a suburb of the Western City, -I found that the people, while outwardly friendly and -polite, were much more fanatical than the average -Sunni Mussulman, and were inclined to resent any -attempt on the part of a Giaour like myself to see -the interior of their mosques and shrines. I had for -companions General Byron and Lieutenant Akhbar, -the latter a professing Shi'ite. We crossed by the -new pontoon swing bridge which now connects the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P56"></a>56}</span> -two shores, superseding the old bridge of boats of -Turkish days. -</p> - -<p> -The houses are huddled together, and are squat -and meanly built, with the low encircling walls and -roofed parapets of sun-dried mud so common to -Persian villages. The streets are barely wide enough -for two pedestrians to pass abreast, and are full of -holes or covered with garbage. As for the inhabitants, -they were miserably clad, and the few women -whom we chanced to encounter in our path hastily -stepped aside and, turning from us, made a furtive -effort to veil themselves by covering the upper part -of their faces with a dirty piece of rag produced from -the voluminous folds of a sleeve-pocket. -</p> - -<p> -We did not tarry here very long. Quitting this -waterside hamlet we drove three miles to Kazemain -itself, passing en route the terminus of the -Bagdad-Anatolian Railway, that great link of steel in the -chain of German world-expansion the completion of -which, under the existing concession, would have -been commercially and economically fatal to us in -Western Asia. -</p> - -<p> -The tomb-mosque of Kazemain is one of the architectural -landmarks of Bagdad. Its twin domes and -its four lofty minarets, all overlaid with gold, are -visible for miles as the traveller approaches Bagdad -from the west. When the rays of the noonday sun -strike on these gilded cupolas and graceful tapering -columns it enhances their beauty a hundredfold, -and throws into bold relief all their harmony and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P57"></a>57}</span> -symmetry. It recalled to me vividly, but in a minor -degree, some of the wonder and the glory of that -other great monument of an Eastern land—the Taj -Mahal at Agra. But while the one is secular and -commemorative of earthly love, the other has a deeply -religious significance, for in the imposing mosque of -Kazemain are buried Musa Ibn Ja'far el Kazim and -his grandson, Ibn Ali el Jawad, the seventh and -ninth of the successors of Ali, the son-in-law of -Mahomet, and recognized by the Shias as the rightful -Caliphs of Islam. As a centre of pilgrimage for -Shi'ite Moslems, Kazemain ranks second after Kerbela, -the tomb of Hosain the Martyr; and from the point -of view of sanctity, Kazemain is considered to take -even higher place than either Samarra or Nejef, the -other two Shi'ite shrines in the Vilayet of Bagdad. -</p> - -<p> -The customary crowd of beggars, maimed, halt, -and blind, whined to us as we alighted before the -great gate of Kazemain Mosque. Three or four small -boys, who had stolen a free ride by clinging to the -back of the automobile while it crawled dead slow -through the gloomy, winding streets of the bazaar, -now demanded a pishkash (the Persian equivalent of -backsheesh). Mollahs, Sayyeds, and other reputed -holy men, springing apparently from nowhere, formed -a ring around us, deeply interested in our dress, our -speech, the colour of our hair, and our beardless faces. -More especially was the wondering attention of the -crowd concentrated on Akhbar, himself a native -Persian, holding the King's commission and wearing -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P58"></a>58}</span> -the King's khaki. "What manner of man is this?" -asked the puzzled onlookers. "Is he Infidel or True -Believer? for, by the Beard of the Prophet, he -speaks our holy tongue as well as we do ourselves!" -</p> - -<p> -Now there intervened an elderly personage in the -Abba or flowing robes affected by the better class -of Persian, with a green kamarband indicating his -claim to lineal descent from the Prophet. The -new-comer, whose hair and beard were plentifully dyed -with henna—a never-failing sign, I was assured, of -virtue and virility—offered to go in search of the -Mujtahid or Chief Priest. -</p> - -<p> -He returned presently with that important -functionary, who salaamed, but looked at us coldly and -suspiciously, I thought. A whispered colloquy now -took place between himself and Akhbar. He had no -doubt as to the heterodoxy of the General and myself, -but, on the other hand, at first he was not convinced -of the orthodoxy of Akhbar, this professed Believer -clad in Infidel garb. All Akhbar's impassioned -pleading failed to move him. Akhbar himself might enter -freely, but as for the two Unbelievers, they must not -set foot within the jealously guarded portals of the -holy place. -</p> - -<p> -Up to this point the negotiations had been -singularly free from anything even remotely connected -with coin of the realm. I think it was the Mujtahid -himself who, in his most winning manner, hinted -that "Blessed is he that giveth," and that even the -dole of an Unbeliever might win merit in the sight -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P59"></a>59}</span> -of Allah. We gave accordingly, whereupon the -Mujtahid, out of the kindness of his heart, and by -way of requiting our generosity, said he would enable -us to see something of the Shi'ite "holy of holies." With -himself as guide we were led by a circular route -to a caravanserai for pilgrims which stood close to -the high wall of the mosque. The place was -untenanted, but, mounting by a flight of rickety stairs -to the flat and somewhat unstable roof, we were able -to overlook the interior courtyard of the mosque, -to note its gilt façade, and to watch the worshippers -performing their ablutions at the fountain in the -centre of the courtyard. With this we had to be -content. -</p> - -<p> -The Shrine down to recent days had been a sanctuary -for criminals fleeing from justice, but the -Turkish overlords, it is said, when a fugitive happened -to be of sufficient importance, were able by cajolery -and bribery to override Sanctuary and secure the -man they wanted. In consequence, Kazemain lost -its popularity with fugitive law-breakers. -</p> - -<p> -The populace at the termination of our visit gave -us a hearty send-off, and the beggars, whose -persistence and persuasiveness it was difficult to resist, -having relieved us of sundry krans and rupees, called -down the blessing of Allah on our heads. -</p> - -<p> -The Sunni Moslems have many imposing places of -worship in Bagdad. The Mosque of Marjanieh is -noted for its very fine Arabesque work, bearing -considerable resemblance to the ornamentations on the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P60"></a>60}</span> -Mosque at Cordova, in Spain. There is also the -Mosque of Khaseki, which is believed to have been -once a Christian Church. Its Roman arch, with -square pedestals and its spirally-fluted columns, -reveal an architectural school that is not Oriental. -</p> - -<p> -Outside the walls of the Western City is the reputed -site of the tomb of Zobeide, the wife of Haroun al -Raschid. The eroding hand of Time has dealt heavily -with this once splendid mausoleum, but its curiously-shaped -pineapple dome is still intact, and survives -proudly amongst the ruin and decay of a dead-and-gone -civilization. Niebuhr, the German traveller -who visited this tomb in the middle of the eighteenth -century, says he discovered an inscription setting -forth that it was the site of the ancient burying-place -of Zobeide, but that about 1488, Ayesha Khanum, -wife of a Governor of Bagdad, was also given sepulture -there. Doubt is thrown upon the historical accuracy -of Niebuhr by many scholars, and there is a legend -that Zobeide was buried at Kazemain. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap07"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P61"></a>61}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VII -<br /><br /> -EARLY HISTORY OF DUNSTERVILLE'S FORCE -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Jealousy and muddle—The dash for the Caspian—Holding on -hundreds of miles from anywhere—A 700-mile raid that -failed—The cockpit of the Middle East—Some recent politics in -Persia—How our way to the Caspian was barred. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Bagdad is not a pleasant place of residence when the -Sherki, or south wind, blows, and when at noonday -the shade temperature is often 122 degrees Fahr. For -Europeans, work is then out of the question, and it is -impossible to venture abroad in the scorching air. -There is nothing for it but a suit of the thinnest -pyjamas and a siesta in the Serdab or underground -room which forms part of most Bagdad houses. The -local equivalent of a punkah is usually to be found -here, and this helps to make life just bearable during -the hot season. -</p> - -<p> -At Headquarters and administrative branches there -was a welcome cessation of labour from tiffin time -until after the great heat of the day. But the late -Sir Stanley Maude, when in chief command at Bagdad, -demanded a very full day's work from his staff, and -suffered no afternoon siesta. He set the example -himself, and on even the hottest days was absent -from his desk only during meal hours. Maude, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P62"></a>62}</span> -splendid soldier and genial gentleman that he was, -boasted of an iron constitution which was impervious -alike to Mesopotamian heat and Mesopotamian -malaria. -</p> - -<p> -The cool weather had already set in when the -Bagdad party took up its abode under canvas at -Hinaida. We found already there an earlier -contingent which had been gathered together from units -serving in Mesopotamia and Salonika. No one knew -quite what to do with us, and General Headquarters -was seemingly divided in mind as to whether -we should be treated as interlopers, and interned for -the duration of the War, or left severely alone to -work out our own salvation, or damnation, as we -might see fit. The latter view carried the day, and -our welcome in official quarters was therefore -distinctly chilling. The difficulty chiefly arose, it -appears, because General Dunsterville, the leader of -our expedition, had been given a separate command, -and was independent of the General commanding-in-chief -in Mesopotamia. Jealousy was created in high -quarters. There was a spirited exchange of telegrams -with the War Office, in which such phrases as "Quite -impossible of realization," "Opposed to all military -precedent," are said to have figured prominently. -</p> - -<p> -In February, in the middle of the rainy season, -and while the snow still lay thick upon the Persian -mountain passes, General Dunsterville had collected -some motor transports and, taking with him a handful -of officers, had made a dash for the Caspian Sea. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P63"></a>63}</span> -His intention was to seize and hold Enzeli, the -Persian port on the Caspian, in order either to bluff -or to beat the Russian Bolsheviks there into -submission, and to use it as a base for operations against -Baku, which had become a stronghold of -German-Turkish-Bolshevik activity. -</p> - -<p> -After untold difficulties, one party crossed the -rain-sodden Persian uplands, hewed a road over the -snow-covered Assadabad Pass for their Ford cars, -and, although severely tried by cold and hunger, -succeeded in reaching Hamadan. Leaving a small -band of men there to keep the unfriendly Persian -population in check, Dunsterville pushed on for -Kasvin, and thence to Resht, a few miles from Enzeli, -brushing aside the stray bands of armed marauders -that sought to bar his progress. -</p> - -<p> -The goal was in sight, but, unsupported, and -without supplies, and hundreds of miles from his small -party at Hamadan, he found himself unable to hold -on. His enemies were numerous and well-armed. -Awed at first by the appearance of this handful of -British officers who had unconcernedly motored into -their midst after a seven-hundred-mile raid across -Mesopotamia and Persia, the Bolsheviks and their -German-subsidized Persian auxiliaries were for -temporizing—nay, they even invited the British General -to a conference to discuss the situation; and, in the -hope of arriving at the basis of an understanding, -Dunsterville accepted the invitation to confer with -them. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P64"></a>64}</span> -</p> - -<p> -In the meantime his enemies had not been idle. -Their spies were quick to report that no British -reinforcements were arriving. Dunsterville's numerical -weakness was apparent, and the drooping spirits -of the Bolshevik Council revived. It had been cowed -into inaction, but now it grew bold, and its attitude -became menacing. The British General was presented -with an ultimatum demanding his immediate -withdrawal on pain of capture and death. -</p> - -<p> -There was no help for it. Withdraw Dunsterville -must, and did. The Ford cars carrying the daring -raiders sped away from the Bazaar of Resht and -back to Hamadan, and through streets crowded with -armed and hostile ruffians ripe for any crime. -</p> - -<p> -This, briefly, was the situation in the early days of -March. Dunsterville had leaped and failed. He -was back at Hamadan, holding on tenaciously, with -a small body of officers and N.C.O.'s, no men, lacking -supplies, from which he was separated by hundreds -of miles of roadless country made doubly impassable -by rain and melting snow, and threatened with -extermination by unfriendly tribesmen who, -wolf-like, were baying round him, eager yet afraid to -strike. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-064"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-064.jpg" alt="HOTEL D'EUROPE AT RESHT." /> -<br /> -HOTEL D'EUROPE AT RESHT. -</p> - -<p> -But, one will ask, what were Dunsterville and his -force doing in Persia at all? And why had Britain, -who had gone to war with Germany because the latter -had overrun neutral Belgium, and who had professed -so much horror for Germany's aggression, why had -she, of all nations, violated Persian neutrality, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P65"></a>65}</span> -invaded Persian territory, and ignored Persian protests? -The answer is simply that we entered Persia to -defend Persian rights as much as to defend our own -cause and the cause of the Allies. The territory of -the Shah had been devastated by contending armies -of Turks and Russians. It had been swept by fire -and sword; and now those twin handmaidens of -ruthless war, famine and disease, were abroad in -the land of Iran, slaying indiscriminately such of the -wretched helpless populace as had escaped the fury -and the sword of Turk and Muscovite. Persia, by -reason of its geographical boundaries—its frontiers -being coterminous with those of Russia and Turkey—had -in the early part of the great world struggle -become the cockpit of the Middle East. The weak, -emasculated Government of the Shah, a mere set -of marionettes, hopped about on the political stage -of a corrupt capital. It had no will of its own; and, -even if it had, the constitutional advisers of the -"King of Kings" had no means of enforcing it. -</p> - -<p> -Hating Russia politically, and perhaps not without -reason, coquetting with Turkey because of the -common religious bond of Islamism, Persia herself -very early in the War failed to observe the obligations -which neutrality imposed upon her. She aided -and abetted the emissaries of the Central Powers. -Hun gold was the charm at which her gates flew -open to admit Prussian drill-instructors, whose business -was to organize and train the wild tribes of the -south-west for raids against our vulnerable right -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P66"></a>66}</span> -flank in Mesopotamia. The "Volunteers of Islam," -a body of fanatical Mollahs with a leavening of -Turkish military officers and of bespectacled -professors of German Kultur, were recruited round Lake -Van in Turkish Armenia. They had for their object -the preaching of a holy war in Afghanistan against -Britain, and the setting alight of our Indian -north-west territory. The "Volunteers of Islam," moving -across the Persian frontier, established their base in -Persian Kermanshah preparatory to turning their -faces eastward in the long trek to Herat and the -scene of their Islamic and anti-British crusade. -</p> - -<p> -They were destined never to behold the mountain -passes of their "Promised Land," for, valour -outrunning their discretion, these militants of Islam and -Potsdam, while engaged in the final preparations for -the journey to Afghanistan, were foolish enough to -throw in their lot with a Mesopotamian frontier tribe -which was thirsting to distinguish itself in battle -against the British. The combat duly took place, -and the insolent tribesmen were punished for their -foolhardiness. In fact, they found extinction, instead -of the looked-for distinction; and many "Volunteers -of Islam" were also given sepulture by the vultures, -the <i>concessionaires des tombeaux</i> in these parts. As -for the survivors, they readily abandoned Kermanshah -for the greater security offered by the Armenian -highlands. -</p> - -<p> -After the Russian military collapse in the winter -of 1917, followed by the Bolshevist triumph and the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P67"></a>67}</span> -signing of the shameful treaty of Brest Litovsk, -the Germans and their infamous allies, the followers -of Lenin and Trotsky, lost no time in making -themselves masters of the Caucasus. Tiflis fell, and -arrayed itself under the Red Banner of National -Shame; Armenians, Georgians, and Tartars, all -victims of Turkish misrule, but hating each other -more cordially than they collectively hated the -Osmanli oppressor, wrangling over their respective -claims to independent nationhood, varied by the -absorbing passion of slitting each other's throats, -were all too busy to seek to make common cause -against the Bolshevik wolf when it appeared before -their fold in the guise of a German lamb. -</p> - -<p> -Would that all these nationless peoples of the -Caucasus, who with so much vehemence are always -pleading their own inalienable right to self-determination, -possessed military gifts commensurate with their -brilliant, perfervid, never failing oratory! If they -could fight only half as well as they can talk, what -unrivalled soldiers they would be! -</p> - -<p> -The Bolsheviks and their German masters and -paymasters, coming down the railway line from -Tiflis, speedily possessed themselves of Baku and its -oil wells. Immediately opposite Baku, and on the -eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, is Krasnovodsk, -the terminus of the Transcaspian Railway, that -important strategic line which links up the khanates of -Russian Turkestan, connects, on the one hand, -Samarkand with Orenburg and the main <i>reseau</i> of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P68"></a>68}</span> -Russian railways, and, on the other, bifurcates and -comes to a dead stop—resembling the extended jaws -of a pincers—within hailing distance of the Afghan -frontier. Once masters of the Caspian littoral and -of the Russian gunboats which patrolled its waters, -the Bolsheviks and their German allies were free to -use the Transcaspian Railway, and to menace India -seriously by way of Afghanistan. -</p> - -<p> -At all events, they lost no time in invading Persia -from the sea by way of Enzeli. Here they found -eager sympathisers and willing auxiliaries in the -Persian Democrats, a political party with considerable -influence and following in Resht itself and -throughout the Persian provinces of Gilan and -Mazandaran. The Democrats laid claim to represent -the intelligentza of North-Eastern Persia. Their -profession of political faith was, broadly, "Persia for -the Persians," the abolition of all foreign meddling -in Persian affairs, and the ending of the Russian and -British spheres of influence. But it was against the -British that their virulent hatred and political -conspiracies were chiefly directed. While they feared -the British, they despised the Russians. As one of -the leaders of this "Young Persia Movement" said -to me when we had a heart-to-heart talk in Kasvin, -"To our sorrow we find that the British are honest -and incorruptible, therefore they are dangerous. -Should they decide to stay here, we could never hope -to turn them out. On the other hand, to our joy -we recognize that neither the Russians nor the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P69"></a>69}</span> -Turks possess these high moral attributes, -consequently there was always the hope that some day -we might be able to escort the last of them to the -frontier." -</p> - -<p> -The "Young Persia" representative put his case -concisely, fairly, and without any tinge of political -jaundice. None better than he realized the -impotency of the vacillating Teheran Government to -enforce its paper protests against the violation of -Persian neutrality. Its only military instrument -was a ragged, unpaid, undisciplined rabble, which -international courtesy has been wont to designate -an Army. The Persian Democrats therefore linked -up with the Bolsheviks. But it would be erroneous -to assume that their ranks were recruited entirely -from disinterested patriots, inspired by the highest -altruistic ideals, burning to rid their country of the -foreigner—be he Briton, Turk, or Russian—in order -that Persia might be free to work out her own political -salvation in her own way and without interference -from anybody. Some there were in the ranks of the -Democrats actuated only by love of country, as they -conceived it, who, with noble resolve in their hearts, -trod the financially unremunerative path which led -to the goal of political glory. There was always -plenty of elbow-room and never any overcrowding -on this road. The great majority of the Democrats, -as I found them, put pul (<i>i.e.</i>, money) before patriotism, -and for them a Turkish lira, or a twenty-mark -piece, had an irresistible attraction. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P70"></a>70}</span> -</p> - -<p> -With the downfall of Russia as a military power, -her Army, which had pushed down through Persia -in order to effect a junction with the British in -Mesopotamia, rapidly retreated, and as rapidly -disintegrated, smitten by the deadly plague of Bolshevism. -Discipline and organization were at an end; obedience -was no longer rendered to Army Chief, corps -commander, or regimental officer, but to the soldiers' -own "Red Committee"—usually with a sergeant at -its head—which, besides usurping the functions of -Generalissimo, became the Supreme War Council of -the Army, giving an irrevocable decision upon -everything from high strategy to vulgar plundering. Now -two Russian generals, named Bicherakoff and Baratof, -appeared on the troubled stage of Persian politics. -From the debris of an army they had gathered round -them the odds and ends of stray Russian regiments, -bands of irregulars from Transcaucasia, and Cossacks -from the Don and the Terek—stout fighting men of -the mercenary type, whose trade was war and whose -only asset was their sword. -</p> - -<p> -Both Bicherakoff and Baratof were loyal to the -cause of Imperial Russia and her Allies, and refused -to bend the knee to Lenin and Trotsky. They were -willing to make war on our side as subsidized -auxiliaries. In short, these heterogeneous cohorts were -for sale; they possessed a certain military value, and -the British taxpayer bought them at an inflated -price, and also their right, title, and interest, if any, -in the abandoned motor lorries, machine-guns, and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P71"></a>71}</span> -military stores of all kinds which littered the track -of the retreating, disorganized Russian Army. The -British military treasure-chest also honoured a -proportion of the Russian requisition notes which had -been given to the extent of millions of roubles in -exchange for Persian local supplies, and which the -Persian holders knew full well would never be -liquidated by any Bolshevik Government in Petrograd -or elsewhere. -</p> - -<p> -Our friends, the Russians, having sold us their -supplies for the common cause, made some difficulty -about handing them over. The soldiers, it was said, -claimed that war material was national property, -and objected to its appropriation unless they, -representing so many national shareholders, were each -paid on a cash basis a proper proportion of the -purchase price. This was a deadlock that was never -satisfactorily adjusted. Our new Russian allies also -offered to sell us the 160 miles of road from Kasvin -to Hamadan which had been constructed by a Russian -Company, and was being maintained by a system of -tolls levied upon goods and passengers. But the -price was so formidable that, if we had closed with -the bargain, the British Exchequer would have -needed the wealth of Golconda to complete the -transaction. -</p> - -<p> -Bicherakoff and his volunteers concentrated at -Kasvin, at the junction of the roads leading to Resht -and the Caspian in the north, to Tabriz in the -north-west, to Teheran in the south-east, and to Hamadan -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P72"></a>72}</span> -and Kermanshah in the south-west. Here they -imposed an effective barrier against the flowing tide -of Bolshevism coming from the Caspian, and it was -hoped that they might be able to keep open the road -from Kasvin to Resht and Enzeli. -</p> - -<p> -The distance from Kasvin to Resht is about eighty -miles. Half-way, at Manjil, there is a road bridge -over the Kizil Uzun River, and the country beyond -is covered with thick jungle, which fringes the -roadway on both sides. -</p> - -<p> -About the time the Russians were sitting down in -Kasvin awaiting developments, there appeared in -the jungle country a redoubtable leader named -Kuchik Khan, who was destined to exercise -considerable influence on the military situation in the -region of the Caspian. Kuchik Khan was a Persian -of a certain culture and refinement of manner, -endowed with courage, personal magnetism, and great -force of character. He possessed, moreover, no little -knowledge of European political institutions and of -the science of government as practised in the West. -The personification of militant "Young Persia," he -proclaimed himself an apostle of reform. Preaching -the doctrine of Persian Nationalism in the broadest -sense, he declared that he was the uncompromising -enemy alike of misrule within and interference from -without. Recruits, attracted by good pay and the -prospects of loot, flocked to his standard from amongst -the harassed and overtaxed peasant population, and -were soon licked into tolerable military shape by -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P73"></a>73}</span> -German and Turkish officers. Rifles, machine-guns, -ammunition, military equipment, and money were -also forthcoming from German sources. His army, -which had its own distinctive uniform, grew rapidly, -and it was not long before Kuchik Khan found -himself strong enough to bid defiance to Teheran and -its feeble Government. He set up as a semi-independent -ruler, and had his own council of political -and military advisers. Kuchik Khan's tax-gatherers -collected and appropriated the Shah's revenues in -Gilan and in part of Mazandaran, and his power -became paramount from Manjil to the Caspian Sea. -The Jungalis, as his followers were called, under -German instruction became proficient in trench -warfare. Selecting a good defensive position, they dug -themselves in along the Manjil-Resht road, and their -advanced outposts held the bridge head at Manjil -itself. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-072"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-072.jpg" alt="STONE BRIDGE AT SIAH RUD WHICH IS THE PROBABLE PLACE OF ATTACK FROM ANY OF THE JUNGLE TRIBES. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE HANTS SUFFERED CASUALTIES." /> -<br /> -STONE BRIDGE AT SIAH RUD WHICH IS THE PROBABLE PLACE OF ATTACK <br /> -FROM ANY OF THE JUNGLE TRIBES. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE <br /> -HANTS SUFFERED CASUALTIES. -</p> - -<p> -Kuchik Khan, as Persians go, was relatively -honest, and was possibly inspired by patriotic zeal; -but this did not prevent his becoming a pliant and -very useful military asset in the hands of the enemies -of the Entente Powers. At their behest he bolted -and barred the door giving access to the Caspian -and for the British, at all events, labelled it, "On ne -passe pas!" -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap08"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P74"></a>74}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VIII -<br /><br /> -OFF TO PERSIA -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Au revoir to Bagdad—The forts on the frontier—Customs house -for the dead—A land of desolation and death—A city of the -past—An underground mess—Methods of rifle thieves. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -It was not until the beginning of April (1918) that -the intermittent rainfall practically ceased, and -allowed a contingent of the weatherbound Dunsterville -party to turn their faces towards Hamadan, -where our General and his small force were said to -be in dire straits. -</p> - -<p> -The advanced base near Baqubah on the Diala -River, north-east of Bagdad, where some of our unit -were under canvas, was a quagmire; and the road -beyond the Persian frontier was reported to be -impassable for man, motor, or animal transport. -But four consecutive days of fine weather effected a -transformation. The heat of the sun converted the -liquid mud of the plains into half-baked clay, and -the road itself showed a hard crust upon its surface. -</p> - -<p> -No time was lost in setting out for Persia. The -force from the advanced base began its march at -daylight on April 5. Baggage and transport were -cut down to the lowest possible limits, and General -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P75"></a>75}</span> -Byron and I moved ahead of the column in a Ford -van. -</p> - -<p> -On the first night we reached the headquarters of -General Thompson, commanding the 14th Division -operating on the Diala. Next morning, the weather -still promising fair, we were off betimes, and, in spite -of road difficulties, at ten o'clock reached the Motor -Transport Depot at Khaniquin, the last town on -the Turkish side. After a brief halt to enable us to -swop our somewhat war-worn car for a more efficient -one, we started again, and, within an hour of pulling -up at Khaniquin, had crossed the frontier into -Persia. -</p> - -<p> -As we approached the boundary of the crumbling -Ottoman Empire at this point, the road wound round -a low hill. On an eminence above stood a tumble-down -martello tower which once had held a Turkish -guard; and on a corresponding height on the other -side were the ruins of a Persian fort. From these -vantage points the two Asiatic Empires, both now -crumbling in decay, had for centuries jealously -watched each other, quarrelling over a mile or two -of disputed territory with all the vehemence of their -Oriental blood. -</p> - -<p> -Near Khaniquin, on the Turkish side, we saw what -had once been the Quarantine and Customs Stations. -It was here that the corpse caravans, coming from -the interior of Persia and bound for Kerbela, one of -the holy places of the Shi'ite sect, halted and paid -Customs dues. It is the pious wish of every Persian -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P76"></a>76}</span> -to be buried at Kerbela, near the shrine of Hossain -the Martyr. The town is in the Vilayet of Bagdad, -and in pre-war days the Turks derived a very -handsome revenue from tolls levied on dead Persians -who were being transported to their last resting-place -beside the waters of the Euphrates. It was a -gruesome but lucrative traffic for the living, whether -Customs officials or muleteers. These caravans of -dead, by reason of the absence of anything approaching -proper hygienic precautions, probably also carried -with them into Asiatic Turkey a varied assortment -of endemic diseases. When Persians whose -testamentary dispositions earmarked them for the last -pilgrimage to Kerbela died, they were buried for a -year. At the end of this period they were exhumed, -enveloped in coarse sacking, lashed two by two on the -back of a mule, and carried to their new resting-place, -accompanied by bands of sorrowing friends and -relatives. -</p> - -<p> -We were now well over the frontier, and found -ourselves in a land of desolation and death. Our -way lay past ruined and deserted villages, many of -the inhabitants of which had been blotted out by -famine. Beyond a few Persian road guards in -British pay, or an occasional native labour corps -road-making under the protection of a detachment -of Indian Infantry, the country seemed destitute of -life. On the other side of the frontier I had heard -a good deal as to the appalling economic conditions -of Persia, and of the shortage of food; but now, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P77"></a>77}</span> -brought face to face with the terrible reality, I -understood for the first time its full significance. -</p> - -<p> -Men and women, shrivelled and huddled heaps of -stricken humanity, lay dead in the public ways, -their stiffened fingers still clutching a bunch of grass -plucked from the roadside, or a few roots torn up -from the fields with which they had sought to lessen -the tortures of death from starvation. At other -times a gaunt, haggard figure, bearing some -resemblance to a human being, would crawl on all -fours across the roadway in front of the approaching -car, and with signs rather than speech plead for a -crust of bread. Hard indeed would be the heart that -could refuse such an appeal! So overboard went -our ration supply of army biscuit, bit by bit, on this -our first day in the hungry land of the Shah! -</p> - -<p> -At Kasr-i-Shirin, where we made a short halt, we -were soon surrounded by a starving multitude asking -for food. One poor woman with a baby in her arms -begged us to save her child. We gave her half a -tin of potted meat and some biscuits, for which she -called down the blessing of Allah on our heads. Her -maternal solicitude was touching, for, although it -was evident that she was suffering from extreme -hunger, no food passed her lips until her baby had -been supplied. -</p> - -<p> -The western slopes of Kasr-i-Shirin are covered -with the remains of a great city. The outline of -extensive walls can be traced amidst the debris of -masonry. Masses of roughly hewn sandstone strew -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P78"></a>78}</span> -the ground. Within the ancient enclosure are heaps -of tumble-down masonry, all that exists of the houses -that formerly stood there. Some little distance away -are traceable the ruined outlines of a splendid palace -with spacious underground apartments and beautiful -archways, once the residence of some Acharmenian -or Sasanian monarch. The remains of a rock-hewn -aqueduct, with reservoir, troughs, and stone pipes, -which brought water to this city of antiquity from -a distance of twelve miles, are still to be seen. -</p> - -<p> -From Kasr-i-Shirin onwards there was a gradual -descent to the bottom of the Pai Tak Pass. It is three -miles to the top of the Pass, and there is a difference -in altitude of about fifteen hundred feet. Whatever -else they may be, Persians are not roadmakers. -Formerly the only way to scale Pai Tak was by -following a mule track which wound round the -sparsely wooded slopes of the hill. But now British -military engineers had done some useful spade work -there; an excellent road had been built with easy -gradients, and Pai Tak was negotiable for Ford cars, -and even for heavily laden Peerless lorries. -</p> - -<p> -The view from the top was superb. On either -side of the plateau towered snow-capped mountains. -We found in possession, under Colonel Mathews, a -British force consisting of the 14th Hants. The -Colonel himself was absent; but the officers of the -battalion gave us a hearty welcome, and fixed us up -with quarters for the night. -</p> - -<p> -The Senjabi tribesmen round about were troublesome, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P79"></a>79}</span> -and their leader, Ali Akhbar Khan, incited by -German propagandists, seemed bent upon coming -into collision with the British. It was bitterly cold -at Surkhidizeh on the top of the Pai Tak Pass, and -we enjoyed the warmth and comfort of the Hants' -mess quarters. -</p> - -<p> -This was an underground circular apartment, cut -out of the earth, into which you descended by a -flight of wooden steps. The top was roofed with -canvas, tent fashion. -</p> - -<p> -Rifle thieves were active in the camp at -Surkhidizeh. Wandering Kurdish tribesmen showed -special daring in this form of enterprise. Scarcely -a night passed without the Hants' Camp being raided -for arms. British rifles brought enormous prices -when sold to the Senjabi and other of the lawless -nomads whose happy hunting-ground is the "No -Man's Land" in the neighbourhood of the -Turko-Persian frontier. Here a man was socially valued -solely by the arms he carried. He might be in rags -as far as raiment was concerned, but the possession -of a .303 Lee Enfield, or a German Mauser, marked -him as a man of some distinction and importance in -the country, one who might be expected to do big -things, and with whom it was well to be on friendly -terms. -</p> - -<p> -The average nomad whom I came across is not -renowned for physical courage, and in daylight he -will think twice before attacking even a single British -soldier; yet these selfsame tribesmen would -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P80"></a>80}</span> -unhesitatingly raid a British bivouac nightly, and face -the possibility of death, in order to pilfer a couple of -rifles. Rifle raiding possessed for them a kind of -fascination. The raiders often failed and paid the -penalty with their lives, but the attempts were never -abandoned for long. One method was for a brace -of snipers to fire on the sentry and on the guard, so -creating a diversion. A couple of their fellows, with -their bodies well oiled, naked save for a loin-cloth, -and carrying each a long knife, would meanwhile -crawl into the camp at a place remote from the -point of disturbance, and snatch a rifle or two from -beside the sleeping soldiers. If caught, they used -their knives, and invariably with fatal effect. Even -if detected the raiders usually got away, for in the -darkness and confusion it was difficult to fire upon -them without incurring the risk of hitting one of your -own people. -</p> - -<p> -I was aroused from a sound sleep the first night -at Surkhidizeh by the noise of rifle firing, followed -by an infernal hullabaloo. Unbuttoning the tent flap, -and rushing into the open, I found that the rifle -snatchers had been busy again. A native had -wriggled through the barbed-wire enclosure and, with -the silence of a Red Indian, had entered a tent -occupied by men of the Hants battalion. The -soldiers slept with the sling of the rifle attached to the -waistbelt. Cutting through this without disturbing -the owner, the thief had bolted with the weapon. -</p> - -<p> -On leaving, he fell over some of the sleeping -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P81"></a>81}</span> -occupants, who were aroused and sought to grab him, -but in the darkness and confined space of the -bell-tent, they missed the thief and grasped each other's -throats. The sentry fired, but failed of his mark. -The remainder of the guard and some Indian units -also loosed off a few rounds, but without success. -</p> - -<p> -The night favoured the enterprise. It was pitch -dark. The raider's friends, from the cover of some -dead ground in the neighbourhood, sniped the camp -intermittently for the next hour or two, until -everybody grew exasperated, and wished that Persia with -its marauding bands, and the whole Middle East -Question were sunk in the deep sea. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap09"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P82"></a>82}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IX -<br /><br /> -THROUGH MUD TO KIRIND -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -A city of starving cave-dwellers—An American woman's mission -to the wild—A sect of salamanders—Profiteering among the -Persians—A callous nation—Wireless orders to sit -tight—Awaiting attack—The "mountain tiger." -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Next day we set out for Kirind, about fifteen miles -from Surkhidizeh, where a platoon of the Hants held -an advanced post. After passing Sar Mil and its -ruined fort, we dipped down into a valley bordered -by high hills, where grew dwarf oaks, with a -background of mountains whose snow-topped peaks -glistened in the warm spring sunshine. -</p> - -<p> -Our way lay over a black cotton-soil plain, and -the road looked as if it had recently been furrowed -by a giant plough. It was hard going for the Ford -cars, and our difficulties were increased when rain -presently overtook us. Half an hour's downpour -will convert any Persian road into a morass, and -that between Surkhidizeh and Kirind is no exception -to the rule. The Fords for once were baffled. The -leading car could get no grip on the slippery soil; its -front wheels revolved aimlessly, then by a mighty -exertion moved forward a few yards, only to come -to an abrupt stop, up to its front axle in a slimy -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P83"></a>83}</span> -mud-hole. We temporarily jettisoned everything, -and pulled it out with a tow rope and the united -efforts of a dozen friendly natives who were not -averse from a little physical labour for a pecuniary -reward. There was no getting rid of the glutinous -mud. It adhered to one's boots and clung to one's -garments with a persistency that was irritating and -ruinous to the temper. The fifteen miles' journey -occupied four hours, and we were "bogged" seven -times before the cars finally got clear and gained -the roughly paved causeway which, skirting Kirind -village, led to the British military post. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-082"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-082.jpg" alt="TYPICAL PERSIAN VILLAGE." /> -<br /> -TYPICAL PERSIAN VILLAGE. -</p> - -<p> -Kirind itself is a straggling and typical group of -Persian mud-houses. It clings haphazardly to both -sides of a steep, narrow gorge, closed at one end by -a perpendicular wall of jagged limestone rock, which -rises sheer for a thousand feet. Beneath this -frowning rock-barrier nestles a village abominably and -indescribably filthy, inhabitated by an elf-like people -in whom months of semi-starvation had bred something -of the sullen ferocity of a pack of famishing -wolves. There was in their eyes the glint of the -hunted wild animal. They fled at our approach—men, -women, and children—diving into dark, noisome, -underground dens which exhaled a horrible effluvium, -or else bolting like so many scared wild-cats for some -lair high up amongst the limestone ridges. Some of -the fugitives whom we rounded up and spoke to -compassionately answered with a terrified snarl, as -if dreading we should do them injury. Yet it -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P84"></a>84}</span> -was chiefly the Turk, that zealous propagandist of -the tenets of Islam, whose rapacity and cruelty had -driven this fellow Moslem race to the borderland of -primitive savagery. -</p> - -<p> -Amid all the horror and misery of this desert of -human despair we found a Christian angel of pity, -isolated, working single-handed, striving to alleviate -the terrible lot of the starving people. The angel -was an American woman, Miss Cowden, of the -Presbyterian Mission. Years before she had given -up home, country, and friends in obedience to a -higher call, and was devoting her life and her energies -to the betterment of the temporal lot of the unhappy, -underfed, Persian children. She had learned their -language, and moved from village to village alone -and unattended, carrying out her great work of -charity, and content to live in some dirty hovel. -A vocation surely demanding sublime self-abnegation, -and calling, I should think, for the highest attributes -of faith and courage! I hold no brief for foreign -missionaries in general. I know that their -proselytizing methods have been the subject of severe -criticism in the public press and on the lecture -platform. All the more reason, therefore, why I should -tell of a work which is being done so unobtrusively, -without hope of earthly recompense, and well beyond -the range of the most powerful "Big Bertha" of the -cinema world. -</p> - -<p> -The Kirindis for the most part belong to the -curious religious sect called Aliullahis, about -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P85"></a>85}</span> -whose beliefs and rites many strange legends -circulate. -</p> - -<p> -One of these concerns their immunity from injury -by fire, and recalls the "fire walkers" of the Tongan -Islands. Aliullahian devotees, it is said, will enter -a kind of oven and stay there while fire is heaped -around it, making it red-hot. Then, covering their -heads with the burning cinders, they cry, "I am cold," -and pass out unhurt. Another ceremony consists in -lifting bars of red-hot iron out of the fire with their -bare hands, their skin showing no signs of burning. -</p> - -<p> -Their religion seems to be a strange mixture of -Mohammedanism and Judaism, with doctrines from -various other esoteric faiths grafted on to it. Thus -they number amongst their prophets Benjamin, -Moses, Elia, David, and Jesus Christ, and they have -also a saint of peculiar efficacy in intercession named -Ali. Some investigators into their creed maintain -that Ali and Daoud (David) are one and the same -person; others think that Ali is so high up in the -spiritual hierarchy as only to be invoked through -Daoud. In any case, their prayer before battle is, -"O Daoud, we are going to war. Grant that we -overcome our enemy!" They then sacrifice some -animal, usually a sheep, which is roasted whole. The -High Priest prays over the carcass and distributes -the flesh in small portions to those present. -Communion in this sacrament appears to inspire the -Aliullahian with absolute confidence in the success of -any undertaking it precedes. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P86"></a>86}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Another of their beliefs is that of a successive -incarnation of the Deity in the greatest of their -spiritual guides, seven of whom are clubbed together -under the name of "Haft-Tan." -</p> - -<p> -When in Mohammedan cities, they outwardly -conform to the tenets taught by the Prophet of the -Crescent, but secretly they continue the practice of -their own mystic rites. They bury their dead -without prayer (after keeping the unembalmed corpse -six days), but turn his head to face Kerbela, as do -the Mussulmans. -</p> - -<p> -They are recognizable from their long moustaches, -since the Shiahs are not allowed to have hair so long -as to pass the upper lip. -</p> - -<p> -Some authorities proclaim them the remnant of the -Samaritans who, as related in 2 Kings xvii. 6 and 7, -were carried into captivity by Hoshea, King of -Assyria; and Rawlinson, in his writings on Persia, -speaks of a rock-tomb which they regard as a place -of special sanctity. They call it, he says, Dukka-ni-Daoud -(David's shop), because they believe that the -Jewish monarch was a smith by trade. -</p> - -<p> -We stayed two nights in Kirind village. Our -quarters were a couple of rooms above a stable which -sheltered a sundry collection of goats, sheep, two -consumptive donkeys and their charvadars, some -stray hens, and two or three pariah dogs. Crossing -a dirty courtyard, where filth had accumulated for -years, we climbed a broken stairway, and were at -home. The flat roof of the stable was our promenade; -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P87"></a>87}</span> -but, since it was full of holes, which were generally -concealed by a thin layer of sun-dried mud, great -caution was needed to prevent a sudden and -undignified descent into the menagerie below. Our -rooms opened on to the roof of the stable. We slept -on the floor, and, as it was cold, our Persian servant -bought some green wood and made a fire in the only -fireplace available, which consisted of a small cavity -in the mud floor. A hole in the upper roof supplied -ventilation, and served the purposes of a chimney. -</p> - -<p> -It was here that the Governor paid an official call -upon General Byron. He sent a servant to announce -his coming, and presently arrived accompanied by -a retinue of unkempt, hungry-looking officials, all -wearing the chocolate-coloured sugar-loaf hat peculiar -to Persians. The Governor himself was a fat, -pompous individual, with a drooping moustache, -unshaven face, and no collar. We wondered at first -whether the stubble on his chin was due to slothfulness, -or was a sign of mourning. We discovered it -was the latter, a brother of his having died recently -through over-participation in food at some local -festivity. To look at the portly form of the Governor -made it quite evident that everybody was not going -hungry in Kirind. As he sat cross-legged on the -floor, his fingers interlaced in front of his breast, and -twirling his thumbs, he looked exactly what he was—the -personification of hopeless incapacity and -lethargy. "What ashes are fallen on my head!" he -moaned aloud, by way of expressing sorrow for the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P88"></a>88}</span> -death of so many of the villagers from starvation. -Yet he himself had done nothing to lessen the ravages -of famine in the district, and was content to see the -wretched inhabitants die, without moving a finger to -help them. -</p> - -<p> -His attitude was typical of officialdom throughout -this starving land. The Governor was a landowner, -and probably, like others of his class whom I came -across later in Kermanshah and Hamadan, had -plenty of grain hidden away waiting for the day when -the British Commissariat, in order to feed starving -Persians, would come and buy it at inflated prices, -thus enriching a gang of hoarding, avaricious -rascals. -</p> - -<p> -When General Byron spoke of what the British -were doing elsewhere in the way of feeding the -famine-stricken, the Governor's eyes brightened, and scenting -the possibility of an advantageous commercial deal -in cornered wheat, he replied with a fervent -"Mash-allah!" (Praise be to God!) The suggestion that -thieving local bakers who had been profiteering at -the expense of the starving population might be -taught a salutary lesson by having their ears nailed -to their bakehouse doors, or otherwise dealt with -under some equally benign Persian enactment, seemed -to find favour in the eyes of the Governor, for he -answered, "Inshallah!" (Please God!) -</p> - -<p> -This Governor, who had so suddenly developed a -keen interest in the local food problem, was afterwards -present at a full-dress parade of Miss Cowden's -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P89"></a>89}</span> -starvelings. The recipients of mission charity were -of both sexes, and varied from toddlers of three to -their elders of ten or twelve years. All they had -in the way of clothing was a piece of discoloured rag, -or a section of a tattered gunny bag, fastened round -the loins. Physical suffering long endured was -indelibly stamped on their shrunken features and -on their emaciated frames. Each was given a -substantial chunk of freshly baked chipattee, or -unleavened bread, and they were desired to eat it then -and there to prevent its being pilfered from their -feeble hands by hungry adult prowlers outside the -mission buildings. They made no demur, and ate -ravenously. Bread is the staple diet, and generally -the only article of food, of the Persian poor; and this -daily free distribution must have been the means of -preserving the lives of many hundreds of Kirind -children. Charity in the Anglo-Saxon meaning of -the word seems to find no home in the breast of -the average Persian; and each day there was a fight -between local cupidity, as represented by the Kirind -bakers, and foreign generosity as exemplified by the -American Mission, which was spending its funds freely -in order that these unhappy children of an alien -race might have bread and live. Here, as elsewhere -during my wanderings through Iran, I was painfully -impressed by the appalling callousness and -indifference exhibited by the ordinary Persian towards -the sufferings of his own people. He would not lift -a hand to help a dying man, and dead, would leave -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P90"></a>90}</span> -him to the tender mercies of the dogs and vultures -rather than trouble to give him burial. -</p> - -<p> -One morning, while preparing for a further move -eastward towards Kermanshah, a wireless message, -transmitted in haste from Surkhidizeh, ordered us to -sit tight and await developments and reinforcements. -We were warned that the Senjabis were restless, and -might any night swoop down on our slenderly-garrisoned -post. Ali Akhbar Khan, who was the -Pendragon of the Senjabis and various stray allied -bands of nomadic robbers in these parts, was said -to be watching us from his eyrie up in the -snow-capped hills. His martial ardour had been -stimulated to the verge of action by German gold and -German rifles, and the promise of much loot when -our weak force had been duly annihilated. To the -careful, calculating Akhbar, and to the wild tribesmen -who had flocked to his standard at the very first -mention of the word "unlimited loot," the capture -of the Kirind post must have seemed the softest -of soft things. To look our way and resist temptation -was like flying in the face of Providence. How -that dear old bandit's mouth must have watered in -anticipation of securing a fine haul of rifles, -ammunition, and transport animals! -</p> - -<p> -All that stood between Akhbar Khan and the -realization of his project was a platoon of the -14th Hants under Lieutenant Gow, a Lewis gun, a -dozen Persian irregulars of doubtful fighting quality, -and a very unformidable barrier of two rows of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P91"></a>91}</span> -barbed wire. The camp was on the edge of a narrow -plateau facing the road. In the rear, where this -latter became merged in the hills, the smooth slope -was like a toboggan run, and the alert Senjabis, if -they so wished, might have slid from their hill-top -sangars down on to the field of battle. But they -held aloof; their day was not yet. -</p> - -<p> -We spent an anxious night. Everybody was under -arms waiting for the threatened attack. Morning -ended our period of suspense and brought the looked-for -reinforcements—a squadron of the 14th Hussars -under Captain Pope, a couple of guns, an additional -platoon of the Hants, as well as the Dunsterville -contingent which had originally set out from Baqubah. -</p> - -<p> -The "mountain tiger," as Ali Akhbar Khan was -called in the imaginative and picturesque vocabulary -of the district, had hesitated, and missed his chance. -The reinforcing party was very much disappointed -at Akhbar's display of irresolution and his reluctance -to fight. Some amongst the bolder spirits -contemplated calling upon him in his mountain lair. But -that was not to be. When the "tiger" did spring -later on, and sought to cut up a British column, he -received the lesson of his life. But our party was -not there to share in the glory of his undoing. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap10"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P92"></a>92}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER X -<br /><br /> -KIRIND TO KARMANSHAH -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Pillage and famine—A land of mud—The Chikar Zabar -Pass—Wandering dervishes—Poor hotel accommodation—A "Hunger -Battalion"—A city of the past. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -From Kirind to Kermanshah, our next stage, is -about sixty miles. For the most part it is dreary, -barren country, with a few isolated villages astride -the line of march. The whole land had been skinned -bare of supplies by Turk and Russian, and it was now -in the throes of famine. -</p> - -<p> -There was a good deal of similarity in the methods -of these successive invaders. They commandeered -unscrupulously and without payment, and what they -could not consume or carry off they destroyed. There -was no seed wheat, and consequently no crops had -been sown. Many tillers of the soil had fled for their -lives; those who had remained were dying of hunger -in this war-ravaged region. The arable land which -is noted for its fertility was forlorn and neglected; -no plough had touched its soil since the passing of -the war storm, and its abandoned furrows were -temporarily tenanted by wandering crows struggling -to gain a precarious livelihood. It was desolation -and ruin everywhere. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P93"></a>93}</span> -</p> - -<p> -This was the country into which we, too, now, in -our turn adventured. Armed robbers roamed from -hill to plain and back again, holding up and looting -passing caravans, preying upon the miserable -inhabitants in the remote villages, and relieving them -of anything in the nature of food and live-stock that -the greedy maw of Turk and Russian had -inadvertently overlooked. -</p> - -<p> -Little wonder that the terrified wayside inhabitants -fled pell-mell at the approach of our column! It -took some persuasion to assure them that they would -not be "bled" afresh, nor put to the sword. Not -unnaturally, they had reason to dread the exactions -of a third invader, and both effort and time were -needed to convince them that our intentions were -not hostile, but friendly. When confidence was at -last restored, the glad tidings of our exemplary -behaviour sped ahead of us from village to village, -carried by that mysterious agency which in the East -lends wings to any news of import, and in speed -rivals wireless telegraphy. -</p> - -<p> -So it was that on our further progress ragged and -cringing peasants, all semblance of manhood driven -out of them by hunger and oppression, would crawl -forth into the light of day from some dark hovel to -beg, firstly for their lives, and secondly for a morsel -of bread. We granted the one without question, -but were not always able to comply with the second -demand. -</p> - -<p> -From Kirind our progress was slow. The first day, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P94"></a>94}</span> -Sunday, April 14th, we barely covered ten miles, -arriving at Khorosabad late in the afternoon, where -we bivouacked under the lee of the hills. The road -beyond was a kind of hog's back strewn with -limestone boulders which proved too difficult for the -laden Ford cars. To add to our troubles the weather -broke in the evening, and it rained steadily throughout -the night, so that our camping-ground became -a swamp. The Hussars' horses suffered from -exposure, while the men themselves were wet through -and inclined to be grumpy. In the morning, as the -weather showed signs of mending, the march was -resumed; but the Ford convoy had to be left behind -in charge of an escort to wait until the road became -passable. -</p> - -<p> -The infantry units marched through twelve miles -of mud to Harunabad, the next stage on the journey. -It tried the men's endurance to the utmost. The -road was simply an unmetalled track across the -plain; there was no foothold in the saturated soil, -and at each step a pound or two of clay adhered to -one's boots, necessitating frequent halts to scrape -them clean. The Persian muleteers were more -fortunate. They marched barefoot, and their -movements were not handicapped by the encumbering -dead weight of adhesive earth. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-094"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-094.jpg" alt="PERSIAN TRANSPORT." /> -<br /> -PERSIAN TRANSPORT. -</p> - -<p> -Harunabad does not differ essentially from any -other village in South-Western Persia. Dirt and -decay have laid their twin grip upon its crooked -streets, its tottering mud walls, and ruinous habitations. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P95"></a>95}</span> -The inhabitants were as hungry as any other -of their class in Persia, and they crowded round the -bivouac cookhouses snatching eagerly at any morsel -of food that was thrown to them. General Byron, -Captain Eve, Lieutenant Akhbar, and I lighted on -a couple of rooms in a disused caravanserai, and the -local governor, who seemed to bother less about -backsheesh than the average of his fellows, procured -us some mutton and firewood. Two of his servitors -who had brought the supplies were demanding an -exorbitant price—the middleman's profit. The -Governor, happening to arrive on the scene while the -haggling was proceeding, beat the grasping pair -soundly in our presence, and promised them a dose -of the bastinado on the morrow. Thoroughly abashed -by their drubbing, and terrified by the prospect of -a fresh one next day, they fell upon their knees, -begging for mercy and forgiveness. The General -successfully pleaded on their behalf, and they showed -their gratitude by kissing his hands, before taking -themselves out of range of the still wrathful eye of -the Governor. -</p> - -<p> -The night was cold, with a tinge of frost in the -air. We sat round the fire after supper drying our -sodden garments and removing the encrustations of -Persian mud which had settled thickly upon them. -Sleep came to us easily after the fatigues of the day, -and it was with a feeling of deep personal resentment -that we heard the Hussars' trumpeter sound -the reveille. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P96"></a>96}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Most transport mules are longsuffering animals, -but they rebel occasionally. The Persian variety -was inclined to be peevish, when it came to early -rising and taking afresh upon its sturdy back the -burden of the day. Those of our supply convoy, -when prodded into activity before sunrise, rarely -failed to make their displeasure felt by a vigorous -protest lodged at random in some part of a charvadar's -anatomy. On the morning of our departure -from Harunabad the mules showed themselves -especially intractable. It could hardly have been -because of any deep-rooted affection for the locality -itself. However, at the cost of much profanity and -shouting on the part of the muleteers, during which -grave aspersions were cast upon the character of -the mules' ancestors, the rebellious beasts were -cowed into submissiveness and our column was -soon floundering anew in the mud of the Persian -wilderness. -</p> - -<p> -A wind from the north blew across our path and -sent the menacing rain-clouds scurrying to the -right-about. The sun, too, unveiled its face, as if -half-ashamed of its tardiness, and speedily dispelled the -curtain of white mist which arose from the sodden -earth. The air was keen and invigorating, but -tempered by the warm breath of spring. Men and -horses and transport mules responded to the -gladsome call of Nature in her most beneficent mood. -British soldier and Persian charvadar each sang the -wild songs of his native land, telling invariably of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P97"></a>97}</span> -some fair, beauteous maiden whom the sentimental -songster had left behind somewhere in England or -Iran. To the ears of one riding on in advance, as -I happened to be that day, this flow of song blending -with the deep note of the jingling mule-bells made -sweetest music. -</p> - -<p> -Four hours' march brought the head of the column -to the top of the Chihar Zabar Pass. The road went -sheer down the reverse slope, cutting across an -immense plain carpeted with the deepest emerald -green. Here wild flowers grew in abundance—crocuses, -daffodils, daisies, violets, and a species of -indigenous primrose, a woof of rich, glorious -colouring in the warp of green. This "Promised Land," -the work of Nature's own brush, stretched away -from my very feet till it mingled with the grey-blue -of the distant horizon. What a pleasing contrast -to the dreary, desolate lowlands we had so lately -traversed! It was a most welcome prospect to eyes -tired of looking upon dull, monotonous landscapes. -To me it was the fairest sight I had yet seen in the -land of Iran. -</p> - -<p> -While I was revelling in the beauty of the scene, -there appeared on the summit of the Pass, coming -from this valley of enchantment, three men whose -dress and appearance excited my curiosity. They -were sturdily built, and dressed in black, skirted coats, -fastened at the waist by a girdle from which was -suspended a sword and satchel. Their beards were -no longer than that permitted by the precepts of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P98"></a>98}</span> -the Koran. They were without head-covering of -any kind, and their long hair fell free and untrammelled -on their shoulders. The trio wore shoes of -Moroccan leather with pointed, turned-up toes and -silver buckles. Each carried a small silver-headed -axe at the "slope," as a cavalry trooper does a -sabre. -</p> - -<p> -As they approached, my first feeling was one of -alarm, and my hand instinctively sought my revolver -holster. Seeing this, the foremost raised his hand -in friendly salutation, and greeted me with, "Peace -be upon thee, O stranger!" They proved to be -wandering dervishes who begged their way from end -to end of Persia, and to judge by their raiment and -their general well-to-do appearance, it must be a -profitable occupation. -</p> - -<p> -These dervishes, amongst the Persians of all -classes, have a great reputation for sanctity. The -rich help them liberally, and even the very poor will -not turn a deaf ear to their request for aid. One of -them chattered away like a magpie, recounting -adventures which were not always of the kind one -is prone to associate with the austerity of a Religious -Order. They had come on foot from Meshed in -Eastern Persia to Teheran, Hamadan, and -Kermanshah, and were now bound for Kerbela and the -Shi'ite holy places in the vicinity of Bagdad. The -burdens of life sat lightly on their shoulders, and the -destroying hand of care had left no traces upon their -merry, laughing faces. They were a cheery trio, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P99"></a>99}</span> -forgetful of yesterday, unmindful of to-morrow, and -living only for to-day. -</p> - -<p> -They were full of a pleasant inquisitiveness, and -withal as simple as children. "Were there dervishes -across the big water in Faringistan (Europe), and -had the man-birds (aviators) come to Bagdad?" -they asked. I told them they would see plenty of -"man-birds" and "wonder-houses" (cinemas) down -yonder in Bagdad, but that an itinerant Persian -dervish would be a <i>rara avis</i> amongst our benighted -folk, not one, so far as I knew, having yet shed the -light of his countenance upon our slow-going old -Western world. With a small cash contribution oh -my part towards the expenses of their journey, and -on theirs the formal invocation of the blessing of -Allah upon my head, the dervishes and I exchanged -cordial adieux, and parted company on the summit -of the Chihar Zabar. -</p> - -<p> -Our next halting-place was at Mahidast, a walled -town which stands in the midst of an immense plain -seventy miles long by ten broad. It is one of the -most fertile tracts in Persia, and grows great crops -of wheat and barley for the market of Kermanshah. -As for Mahidast itself, it consists of a few dirty -streets, unpaved and evil-smelling, and a hundred -houses, the greater number of which are in ruins. -Its inhabitants are chiefly Kalhur-Kurds, semi-nomads, -who migrate in winter with their flocks to -the neighbourhood of Khaniquin and Mandali. -Mahidast is a great resort of pilgrims on the way -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P100"></a>100}</span> -to and from Kerbela, and in the main street stands -a vast caravanserai built by that industrious -architect-ruler, Shah Abbas. -</p> - -<p> -I rode inside the great doorway of Shah Abbas' -hostelry hoping to find quarters here, but my nose -was in revolt at once. A stagnant pool covered with -green slime, where myriads of mosquitoes and flies -were undergoing a course of field training, occupied -the centre of the courtyard, and this was flanked by -festering heaps of garbage amongst which lean, -hungry-looking dogs were fossicking for an evening meal. -</p> - -<p> -Turning in disgust from the loathsome spot, I -encountered a farrash (messenger) come from the -Naib-ul-Hukumeh, or Deputy Governor, The latter -had heard of our arrival, and sent to conduct us to -quarters near his own dwelling. Our abode proved -to be a smaller caravanserai, its living-rooms -adjoining the stables and looking out on a manure heap. -The Deputy Governor himself turned up presently, -and in the usual flowery Persian speech bade General -Byron welcome, and assured him that supplies of -forage and fuel would be forthcoming. -</p> - -<p> -He hinted that, as the prowling Kurds of the -district were keen horse-fanciers, and not always able -to discriminate between the niceties of <i>meum</i> and -<i>tuum</i>, it would be advisable to mount a stable guard. -For this purpose he sent us eight truculent-looking -rascals, fairly bristling with weapons, who watched -over our horses while we sought to snatch a few -hours' repose. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P101"></a>101}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Sleep we found to be out of the question. Our -sleeping-bags, the latest of their kind from London, -had no chance against the incursions of the nimble -Mahidast flea, or his bigger parasitical brethren, -whom pilgrim caravans had brought from the remote -corners of Persia. Emerging angry and unrefreshed -from an unequal combat, we quitted Mahidast at an -early hour. The major portion of the inhabitants -were present to see us off, and incidentally to demand -a pishkash for services—chiefly imaginary—rendered -us during our sojourn. Akhbar paid off the fuel and -forage vendors, and ransomed our horses from the -stable guard for a substantial sum in krans. He next -gave a considered decision in respect to the claim of -the Deputy Governor and his numerous retinue. -The former modestly demanded an amount which -would have provided him with a comfortable life -annuity, pointing out that, as our throats were -unsevered and our purses untouched, we could afford -to be generous, and reward his protecting zeal. I -did not wait for the end of the negotiations, but I -heard afterwards that Akhbar, whose temper had -been sorely tried, consigned the Deputy Governor to -<i>jahannam</i>, and effected a compromise with his -insistent retainers for the equivalent of ten shillings. -</p> - -<p> -It is an eighteen-mile march to Kermanshah from -Mahidast. The road was harder, and it was easier -travelling for the horses and transport animals. -There was a good deal of traffic too. We passed -numerous caravans, the first being one of tobacco -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P102"></a>102}</span> -and general merchandise bound for Bagdad. To -this a number of pilgrims had attached themselves -for safety, and had hired an armed convoy to protect -them against plundering Kurds and, in a minor -sense, the exactions of the Persian road guards. -These latter were supposed to police the route, and -had posts along the road. By way of recompense -they were allowed to levy baj (toll) upon travellers. -But their rapacity was boundless. They were said -to stand in with the freebooters of the district, and -woe betide the simple traveller or merchant who, -journeying without armed retainers, fell into their -hands! Him they fleeced unmercifully, and if the -victim were inclined to protest against this bare-faced -spoliation, he might always be sure of receiving -a sound beating in addition. -</p> - -<p> -So much for Persian road guards and their methods! -The British sought to remedy these abuses by subsidizing -local chiefs to protect a section of road, but -the chiefs took the cash and stuck to it, while the -guards still dipped deeply into the pockets or into -the bales of merchandise of those who came their -way. It was considered a lucrative post, that of -road guard, and much sought after by gentlemen -who hated the attendant risks of ordinary highway -robbery, and preferred the easier and surer means of -growing rich by levying toll in a quasi-official capacity. -</p> - -<p> -Presently we met a corpse-caravan bound for -Kerbela with its lugubrious freight. A contingent -of road guards had gathered round like so many -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P103"></a>103}</span> -human vultures, and there was much haggling -between themselves and angry relatives of the defunct -as to what a dead Persian ought or ought not to -pay to pass free and unhindered over this section of -the long and thorny road that led to the holy of -holies of the Shi'ite Moslem. -</p> - -<p> -On the banks of a stream by the roadside was a -"hunger battalion" resting. Its members, men -and boys, were in a state of semi-nudity; their few -garments hung in tattered rags about their wasted -bodies, and all looked to be in the last stage of -physical exhaustion from starvation. For some the -end had clearly come. They were incapable of -further effort, and lay waiting for a merciful death to -cut short their sufferings. Others there were who -still clung despairingly to the enfeebled thread of -life. They crouched on the ground, gnawing frantically -at a handful of roots or coarse herbs with which -they sought to assuage the terrible pangs of -unsatisfied hunger. A little apart from the main body -was a small group crooning a mournful dirge: it was -the funeral requiem of a man whom famine had -killed. The body was being prepared for burial and, -before committal to earth, was being washed in the -stream which supplied a near-by village with drinking -water. -</p> - -<p> -We divided some food amongst the sorely stricken -survivors of the hunger battalion. It was all we -could give. They were thankful, and one man said -that he and five companions had originally started -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P104"></a>104}</span> -from Hamadan, where the people were dying by -hundreds daily, in the hope of crossing the frontier -to Khaniquin or Kizil Robat, at either of which places -they might get work and food in the British Labour -Corps. Of the six who had set out on this quest he -was the sole survivor. -</p> - -<p> -Kermanshah is a very old Persian city, and was -known to writers and travellers from the earliest -Christian times. It once was a flourishing industrial -and commercial centre, but much of its prosperity -and glory have been dimmed by a succession of -political and economic vicissitudes. The town itself -has a certain military importance. It is close to the -Turkish frontier, and is equidistant from Bagdad, -Ispahan, Teheran, and Tabriz. During the War Turks -and Russians occupied it in turn, and the Turks had -a consul and a consular guard here until their army -was chased out of the province. -</p> - -<p> -Outside the town itself the nomadic and -semi-nomadic population consists chiefly of Kurds, and -Kurdi is the language of the people as distinct from -the merchants. Cereals are extensively grown, but, -owing to the lack of communications, the cost of -transporting grain to Bagdad or Teheran was triple -its local market value, and it was a profitless -enterprise. The grain rotted in Kermanshah while people -died of hunger in adjoining provinces. -</p> - -<p> -The chief trade route in Western Persia passes -through Kermanshah, and it is also an important -market for transport mules, which are bred in the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P105"></a>105}</span> -district. In pre-war days as many as 200,000 -pilgrims passed through Kermanshah each year on -their way to and from Kerbela and the other Shi'ite -shrines in the Vilayet of Bagdad. The bazaars were -well stocked with British and foreign goods, and the -local traders were reputed to be wealthy. But the -War and the coming of the Turks were fatal to -Kermanshah and its commerce; the shops were closed, -and the wealthier merchants hid their cash and -valuables and sought asylum elsewhere. -</p> - -<p> -Kermanshah suffered much during the Civil War -of 1911-12. In July of 1911 it was occupied in the -name of the ex-Shah, Muhammad Ali, by a force -of irregulars under Salar-ud-Dauleh, the ex-Shah's -brother. In the following February the Government -troops reoccupied Kermanshah, and the troops of the -dethroned Shah were driven out. But a fortnight -later Salar-ud-Dauleh, aided by a large force of -Kurds, was back again; the town was plundered, and -the Governor appointed by the Constitutionalists had -his legs cut off and was burnt alive. For the next -few months the redoubtable Salar and his military -opponent, Farman Farma, hunted each other in turn -up and down Western Persia until the Shah's rebellion -was finally subdued. -</p> - -<p> -I found the streets of the town narrow and tortuous. -The Zarrabiha Street and that leading from the -Darvaseh Sarab to the Chal Hassan Khan are about -the only two possible for carriages. In the Feizabad -quarter, which is remote from the bazaars, are the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P106"></a>106}</span> -houses of the wealthy classes, with their immense -courtyards, high walls, and beautifully kept gardens. -By contrast, the houses of the poor look despicably -mean, being simply a collection of mud hovels -into which the light of day penetrates with -difficulty. -</p> - -<p> -The rain overtook us afresh at Kermanshah, and -we had to stay there for three days weatherbound. -The Hussars and the remainder of the column -bivouacked on a hill near the British Consulate. It -was far from agreeable. The tents were already -soaking wet after the downpour at Khorosabad, and -had had no time to dry. -</p> - -<p> -General Byron went to stay with the Kennions. -Colonel Kennion was Political Officer and Consul, and -his wife, a very charming and energetic lady, who -held in her hands most of the threads of the political -happenings in Persia, worked hard all day in the -office ciphering and deciphering despatches. In the -evening she entertained her husband's guests and -graced a hospitable table. -</p> - -<p> -The foreign colony of Kermanshah was not a large -one. Besides the Kennions, there were the Russian -Consul and his wife, a French Consul, Mr. and -Mrs. Stead of the American Presbyterian Mission, and -Mr. Hale, local manager of the Imperial Bank of -Persia. Hale has travelled widely in Persia, and -knew its elusive and nimble-witted people better -than most Englishmen. He was an excellent raconteur, -and I spent pleasant evenings in his company -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P107"></a>107}</span> -laughing over stories of adventure which irresistibly -called to mind that great exponent of Persian drollery, -"Hadji Baba." -</p> - -<p> -Leaving our horses behind to be brought on by the -marching column, General Byron and six officers, -including myself, moved by motor convoy from -Kermanshah on April 22nd. With luck we hoped to -reach Hamadan in two days. -</p> - -<p> -It is twenty-two miles to Bisitun Bridge and the -crossing of the Gamasiab, a tributary of the Kara -river. The brick bridge over the stream had been -destroyed by the retreating Russians. It had not -yet been repaired, and we were to be faced with the -difficult problem of getting the Ford cars across to -the eastern bank of the Gamasiab. The recent rains -had done their worst for the road track which led -over the great plain of Kermanshah, and the soil -had been converted into a kind of pulpy clay which -the passage of recent caravans had churned into -puddle. The laden cars bravely struggled through -it, sinking occasionally to the axles in the treacherous -mire. Finally, we crawled out of this bog and struck -a patch of hard road which led to the village of -Bisitun, where we halted to allow the other bogged -cars to join up. Beyond the straggling village of -thirty houses or so the great rock of Bisitun rises -perpendicularly from the level plain. -</p> - -<p> -Bisitun is famous for the inscriptions and tablets -of Darius found here. It lies on the highway from -Ecbatana to Babylon, and was thus chosen by various -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P108"></a>108}</span> -monarchs as a fitting place for the record of their -exploits. -</p> - -<p> -It is to British pluck, tenacity, and will-power that -the world owes its definite and detailed knowledge of -the Darius inscriptions. That "King of Kings," as -he proudly styles himself, saw to it that the written -account of his greatness should be at a height -corresponding with his fame, and had it placed 300 feet -above the ground on the wall of a dizzily perpendicular -cliff. To climb this rock near enough to read -what Persian workmen chiselled there five hundred -years before the Christian era is the dangerous and -difficult undertaking accomplished by Rawlinson. -</p> - -<p> -The bas-relief tablets and inscriptions on Bisitun's -famous cliff wall have all but one object—to glorify -Darius Hystaspes ("The great King, the King of -Kings, King of Persia, King of the Provinces"), and -to give the lie to any of his enemies or rivals who -dared to proclaim themselves monarchs also. ("This -Gaumata the Magian lied: thus did he speak: 'I am -Bardiya; son of Cyrus, I am King!'") -</p> - -<p> -Grandiloquently the names of the countries over -which Darius ruled are set forth. They number -twenty-three. A Persian Alexander the Great was -this "King of Kings." -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-108"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-108.jpg" alt="DARIUS INSCRIPTIONS AT BISITUN." /> -<br /> -DARIUS INSCRIPTIONS AT BISITUN. -</p> - -<p> -The bas-relief vividly portrays his conquest of the -lesser chieftains from whom he wrested their kingdoms. -His foot is on the prostrate form of the most -formidable of these, Gaumata, while the others are -shown tied together by their necks, a sorry company -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P109"></a>109}</span> -of defeated royalties. Darius is depicted as physically -towering above the men of his day, a giant in every -way. Over him hovers the Godhead, Auramazdn, -or Ormuzd, who, holding a circlet of victory in one -hand, with the other points out the mighty monarch -as the wearer-designate. -</p> - -<p> -The whole is in a marvellous state of preservation, -thanks to the conscientious work of the craftsmen -who laboured at it so many thousand years ago. -After first smoothing the surface of the rock, they -filled in every tiny crevice or crack with lead. Then -they chiselled deeply, and with astonishing accuracy, -each character, finally coating the whole with a -silicious varnish, a protection against climatic ravages -which has stood the test imposed upon it while -countless generations of mankind have come and -gone. -</p> - -<p> -When we reached the Gamasiab, we found the -stream in flood, and a six-knot current swirling -through the brick arches of the damaged bridge. -There was a great gap in the central span, the latter -running to a point almost like a Gothic arch. Gangs -of workmen were busy repairing it, under Lieutenant -Goupil, R.E. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Goldberg, of the Armoured Car Section, had -preceded us to Bisitun. Goldberg, who had ripped -roads through East African jungle to get within -shooting distance of the Hun, claimed that in his -service lexicon there was no such word as fail, and -that wherever a transport mule could pass in Persia -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P110"></a>110}</span> -he would take his lighter cars. At Bisitun he was as -good as his word. The animals of the transport were -ferried across on crudely constructed rafts to which -were attached inflated goatskins to give additional -buoyancy. They were of the type of the Mussik -raft of the Tigris, and the scheme worked successfully. -But it was a tricky business when it came to -ferrying motor-cars over. Our own Fords were -emptied of their contents, and a single car was lashed -on a raft which was then man-hauled across a hundred -yards of stream to the other bank. Sometimes one -of the guide-ropes gave way, and the raft and its -burden, caught by the swift current, would go gyrating -down stream until it was lassooed by pursuing coolies -on a second raft. At other times the wheel-lashings -would part in transit, and the raft would "nose dip" -at a dangerous angle. Then the Persian labour -coolies, with wild shouts and cries, would jump into -the water and restore the equilibrium of the -water-logged raft by clinging to its stern. All our cars -were in this manner safely carried over without -serious mishap, and the stores and baggage were -brought on coolies' backs across the wrecked bridge -itself. On the eastern bank the Fords were reloaded -and the party got under way once more. -</p> - -<p> -We spent the night at Kangavar, a big village at -the eastern end of the Bisitun gap, and at the junction -of the Hamadan Qum and Daulatabad roads, fifty-five -miles from Kermanshah. Kangavar reposes at -the foot of a lofty, snow-capped mountain, and is -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P111"></a>111}</span> -built on a series of natural and artificial mounds -which rise corkscrew fashion from the plain. Here -are the ruins of a large temple or palace whose history -is lost in antiquity. That profound scholar and -archæologist, Rawlinson, thinks that Kangavar is the -Chavon of Diodorus, where, according to the Sicilian -historian, Semiramis built a palace and laid out a -paradise. There also existed at Kangavar a -celebrated temple of Anaitis, whose lascivious cult was -once widespread in this ancient land. -</p> - -<p> -We were hospitably entertained by the representative -of the Deputy Governor, who is noted for -his pro-British sympathies. The Sheikh, our host, -furnished us with quarters within his own residence, -a wonderful walled enclosure big enough to hold a -battalion, and laid out with beautiful gardens and -fountains. In the trees the laqlaqs (storks) nested, -and down by the cool splashing fountains a peacock -in all the beauty of fully displayed plumage strutted -proudly. -</p> - -<p> -We were seven officers to supper, but our host, in -accordance with the lavishness required by Persian -hospitality, prepared enough food for four times our -number. His multitude of retainers looked on while -we ate, and what remained of the feast passed to -them by right of custom. -</p> - -<p> -It was with considerable misgivings that we heard -that the shorter road to Hamadan over the great -Asadabad Pass, nearly eight thousand feet high, was -closed by snow. We accordingly took the longer -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P112"></a>112}</span> -and lower road by way of Parisva and Tasbandi -which skirts the Alvand mountain range. The cars -bogged incessantly in the low, flat country, but -going over the Parisva Pass, where the gradients are -steep and great boulders strew the route, our -progress was also very slow. The cars had to be -manhandled, being towed and pushed by peasants -collected from the neighbouring fields. There were -several "lame ducks" in the convoy, and before -evening a number had broken down altogether and -had to be temporarily abandoned by the roadside in -charge of an armed guard. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-112"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-112.jpg" alt="CARAVANSERAI, BISITUN." /> -<br /> -CARAVANSERAI, BISITUN. -</p> - -<p> -Night had already fallen when the leading cars -crawled into Hamadan, having taken fourteen hours -to cover a journey of about ninety-five miles. Weary -and travel-stained, we reported at British -Headquarters, and to our joy found that everyone was -well, and that the Dunsterville Garrison, overawing -the turbulent section of the population, was still in -possession of this isolated post in the heart of Persia. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap11"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P113"></a>113}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XI -<br /><br /> -A CITY OF FAMINE -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -In ancient Hamadan—With Dunsterville at last—His precarious -position—"Patriots" as profiteers—Victims of famine—Driven -to cannibalism—Women kill their children for food—Trial -and execution—Famine relief schemes—Death blow -to the Democrats—"Stalky." -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Hamadan stands at a height of six thousand feet -at the foot of the Alvand range, which is covered -with snow for ten months in the year. In summer, -when the tender shoots of the growing corn are pushing -above the earth, and the trees are blossom-laden, -"every prospect pleases." The reverse of the medal -is presented after a brief acquaintance with Hamadan's -people, and one sadly recalls that "only man -is vile." -</p> - -<p> -It is said that modern Hamadan occupies the site -of one of the ancient Ecbatanas of the Greeks, of -which there were seven, and that it was the treasure -city of the Achæmenian Kings, the place taken and -plundered by Alexander the Great when he was -"strafing" the Eastern World. However that may -be, very few ancient remains have been brought to -light. On a hill outside the town are the ruins of a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P114"></a>114}</span> -citadel, and a carved stone lion of venerable aspect -and crude workmanship crouches by the roadside -not far from the British Hospital Compound. This -lion may once have adorned the façade of an -Achæmenian palace, but he has fallen from royal -greatness to plebeian utility; for it is popularly -believed that he exercises a protective influence -against cholera, smallpox, plague, and kindred ills; -and Persian mothers bring their children and seat -them on his stone back to obtain immunity from -disease. Famine is evidently not included, or so -many children would not have succumbed during the -hunger days of the spring and early summer of 1918, -before that never-failing talisman, the British -Commissariat, exorcised the famine fiend. -</p> - -<p> -In Hamadan, too, is buried the celebrated -philosopher and physician of Bokhara, Abu ali ibn Sina, -better known as Avicenna, the legend of whose -fondness for eleventh-century wine and women has come -down through all the ages, obscuring whatever -reputation he may have possessed as a healer or thinker. -</p> - -<p> -The Jews of Hamadan, and they are numerous, -point with pride to the site of the tombs of Esther -and Mordecai. It is very uncertain whether either -of these personages who figure so prominently in the -Book of Esther is buried here. Within an -insignificant-looking, weather-worn, stucco-covered shrine -in the grip of decay, are two wooden sarcophagi -covered with faded paint and bearing gilt inscriptions -in Hebrew of verses from the Book of Esther. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P115"></a>115}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Rabbi in charge, a sallow-faced man with a -long white beard, who had seen generations of Gentiles -come and go while he kept watch and ward here, -assured me that the tomb of this heroine of the -Jewish race, who stooped to amatory conquest that -her people might live, as well as that of her shrewd -relative, the opportunist Mordecai, were of -unquestionable authenticity. I will leave it at that. -</p> - -<p> -The arrival of our small party in Hamadan at the -beginning of May added a hundred or so additional -rifles to the unwelcome and uninvited skeleton force -already there. As I related in a previous chapter, -General Dunsterville, after falling back from Resht, -established himself in Hamadan, his available fighting -force being a handful of officers and a baker's dozen -of N.C.O's. He was in the midst of a more or less -hostile population of about 70,000, one-fourth of -whom were Turks or of Turkish origin and sympathies, -the remainder being Persian, with a small sprinkling -of Jews and Armenians. -</p> - -<p> -Yet he sat there unharmed while the Asiatic world -wondered. His position was precariousness itself. -The full virulence of political animosity was focussed -upon him and his dangerously thin khaki line. I am -convinced that no Assurance Company, however -speculative, would have considered him a "safe life" -during those dark and doubtful days, when he was -barricaded within the British Compound, alternately -waiting for the inglorious but picturesque death so -fervently promised him by the local Democrats, or -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P116"></a>116}</span> -watching for the reinforcements which dribbled -fitfully from Bagdad and over Persian plain and -mountain. -</p> - -<p> -Hamadan was at once the foyer of Turkish -espionage and of Persian intrigue. The moribund -association of local Democrats, merchants and -grain-growers, had been largely galvanized into -anti-British activity by Kuchik Khan, whose army of -Jungalis still barred the road from Manjil to the -Caspian Sea. The Hamadan Democrats were "pure -patriots," who talked glibly in the local tea-houses -of the blessing of political freedom, cursed the British -as mischievous, evil-minded interlopers, and called -upon Allah to bless their deliberations and rid them -of the British oppressor. Incidentally, they would -meet in secret conclave and decree a further increase -in grain prices, which meant a substantial gain to -themselves. Supplies were refused to the British -except at very exorbitant rates; the profiteers waxed -fat and became more insolent; and the poor of -Hamadan were left to die of hunger, victims of -Persian cupidity and Persian indifference. Pamphlets, -inflammatory in tone, and bearing the imprimatur of -the principal democratic club, were distributed -broadcast in the streets, and from these the victims -of famine had at all events the ante-mortem -satisfaction of learning that it was the British who were -deliberately starving them to death in order that -these beardless intruders might the more easily -overrun the whole land of Persia. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P117"></a>117}</span> -</p> - -<p> -If a Persian Democrat be valorous in speech, he is -fortunately discreet in deeds. An ukase would go -forth from Kuchik Khan that there was to be a truce -to temporizing, and that the Dunsterforce must be -sent without delay to the Jehannam of Unbelievers. -"By Allah, it will be accomplished!" would be the -prompt reply. Then the fearless Democrats, always -careful never to risk their own skins unduly, would -hire some half-starved fedais or irregulars, who for -a kran or two would fire a few shots into British -Headquarters, or, under cover of dusk and a sand-bank, -snipe some solitary officer or soldier of our -force. Whereat there would be much rejoicing in -democratic circles, and the club would sit up late -drinking arak. -</p> - -<p> -Meanwhile the hunger mortality in Hamadan was -increasing. Bread, the chief, indeed the only, article -of diet of the poor, was at 14 krans a batman (roughly, -the equivalent of ten shillings for 7 lbs.), and the -wheat combine saw to it that the price increased -rather than decreased. On May 6th Mr. McDouell, -the British Consul, officially computed that the daily -deaths from starvation were two hundred. Hamadan -was a city of horrors. The unburied victims of -famine—men, women, and children—were lying in -the streets and in the fields adjoining British -Headquarters. The Kashish or priest of the Shi'ite -mosque, who received a fee of about twopence for -officiating at the funerals of those buried in <i>forma -pauperis</i>, admitted that the daily interment-roll was -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P118"></a>118}</span> -one hundred and sixty during the first fortnight of -May. The hunger-enfeebled survivors became -herbivorous, eating the grass in the fields like so many -animals. A short course of this diet proved as fatal -as the want of bread, for it invariably caused -peritonitis and a lingering, agonizing death. -</p> - -<p> -But there was worse to come. The foodless people, -driven crazy by their sufferings, now resorted to -eating human flesh. Cannibalism was a crime hitherto -unknown in Persia, and no punishment exists for it -under Persian law. The offenders were chiefly -women, and the victims children stolen from the -doorsteps of their homes, or snatched up haphazard in -the bazaar purlieus. Mothers of young children -were afraid to leave them while they went to beg for -bread, lest in their absence they should be kidnapped -and eaten. I never went into the Bazaar or through -the narrow, ill-paved streets without a feeling of -sickly horror at the sight of the human misery revealed -there. Children who were little better than human -skeletons would crowd round to beg for bread or -the wherewithal to purchase it, and in parting with -a few coppers to them, one could not help shuddering -and wondering if they, too, were destined, sooner or -later, to find their way into the cooking-pot. -</p> - -<p> -The Persian Governor one day awoke from his -habitual lethargy and roused the local police, who -set out on the track of the child-eaters. A series of -domiciliary visits brought to light fragments of -human bones and rags of clothing. They arrested -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P119"></a>119}</span> -eight women, who confessed that they had kidnapped, -killed, and eaten a number of children, pleading that -hunger had driven them to these terrible crimes. -</p> - -<p> -On the following day, May 8th, a yet more -horrifying case of cannibalism was discovered. Two -women, mother and daughter, were caught red-handed. -They had killed the daughter's eight-year-old -child, and were cooking the body, when the -police interrupted the preparations for this horrible -feast. The half-cooked remains were removed in a -basket, and an indignant crowd of well-fed Democrats -followed the wretched offenders to the police-station, -threatening them with death. -</p> - -<p> -Some of the people, who did not share the noble -view of the Democrats that the poor should starve -rather than that cornered wheat should be released, -went to the telegraph office with the intention of -informing the weak and incapable Teheran -Government of the true state of affairs. -</p> - -<p> -But the Democrats would have none of that; it -might upset their carefully laid schemes for -enrichment at the expense of the flesh and blood of their -fellows. There was no telling what effect a -telegraphed protest might have upon the supineness of -the Shah's Cabinet Ministers. Those administrative -sluggards might be goaded into some action bordering -on interference with the policy of the Hamadan -Democrats, which Heaven forbid! So Democrat -emissaries picketed the Persian telegraph office, and -pitched into the street any of their adversaries who -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P120"></a>120}</span> -questioned their right to impose an arbitrary -censorship. Thus was made manifest the "benign rule" -of the "friends of Persia" in all its callous disregard -for the first principles of humanity. -</p> - -<p> -On the following day there was the sequel to the -case of child murder by mother and daughter, when -these two unfortunates paid the cruel penalty -imposed by Persian law for killing one's own -offspring—that of being stoned to death. The "execution" -took place in front of the Hamadan telegraph office. -The condemned women, already on the borderland of -death from hunger, were staked down in two shallow -pits near where heavy stones were plentiful. Then -the police, reinforced by a willing mob, armed themselves -with heavy boulders and pounded the flickering -life out of their emaciated frames, silencing for -ever their unavailing cries for pity and mercy. It -was a revolting spectacle, and although their crime -was an abominable one, no one not a Persian could -repress a feeling of compassion for the wretched -creatures who, made desperate by hunger, had become -so dead to all human instinct as to kill and be -prepared to eat their own flesh and blood. -</p> - -<p> -Other women were apprehended and executed for -child murder. It was reported that there was -plenty of wheat stored in private houses, and it was -urged that severe measures should be taken against -the hoarders. The men were still eating their -evening meal of grass, flavoured with a little salt. One -of the favourite trysting-places of the Democrat -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P121"></a>121}</span> -stalwarts was the football-ground near the Hospital -Compound. Nearly every afternoon in fine weather, -when the ground was not being used for play, they -sat there cross-legged—in their brown and black -loose-fitting robes, resembling so many clucking hens -on a roost—discussing and planning the overthrow -of the British, while hundreds of their own people -lay dying around them of starvation. -</p> - -<p> -In Hamadan, to add to our other difficulties, we -were greatly troubled with professional mendicants, -whose ages varied from six to sixty, and whose energy -and begging zeal were unbounded. In time we got -to know them, chiefly, I think, because of their -physical fitness. They were always in the pink of -condition, sound in wind and limb, and could run a -mile in pursuit of a likely dole without turning a hair, -while their vigorous lung power would have done -credit to a "cheap jack" auctioneer. -</p> - -<p> -I always did, and always shall, admire the wonderful -patience and clemency exercised by Dunsterville -when faced with the Democratic organization, which -aimed at nothing short of wiping out both himself -and his force in Hamadan, if not by a <i>tour de force</i>, -then by starvation. They were always inciting the -populace to rise and finish us. But hungry men have -little stomach for blood-letting, and although those -in Hamadan found it difficult enough to exist owing -to the food shortage, they were in no hurry to abridge -their unhappy days by flinging themselves on British -bayonets. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P122"></a>122}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Hun or the Turk would have ended this -intolerable situation long ago by decorating Hamadan -lamp-posts with the dangling bodies of local -Democrats; but Dunsterville was forbidden to embark upon -any strong measures. Our own Minister in Teheran, -Sir Charles Marling, kept warning us that we were -neutrality-breakers, and wondering whether the -Persian Government, even by the exercise of all his -(the Minister's) diplomatic skill, could ever be -induced to forgive us. Sir Charles, who has since -been transferred to some other sphere of usefulness, -was always quick to grasp and expound the Persian -official point of view. I often wonder if he ever -busied himself with attempting to understand that -of the British concerning the occupation of Hamadan -and Kasvin. -</p> - -<p> -One of the contributory causes of the Hamadan -famine was the insane behaviour of the Russian Army -when in occupation of the town and district. They -destroyed the growing crops of wheat and barley, -and wantonly wasted the grain they were unable to -consume or carry off. The Hamadan harvest is not -ripe for gathering until about the first week in July, -so the British, in May, were faced with the problem -of feeding a starving population for some sixty days. -It was not incumbent upon them to do so, but both -pity and policy coincided in indicating the necessity -for combating the evil of food shortage that was so -rapidly thinning out the population. -</p> - -<p> -With the approval of the British Government a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P123"></a>123}</span> -scheme of famine relief was inaugurated by General -Dunsterville. Labour gangs were formed, and under -the supervision of our officers the starving multitude -was set to work road-making. In about the first -week three thousand offered themselves for employment, -and were enrolled. Nominally, only the able-bodied -were supposed to be eligible, but judging by -the human wrecks that one saw in the Labour Corps -few of this category existed in Hamadan. The -road-makers, at the beginning, were paid four krans per -diem (a kran is, at war-exchange, the equivalent of -a franc), and it was stipulated that they should -provide themselves with a spade or mattock and -a basket in which to carry away the loosened earth. -A number, it is true, did present themselves armed -with the narrow-bladed bilm or spade of the Persian -agricultural labourer, but there were hundreds who -heroically tackled the job equipped with nothing -more efficacious than wooden rice-spoons. Still, no -one kicked at this, and the rice-spoon wielders did -their "bit," or attempted to do it to the best of -their enfeebled ability. Our object was rather to -be content with some colourable imitation of a <i>quid -pro quo</i> for cash disbursements, than to exact a stiff -day's labour from people wholly incapable of -performing it. -</p> - -<p> -In our blissful ignorance of Persian psychology, -we fondly imagined at first that the equivalent of -£400 a day paid out in wages to roadmakers would -sensibly alleviate the prevailing distress. But we -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P124"></a>124}</span> -did not reckon upon Persian avarice, selfishness, and -untrustworthiness of character. The price of bread, -somewhat to our surprise, did not fall. In fact it -became dearer than ever. The bakers saw to that. -Money was beginning to circulate more freely; the -very poor were no longer empty-fisted; so up went -the price of bread with a bound! In short, it was -found that the more we distributed in famine relief -the lower fell the purchasing power of the kran. -Another thing, too, that militated against the -successful working of the "all cash" scheme of assistance -was that it did not to any extent ameliorate the -pitiable lot of the women and children. The men -did not always bother to buy bread for their starving -dependents, preferring to dissipate their earnings in -a nightly carouse in an opium den—the local -equivalent to a British gin palace. -</p> - -<p> -An unpleasant element of "graft" was also brought -to light. No Persian for very long can keep his -itching fingers from other people's money. The -native foremen of the road gangs were not an exception -to the rule, and for a brief period they made a -lucrative income by trafficking in labour tickets. -First they issued spurious ones to their friends and -relatives, none of whom had done a stroke of work; -they even sought, somewhat clumsily to be sure, to -counterfeit the official stamp which each ticket bore -on its face. They rubbed some Indian ink on the -reverse side of a two-kran piece, and with this stamped -the forged tickets, adding a few pencil strokes <i>à la -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P125"></a>125}</span> -fantasie</i> by way of giving a finishing touch of -verisimilitude. -</p> - -<p> -As the tickets entitled the bearers to draw four -krans when presented nightly at the pay office, the -thieving foremen were in a fair way to becoming rich -by the time the fraud was discovered. The same -individuals were also in the habit of coercing their -hapless underlings into selling their tickets for a -kran or two. These were then resold to a middleman, -who cashed them at their full face value. But -a liberal application of the bastinado worked wonders, -and speedily rendered such dishonest practices highly -unpopular. -</p> - -<p> -Still, it was felt that some radical alteration was -necessary if we were to get full value for, and the -Hamadan poor full benefit from, the money that was -being expended on their behalf. General Byron, a -level-headed practical soldier, and very wise in -worldly knowledge, who at this time was second in -command to General Dunsterville, now took over -control of famine relief work. He decided upon an -alteration of the existing system of doles in favour -of one consisting of a free distribution in food -supplemented by payment in cash of two krans instead of -four. Bread alone was deemed to be insufficient, -and it was felt that the starving people who toiled -daily road-making required some more nourishing -food. After overcoming many difficulties, official as -well as unofficial, and silencing the usual group of -objectors who vowed that it could not be done, the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P126"></a>126}</span> -General opened soup kitchens at several centres, and -fed as many as 2,000 hungry people per day. -</p> - -<p> -The recipients were delighted and grateful. But it -was now that the local Democrats, who throughout -had stood aloof from the movement for succouring -their starving brethren, reached their high-level of -political strategy. It was not at all to their liking -that the detested British interloper was filling the -empty stomachs of the people gratis. In such -circumstances they could not be expected to revolt and -join hands with the Democrats, and besides, if this -free distribution of food were not stopped, it would -be a bad day for the wheat-trust and inflated grain -prices. So they set to work and issued broadcast -handbills warning the poor against partaking of -British soup, on the ground that it was heavily -flavoured with poison. It was part of another -"deep-laid plot," they said, to kill off all the Hamadani -whom the ravages of famine had so far overlooked. -</p> - -<p> -The average Persian peasant is an ignorant and -gullible individual as a rule, but this time the -Democrats overshot the mark and their assertions were -too much even for Persian credulity. The hungry -people came and ate. The second and succeeding -days they came in thousands. Barricades and armed -soldiers were required to prevent their storming the -distribution centres and carrying off all the available -supply. And, to the dismay and horror of all good -Democrats, not a single one died from poisoning. -This was the deathblow to the prestige of the Democratic -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P127"></a>127}</span> -movement. It lost its grip on the people. -There is nothing a Persian, or indeed any Oriental, -hates so much as being made to look ridiculous; -and the Democrats became the target for quip and -jest in the bazaars of Hamadan, until in rage they -plucked their beards and tore their garments, -exclaiming, in accents of sorrow and humiliation, "Alas, -what ashes have fallen on our heads to-day!" -</p> - -<p> -But they rallied in their last ditch, and made an -eleventh-hour attempt to avert the consequences of -the moral defeat which had overtaken them. Kuchik -Khan, the "Robin Hood" of the Caspian Marches, -yielding to democratic pleadings, and in the hope -possibly of discrediting British famine relief work, -sent fifteen mule-loads of rice to Hamadan to be sold -for the benefit of the poor. But Kuchik's agents -had seized the rice without payment from growers -living in his "protected area," so he was able to -play the merry game of robbing the Persian Peter -in order to comfort the Persian Paul. -</p> - -<p> -The artifice was too thin. Hamadan was not -deluded. The British were <i>de facto</i> masters of the -situation. They had conquered the people of -Hamadan not by the sword and halter of the Turk who -had preceded them, but by a modern adaptation of -the miracle of the loaves and fishes. -</p> - -<p> -By a <i>ruse de guerre</i> the grain owners were induced -to disgorge some of their hoarded stocks. Telegrams -purposely written <i>en clair</i> which passed between -Bagdad and Hamadan made it appear that large -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P128"></a>128}</span> -supplies of wheat were being forwarded from -Mesopotamia, whereupon the local Hamadan hoarders -rushed into the market and sold readily at daily -diminishing rates, until something like normal prices -were reached once more. And so the bottom fell out -of the wheat ring. -</p> - -<p> -Private foreign effort closely co-operated with the -military in the distribution of food and the relief of -the famine-stricken. Dr. Funk and Mr. Allen of the -American Presbyterian Mission, Mr. McMurray of the -Imperial Bank of Persia, and Mr. Edwards, local -manager of the Persian Carpet Factory, amongst them -spent considerable sums of money and devoted a -great deal of time to this work of charity. -</p> - -<p> -Mr. McMurray is a man possessing much business -acumen and financial ability, and as expert adviser -to the British in occupation at Hamadan he was -able to render very great services to his country. -Too modest to seek reward or recompense of any -kind, he nevertheless had an honour thrust upon -him. It was a minor class of a minor decoration -which a grateful Government in England somewhat -grudgingly, it seems, bestowed upon him in generous -recognition of his zealous labour in the common -cause of Empire. So now, should he attend a public -function at home, and the question of precedence -arise, he will probably find himself ranking next after -some lady typist from the War Office, who can write -shorthand and spell with tolerable accuracy. To be -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P129"></a>129}</span> -an unofficial Briton working for Britain abroad is a -very serious handicap for the Briton concerned. The -Government of the Empire sees to that. I have never -been able to discover exactly why it is, but the -handicap holds good all the way from Tokio to -Teheran, and from Salonika to Archangel. Should -you desire to acquire merit, and you happen to be -the possessor of a name that betokens pure British -ancestry, hide it, and let it be inferred that the cradle -of your race is somewhere in Palestine or the Middle -East. Then your path is easy. The India Office will -pat you on the back, and the British Foreign Office -will ecstatically fold you to its bosom. -</p> - -<p> -McMurray's bungalow was the chief trysting-place -for the British officers in Hamadan. It stands within -the great walled enclosure or compound where many -members of the British and American colonies had -made their homes. It was a city within a city, -fringed with trees and pleasant pathways, and -bordered by flower-beds. Mrs. McMurray was always -"at home" to her compatriots from about 10 a.m. to -10 p.m. daily. While she fed starving Persians, -she also gave luncheons and dinners to British officers. -Rarely were there fewer than six of the latter billeted -under her hospitable roof. The eaglets of the R.A.F., -and especially the fledglings still without their second -wing, found her an admirable foster-mother, who -counselled them in health and nursed them in illness, -and was always a sympathetic amanuensis when -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P130"></a>130}</span> -fevered brows and unsteady hands attempted to -grapple with the problem of inditing a "line or two" -for home to catch the outgoing mail. -</p> - -<p> -Dunsterville, as he was popularly called, was a -frequent visitor at the bungalow. The original of -Kipling's "Stalky," he rode easily and without -straining on the anchor of his reputation. He is -keen-witted, with an illimitable fund of dry, racy -humour, and no drawing-room was ever dull when -the General was having his fling. As a retailer of -<i>bon mots</i> the G.O.C. had no compeer in Hamadan. -His shafts were never envenomed, and his victims -laughed as heartily as anybody else, as, for instance, -once when rations were running low and cannibalism -was in vogue among the poor of the city, Dunsterville, -turning to a very youthful A.D.C. whose cheeks -were the colour of a ripe apple, said in his droll -way, "I shall never starve, my lad, while you are -about!" -</p> - -<p> -One of his <i>obiter dicta</i> was that every British officer -in Persia should be compelled to pass a qualifying -examination in "Hadji Baba"—the Oriental Gil -Blas—for he would then know more about the -Persians, their manners and customs, than could -be acquired by months of travel and unaided -observation. -</p> - -<p> -"Stalky" had no fear of personal danger. He -was an optimist who always saw a diamond-studded -lining to the blackest of clouds. It is related of him -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P131"></a>131}</span> -that at his fateful interview with the Bolsheviks on -the occasion of his raid on Resht he told the "Red -Committee" so many amusing stories in their own -mother-tongue that they quite forgot the principal -business of the evening, which was to sentence him -(Dunsterville) to death. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap12"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P132"></a>132}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XII -<br /><br /> -DUNSTERVILLE STRIKES AFRESH -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Official hindrances—A fresh blow for the Caucasus—The long -road to Tabriz—A strategic centre—A Turkish invasion—Rising -of Christian tribes—A local Joan of Arc—The British -project. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -By the middle of May Dunsterville began to feel his -feet. Reinforcements were trickling in, officers and -N.C.O's., but no fighting men, and always in the -<i>petits paquets</i> so beloved by the parsimonious-minded -officials who sat at General Headquarters down in -Bagdad. -</p> - -<p> -Dunsterville's own position was not an enviable -one. His path was beset by difficulties of every -description, and, much against his wish, he found -himself engaged in a kind of triangular duel with -British officialdom at home and abroad. First the -Minister in Teheran, and apparently also the Foreign -Office, were wringing their hands in despair, asking -what he was doing in Persia at all, and urging him -to "move on" towards the Caucasus. Next there -was Bagdad, who, deeply incensed that Dunsterville -had an independent command, and was in direct -communication with the War Office, never lost a -chance of putting a retarding spoke in his wheel, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P133"></a>133}</span> -even going to the extent of telegraphing up the line -that no member of "Dunsterforce" was to be -furnished with supplies from the military canteens. -Then, finally, there was the War Office, who had sent -him to Persia in the first instance because it was the -most direct route to the centre of Bolshevik activities -in the Caucasus. For some time they continued to -support him against the pretensions of Bagdad, but -ultimately they yielded, and Dunsterville and his -force became subordinate to the Bagdad command. -Of course, there were, in addition, the malcontents -amongst the Persians, notably the Democrats and -their Turkish-German sympathizers, who had more -than a passing interest in all this bickering and -wrangling. They, too, were anxious that a British -force should not sit down indefinitely in Persia. -</p> - -<p> -At last it was determined to do something and to -strike a fresh blow for the Caucasus; but the initiative -no longer rested with Dunsterville. It had passed -to Bagdad. New difficulties arose immediately. -How were the Caucasus to be reached—by the -Caspian Sea and thence by steamer to Baku? Or -overland from northwards, through the province of -Azarbaijan to Tabriz and railhead? -</p> - -<p> -The direct route to the Caspian from Hamadan -was not possible, because Kuchik Khan and his -Jungalis still held the Manjil-Resht section of the road, -and Dunsterville unaided was not then strong enough -to turn them out. True, there were the Russian -auxiliaries under Bicherakoff, but these valued allies -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P134"></a>134}</span> -were making ready for an offensive in their own -leisurely fashion, and were not to be "speeded up" -by any known methods of British hustling. -</p> - -<p> -From Hamadan to Tabriz by way of Zinjan is -about three hundred miles. The route for the most -part lies over difficult and mountainous country, -where supplies are scarce or hard to procure. The -wild and scattered tribesmen are not noted for -extreme friendliness. Zinjan itself is 115 miles from -Hamadan in a northerly direction. The next -important stage on the road to Tabriz is Mianeh, -eighty-five miles north-west of Zinjan. From Mianeh, -Tabriz itself is distant about one hundred miles. -</p> - -<p> -Tabriz, the ancient Tauris, and capital of the -province of Azarbeijan, is the largest city in the -Persian Empire, and the most important commercial -centre in all Iran. It is the residence of the Valiahd, -or heir-apparent to the Persian throne. It occupies -much the same position in north-western Persia as -does Meshed in the north-eastern part of the country. -Marco Polo visited it during his long overland trek -to far Cathay, and found it a fair city, full of busy -merchants and wealthy citizens. -</p> - -<p> -But for the British, seeking to arrive within -fighting distance of the Turks, Germans, and Russian -Bolsheviks overrunning the Caucasus, Tabriz had its -own special military importance. It was a point of -great strategic value. Julfa, on the Russian-Persian -frontier, and ninety miles from Tabriz, is the terminus -of the Trans-Caucasian Railway which runs to Tiflis, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P135"></a>135}</span> -the Caucasian capital and main British objective. -Tiflis is 320 miles from Tabriz. The railway from -the former city continues west to Poti and Batum, -the shipping ports on the Black Sea, and east (also -from Tiflis Junction) to Baku and its oilfields on the -Caspian Sea. -</p> - -<p> -From Julfa, connecting with the Trans-Caucasian -Railway, a Russian company had built a branch line -to Tabriz, and an extension to Sharaf Khane on the -eastern shore of Lake Urumia. On the lake itself -was a fleet of Russian-owned steamers, which -maintained communication between the railhead at Sharaf -Khane and Urumia city, famous as the legendary -birthplace of Zoroaster, which is on the western shore -of the lake, and about twenty-five miles from Sharaf -Khane. -</p> - -<p> -When the Russian Army, stricken by the deadly -plague of Bolshevism, retreated northwards towards -Tiflis, they accommodatingly left behind at Sharaf -Khane, for the use of the first comer, their fleet of -lake steamers, hundreds of guns of heavy and medium -calibre, dumps of shells and small-arms ammunition, -thousands of serviceable rifles, and quantities of other -military stores. -</p> - -<p> -The Turkish frontier line, passing about forty-five -miles west of Urumia, continues due north to its -junction with the territorial boundaries of Russia -and Persia on the perpetual snow-clad summit of -the Greater Mount Ararat. The region round Lake -Van having been cleared of potential enemies—the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P136"></a>136}</span> -Russians had retired, and the Armenians were put -to the sword—the Turks, swinging eastward, lost no -time in crossing the frontier and violating Persian -territory. They pleaded military exigencies for the -step they had taken, and turned a very deaf and -unsympathetic ear to the mere paper remonstrances -of the Persian Government. But in the invaded -territory they met with severe and unexpected -opposition, not from their own Islamic kindred, but from -hated and despised Infidels of the Christian sect. -</p> - -<p> -Urumia is the centre of a thickly populated -Christian district, and the headquarters of French, -Armenian, American, Russian, and British religious -missions to the Nestorian Christians. These latter, -with few exceptions, inhabit the plains and lowlands; -but in the bleak, almost inaccessible mountain regions, -live and thrive some brave and warlike tribes who -are also Nestorian Christians, and who are generically -known as Jelus. They had suffered much from -religious persecution at the hands of Kurd, Persian, -and Turk, and over and over again in their mountain -eyries, with rifles in their hands, they had put up a -brave fight against the Moslem oppressor in defence -of hearth and home and the temples of their faith. -</p> - -<p> -Nestorians and Jelus once more made common -cause against the common Turkish enemy. Already -warned by the fate of the hapless Armenians, they -were under no delusion as to what would befall them -should the Osmanli triumph—it meant extermination, -root and branch. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P137"></a>137}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Badly equipped and badly armed, but heroically -led, the combined Jelu Army took the field under -Agre Petros, generalissimo, and Mar Shimon, the -Nestorian Patriarch. With the latter went his sister, -Surma Khanin, who fought in the ranks of the -Christian army, and whose lion-like bravery and -devotion under enemy fire speedily led to her being -known as the Nestorian Jeanne d'Arc. -</p> - -<p> -A force of Turkish regulars belonging to the 6th -Division, plundering and burning as it went, on -May 17th was surprised by the Jelus on the River -Barandoz, south of Urumia, and cut to pieces, the -victors capturing the guns and greater part of the -supplies. Thus came to naught the Turkish plan for -the taking of Urumia by means of a combined attack -from the south and from Salmas in the north! The -captured artillery and supplies gave the Jelus a new -lease of military life, and they were able for some -time afterwards to keep the Turk at bay. Everyone -realized that, without military help from the British, -the Urumia Christians must be overwhelmed by the -Turks sooner or later. -</p> - -<p> -This, then, was briefly the situation towards the -middle of May. The Turk, battered and bruised after -his encounter with the Jelus, was pulling himself -together for another and more carefully prepared -spring. He hung around Khoi, whence he threatened -Urumia on the western shore of the lake, and Sharaf -Khane and its rich booty of Russian guns and military -stores on the eastern shore. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P138"></a>138}</span> -</p> - -<p> -While the Turk was probably inwardly debating -whether he should not bring matters to a climax by -descending on Tabriz to possess himself of the Persian -end of the Trans-Caucasian Railway and the Russian -military stores at Sharaf Khane all at one swoop, -some official folk in remote Bagdad and remoter -London were discussing between themselves with -great earnestness and energy whether it would not -be possible and practicable to forestall him by -marching a column from Hamadan to occupy Tabriz, seize -the railhead, establish a base for operations against -Tiflis and the Caucasus generally, and stretch out a -helping hand to the sorely pressed Nestorian-Jelu -Army on the other side of Lake Urumia. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-138"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-138.jpg" alt="DRILLING JELUS AT HAMADAN." /> -<br /> -DRILLING JELUS AT HAMADAN. -</p> - -<p> -The British Minister in Teheran got wind of the -project and jumped upon it heavily. The Persians -would not like it; it would offend their -susceptibilities; they were almost certain to be annoyed, -and diplomatic complications, etc., etc., were sure to -follow. It is a little way British Ministers -sometimes have. They become over-zealous and -over-cautious, ever dreading a hair-breadth departure -from the narrow limits of the conventional protocol. -There followed a good deal of official wobbling and -indecision. First the "Ayes" had it, then the -"Noes," and meanwhile much precious time was -wasted. Ultimately, some strong man somewhere—it -is rumoured that he lives down Whitehall way—got -a firm grip of the problem, and flung his weight -into the scale on the side of the "Ayes"; and the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P139"></a>139}</span> -"Noes," including the far-seeing Minister, were -routed. -</p> - -<p> -The word "go" was given in Hamadan, and then -began the great Olympian race—the goal Tabriz, -with Turk and Briton pitted one against the -other. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap13"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P140"></a>140}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XIII -<br /><br /> -THE RACE FOR TABRIZ -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -A scratch pack for a great adventure—Wagstaff of -Persia—Among the Afshars—Guests of the chief—Capture of -Zinjan—Peace and profiteering. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -On May 21st a small British column left Hamadan -for the north-west of Persia. It was anything but -a formidable fighting force as far as numerical strength -was concerned. It comprised fifteen British officers, -one French officer, and about thirty-five British -N.C.O's. The whole party was armed with rifles -and some also carried swords, infantry or cavalry -pattern, which had been dug out of the Ordnance -Store at the last moment. -</p> - -<p> -Even as our equipment was varied, so was there -certainly something distinctly Quixotic about our -saddlery and our chargers. Of the latter, some were -a fresh issue by the Remount Department, and ranged -from heavy limber horses to light 'Walers. Then -there were Persian "Rosinantes," bare-boned and -razor-backed. The humble Persian mule and humbler -donkey were also impressed into the service of carrying -some British officer or sergeant forward on the -great adventure. -</p> - -<p> -For adventure it certainly was. Our orders were -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P141"></a>141}</span> -to march on Zinjan, where a few hundred Turks were -said to be holding a post, defeat or disperse them, -raise and train Persian levies, and, with these auxiliaries -to aid us in the fighting line, push on to Tabriz, -and, if possible, dispose of any Turks who might be -inclined to dispute our entry into the capital of -Azarbaijan. We had a Lewis gun, but no artillery. -We had a medical officer, but scant medical and -surgical stores; no ambulance or stretchers, but a -couple of dhoolies, to each of which a mule was -harnessed fore and aft. Baggage and supplies were -cut down to a minimum, for the column, if such it -could be termed, was to be self-supporting, and to -live on the country, not always an easy task in the -starving land of Persia. -</p> - -<p> -This British forlorn hope was led by Major Wagstaff -of the Indian Army, an officer who had spent -years in Persia attached to the South Persia Rifles, -and had an intimate knowledge of the Persian as -a fighter and as an intriguer. Wagstaff spoke the -language of the country with great fluency, and -knew all the tribes from Fars to Azarbaijan with the -intimacy of an ethnological connoisseur. I remember -that he held the Persian in high esteem, believed -him to be courageous to a certain extent, honest -according to his lights, and altogether possessing the -makings of a soldier. But then Wagstaff was born -an optimist! -</p> - -<p> -Our route lay due north from Hamadan to Zinjan, -where it was intended that we should cut in on the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P142"></a>142}</span> -main Tabriz road that runs from Teheran by way -of Kasvin. The Turks, too, had been active in this -district lately. Small reconnoitring parties of them -were said to have made their way down through -Azarbaijan to the neighbourhood of Mianeh and -Zinjan, in quest of supplies and military information. -In a sense they were operating on favourable ground, -for a large proportion of the inhabitants of -Azarbaijan are of Turkish origin. They belong to the -same race as the Turks on the north side of the -Araxes (Russian-Persian frontier) who occupy the -valley from Julfa to Erivan, and with whom those in -Azarbaijan have blood ties. -</p> - -<p> -The Afshari is one of the powerful Turkish tribes -known as Kizil Bashis, which settled in Persia in the -seventeenth century, and at the present day more -than a quarter of the descendants of the Afshari live -in Azarbaijan. It was to smash the growing power -of these newcomers from across the Persian border -that Shah Abbas organized the tribesmen in -north-eastern Azarbaijan, who were known as -Shahsavans—"Shah loving." But their loyalty did not last -long. They soon turned their arms against their -royal master, and joined the Russians in the -campaign of 1826, forming an enduring alliance with -their tribal enemies, whom they ultimately absorbed -into their bosom. The Shahsavans are a turbulent -crew, well aware of their strength and fighting value, -and have from time to time terrorized the Persian -Government. In 1912 they revolted in the vicinity -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P143"></a>143}</span> -of Ardabil, and it took a combined Persian-Russian -force of five thousand men and a four months' -campaign to suppress them. -</p> - -<p> -After six days' march we were in the country of -the Afshar tribe, one of the five main branches of -Shahsavans, which is credited with being able to put -a thousand mounted and armed men in the field. -The chief of the Afshars, Jahan, Shah Jahan, we -found sojourning in one of his villages called Karasf. -A day's march from this village we were met by a -messenger from the Amir Afshar, as he is generally -called, who invited us to make a detour and break our -journey at Karasf. -</p> - -<p> -It was at the close of a hot, dusty afternoon that -we reached the Amir's abode, very tired after a long -march. The Amir's headman bade us welcome, and -announced that we were to be the guests of his master -during our stay. The customary sacrificial offering -of sheep was made in our honour, and our horses -were led away by native mihtaran or syces. As for -ourselves, we were installed in a spacious -caravanserai with a retinue of servants to wait upon us. -The Amir Afshar proved an admirable host, and -supplies were forthcoming in abundance from the -many villages in his domains. -</p> - -<p> -Ascertaining that several members of the party -were poorly mounted, he sent us six horses, the very -best of his blood stock. The Amir lives in semi-regal -style, and, as paramount chief of the Afshar -tribe, is lord of his people and the arbiter of the lives -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P144"></a>144}</span> -and fortunes of about five thousand tribal families, -who render him unswerving, unquestioning obedience. -Here was ancient feudalism in the heart of the -twentieth-century Persian Empire! Although owing -a nominal allegiance to the "King of Kings" in -Teheran, the Amir apparently did not bother his -head very much about party intrigues or the trend -of national politics at the Court of the Shah. He -did his own intriguing, and did it exceptionally well. -A man of extraordinary ability and political shrewdness, -he first coquetted with the Turks and then with -the British, adroitly playing one off against the other -in the great game of politics. Too careful to commit -himself irrevocably to one side or the other while -the Great World War was still undecided, this -Oriental Vicar of Bray nevertheless contrived to -maintain a cordial and unbroken friendship with -both Turk and Briton. If a Turkish emissary, -backing up his persuasive pleadings with a bag of -gold, besought him to put an end to neutrality and to -place his resources and his small army of irregulars -at the service of his blood relatives, the Amir always -accepted the gold cheerfully, and fervently wished -success to the Turkish arms. Then the British, not -to be outdone by the Turk, would ask, as a guarantee -of his good faith, for fifty or a hundred armed levies -from amongst his tribesmen. The Amir invariably -agreed in principle, but he would point out that no -self-respecting Afshari could fight at his best unless -equipped with a British rifle. The latest pattern -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P145"></a>145}</span> -army rifle would be forthcoming to the number -required, but then a border foray would always be -staged about the same time, and the wily Amir -would plead, and with some show of reason, that he -needed every sowar he had to prevent his territory -being overrun by his powerful and unscrupulous -tribal neighbours. Still, for all that, during the -darkest of the famine days, he kept the British -commissariat well supplied with grain, and that, too, at -a reasonable price. -</p> - -<p> -Our host was usually "at home" to distinguished -visitors from four to five a.m. He sent to say that -the state of his health forbade his receiving us at the -more conventional hour of noon. The Amir, I -learned afterwards, was a confirmed opium-eater, his -daily dose of the drug being far in excess of the -quantity consumed by our own candid de Quincey. -He was an old man, verging on eighty, but although -his physical health was indifferent, his mental energies -were unimpaired. He rarely ventured abroad, and -spent his days and nights in the privacy of his -apartment, abandoning himself to the full enjoyment -of his enthralling passion of opium-eating. At -daylight he was usually recovering from his latest dose -of the drug. Then he would partake of a little food, -see callers, read his letters, and depart for dreamland -again, carried thither on the wings of the insidious -and baneful poppy extract. -</p> - -<p> -One morning at dawn the members of the Wagstaff -Mission paid a ceremonial call on the Amir. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P146"></a>146}</span> -Fortunately we were accustomed to early rising. We -were conducted to his presence with considerable -ceremony, and found him reclining on the floor of -a large apartment covered with rare Persian rugs. -There was little else in the way of furniture in the -place. I saw before me an old man with shrivelled, -sunken features, piercing black eyes, and a grey -beard growing on a face the colour of yellow parchment. -A long, thin, bony hand was held out for us -to shake in turn, the Amir excusing himself from -rising on account of physical weakness. He bade us -welcome in a quavering, piping voice. -</p> - -<p> -Whatever else may have been his infirmities, it -soon became clear that he had a remarkably alert -brain. The most recent phases of the European War, -the varying fortunes of the participants engaged -therein, the latest tit-bit of scandal from Teheran, -and the pretensions of the Turks to territorial -occupation of Azarbaijan and possible aggrandizement at -the expense of Persia, all these topics drew from the -aged but mentally virile potentate pungent and -sagacious criticism. He talked high strategy with -all the assurance of a Field-Marshal, and gleefully -told how he had politically out-manoeuvred the wily, -calculating Turk in a recent little <i>affaire à deux</i>. -While he spoke he ran his hand idly through a pile -of correspondence, read and unread, opened and -unopened, which littered the floor beside him. -Letter-filing has evidently not reached any high standard at -Karasf. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P147"></a>147}</span> -</p> - -<p> -I think we all fell under the spell of our host's -well-informed mind and his world-wide interests, -and when he asked if there had been any Cabinet -changes recently in London, and whether Lloyd -George was still Chief Minister of our King, we -felt that the march of contemporary events, rapid -indeed as they can be sometimes, had failed to -outstrip the keen alertness of the overlord of -Karasf. -</p> - -<p> -On May 29th, having previously exchanged adieux -with our kindly host, we set out from Karasf. The -weather was now oppressively hot, and it was -becoming increasingly difficult to march during the -noon-day heat. We accordingly moved off earlier, and -usually contrived to take the road about sunrise -daily, halted at noon for an hour or so, and then on -again, finishing the day's march early in the -afternoon in the welcome shade of some garden on the -outskirts of a village and close to a good -water-supply. -</p> - -<p> -A day's trek from Karasf took us beyond the -confines of the Amir's territory. Couriers whom he -had despatched in advance of us warned his local -headmen of our coming, and we lacked nothing in -the way of supplies. We crossed rough, broken -country, wound over mountain passes, and down into -pleasant valleys beyond. Our advent, it was clear, -caused much excitement in the countryside, but the -people, while they sometimes held aloof, were never -unfriendly. We were passing through a country less -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P148"></a>148}</span> -ravaged by starvation than the region close -to Hamadan. Food was more plentiful, and -the "hunger battalion," with its suffering -members, was not to be seen in the Persian -North-West. -</p> - -<p> -We were also gradually losing touch with Persian -as a spoken language. It was being supplanted by -Turki, the dialect of Turkish-Persian spoken by the -peasant classes in the province of Azarbaijan. As -we rode north we were sensible of this linguistic -change. First the peasants we met in the village -spoke Persian and understood Turki; farther north -Persian was understood, but not spoken with any -fluency; until, north and north-west of Zinjan, Turki -entirely ousts the native Persian, the latter as a -spoken language in many cases being quite unknown -to the villagers. -</p> - -<p> -So far we had seen nothing of any hostile Turks. -A body of their cavalry and a few infantry were -reported to be at Zinjan, but the villagers told us -they had not come farther south, or anywhere in the -neighbourhood of our own line of march. A few -robber bands occasionally quitted their mountain -lairs and descended into the plain, taking us for -some peaceful merchant caravan, probably unarmed, -and therefore an easy prey for these wild freebooters -of the hills. But, on reconnoitring closer and -discovering their mistake, they did not tarry, and -turning about, went off into the hills as fast as their -wiry ponies could carry them. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P149"></a>149}</span> -</p> - -<p> -On the afternoon of May 30th we arrived within -ten miles of Zinjan, and camped on a bare and -desolate sand tract close to the main road. A Persian -tea-house, with its walls crumbling to ruins, stood -by the wayside. Tea there was none, and the -occupier had disappeared, leaving his establishment -to the care of the wild dogs and prowling hill robbers -that nightly infested it. It was empty now, and -abominably filthy, so I sat outside under the lee of -the tea-house wall which afforded a little protection -from the scorching heat, holding a very tired horse, -and waiting for the sun to take himself from off the -hot plain in order that we might seek both rest and -refreshment. -</p> - -<p> -At daylight on May 31st we broke camp early and -moved cautiously forward in the hope of surprising -the Turkish force in Zinjan, leaving the baggage and -stores behind under a guard. Our total striking -force was thirty all told, half of which was under -Major Wagstaff and the remainder under Captain -Osborne, 2nd King Edward's Horse. -</p> - -<p> -Zinjan is a town of 24,000 inhabitants, shut in by -high hills on the east and west, between which lies -an immense plain traversed by the Zinjaneh Rud. -On both banks of this river are beautiful gardens -enclosed by walls of baked brick. If the Turks -meant to make a stand here, they had found an -admirable defensive position, and one from which it -would take a couple of battalions to dislodge them. -Osborne's party worked round to the west and north -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P150"></a>150}</span> -in order to threaten the retreat of the enemy, while -Wagstaff and his small band, including myself, -halted under cover of a garden wall to the south of the -town. -</p> - -<p> -Some Persian Charvadars coming out of the town -volunteered the information that the Turks holding -Zinjan, whose numbers were variously estimated at -from two to three hundred, were already in flight, -and galloping away northwards as hard as they -could go. The news of our approach must have -reached them early. No doubt our numerical strength -had been magnified tenfold by the imaginative native -spy who had carried the intelligence of our -advance. -</p> - -<p> -This information decided Wagstaff. In a moment -we had flung ourselves into the saddles and, with a -wild British cheer that shook sleepy folk out of their -beds, we dashed across the stone bridge spanning the -river and so into Zinjan. We rode first for the -bazaars, hoping to round up in that quarter some -stray Turks who had overstayed their leave when -the town was being evacuated. But we found -none. -</p> - -<p> -If our sudden arrival failed to surprise the Turks, -it certainly alarmed the inhabitants of Zinjan. Panic -seized them. In the bazaars the women and children -fled at our approach, and the shopkeepers, trembling -in every limb, made frantic efforts to bolt and bar -their premises. Finding that the new-comers neither -robbed nor maltreated anyone, the bazaar lost its -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P151"></a>151}</span> -attack of "nerves," and recovered its habitual calm. -Business instincts got the better of physical fear. -Shutters came down with a run, and as a slight -token of local appreciation, and in honour of our -coming, all bazaar prices were immediately, and by -universal consent, increased one hundred per cent. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap14"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P152"></a>152}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XIV -<br /><br /> -CAPTURE OF MIANEH -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Armoured car causes consternation—Reconnoitring the -road—Flying column sets out—An easy capture at the gates of -Tabriz—Tribesmen raid the armoured car—And have a thin -time—Turks get the wind up. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Zinjan having thus passed into our hands without -the firing of a shot, the Wagstaff column established -its headquarters in a garden villa a mile north of the -town, near the junction of the road to Mianeh. The -Indo-European Telegraph Company had an office in -Zinjan, and we were speedily in communication with -Kasvin, eighty miles to the south-east. -</p> - -<p> -Osborne's small party soon turned up, having -failed to round up any Turks. Indeed, the latter -bolted from Zinjan with amazing celerity, so much -so that their commandant, Major Ghalib Bey, left -behind some of his papers and personal effects. -</p> - -<p> -During our march on Zinjan, Dunsterville -headquarters had moved up from Hamadan to Kasvin -in order the more effectively to co-operate with -Bicherakoff and his Russian volunteers in the -impending operations against Kuchik Khan and his -Jungalis, who were holding the Manjil-Resht road. -</p> - -<p> -A few hours after we had taken peaceable possession -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P153"></a>153}</span> -of Zinjan, Lieutenant Pierpont, with a light -armoured car mounting a machine-gun and a Ford -convoy bringing supplies for our force, arrived from -Kasvin. The car, as it lumbered through the narrow -bazaar streets, scraping its way round sharp corners -where there was scarcely room to swing a cat, visibly -impressed the susceptible native mind, and damped -the pro-Turkish enthusiasm of the militant local -Democrats. Its presence exercised a salutary moral -influence, and although there were mutterings of -discontent at our unceremonious seizure of the town, -the stodgy barrel of the machine-gun peeping from -the turret of the armoured car was in itself sufficient -to overawe all the anti-British hotheads of Zinjan. -</p> - -<p> -On the morning following our arrival in Zinjan -Major Wagstaff sent me off with the armoured car -to reconnoitre the road towards Mianeh. I had -with me Lieutenant Pierpont, who was in charge of -the car and its crew of three, and Lieutenant -Poidebard of the French Army, who was attached to our -column. In addition to the car there were a couple -of Ford vans carrying spare petrol and stores for the -journey. Official road reports in our possession -covering the section of the route between Zinjan and -Mianeh were indefinite and even conflicting. The -road ahead was in places reputed to be "good for -wheeled transport," but whether it was passable for -an armoured car was highly problematical. -</p> - -<p> -Our first day's journey was devoid of thrill. We -forded the shallow waters of the Zinjan Rud and one -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P154"></a>154}</span> -of its tributary streams, towed the car in places with -the two Fords as tugs, and at others built a plank -bridge to carry it over deep mud holes. -</p> - -<p> -At the village of Nik Be, or Nikhbeg, which is -about thirty miles from our starting-point, the -inhabitants fled in terror at the sight of the strange -iron-clad monster moving down the village high -street. The very dogs took fright and set out for -some remote part of Azerbaijan with their tails -between their legs. Even the usually placid -transport donkey was not proof against the prevailing -infection of fear, and kicking his load free, he betook -himself elsewhere. The general impression appeared -to be that the Evil One himself had dropped in for -a morning call. In five minutes from our entry into -the village not a human face was to be seen, and -a silence as of death itself reigned everywhere. -Presently we dug out some of the terrified villagers -from various subterranean hiding-places and -prevailed upon them to inspect the "monster" at close -range. Finding it now stood the test well, and that -it behaved in a rational way, they grew bolder, and -patted its khaki-painted sides affectionately, as one -would stroke a dog of dubious friendliness. -</p> - -<p> -On the succeeding day, by dint of a good deal of -spade work, we reached Jamalabad, about fifteen -miles from Mianeh, where the road approaches the -Baleshkent Pass. The ascent to the pass from the -Jamalabad side is about three miles from the village, -and the road mounts abruptly at a very sharp angle. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P155"></a>155}</span> -On the reverse slope it zigzags down the side of a -gorge which made one giddy to look at. It required -the united efforts of fifty sturdy villagers from -Jamalabad to push the car to the top of the pass, -but, even if we could have negotiated the descent in -safety, it was doubtful if we should ever have been -able to climb back by the precipitous corkscrew -ascent. -</p> - -<p> -To be caught by the Turks at the bottom of the -Pass unsupported would mean disaster for the -expedition, so very reluctantly we turned the armoured -car's head for Zinjan. We learned that there were -Turks in Mianeh, but none of those who had quitted -Zinjan in such haste before the advance of the -Wagstaff column had come along the Jamalabad road. -</p> - -<p> -Pierpont, who was in charge of the car, was a -mild-mannered youth, but of a very warlike disposition, -and was much disappointed that we had not had a -brush with his old enemy, the Turk. Down -Mesopotamia way he once charged an infantry position -and engaged in "close action" by laying his armoured -car alongside a front-line trench, where he speedily -closed the account of its defenders with machine-gun -fire. -</p> - -<p> -Another swift stroke now placed us in possession -of Mianeh and brought us eighty miles nearer Tabriz. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Osborne, taking with him a small detachment -from Wagstaff's force, as well as a contingent -of hastily recruited Persian irregulars, was -despatched from Zinjan over the recently reconnoitred -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P156"></a>156}</span> -route. He had a convoy of Ford vans, took with -him the armoured car under Lieutenant Pierpont, and -pushed forward rapidly, negotiating the difficult -Baleshkent and the still more difficult Kuflan Kuh -Passes. The Kuflan Kuh at its highest point is -5,750 feet, and the ascent on the south side and -descent on the north side are very difficult for ordinary -wheeled transport. This is especially so on the -south slope, which, in a series of short, sharp gradients -rises 2,000 feet in two miles. -</p> - -<p> -By the aid of a good deal of native labour the -armoured car was safely taken over the formidable -Kuflan Kuh, and duly made its appearance in Mianeh. -The Turks were reported to have had a small post -here, but when Osborne's party entered Mianeh the -enemy had already withdrawn towards the north-west. -</p> - -<p> -The premises of the Indo-European Telegraph -Company, which had a stout wall and a compound, -were selected as British headquarters. Leaving a -part of his slender command here to hold the place -until Wagstaff and his main body could come up, -Osborne with the armoured-car patrol and a few -British N.C.O's pushed along the Tabriz road, -crossed the Shibley Pass twenty miles south-east of -Tabriz, and reconnoitred up to the gates of the city -itself. It was a hazardous and daring undertaking, -but it would have succeeded, and we could easily -have won the race to Tabriz and so checkmated the -less enterprising Turks, had a few companies of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P157"></a>157}</span> -British troops been available to hurry to the support -of Osborne. But one cannot very well expect the -equivalent of a sergeant's guard to perform the work -of a battalion, and to hold a city of 200,000 -inhabitants whose attitude was doubtful from the point of -view of friendship. So Osborne had to fall back -slowly towards Mianeh. -</p> - -<p> -The armoured car had by this time used up all -the spare tyres and inner tubes, and, when the -retirement over the Shibley Pass began, it was going on -bare rims. Its mobility was impaired, and, while it -could still fight, it certainly could not run, and its -tyreless progress over the mud and boulders which -pass for a road in Azerbaijan was slow and painful. -</p> - -<p> -The limping car looked an easy prey to Turk or -prowling robber hordes. So thought a band of two -hundred Shahsavan tribesmen, as they rode down -from the hills one morning on one of their periodical -forays. They had watched the car from afar, and -noted its limping gait and its helplessness. -</p> - -<p> -In that corner of upper Azerbaijan, from the -Tabriz road east to Ardabil and the Caspian Sea, and -north towards the Russian frontier, there roam free -and unhampered a score or so of sub-tribes of the -Shahsavan Clan, wild and lawless rascals for the -most part, but not wanting in courage or in that -rude chivalry common to the Asiatic hillmen. The -Shahsavani handle a rifle skilfully. Pillaging is for -them both a livelihood and a distraction. They are -the recognized tax-gatherers of the Tabriz road, and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P158"></a>158}</span> -will rob a fat caravan, or disarm and strip the Shah's -Cossacks, with equal impunity. -</p> - -<p> -And now the tribesmen got their lesson. The car -stood on the roadside while Lieutenant Pierpont -and his men were preparing breakfast. Approaching -to within eight hundred yards, the raiders opened -out, and charged to the accompaniment of wild yells. -Then the machine-gun in the turret of the immobile -car spoke up in reply. It sprayed the charging -horsemen with lead; they broke and fled; but, -reforming, came on anew. The gun spat more leaden -hail, and this time the tribesmen had had enough; -they fled in disorder, and ever afterwards gave a -very wide berth to all such devilish contrivances as -armoured cars and machine-guns. -</p> - -<p> -The Turks now grew seriously alarmed at our -temerity in threatening to snatch Tabriz from their -impending grasp. It was the door to the Caucasus -and to one of the Turkish main theatres of military -operations. It was a prize worth having, and for the -Turks the possession of the capital of Azerbaijan -was of scarcely less vital importance than it was for -the British themselves. Kuchik Khan had already -effectively barred the gate to Resht and shut us off -from the Caspian on the east; now the Turk was -completing the "bottling-up" process, for he was -closing the door of Tabriz in our face and getting -in the way of our reaching Tiflis in the north. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-158"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-158.jpg" alt="ROAD NEAR RUDBAR. THE TWO LARGE ROCKS IN THE FOREGROUND REPRESENT ONE ATTEMPT OF THE JUNGALIES TO BLOCK THE ROAD." /> -<br /> -ROAD NEAR RUDBAR. THE TWO LARGE ROCKS IN THE FOREGROUND <br /> -REPRESENT ONE ATTEMPT OF THE JUNGALIES TO BLOCK THE ROAD. -</p> - -<p> -During the first week in June the Turks bestirred -themselves and began their campaign of close and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P159"></a>159}</span> -active co-operation with Kuchik Khan. Turkish -troops hurriedly moved on Tabriz from the -neighbourhood of Khoi and the direction of Julfa. Ali -Elizan Pasha, who designated himself "Commander -of the Ottoman Army in the province of Azerbaijan," -issued a flamboyant proclamation addressed to his -dear Persian brethren and co-religionists asking them -to rally to his standard and to make common cause -with his Army of Liberation which was pledged to -free Persia from the thraldom of the Infidel. So -the Turks moved in, and were welcomed by the -Persian officials and by the Valiahd or heir-presumptive -with manifestations of joy, and the Entente -consuls and citizens of the Entente countries moved -out as fast as slow-moving Persian transport could -carry them. -</p> - -<p> -Once in Tabriz, the Turks did not let the grass -grow under their feet. They were bent on giving -us a Roland for our Oliver. They assiduously -cultivated the good graces of the local Persian -Democrats, actively identified themselves with the -Ittahad-i-Islam, or Pan-Islamic movement, and set about -the recruiting and training of local levies with which -to harry us in Azerbaijan. The Turks also formally -notified the Teheran Government that it was their -intention to extend their occupation to the Persian -capital, so as to complete the spiritual and political -resurrection of the Shah's Empire. -</p> - -<p> -Mahmud Mukhtar Pasha, a Turkish military leader -of some renown, entered Tabriz on June 15th, gave -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P160"></a>160}</span> -his blessing to the Pan-Islamic propagandist -movement, and promised the militants amongst the -Democrats that there would soon be no British left -in Azerbaijan or elsewhere in Persia to trouble the -peace of mind of those patriots. The good work -was furthered by such zealous Democrats and -Turkophiles as Hadji Bilouri, Mirza Ismael Noberi, and -the Sheikh Mehamet Biabari, who contrived to -combine piety with politics for a cash consideration. -</p> - -<p> -The Turks, while lavish with oratory, were niggardly -with money. In short, they were bad paymasters, -happily for the British; otherwise the latter would -not have been in Azerbaijan as long as they were. -They enrolled fedais or native levies, but forgot to -pay them, whereupon the levies deserted and took -service with the British down Mianeh way, arguing, -logically enough, if crudely, that Turkish promises -would not buy bread, and that the money of the -Infidel was better than none at all. -</p> - -<p> -The Turks, too, by their rapacity early estranged -popular feeling. They commandeered right and -left without payment, and in the bazaar, at the -point of the pistol, they compelled merchants and -money-changers to accept their depreciated paper -currency at an inflated rate of exchange as against -Persian krans. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap15"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P161"></a>161}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XV -<br /><br /> -LIFE IN MIANEH -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Training local levies—A city of parasites and rogues—A knave -turns philanthropist—Turks getting active—Osborne's comic -opera force—Jelus appeal for help—An aeroplane to the -rescue—The Democrats impressed—Women worried by -aviator's "shorts"—Skirmishes on the Tabriz -road—Reinforcements at last. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -When the Wagstaff Mission finally reached Mianeh -from Zinjan it began to collect grain supplies, by -purchase, and set to work to raise and train irregulars. -Although the Persian hates drill and discipline, there -was no dearth of recruits for the local army. The -pay was good, about £2 a month with rations and -uniform, which meant affluence to the average -Persian villager, who was usually too poor to buy -enough bread to keep himself alive. -</p> - -<p> -Mianeh, which is rightfully credited with being -the most unhealthy spot in North-Western Persia, -has a population of about 7,000. It is the -chosen home of a poisonous bug (Argas Persicus) -whose bite produces severe fever and occasionally -death. There is also a set of parasites, human this -time, whose sting is very deadly in a financial sense. -They are the Merchants' and Grain-Growers' Guilds, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P162"></a>162}</span> -and they were always attempting to dip deep and -dishonestly into the British treasure chest. It -would be doing this delectable spot no injustice to -say that, in proportion to its population, it can -boast a greater percentage of unchained rogues than -any other town in the whole province of Azerbaijan. -</p> - -<p> -One of these knaves turned "philanthropist" once. -He begged the Mission to start relief works to help -the starving poor of Mianeh, and offered to supply -the British with spades for excavation work at cost -price. The spades were paid for and the relief work -started—and about a week later it was accidentally -discovered that the "philanthropist" was collecting -two krans a day as spade hire from the dole of the -starving peasants! On another occasion he induced -a too-confiding officer to sanction the payment of a -sum of money for rendering less malodorous the -streets of this pestiferous town. The money was -drawn, and then its recipient discovered that the -people were partial to noxious vapours, and had -conscientious objections to any interfering and -misguided foreigner meddling with their pet manure -heap. So nothing was done, but the money -disappeared. Such is morality as practised in this -corner of the Shah's dominions! -</p> - -<p> -The Telegraph Compound which, during our occupation -of Mianeh, served as Wagstaff's headquarters, -stood on the brink of a knoll overlooking the main -street leading to the Bazaar Quarter. On the face -of a corresponding eminence opposite, and divided -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P163"></a>163}</span> -by a bend of the road, was the local Potter's Field, -where friendless peasants and penniless wanderers -from afar who had paid the great debt of Nature -within the inhospitable walls of Mianeh were interred -(when the lazy townsfolk found time to give them -sepulture) in a hastily dug and shallow grave. In -the meantime the defunct ones were wont to be -dumped down on a rude bier and left there, -sometimes for a whole day, under the fierce rays of a -mid-June sun. Mianeh was as uncomfortable for -the dead as it was unhealthy for the living. Truly, -few Persians seem to possess any olfactory sensitiveness. -They would pass the Potter's Field hourly, -showing no concern at the repulsiveness that must -have assailed their eyes and noses. -</p> - -<p> -News filtered down the road from Tabriz that the -Turks there were displaying great activity. They -were daily being reinforced, and made no secret of -their intention to attempt, when sufficiently strong, -the task of chasing the British from Azerbaijan. -They established posts on the Tabriz road southwards -as far as Haji Agha, about sixty miles from -Mianeh. -</p> - -<p> -The answer to all these Turkish preparations for -breaking our slender hold upon Azerbaijan was for -Wagstaff urgently to ask for reinforcements and -especially mountain guns. In the meantime he sent -Osborne back up the Tabriz road, with all the fighting -men that could be spared, to watch the enemy and -to attempt to prevent his breaking farther south. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P164"></a>164}</span> -Osborne's chief reliance was placed on the few British -N.C.O.'s who accompanied him. Beyond these, all -he had to stem any Turkish advance was about half -a squadron of newly enrolled irregular horse and a -couple of platoons of native levies who had been -taught the rudiments of musketry and elementary -drill. -</p> - -<p> -Their appearance, at all events, was very warlike, -not to say terror-inspiring, and, like some of the -wild tribes of Polynesia, they relied chiefly on the -effectiveness of their make-up when on the -"war-path" to bring about the discomfiture of their -enemies. The Sowars were unusually awe-inspiring, -hung about as each was with two or three bandoliers -studded with cartridges. Each carried a rifle, a -sword of antique design, and a short stabbing blade. -</p> - -<p> -The Naib, or Lieutenant, who commanded them, -was equally formidable from the point of view of -arms and equipment. He had a Tulwar shaped like -a reaping-hook, and a Mauser pistol, the butt of -which was inlaid with silver. -</p> - -<p> -The tactics of the Sowar levies were something in -the nature of a compromise between a "Wild West" -show and <i>opéra bouffe</i>. They would gallop at full -speed up a steep hill, brandishing their rifles over -their heads and yelling fiercely the while. It was -always a fine spectacular display with a dash of -Earl's Court realism thrown in. The rifles of the -Sowars had a habit of going off indiscriminately -during these moments of tense excitement when they -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P165"></a>165}</span> -were riding down an imaginary and fleeing enemy, -and the British officers who watched their antics -found it expedient in the interests of a whole skin -to remain at a respectful distance from the -manoeuvring, or—should one say, performing?—Sowars. -</p> - -<p> -Swagger and braggadocio were the principal fighting -stock-in-trade of the levies and their Persian -officers. They were always clamouring to be led -without delay against the Turks in order that we -might have an opportunity of witnessing what deeds -of valour they would perform under enemy fire. -The time did come, and our brave auxiliaries found -themselves in the front line with a Turkish battalion -about to pay them a morning call—and we realized -more fully than ever that the hundred-years-old -dictum of that incomparable humorist, Hadji Baba, -still held good, "O Allah, Allah, if there were no -dying in the case, how the Persians would fight!" -</p> - -<p> -The Turks having outstripped us in the race to -Tabriz, a belated attempt was made early in July -to get in touch with the sorely pressed Jelus in -Urumia and stretch out to them a succouring hand. -They had sent us a despairing appeal for help. Their -ammunition was running out; their available supplies -were nearly exhausted; and they were on the verge -of a military collapse. The Turks threatening Urumia -had offered terms if the Jelus laid down their arms, -but, fearing treachery if they accepted, the War -Council of the Jelus refused the enemy offer, -advising unabated resistance, and urging that an -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P166"></a>166}</span> -attempt should be made by the whole army to break -out towards the south and march in the direction -of Bijar and Hamadan, in order that they might -find safety behind the British lines. -</p> - -<p> -Lieutenant Pennington, a youthful Afrikander -airman who was noted for his coolness and daring, -was despatched from Kasvin on July 7th. He was -to fly to Urumia carrying a written assurance of -speedy British aid for the beleaguered garrison there. -Pennington made a rapid non-stop flight to Mianeh, -covering the distance from Kasvin in a little over -two hours. He spent a day at Mianeh, where he -carried out a series of useful demonstrations intended -to impress the local Democrats. They had never -seen an aeroplane before, and were rather vague as -to its offensive potentialities. Moreover, they had -been inclined to be scornful of our want of military -strength so glaringly revealed at Mianeh. But now, -at all events, the Democrats were duly impressed by -Pennington and his machine. They argued that, if -one aeroplane could come from Kasvin in a couple -of hours, so could a whole flotilla, and armed with -death-dealing bombs. Not altogether ignorant of -the doctrine of consequences, the Democrats realized -the value of oratorical discretion; so for a while they -put a curb on their poisonously anti-British tongues. -</p> - -<p> -Meanwhile Pennington continued his aerial journey -to Turkish-menaced Urumia, the city by the lake -shore, where a Christian army was sheltering and -wondering anxiously whether it was succour or the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P167"></a>167}</span> -sword that awaited it. Within two hours of leaving -Mianeh, the intrepid airman was crossing over Lake -Urumia heading for the western shore. He dropped -low on approaching the city itself, and his unexpected -appearance brought consternation to the inhabitants. -Aeroplanes were unknown in those parts. They felt -that this visitor from the clouds could hardly be a -friend; therefore he was presumably a foe. Reasoning -thus, the Jelus lost no time in blazing away a -portion of their already slender stock of ammunition -in the hope of bringing him down. The aviator -had many narrow escapes, and so had his machine. -He landed with a few bullet holes through his clothing, -but his aeroplane, happily, had not been "hulled," -or he would have been immobilized at Urumia. -</p> - -<p> -As he alighted, the Jelus rushed up to finish him -off, for they were not noted for being over-merciful -to Turks falling into their hands. But seeing that -he was English, they embraced him as a preliminary, -and then carried him shoulder-high into the city. -He was the hero of the hour. The people were -delirious with joy, and women crowded round and -insisted on kissing the much-embarrassed aviator. -As the weather was very hot, Pennington was wearing -the regulation khaki shorts. One Nestorian woman, -after gazing compassionately at the airman's bare, -sunburnt legs, and noting the brevity of his nether -garment, shook her head sadly and said she had not -realized till then that the British, too, were feeling -the effects of the War and were suffering from a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P168"></a>168}</span> -shortage of clothing material. There was a whispered -consultation with some sister-Nestorians, and a -committee was formed to remedy the shortcomings -of Pennington's kit. The women ripped loose their -own skirts and, arming themselves with needles and -cotton, pleaded to be allowed to fashion complete -trousers for the aviator, or at least to be permitted -to elongate by a yard or so the pair of unmentionables -he was wearing. The youth blushed furiously, and -was at great pains to explain that there was still -khaki in England, and that it was convenience, and -not any scarcity of material, that had caused the -ends of his trousers to shrink well above his knees. -</p> - -<p> -Pennington flew back from Urumia, and it was -arranged that the Jelus with their women and children -were to march south by way of Ushnu and Sain -Kaleh to meet a British relieving force moving up -from Hamadan and Bijar. -</p> - -<p> -Early in August Osborne had several brushes with -the Turks on the Tabriz road. The enemy flooded -our lines with spies, chiefly Persians from Tabriz, -and pushed reconnoitring patrols as far south as -Haji Agha, forty miles from Tabriz. In these road -skirmishes our Persian levies behaved with their -characteristic unsteadiness. Once they were fired -upon by hidden infantry at seven hundred yards, -they forgot their promised display of valour, their -courage oozed out at their boots, and they promptly -bolted. An aerial reconnaissance revealed detachments -of cavalry, artillery, and infantry marching -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P169"></a>169}</span> -south along the Tabriz road, but Headquarters in -Bagdad refused to attach any importance to this -concentration, and for the moment were deaf to -Wagstaff's reiterated demand for reinforcements, and -especially for a mountain gun or two. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Osborne and his party now dug themselves -in at Tikmadash, about fifty miles from Mianeh and -a corresponding distance from Tabriz, and fixed his -headquarters in a serai close to the village which -commanded the Tabriz road. There was a supporting -British post at Karachaman not far from the -main Tabriz road and fourteen miles to the south-east. -</p> - -<p> -Wagstaff's repeated pleadings with "high authority" -at last began to bear fruit. It was a generally -accepted military axiom out in Mesopotamia and -Persia that, if you were insistent enough in your -demands for an extra platoon or two, with a gun -or an aeroplane thrown in, you were either given the -goods, or dubbed a "flannel-footed fool" and relegated -to the cold shades of official oblivion. It was -generally the latter. When Wagstaff, therefore, -heard that he had been given a whole squadron of -14th Hussars, a platoon of the 14th Hants, and a -platoon of Ghurkas, as well as a section of a howitzer -battery and a couple of mountain guns, his habitual -soldierly calm deserted him, and he almost wept for -joy on the neck of his adjutant, debonair "Bobby" -Roberts of the 4th Devons. -</p> - -<p> -"C" squadron of the 14th Hussars had made a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P170"></a>170}</span> -forced march from Kasvin. Its ranks had been -thinned by fever, and it barely mustered eighty sabres -when it rode over the Kuflan Kuh Pass to Mianeh. -It had but two officers, Lieutenants Jones and -Sweeney, fit for service. But there was no respite. -Fever-racked troopers and leg-weary horses, after -a night's halt at Mianeh, started on a fifty-mile march -to Tikmadash, where a handful of British were -holding up a Turkish force already numbering nearly -a thousand and growing daily. The tired infantry -who had "legged it" all the way from Kasvin were -also pushed north in the wake of the cavalry. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap16"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P171"></a>171}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XVI -<br /><br /> -THE FIGHT AT TIKMADASH -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Treachery of our irregulars—Turkish machine-gun in the -village—Headquarters under fire—Native levies break and -bolt—British force withdrawn—Turks proclaim a Holy -War—Cochrane's demonstration—In search of the missing -force—Natives mutiny—A quick cure for "cholera"—A Turkish -patrol captured—Meeting with Cochrane—A forced -retreat—Our natives desert—A difficult night march—Arrival at -Turkmanchai—Turks encircling us—A fresh retirement. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -The Turks came against Osborne at Tikmadash on -September 5th. For days previously they had been -carefully preparing for the attack. -</p> - -<p> -Overnight they sent into the village, unperceived -by the British, an infantry detachment which -fraternized with the inhabitants and also with a small -party of our irregulars who were on observation -duty there. The treacherous irregulars said nothing -of the presence of the Turks in their midst, and -made common cause with them at once. Towards -midnight the Turks smuggled in a machine-gun, -which they subsequently mounted on the flat roof -of the dwelling of a Persian official. At daylight -the Turks, from cover of the village itself, opened a -violent machine-gun fire on the headquarters of -Osborne, which were in a serai a short distance on -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P172"></a>172}</span> -the Mianeh side of Tikmadash village. All the -officers, some eight or ten in number, lived here. -There were two doors to the serai on two different -sides of the building. Both these exits were sprayed -with machine-gun fire. There was nothing for it -but to open the door and run the gauntlet. It was -like coming within the vortex of a hail-storm, yet, -surprising to relate, few were hit. -</p> - -<p> -Beyond the weak units of the 14th Hussars, the -Hants, and the Ghurkas, Osborne had nothing to -depend upon in this critical hour save levies recruited -in Mianeh and elsewhere who, in spite of their boastings, -were always fire-shy. They took up a position -this morning at Tikmadash, but it was clear from -the beginning that their hearts were not in the -business. -</p> - -<p> -After firing some shrapnel into the position, the -Turks stormed it with two thousand infantry. The -shell fire had already stampeded the Persians, but -their British officers, Captains Heathcote, Amory, -and Trott of the Devons, and Hooper of the Royal -West Kents, by dint of persuasion and threats, -temporarily stopped the disorderly flight, and -induced the wavering men to follow them back into -the line. But a few more shells from the Turkish -gun, which burst with telling accuracy, finished the -resistance of the levies. Osborne had no artillery, -the mountain battery section from Mianeh not having -yet arrived. -</p> - -<p> -This time the portion of the line held by the levies -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P173"></a>173}</span> -doubled up like a piece of paper. Panic seized them, -and they fled with all the swiftness of hunted animals, -throwing away their rifles as they ran. The Hants, -Ghurkas, and Hussars were now all that was left -to cover the retirement. The Turks were working -round both flanks and, had the British hung on, the -whole force would have been surrounded and killed -or captured. Some of the British soldiers were so -incensed at the cowardice of the Persians that they -turned their rifles against the fugitives and shot -them in their tracks. -</p> - -<p> -When a retirement was seen to be inevitable, the -charvadars were ordered to load up the stores and -medical supplies at the serai. In the midst of their -preparations the levies broke and fled. This decided -the charvadars, who showed themselves to be as -arrant cowards as the rest of their race. Cutting -away the lashings securing the loads on the transport -mules, they jumped on the animals' backs and -galloped panic-stricken to the rear. -</p> - -<p> -Captain John, of the Indian Medical Service, who -had worked like a Trojan attending to the wounded -under fire, now collected three or four British -N.C.O's. and sought to rally the runaway charvadars, or at -least to recapture some of the transport mules. As -well might Dame Partington have tried to mop back -the waves of the Atlantic. John, however, did -succeed in moving the British wounded, but all the -officers' kits, medical supplies, and ammunition fell -into the hands of the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P174"></a>174}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The sadly diminished and battered British force -withdrew to Karachaman, preceded by the fleeing -native levies, who magnified the extent of our reverse, -and as they ran spread panic amongst the villages -on our line of retreat. -</p> - -<p> -Eight days before the Turks hit us at Tikmadash, -news had filtered through to Mianeh that the enemy -was becoming active in Eastern Azerbaijan. Raiding -parties of Turkish cavalry had penetrated to Sarab, -eighty miles east of Tabriz, and stray bands of tribal -levies who had taken service under the Turkish flag -were reported farther east towards Ardabil and the -Caspian littoral. They distributed proclamations -broadcast announcing a Jehad or Holy War against -the British, and calling upon the people to rally to -the banner of the Ittahad-i-Islam, or Pan-Islamic -movement, and so make an end of the Infidel occupation -of Persia. The hapless villagers themselves had -little choice in the matter; compulsion was drastically -applied, and a village that showed hesitation, or -evinced any apathy in embracing the tenets of -the political-cum-religious and Turkish-controlled -Ittahad-i-Islam, was laid waste, its inhabitants -maltreated, or sometimes put to the sword. -</p> - -<p> -The Turks further showed their contempt for -Persian authority by seizing the telegraph office at -Sarab and kicking out the detachment of Persian -Cossacks who held the place in the name of the Shah -and did police duty in the district. These Cossacks, -in common with the rest of their brigade, were under -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P175"></a>175}</span> -the command of a Russian officer. He evidently -harboured some extraordinary view as to his duty -towards the Shah's Government, for he accepted with -meek submissiveness the imperative orders of the -Turks to take himself and his command out of -Eastern Azerbaijan without any unnecessary delay. -The Persian Cossacks, the "paid protectors of the -poor," to give them one of their official designations, -rarely "protected" anybody unless as a financial -investment, and their brutality and greed for illicit -gain caused them to be as much dreaded by the -Persian peasant and bazaar shopkeeper as were those -brutal, plundering ruffians, the Turkish Bashi-bazouks -whom the senior partner in the Pan-Islamic firm -had let loose in upper Azerbaijan. -</p> - -<p> -To counteract enemy activity round Sarab and -Ardabil a small mounted force was despatched from -our post at Karachaman under Captain Basil -Cochrane of the 13th Hussars. Cochrane had with him -about forty British enlisted Sowars of Khalkhal -Shahsavans. Moving across the mountains, he boldly -rode into Sarab. The Turks, assuming his to be -but the advance guard of a large British force, -scattered at his approach. The Governor and the -townsfolk welcomed him effusively, and promised -him military support. But Persian promises are not -always redeemable, as we had already found to our -cost. Turkish cavalry were advancing afresh and -threatening his rear, so Cochrane, who was fifty -miles as the crow flies from the nearest British post, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P176"></a>176}</span> -had to let go his hold on Sarab, and retire towards -the south. Then a veil of silence enshrouded his -movements; and at Mianeh headquarters it was -feared that he had been cut off and killed with his -whole party. -</p> - -<p> -I had just come back from a long trek, and had -stretched my weary self out on a camp bed and gone -fast to sleep, booted and spurred, when someone -shook me vigorously. I awoke and found it was -Wagstaff, chief of the Mission, with orders for me -to take out a mounted party and go in search of -Cochrane. I mustered the available Sowars of the -station, about fifty in all. They were recruited from -the Shahsavan tribesmen, and we had had hitherto -no reason to suspect their fidelity. But immediately -they divined that trouble was brewing and that -they might get a "dusting" from the Turk, they -decided that Mianeh was a healthier place than Sarab, -and mutinied to a man. Neither threats nor -persuasion could move them. Having, so to speak, -thrown in their hands, they dismounted from their -shaggy, fleet-footed hill ponies, and stood sullenly -with folded arms, refusing obedience to all orders. -</p> - -<p> -Leaving Wagstaff to deal with the mutinous Sowars, -I collected about a dozen of my own Persian police, -and with these and two British N.C.O's., Sergeants -Calthorpe, R.F.A., and Saunders of the 13th Hussars, -set off on my mission. -</p> - -<p> -We marched the greater part of the night, and -early next day reached Turkmanchai on the Tabriz -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P177"></a>177}</span> -road, twenty-five miles north-west of Mianeh. Here -I impressed ten Sowars of ours who, feigning illness -and suffering from "fire-shyness," had stolen out -of the trenches at Tikmadash. Our route from -Turkmanchai lay nearly due north towards the -foothills of the lofty Bazgush Range and the country -of the Khalkhal sub-tribe of Shahsavans. We -bivouacked for the night in the prosperous village -called Benik Suma, which stands in the middle of an -arboreal-cloistered dale watered by a shallow but -swift-running mountain stream. Supplies were -plentiful, and the hand of famine had not touched this -secluded Persian hamlet, which nestled so cosily -beneath the glorious foliage of oak and chestnut. -</p> - -<p> -When the march was resumed in the morning, it -was found that four of the "malingerers" from -Turkmanchai had deserted overnight. My little -command did not seem at all easy in its mind at the -prospect of having a brush with the enemy, and every -hour that brought us nearer to the hill country an -increasing number of Sowars reported sick and begged -to be allowed to fall out. -</p> - -<p> -At first I was puzzled by the spread of this sudden -malady, for the symptoms were identical in each -case—severe abdominal pains; but presently the -mystery was explained. I encountered on the road -a Persian Cossack who had ridden in from the Sarab -district, and had come across the mountains that -lay ahead of us. He volunteered the information -that in a village about twenty miles distant he had -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P178"></a>178}</span> -seen a Turkish cavalry patrol. Our Sowars on -hearing this looked very glum, and four of them at -once complained of violent illness. They rolled on -the ground in pretended agony, artfully simulating -an acute cholera seizure. This time, and without -much difficulty, I diagnosed the disease as being -that of pure funk, or what is commonly known in -military parlance as "cold feet." While sympathizing -with the sufferers, I gravely told them that -I had instructions to shoot off-hand any of my -command who became cholera-stricken, and to burn their -bodies in order to prevent the disease spreading. -The result was little short of magical. The "severe -pains" disappeared, and the patients made such a -wonderful recovery that within half an hour they -were able to mount their horses and turn their faces -towards Sarab once more. And the "epidemic" did -not reappear. -</p> - -<p> -We entered the mouth of the gloomy Chachagli -Pass in the Bazgush Range. Horsemen afar off had -hovered on our flanks and reconnoitred us carefully, -but the distance was too great to tell whether they -were enemy irregulars or simply roving Shahsavans -in search of plunder, who would impartially despoil, -provided the chances were equal, Briton, Turk, or -Persian. -</p> - -<p> -The Chachagli Pass, a trifle over 8,000 feet, must -surely be the most difficult to negotiate in the whole -of the Middle East. The road or track from the -southern entrance of the Pass follows a narrow -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P179"></a>179}</span> -valley shut in by a high gorge. A huge mass of -limestone rock, parting company with some parent -outcrop several thousand feet above our heads, has -fallen bodily into the shallow stream which rushes -down the Pass, damming up its waters momentarily. -The stream is angry, but not baffled, at this clumsy -effort to bar its path. Gathering volume and -strength, and mounting on the back of the impeding -boulder, it dives off its smooth surface with all the -energy and vim of a miniature Niagara, and goes on -its way humming a merry note of rejoicing. -</p> - -<p> -After traversing the stream repeatedly, the road -tilts its nose in the air and mounts sharply. With -just enough room for sober-going mules to pass in -single file, it skirts the brink of a precipice until the -top is reached. The rocks radiated a torrid heat -that September morning, and the sun struck across -our upward path. It was difficult climbing, for there -is not in all the Chachagli Pass enough tree shade to -screen a mountain goat. -</p> - -<p> -On the north side of the summit the road descends -just as abruptly; the track is narrow and rugged, -and it requires careful going to avoid toppling over -the unramped side and down into the rock-studded -bed of the stream. -</p> - -<p> -It was nearing sunset on the evening of September -2nd, and my small force was preparing to bivouac -for the night, when two Sowars who had been foraging -in a village to the west came galloping with news of -the enemy. They had learned that a party of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P180"></a>180}</span> -Turkish irregulars had halted in a hamlet three -miles away. -</p> - -<p> -We moved in the direction indicated and found -the information was correct. The enemy horsemen, -believing themselves secure, had neglected to mount -a guard. They had off-saddled and were sleeping -peacefully in the shade of a mud-walled compound -when we burst into the place and surprised them. -They were ten in all. Rudely disturbed in their -siesta, they surrendered without firing a shot. The -prisoners comprised two Turkish N.C.O's., six Sowars, -and two agents of the Ittahad-i-Islam. They had -evidently been "billposting" and recruiting, for their -saddlebags contained letters addressed to Turkish -sympathizers in the district and also the red armlets -worn as a distinguishing badge by the newly enrolled -fedais who undertook to fight under the crescent-flag -of the Osmanli. -</p> - -<p> -My own Sowars were greatly elated over this minor -success. Their spirits rose accordingly, and they -now professed to regard the fighting Turk with -disdain, and to be prepared to match themselves -single-handed against a whole troop of the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -But it was all mere bombast. The prisoners were -sent down to Mianeh with an escort of six of these -"valorous" levies. On the way they, though, of -course, unarmed, overpowered the guard, took the -arms and horses, and escaped. -</p> - -<p> -At daylight next morning, September 3rd, the -march northwards was resumed. Our advanced -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P181"></a>181}</span> -guard was fired upon by some armed horsemen, who -retired. Following them up, we found that they -were some of Cochrane's scouts who had mistaken -us for Turks. Cochrane himself I came across two -hours later. With his little force he had retreated -without loss from Sarab, and had taken up a snug -defensive position on the brow of a wooded eminence, -where he placidly awaited whatever fate might send -him first—the attacking Turk, or the succouring -British. -</p> - -<p> -The tribesmen were friendly towards us, and, -attracted by the prospect of good pay, were offering -themselves freely as recruits. Making due allowance -for the fighting instability of our levies, we felt we -were strong enough to hold on, and if the worst came -to the worst, and we were outnumbered, capable of -putting up a running fight with the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -But the end bordered on the dramatic, and came -with an abruptness that neither of us had foreseen. -As related in a previous chapter, Osborne was heavily -attacked at Tikmadash on the morning of September -5th, and the news of his retreat and the advance -of the Turks along the Tabriz road did not reach -Cochrane and myself until 2 a.m. on the morning of -the 6th. It was a ticklish situation. Go forward -we could not, and our only way back was over the -gloomy fastness of the Chachagli Pass. The Turks, -we knew, were advancing rapidly, and we mentally -saw them already astride our one line of retreat and -ourselves trapped at the south exit of the Pass. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P182"></a>182}</span> -</p> - -<p> -There was no time to be lost. So, destroying our -surplus stores, and with grim faces, we set off in the -darkness of the night. Our levies surmised that -something had gone wrong with the British, and fear -gripped their hearts. They deserted wholesale and -without waiting to bid us adieu. There was a picket -of fifteen Persians and a British sergeant in a village -a mile to our front. The sergeant alone reported -back. His command had "hopped it" when they -realized that danger threatened. Five miles behind -us on the crest of the ridge there was an observation -post of thirty irregulars with a Naib or native -lieutenant and two British N.C.O's. The Naib had the -previous evening vaunted his personal prowess, and -assured Cochrane and myself that no Turks would -pass that way except over his lifeless body. But -when we reached his post in the blackness of the -night, we discovered that the gallant Naib had fled -none knew whither, and taken all his men with him. -We never saw him again. The two N.C.O's. had -mounted guard alternately, and we found them -cursing Persian irregulars and Persian perfidy with -a degree of vigour and a candour that did adequate -justice to their own private view of the situation. -</p> - -<p> -Cochrane is an Afrikander born, and as resourceful -and plucky a soldier as ever donned khaki. Used -to night marching on the veldt, he led the advanced -guard of our party through the intricate, labyrinthian -windings of the Chachagli Pass where a single false -step meant death. It was nerve-straining work, this -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P183"></a>183}</span> -night march in the darkness, with men, horses, and -transport mules following each other in blind -procession and groping for a foothold on the narrow -causeway. That mysterious dread of the unseen -and the unknown, ever present on such occasions as -these, clutched with a tenfold force the timorous -hearts of the native levies who had survived the -earlier stampede at the beginning of the retreat. -Their teeth chattered, and their trembling fingers -were always inadvertently pressing triggers of loaded -rifles, which kept popping off and heightening the -nerve tension. -</p> - -<p> -We got clear of the Pass shortly after daylight. -Fortunately the Turks were not there to intercept -our march. With the passing of the long night vigil, -and the coming of the dawn, gloom was dispelled; -life assumed a rosier tint, and the levies recovered -some of their lost spirits and waning courage. Once -free of the imprisoning hills, and out on the broad -plateau that dipped southwards to intersect the -Tabriz road, we headed straight for Turkmanchai. -Once we rode into a village as fifty well-mounted -horsemen, disturbed like a covey of frightened birds, -bolted out at the other end. We found that they -were Shahsavan robbers, who looked upon our party -as potential enemies. Turkish cavalry in extended -order were visible on the skyline as we gained the -shelter of Turkmanchai. -</p> - -<p> -We reached this spot in the nick of time. Osborne's -force had been compelled to evacuate Karachaman, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P184"></a>184}</span> -the position occupied after Tikmadash, and his -sorely pressed command was now trickling into -Turkmanchai with the Turks at their heels. Turkmanchai -village is at the base of a steep hill. At its -summit the road from Tabriz squeezes through a -narrow-necked pass. Here the Hants and the -Ghurkas took up a position in order to arrest the -Turkish advance. A section of a mountain battery -had arrived overnight. The Turkish cavalry -appeared in column of route, out of rifle fire as yet, -and blissfully ignorant of our possession of artillery. -The cavalry made an admirable target. Two well-directed -shells burst in the midst of the astonished -horsemen. Their surprise was complete, and wheeling -they opened out and galloped wildly for cover. The -impromptu salvo of artillery set them thinking, and -they did not trouble us again that day. -</p> - -<p> -To hold Turkmanchai was impossible. We had -stopped the Turks in front, but they were working -round our flanks, and it was only a question of hours -when we should be isolated and cut off from Mianeh. -We were outnumbered by fully ten to one, and the -flanking parties of cavalry which the enemy threw -out were alone larger than the British combined -force of regulars and irregulars. -</p> - -<p> -A fresh retirement was decided upon, and on the -morning of September 7th we evacuated Turkmanchai. -The wounded and the sick were removed -in transport carts, and two hours after midnight the -head of the column moved slowly off in the darkness. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P185"></a>185}</span> -I was in charge of the advanced guard, and found -myself in command of a varied assortment of Persian -irregulars, some of whom had "distinguished" -themselves at Tikmadash and Karachaman and had been -"rounded up" by British troops during the retreat. -They were a motley crew, and what infinitesimal -amount of pluck they ever possessed had long ago -evaporated. In the advanced guard it was difficult -to restrain their impetuosity. They dashed off at -top speed as if they were riding a fifty-mile Derby -race to Mianeh. But their one impelling motive -was to place as many miles as possible of dusty road -between themselves and the oncoming Turks before -daylight. -</p> - -<p> -By dint of threats of summary punishment they -were brought to heel and ultimately held in leash. -Silence it was impossible to impose, short of some -form of gagging, and they chattered like a cageful -of monkeys, utterly heedless of the danger of -betraying our presence to the enemy. Then, too, their -superheated imagination saw Turks growing on -every bush. "Osmani anja!" "Osmani anja!" -(The Turks are there!) they would cry, indicating -some village donkey or goat taking a hillside stroll. -Fortunately for us, the Turks showed themselves to -be singularly lacking in energy, and were not keen -on risking a night attack in unknown country, or -they might have ambushed the advanced guard half -a dozen times before it got clear of the danger zone. -With our Persian "braves" to rely upon, there -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P186"></a>186}</span> -would surely have been a "regrettable incident" to -record officially. -</p> - -<p> -The Turks waited for daylight, and then they -attacked the main body and the rearguard, but were -beaten off, and the column extricating itself reached -Mianeh in safety. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap17"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P187"></a>187}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XVII -<br /><br /> -EVACUATION OF MIANEH -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -We have a chilly reception—Our popularity wanes—Preparation -for further retirement—Back to the Kuflan Kuh Pass—Our -defensive position—Turks make a frontal attack—Our line -overrun—Gallantry of Hants and Worcesters—Pursuit by -Turks—Armoured cars save the situation—Prisoners escape -from Turks—Persians as fighters. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Mianeh, pampered, spoon-fed Mianeh, which had -grown fat on British bread and comparatively wealthy -on British money, gave the retreating column a -chilly reception. -</p> - -<p> -The bazaar looked at us askance, and the Democrats -spat meaningly in our direction and muttered -a malediction upon our heads. There was joy in the -eyes of the people which they took no pains to -conceal. -</p> - -<p> -The news of the Turkish success, much magnified -in passing from mouth to mouth and village to -village, had preceded our arrival, and the barometer -of bazaar sentiment, always a sure gauge of Persian -public opinion, had veered round to "stormy." -</p> - -<p> -And "stormy" it was to be. It was felt that -the sands of the British glass had run out. The -attitude of the people underwent a sudden change -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P188"></a>188}</span> -from cringing supplication to one of thinly veiled -hostility. Fawning officials, who had battened upon -our liberality and profited by our largesse, now fell -over themselves in their efforts to sponge the slate -clean and write upon it a Persian improvised version -of the "Hymn of Hate." They threw the full -weight of their mean souls into the job. In the -bazaar they buzzed about like so many poisonous -gadflies, and in order to curry favour with their new -masters-to-be they incited the people to anti-British -demonstrations, and beat and imprisoned humble -folk whose friendship for our nation was disinterested -and had not been offered on the local commercial -basis of so many krans per pound. With one exception, -all the district notables—who had always been -reiterating their professions of friendship, and to -whom we had paid large sums as subsidies for faithless, -turn-tail levies, or as purchase price for grain—went -over to the enemy. Our Mianeh police, my -own command, or those of them who were Persians, -followed the general example and ran off to join the -Turks. -</p> - -<p> -There was one notable exception. Four Kurds -who belonged to the police and who could not be -intimidated or cajoled, stood firm and refused to be -carried off by the wave of desertion, and they -remained to guard the Mission premises. -</p> - -<p> -After Turkmanchai we did not tarry long in -Mianeh. Preparations were at once made for a -further retirement. The Turks were coming on -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P189"></a>189}</span> -slowly and methodically, and apparently in no -immediate hurry to hustle us out of Mianeh. The -long and, in a sense, rapid marches of the previous -five days during hot weather had told upon the -Turkish infantry, and now the advancing enemy had -cried a halt in order that his tired troops might enjoy -a brief repose. -</p> - -<p> -Our next defensive position was the Kuflan Kuh -or Qaplan Kuh (the panthers' hill) Pass, which lies -five miles south-east of Mianeh. The main range -of the Kuflan Kuh runs roughly from east to west, -and the Tabriz-Zinjan road passes over its crest at a -height of about five thousand feet. At the end of the -Mianeh plain, and some two miles from the village -itself, there is a solid brick bridge over the Karangu -River. Once the river is crossed, coming from -Mianeh, the rise begins gradually, and the foothills -of the Pass are met with a mile or so from the river -bank. The ascent from the northern or Mianeh end -is very difficult, and the road mounts between two -perpendicular walls of rock. The gradient is steep, -and the outer edge of the roadway was wholly -unprotected until a British labour corps took the job -on hand and interposed a coping-stone barrier between -the exposed side of the road and the abyss below. -The same workers also plugged up some of the gaping -holes in the roadway which had existed from time -immemorial. -</p> - -<p> -On Sunday, September 8th, the whole of Major -Wagstaff's force bade farewell without regret to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P190"></a>190}</span> -Mianeh, marched across the Karangu, and placed the -formidable barrier of the Kuflan Kuh between itself -and the advancing enemy. Wagstaff established his -headquarters in a ruined caravanserai near the stone -bridge which spans the Kizil Uzun River at the -southern entrance to the Pass. All the stores of -wheat and barley which had been accumulating in -Mianeh were destroyed before evacuation, and the -rearguard crossed the Karangu without molestation -either from the Turks or from their new allies, the -Mianehites, who were hourly showing themselves -more hostile to the retiring British. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-190"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-190.jpg" alt="NORTH GATE, KASVIN." /> -<br /> -NORTH GATE, KASVIN. -</p> - -<p> -Headquarters at Kasvin now began to be alarmed -at the uninterrupted southward advance of the Turks, -for, if Zinjan fell, Kasvin might be expected to follow, -and our line of communications from Hamadan -towards the Caspian would be cut. General Dunsterville -himself was away in Baku, fighting Bolsheviks -and Turks. Some weeks earlier, with the help of -Bicherakoff and his Russians, he had rooted out -Kuchik Khan from his jungle fastness, and opened -the road from Manjil to Resht and the Caspian -Sea. -</p> - -<p> -Wagstaff was accordingly ordered to hold the Kuflan -Kuh at all costs, but what he was to hold it with -was not quite clear, inasmuch as his total dependable -fighting strength of Hants, Ghurkas, and 14th -Hussars did not exceed 250 bayonets and 50 sabres, -the few remaining levies being a negligible quantity. -He had been given a machine-gun detachment, a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P191"></a>191}</span> -mountain battery section, two field guns, and a -howitzer. His main position was on a line of low -hills extending for about three miles below the -northern face of the Pass, and commanding the -approaches from the Mianeh plain and the brick -bridge across the Karangu. The guns were on the -reverse or southern slope of the Pass, whence by -indirect fire they could make it unpleasant for an -enemy crossing the Karangu bridge or fording the -shallow river itself. -</p> - -<p> -A platoon of the Worcesters arrived to reinforce -our attenuated line, and Colonel Matthews of the -14th Hants took over command on the 9th. The -Turks had now occupied Mianeh in force, and during -the ensuing two days were busy preparing for an -offensive movement. They pushed a considerable -body of infantry down to the cultivated fields -bordering the north bank of the Karangu. Here, amongst -the boundary ditches, topped with low bushes, they -found a certain amount of ready-made cover, and -they subjected our advanced posts on the right to a -harassing fire. These were held by levies with a -stiffening of British officers and British N.C.O's. -The Persians, as usual, became "jumpy" whenever -Turkish bullets hummed in their immediate vicinity, -and as they were utterly lacking in elementary -fire-control they were a source of vexatious perplexity -to their British officers and sergeants. One officer, -in despair at their utter unreliability under fire, -pleadingly suggested that they might be withdrawn -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P192"></a>192}</span> -altogether, and himself left with two British sergeants -to hold the post. -</p> - -<p> -Even after making due allowance for the complete -worthlessness of our Persian auxiliaries, we hesitated -to believe that the Turks would commit themselves -to a frontal attack on the Kuflan Kuh. Given a -sufficiency of reliable troops, it would have been an -admirably strong defensive position, and any enemy -who came "butting" against it with lowered head -would have found the experiment a costly one. -</p> - -<p> -But the Turks had seemingly gauged the measure -of our strength and our weakness more accurately -than we had ourselves, for, eschewing anything in -the nature of new-fangled turning movements, they -came at us in the good old-fashioned way, and by the -most direct route. -</p> - -<p> -The attack was delivered after breakfast on -September 12th, and on the part of the enemy -there was no sign of hurry or confusion. Two -thousand infantry, highly trained and admirably -handled, belonging to one of their crack Caucasian -divisions, crossed the river in extended order and -flung themselves against our line. The shock of -contact was first felt on the right, where the Persians -were in position. These latter promptly broke and -fled in utter disorder, all attempts to rally them -proving futile. Our line was now in the air, so to -speak, with the Persians scuttling like rabbits up -towards the entrance to the Pass. It was short and -bloody work. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P193"></a>193}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Hants and the Ghurkas had now to bear the -brunt of the attack. The Turks, reinforced, came -on in surging waves and flowed over their trenches. -Both units made a gallant but ineffectual fight, and -were forced back up the Pass, suffering considerable -losses. The enemy followed up his advantage and -stormed the Pass itself. A last stand was made at -the summit to cover the retreat of the guns. Here -Hants and Turks fought hand to hand with bayonet -and clubbed rifle, until the sadly diminished remnant -of this brave battalion, after losing their gallant -sergeant-major, were literally pushed over the crest -and down the reverse slope. But they had stood their -ground long enough to save the guns from capture. -</p> - -<p> -The Worcesters, who had been in reserve on the -southern slope, now came doubling into action to -the assistance of the hard-pressed Hants. Taking -shelter behind the boulders which are plentiful on -both sides of the roadway, they covered the retirement, -driving the Turkish snipers off the summit of -the Pass and arresting any immediate pursuit on the -part of the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -The caravanserai at the Kizil Uzun Bridge, where -Colonel Matthews had his headquarters, being now -untenable, he withdrew with his remaining force -across the Baleshkent Pass to Jamalabad on the -road to Zinjan. As for the runaway levies, some -of them did not halt until they had placed a good -twenty miles between themselves and the scene of -the Kuflan Kuh fighting. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P194"></a>194}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Turks pursued us to Jamalabad, but it was -the last kick. Their offensive spent itself here, -thanks to a new factor which had entered into the -game. This was the armoured car sections, light -and heavy, under Colonel Crawford and Lieutenant-Colonel -Smiles, which, when our position was indeed -precarious, had been rushed up from Kasvin and -Zinjan in support of our retiring column. The Turks -got a bad peppering at Jamalabad, and a few miles -farther south at Sarcham where the cars were in -action. The enemy had no liking for this sort of -fighting, and troubled us no more. They withdrew -from Jamalabad and, in anticipation of a counter-offensive -on our part, proceeded to fortify themselves -on the Kuflan Kuh. -</p> - -<p> -A week after the fight at the Kuflan Kuh two men -of the Hants who had been captured by the Turks -arrived in our lines, clothed in nothing save a -handkerchief apiece. While their captors were squabbling -amongst themselves as to the distribution of the -worldly possessions of the prisoners, the latter had -slipped away unperceived and gained Jamalabad. -There they were waylaid by Persian thieves, badly -beaten, stripped of their clothing, and left for dead -on the roadside. Still, they were a plucky pair, for, -recovering, they set out afresh, and, completing a -fifty-mile tramp in the blazing sun without food or -raiment, rejoined their unit. -</p> - -<p> -The Crawford armoured cars and the Matthews -column slowly fell back on Zinjan, and there -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P195"></a>195}</span> -ended the military activities of the Tabriz -expedition. -</p> - -<p> -My strictures on the fighting value of the Persian -may appear unduly severe. I fully realize that one -had no right to expect very much from a mass of -raw, undisciplined material. The men were hastily -recruited, and their training, necessarily -circumscribed by the exigencies of time, could not have -been anything but perfunctory and imperfect in the -circumstances. But I am tilting rather at the theory -prevalent in certain quarters at the inception of -the Tabriz Expedition that one had only to send -British officers into the highways and byways of -Azerbaijan and that they would find there "ready-made" -soldiers endowed with a fine fighting spirit, -hardly inferior in quality to our own superb infantry, -men who would stand up to trained and efficient -soldiers like the Turks. Having once got the half-trained -levies into the trenches, their British officers -were expected to hold them by sheer force of -will-power, and to hypnotize them into taking aim at an -enemy without shutting both eyes. Now the bubble -of Persian fighting efficiency has been pricked, and -we have a more just appreciation of the virtues and -shortcomings of the Persians as a unit in a modern -army. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap18"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P196"></a>196}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XVIII -<br /><br /> -CRUSHING A PLOT -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Anti-British activities—Headquarters at Hamadan—Plans to -seize ringleaders—Midnight arrests—How the Governor -was entrapped. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Back in Hamadan, the fierce political enmity of the -Democrats, which had been quiet for some time, -broke into fresh activity after the removal of -Dunsterville headquarters to Kasvin at the end of May. -</p> - -<p> -General Byron, who was in charge at Hamadan, -speedily discovered through his Intelligence Officers -that the local Democrats were bent on making things -merry for the British, if they possibly could. Previous -rebuffs had taught the Democrats the value of silence -and a more complete method of organization. Their -defects in these directions were now to some extent -remedied. Turkish gold, too, was forthcoming, and -the Democrats of Hamadan became a secret political -organization—a sort of Persian Mafia or Camorra—which -was hatching a political conspiracy against the -British. It was the Ittahad-i-Islam again at work. -This organization, while outwardly making common -cause with the Islamic malcontents of Hamadan -and elsewhere, was in secret working strenuously for -Turkey and the Turkish cause, and the Democrats -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P197"></a>197}</span> -who were caught in its net were but a means to -that end. -</p> - -<p> -One thing, however, soon became clear—that a vast -network of Turkish espionage, with ramifications -through Persia, had its headquarters in Hamadan. -For many weeks the organization was allowed to -have free rein in the carrying out of its "holy work." -</p> - -<p> -Its propaganda mills worked long and late; its -agents came and went; Turkish emissaries slipped -into Hamadan and out again without any difficulty, -and the leaders of the Hamadan movement, which -aimed at our overthrow by a <i>tour de force</i>, must have -often chuckled to themselves at our apparent -simplicity and at the ease with which we had been -outmatched by Oriental cunning. -</p> - -<p> -While feigning blindness, the British were very -watchful indeed. It was like the story of the faithful -retainer of the Samurai noble in feudal Japan who -set out to avenge his lord's death. His enemies were -powerful and vigilant, but in the end his carefully -simulated indifference threw them completely off -their guard, and he triumphed. So it was in -Hamadan, where sharp wits were pitted against sharp -wits. In time the chiefs of the inner ring of the -Hamadan combination grew careless. Little by -little, their secret signs and passwords, their working -programme, their membership roll, and even full -details of the Turkish system of espionage in Persia -generally, passed into our hands. There was little -more to wait for. It was time to strike. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P198"></a>198}</span> -</p> - -<p> -But a fresh difficulty immediately presented itself. -The plotters, in co-operation with Kuchik Khan, -had fixed the date for an armed revolt against British -occupation; and what afterwards happened in Egypt, -was, in June of 1918, deliberately and carefully -planned to take place in Hamadan. There were -practically no troops in the town at the time, and -the torch of revolt once lighted and the work of our -extermination begun, ten or twelve officers with a -couple of dozen of N.C.O's. of Dunsterforce could -not for long have resisted the determined onslaught -of a fanatical and arrack-incited population of -70,000. -</p> - -<p> -To arrest the leaders openly in daylight would -assuredly have precipitated a disaster, and led to -bloodshed, and probably to our own undoing. The -inner council of the conspiracy consisted of fifteen -members, and included the Persian Governor and a -number of local notables. -</p> - -<p> -Secrecy and surprise were essential; so the plan -hit upon was a night descent simultaneously on the -whole band, an officer and two N.C.O's. being detailed -for each arrest. -</p> - -<p> -The procedure in the following case may be taken -as typical of the others: In the early hours of the -morning a Persian batman in the employ of a British -officer was directed to deliver a sealed envelope marked -"From O.C. Hamadan" at the house of one of the -plotters. The messenger, hammering at the door, -aroused the sleepy watchman within, and told him -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P199"></a>199}</span> -that he had an important letter to deliver from the -British General. "Come back in the morning," -would reply the watchman, "my master is in bed -and asleep." The messenger, duly coached, would -reply, "That is impossible. Open the door. The -letter, I know, is important, for I have been given -ten krans to deliver it safely." The watchman, while -wary and inclined to be suspicious of belated callers, -was also avaricious, and was not going to let slip -any chance of netting a few krans. As had been -anticipated, his greed overcame his caution. He -opened the door in order to claim his share of the -late letter delivery fee. As soon as he did so, a -couple of stalwart British sergeants, springing out -of the darkness, seized, bound, and gagged him. -Once within the high-walled courtyard of the house, -the rest was easy. It was but a few steps to the -sleeping apartments, and the proscribed conspirator -as a rule woke up to find the chilly muzzle of a British -service revolver pressing against his temple. He -was gagged to prevent his raising an alarm; his -hands were bound; and, thus helpless, he was carried -off and dumped into a covered motor lorry, where -an armed guard saw that he came to no harm. -</p> - -<p> -But the Persian Governor himself was the most -difficult of the whole band to surprise and arrest. -His residence was in a big walled serai at the extreme -end of Hamadan, and, in accordance with Persian -custom, and by reason of his official position, he -lived surrounded by a guard of about fifty men. To -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P200"></a>200}</span> -deal with him tact and finesse were necessarily called -into play. -</p> - -<p> -The task of securing the Governor quietly and -without unnecessary fuss fell to the lot of a Colonel -who had learned something of native ways in Rhodesia -and East Africa. He was an Irishman possessing a -glib tongue, a knowledge of Persian, and all the -suavity of his race. He also had the advantage of -being known to the Governor and his entourage. -So, when he knocked at the door of the Governor's -residence at an hour long after midnight, the -watchman admitted him without hesitation. The guard -turned out and eyed the intruder suspiciously, but, -finding it was the sartip sahib (Colonel) from the -British Mission who was making inquiries about the -state of the Governor's health, they yawned sleepily -and betook themselves to the shelter of their blankets, -vowing inwardly that the eccentricities of this strange -race called English who paid ceremonious visits in -the middle of the night were beyond the comprehension -of any Oriental mind. -</p> - -<p> -"There has come wonderful news from Teheran, -and the Governor must be told at once," said the -visitor, flourishing a big envelope with many red -seals attached thereto. -</p> - -<p> -"Good," replied the janitor deferentially, "the -Governor is enjoying sweet repose, but if it is the -wish of the Colonel Sahib, I will take him the paper." -</p> - -<p> -"Alas, that it should be so!" interposed the caller -gravely, "but into his own hands alone am I permitted -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P201"></a>201}</span> -to deliver this precious letter. Go, faithful -one! Summon your illustrious master, the protector -of the poor, and the friend of the oppressed! I will -remain on guard by the open door, and none shall -enter in your absence." -</p> - -<p> -The ruse succeeded. The servitor departed on his -errand, and in a few minutes returned with the -Governor clad in a dressing-gown and slippers. He -greeted the Colonel, who handed him the envelope -which contained a blank sheet of paper. It was -dark on the threshold where the Governor stood -tearing open the missive, so the Colonel proffered the -aid of his electric torch. Presently the Governor, -divining that something was amiss, looked up with -a start, and found himself covered with a revolver. -"Come with me," said the officer tersely, "and, -above all, do not resist or attempt to summon help!" The -trapped official obeyed with docility, and followed -his captor to a waiting automobile, into which -he was bundled and placed in charge of a British -guard. Two sentries at the guardroom door kept -the Persian guard within in subjection while the -Governor's papers were being seized. These latter -proved to the hilt his complicity in the plot that -was being hatched to destroy British lives in -Hamadan. The deposed official—accompanied by copies -of the incriminating documents—was sent as a present -to the Teheran Cabinet, with a polite request for -an explanation of the gross treachery of their -unfaithful servant. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P202"></a>202}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The coup had succeeded without the firing of a -shot, and the back of the conspiracy was broken, -for it was left impotent and leaderless. Before -sunrise all the captives, with the exception of the -Governor, were on their way to Bagdad and an -internment camp. -</p> - -<p> -An amusing sidelight on the affair was the attitude -of the Persian police in Hamadan. Hearing of the -arrests, they assumed the worst. They bolted, -taking refuge in the neighbouring cornfields, where -they remained a whole day under the impression -that they were the sole survivors of a "general -massacre" of inhabitants carried out by the British. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap19"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P203"></a>203}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XIX -<br /><br /> -THE FIRST EXPEDITION TO BAKU -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Kuchik Khan bars the road—Turk and Russian movements—Kuchik -Khan's force broken up—Bicherakoff reaches Baku—British -armoured car crews in Russian uniforms—Fighting -around Baku—Baku abandoned—Captain Crossing charges -six-inch guns. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -In a previous chapter I pointed out that Kuchik -Khan was in military possession of the Manjil-Resht -road, and that the Russians under Bicherakoff -were concentrating at Kasvin preparatory to -trying conclusions with this amiable bandit—the -cat's-paw of Turkish-German intrigue—who was -barring Bicherakoff's route to the Caspian and to -Russia. -</p> - -<p> -At the end of May, in order to bring about a more -effectual co-operation between his own force and -that of the Russian commander, General Dunsterville -transferred his headquarters from Hamadan to -Kasvin. -</p> - -<p> -The original purpose of the Dunsterville Mission, -it will be recollected, was to fight Bolshevism by the -organizing of Armenians and Georgians and, if -possible, Tartars, in the Southern Caucasus. This -had now become difficult of realization, owing to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P204"></a>204}</span> -the series of bewildering and kaleidoscopic changes in -Transcaucasia which had profoundly affected the -entire political and military situation. For example, -the virus of Bolshevism had infected the Russian -troops in Baku; the Germans had landed at Batum -and, by making peace with the Georgians, were -placed in possession of Tiflis. The Turks had -arranged a peace pact with the Armenians which -left their armies free to invade north-west Persia, -prosecute a vigorous campaign against the Nestorians -of Urumia, and, finally, overrun the Caucasus as a -preliminary to co-operating with the Germans in -their contemplated advance on Baku. Now the -Bolshevik leaders in Baku refused to recognize the -right of either of the rival belligerent groups—the -Central Powers or the Entente—to spoil the flavour -of their military hotch-potch in any way. It suited -the blasé Russian palate, and that should be sufficient. -The Bolsheviks, at all events, were consistent -to the extent that, while they opposed the advance -of the Germans and Turks towards Baku, they more -than once resolutely refused to accept the proposed -aid of British troops to help them in overcoming the -forces of the Central Powers. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-204"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-204.jpg" alt="DRILLING ARMENIANS AT BAKU." /> -<br /> -DRILLING ARMENIANS AT BAKU. -</p> - -<p> -Negotiations with Kuchik Khan had ended abortively. -The leader of the Jungalis was quite prepared -to permit Russian troops to withdraw from Persia -if they wished, and to pass through his "occupied -territory" to their port of embarkation on the -Caspian. But British, "No!" They had no business -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P205"></a>205}</span> -in Persia at all, he argued, and if they were -desirous of going to Russia, they would have to find -some other road. -</p> - -<p> -The haughty tone of this communication angered -the Russian General, and he sent Kuchik Khan an -ultimatum, calling upon him to evacuate the Manjil -position with all his followers, or be prepared to take -the consequences. As Kuchik ignored this, a -combined Russian-British force was sent against him on -June 12th. Two of the British armoured cars which -the year previously had formed part of the -Locker-Lampson unit in Russia proper, were present at the -attack. After a brief bombardment, a white flag -was hoisted on the Manjil bridge position, and two -German officers issued from the trenches to parley. -They offered, on behalf of Kuchik Khan, to come to -terms with the Russians and allow them to pass, -provided a similar concession was not demanded by -the British. Bicherakoff's reply was to dismiss the -impudent <i>parliamentaires</i>, and to intimate that -Kuchik Khan and his whole force could have fifteen -minutes in which to lay down their arms and -surrender. Nothing happened, so at the end of the -stipulated period the advance was ordered, and the -Russians and British stormed the enemy trenches -and speedily disposed of the Jungalis holding them. -Kuchik and a portion of his army, with his two -German military advisers, escaped for the time; but, -after another drubbing had been administered to him, -the crestfallen Jungali leader was glad to make -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P206"></a>206}</span> -peace, dismiss his German staff officers and drill -instructors and release McLaren and Oakshott, two -Englishmen, who had spent months in captivity. -</p> - -<p> -The road to Resht and Enzeli was open at last, -and Bicherakoff moved to the Caspian without delay -and set about embarking his command for Baku. -As a leader, Bicherakoff was popular amongst his -men; and in the Caucasus he enjoyed deserved prestige -as a soldier. He was pro-Russian—that is to say, -anti-Bolshevik; and it was felt that his own personal -influence, no less than the presence of his troops at -Baku, would serve as a powerful antidote to -Bolshevik activity in Southern Caucasia. -</p> - -<p> -Bicherakoff's contingent embarked at Enzeli on -July 3rd. A British armoured car battery accompanied -the Russians, and, in order not to ruffle unduly the -susceptibilities of the Bolsheviks, British officers and -men wore Russian uniforms. But these they -discarded on landing at Baku. Bicherakoff, who made -a favourable impression locally and was well received -by the inhabitants of the great oil centre, lost no -time in seeking out and engaging the Turks, who -were menacing Baku from two sides. A good deal -of heavy fighting went on during the middle of July, -and the British armoured cars rendered signal -services, being engaged almost daily in close-quarter -fighting with the Turks, enfilading their infantry and -breaking up their threatened attacks, and, on another -occasion, repulsing a cavalry charge with heavy loss -to the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P207"></a>207}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Bicherakoff, however, soon found that the local -troops were not to be relied on, even when they -professed their readiness to fight under his flag and -against the Turks. On July 29th the Turks, who -seemed bent on getting possession of Baku at any -cost, succeeded in capturing Adji-Kabul station, a -short distance south-west of Baku. Using this as -a pivot, they swung northwards in order to complete -the envelopment of Baku. -</p> - -<p> -The Russian commander now became anxious for -his own safety. Realizing his powerlessness to carry -on an effective offensive, and fearing lest he should -be shut up in Baku when the Turkish encircling -movement became complete, he hurriedly abandoned -the town, and with his British armoured car -auxiliaries went off north by rail towards Derbend and -Petrovsk, to operate against the Bolsheviks and -Dageshani Tartars who were terrorizing the country -bordering on the Caspian. -</p> - -<p> -In the attack on Petrovsk, the armoured car unit -led under the command of Captain Crossing. Their -fire threw the Bolshevik troops into confusion, and, -when the latter broke, the cars pursued them through -the town, capturing several hundred of their number. -A battery of six-inch guns which had subjected the -attacking force to an annoying fire was with -extraordinary temerity engaged by the armoured cars -and put out of action by the simple, but dare-devil -expedient of dashing up within range and shooting -all the gunners. This splendid and heroic deed won -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P208"></a>208}</span> -for Captain Crossing—"the super-brave Crossing," -as Bicherakoff designated him—the Cross of -St. George, and the Order of St. Vladimir for Lieutenant -Wallace; nor in the distribution of awards for gallantry -were the men who accompanied the two officers in -the armoured car charge against the guns forgotten -by the grateful Russian commander. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap20"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P209"></a>209}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XX -<br /><br /> -THE NEW DASH TO BAKU -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Treachery in the town—Jungalis attack Resht—Armoured cars -in street-fighting—Baku tires of Bolshevism—British -summoned to the rescue—Dunsterville sets out—Position at Baku -on arrival—British officers' advice ignored—Turkish -attacks—Pressing through the defences—Baku again evacuated. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -We were soon to discover that we had not cut the -claws of the Jungali tiger, and that he was yet -capable of giving us serious trouble. -</p> - -<p> -There had been a good deal of unrest amongst the -disbanded followers of Kuchik Khan. Men had gone -back to their villages to brood over their reverse of -fortune. The hotheads amongst them were not at -all satisfied at the easy way in which they had been -beaten out of their entrenchments on the Manjil -road. Various pretexts were put forward with a -view of explaining away the sharp reverse they -suffered on that occasion. Further, there was a -recrudescence of propaganda activity amongst them, -carried on by Turkish agents and sympathizers who -came and went in the jungle country on the shores -of the Caspian. -</p> - -<p> -Bicherakoff and his Russians had gone off to -Baku, and a small force of British alone was holding -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P210"></a>210}</span> -Resht. Admirable for the Jungalis' plan, thought -their leaders! This time they would be able to -settle their account with the British without any -intervening Russian mixing himself up in the business. -</p> - -<p> -Early on July 20th a large force of Jungalis made -a surprise attack on Resht. Aided by armed partisans -within who, once the attack developed, brought -hitherto concealed rifles into play from window and -roof-top, the enemy achieved a distinct measure of -success. The street fighting was desperate and -severe. The attacking force fought with great -bravery, determination, and skill. They dug -themselves in, and threw up barricades the better to aid -them to hold ground they had won. -</p> - -<p> -But, although the greater part of Resht passed -into their hands, following their first impetuous -dash, the Jungalis were never able to make -themselves masters of the south-western section of the -town which was held by British troops. They -knocked their heads against this in vain. It was -left to the armoured cars, moreover, once more to -demonstrate their great value in street fighting. -The heavy cars of the Brigade and the 6th Light -Armoured-Motor Battery were rushed into action, -and although the streets had been dug up by the -enemy in order to impair the mobility of the Brigade, -the latter made short work of the Jungalis, driving -them from point to point, and from street to street, -until the town was once more in our possession. -The enemy found themselves at a complete disadvantage -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P211"></a>211}</span> -when facing armour-plated fighting machines. -The moral effect of these alone, apart from their fire -efficiency, proved disastrous to Jungali nerves, and -spread panic and disorganization in the ranks of the -foe. Profiting by the bitter example of treachery -that the Jungali attack had furnished, the British -this time were less lenient when it came to imposing -terms upon the beaten enemy. -</p> - -<p> -Towards the end of July signs of dissension showed -themselves amongst the Bolshevik militants who -controlled the political and military destinies of Baku, -a matter of which I wrote in the previous chapter. -The Turks were without the gates. Bicherakoff had -gone north, and the Bolshevik military machine had -helplessly broken down. It could neither organize -any scheme of defence, nor evolve any offensive plan -for relieving the city from the gradually tightening -grip of the Turk. The people of Baku found that -mediocrity and mendacity were but poor and -unsatisfactory weapons with which to attempt to arrest -the march of a modern army, and these were about -all the Bolsheviks possessed in their mental arsenal. -Above the chaos and welter of discordant opinion -arose the murmurings of a discontented, fear-stricken -people. They had suffered much from Bolshevik -oppression and from Bolshevik ineptitude, and -clamoured for a new set of <i>dramatis personæ</i> and the -recasting of the principal roles in the Baku tragedy. -So these political <i>farceurs</i>, the Bolsheviks, were -figuratively hissed off the boards, and disappeared -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P212"></a>212}</span> -down the stage trap-door to an oblivion which, -alas! was but temporary. They were baffled, but not -beaten. -</p> - -<p> -Their places were taken by men holding saner and -less violent political views. One of the first official -acts of the new Baku Government was to summon -the British to their aid. -</p> - -<p> -It was the chance for which Dunsterville had lived -and waited, and he lost no time in grasping it. At -Enzeli he embarked a mixed force of about two -thousand, made up of unattached Imperial and -Dominion officers of the original Dunsterforce, a -battalion or so of the North Staffords, a detachment -of Hants, howitzer and field gun sections, two -armoured cars, two sections of the motor machine-gun -company, and other sundry units and details which -had been commandeered from Resht for the move -upon Baku. -</p> - -<p> -The advanced guard disembarked at the Caspian -oil port on August 5th, and the remainder speedily -followed. -</p> - -<p> -The position in Baku was not one to inspire -confidence. There were Bolshevik troops in the town -who did not attempt to conceal their displeasure at -the arrival of the British. The "Red Committee," -too, was gathering fresh strength and planning the -overthrow of its successors in office—the Government -that had invited Dunsterville to Baku. Muddle and -confusion prevailed everywhere. Jealousy, distrust, -and bickering were rife amongst the heterogeneous, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P213"></a>213}</span> -ill-disciplined mass of Russians and Armenians which -passed for an army in Baku. It was computed -that there were about 20,000 Russians of various -political hues, ranging from bright Bolshevik red to -sober Imperial grey, in and around the town, while -the number of Armenian auxiliaries was estimated -at 5,000. Yet the brunt of the fighting had to -be borne by the British infantry, chiefly the North -Staffords, for it was rarely that over 5,000 of -our more than doubtful allies could be rounded up -to assist in holding the far-flung defensive line of -Baku. -</p> - -<p> -Despite the stiffening of British troops in the front -line, the moral encouragement of British officers, -and the active material support of British artillery -and British armoured cars, it was found impossible -to infuse any real or lasting enthusiasm into the -Baku army. It had its own ethics of fighting and -stuck to them. War, it was felt, was a job not to be -taken too seriously, and must never be allowed to -interfere with one's customary distractions, nor with -one's business or social engagements. Russians and -Armenians would leave a "back to-morrow" message, -and casually stroll out of the front-line trenches, -whenever they felt in the mood, to go off to attend -some political meeting in Baku, or seek refreshment -and questionable enjoyment at some of the local -cafés. -</p> - -<p> -The position of the unattached British officers was -a difficult one in Baku. They were there in an -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P214"></a>214}</span> -advisory capacity chiefly, but their counsel and -presence were alike resented by all parties, political -and military. Suggestions for a more efficient -co-operation between infantry and artillery, for the -filling up of dangerous gaps in the line, the better -siting of trenches, or the establishing of observation -posts and the employment of "spotters," were -usually received in silence and with a disdainful shrug -of the shoulders. -</p> - -<p> -While striving to beat off the Turk outside, the -British, too, had to sit on the head of the rabid -Bolshevik within, and prevent his regaining his feet -and running amuck once more. -</p> - -<p> -The economic situation was also serious. Food -supplies were lamentably short, and the available -stock was running low. A super-commercial instinct -had been developed, and gross profiteering was -widely practised. It was true that the pre-war -standard value of the paper rouble had suffered a -heavy depreciation, but this hardly justified the -exorbitant tariff of some of the Baku restaurants. -It was no uncommon thing for them to exact five -roubles for the bread eaten at meals, and about -seventy roubles for the very indifferent meal itself. -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Keyworth, R.H.A., was appointed to the -command of the troops in the Baku area. His -heavy duties confined him a good deal to the port -itself, and he was unable to see very much of the -defensive perimeter; but he had excellent coadjutors -in Colonel Matthews of the Hants, and in Colonel -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P215"></a>215}</span> -Stokes of the Intelligence Department, an officer who -had been for many years British Military Attaché -in Teheran. Then, too, there was Lieutenant-Colonel -Warden, a blunt, straight-spoken Canadian, and a -very keen and efficient infantry soldier whose -permanent telegraphic address in Flanders had been "Vimy -Ridge." Warden was generally an optimist, but the -Baku problem was responsible for his passing sleepless, -unhappy nights; and finally he gave up attempting -to instil martial ardour into the non-receptive mind -of the Baku soldier. In his own racy speech, redolent, -of his native prairie, he summed up his efforts in this -direction as being as futile as trying to flog a dead -horse back to life. -</p> - -<p> -I am not so much concerned with describing the -military operations in detail as I am with laying -stress upon the many difficulties that beset the path -of the British during their first and short-lived -occupation of Baku. The wonder is that, instead of -giving in after a few days, they were able to cling -to the position for weeks. -</p> - -<p> -On August 26th, the Turks, who had been preparing -for days, delivered a heavy attack against -the Griazni-Vulkan sector. Their advance took place -under cover of destructive artillery fire which caused -many casualties. The section of the line where the -Turks struck first was held by about one hundred and -fifty of the North Staffords, supported by four -machine-guns of the Armoured Car Brigade. Despite -severe losses, the Turks, being reinforced, pressed -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P216"></a>216}</span> -home the attack, and the auxiliary troops on the -right flank were flung back and forced to retire. At -this point two of the machine-guns failed to hear the -order to retreat, and fought the Turks until their -crew were surrounded and cut off. The other machine-gun -section, under Lieutenant Titterington, stuck it -to the last, and when they withdrew the Turks were -already firing upon them from the rear. But the -surviving members of the gun crews managed to -"shoot" their way through the ranks of the foe. -</p> - -<p> -The enemy, who had suffered very heavily in the -attack of the 26th, resumed the offensive on the 31st, -when he bit another slice out of the thinly held line -and captured the position known as Vinigradi Hill. -After this the Turk advanced from success to success, -slowly driving back the garrison on the inner defensive -line. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-216"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-216.jpg" alt="GROUP OF THE STAFFORDS, WHOSE HEROIC ATTEMPT TO RECOVER THE SITUATION FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN RETIREMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AT BAKU. THE SCENE WAS AT BALADADAR STATION." /> -<br /> -GROUP OF THE STAFFORDS, WHOSE HEROIC ATTEMPT TO RECOVER THE <br /> -SITUATION FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN RETIREMENT WILL ALWAYS BE <br /> -REMEMBERED AT BAKU. THE SCENE WAS AT BALADADAR STATION. -</p> - -<p> -His crowning victory was the storming of the -Voltchi Vorota sector on the morning of September -14th. An Arab officer who deserted two days -previously furnished full particulars of the -impending attack, but his information was regarded with -suspicion. It proved, however, to be absolutely -correct, for the enemy made a feigned attack on the -neighbouring Baladjari sector and delivered his main -blow against Voltchi Vorota. He got home at once, -driving out the Russian troops, who retreated in some -confusion. An armoured car, however, intervened -between the retiring troops and the oncoming enemy, -and, although heavily shelled by the Turkish batteries, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P217"></a>217}</span> -it manoeuvred adroitly, paralyzing the advance -by its deadly fire and allowing the broken Russians -time to reform with a leavening of British bayonets. -The Turks later in the day converted the feigned -into a real attack, and broke through at Baladjari. -</p> - -<p> -This series of reverses contracted the daily -shrinking perimeter still more. It was now clear to -Dunsterville that his troubled occupancy of Baku -had come to an end, and orders were issued for an -immediate evacuation. The Bolsheviks had got the -upper hand again. Their attitude was doubtful and, -in the first instance, they had objected to the troops -being withdrawn, threatening to use the Caspian -fleet of gunboats to fire on the laden transports -should the latter attempt to sail. It was not exactly -altruism, nor the promptings of a generous nature, -that led them to do this. On the contrary, it was -rather a tender regard for their own cowardly skins. -Should the victorious enemy storm the town the -British would serve as a useful chopping-block upon -which the Turks might expend their fury; and, if -the worst came to the worst, and there was no other -way out of a disagreeable dilemma, grace and favour -might be won from the Osmanli by uniting with him -in administering the <i>coup de grâce</i> to the trapped -and betrayed remnant of Dunsterville's Army of -Occupation. -</p> - -<p> -Although the town lay defenceless and at their -mercy, the Turks—victims probably of their periodical -inertia—did not follow up their advantage. The -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P218"></a>218}</span> -Bolsheviks hesitated to strike, and, after the -motor-cars, stores, and transport had been destroyed, the -evacuation was successfully carried out under the -menacing guns of the Caspian Fleet. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Suttor, an Australian officer, and two -sergeants, were overlooked in the hurry of -embarkation. But they escaped and, boarding a steamer -full of Bolshevik fugitives, induced the Captain to -land them at Krasnovodsk on the eastern shore of -the Caspian and the terminus of the Trans-Caspian -Railway. Suttor knew that a British military post -had been established there. Of this the Bolsheviks -were ignorant, and their fury and amazement were -great when they found themselves marched off as -prisoners. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-218"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-218.jpg" alt="SIX-INCH HOWITZER IN ACTION AT BAKU WITH A DETACHMENT OF DUNSTERFORCE GUNNERS." /> -<br /> -SIX-INCH HOWITZER IN ACTION AT BAKU WITH A DETACHMENT <br /> -OF DUNSTERFORCE GUNNERS. -</p> - -<p> -The day after the British evacuation of Baku the -Turks entered, and for two days the town was given -over to pillage, many of the Armenian irregulars -being killed in cold blood by the enemy. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap21"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P219"></a>219}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXI -<br /><br /> -THE TURKS AND THE CHRISTIAN TRIBES -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Guerrilla warfare—Who the Nestorian and other Christian tribes -are—Turkish massacres—Russian withdrawal and its -effect—British intervention. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -The Nestorians, Jelus, and other racially connected -Christian groups who, in the region around Lake -Urumia, had been carrying on a guerrilla warfare -against the Turks, at the beginning of July were -reduced to very sore straits indeed by losses in the -field, disease, and famine. -</p> - -<p> -As already related in a previous chapter, Lieutenant -Pennington, a British aviator, flew into Urumia in the -first week in July, carrying General Dunsterville's -assurance of speedy help. The leaders of these -Christian peoples, in full accord with the British, -decided that after evacuating Urumia an attempt -should be made to break through to the south in -the direction of Sain Kaleh and Bijar, in order to -get in touch with the British relieving column which -was marching north from Hamadan bringing ammunition -and food supplies. -</p> - -<p> -For the better understanding of this narrative, -some explanation is due to the reader as to who and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P220"></a>220}</span> -what are the Nestorians and their kindred Christian -clans who were now about to run the gauntlet of -the Turkish Army operating in the Lake Urumia -district. -</p> - -<p> -The Nestorians are the followers of the Patriarch -of Constantinople who was condemned for heresy in -the year A.D. 431. They inhabit Kurdistan and -north-western Persia, are also known as Assyrians, -and are indeed often loosely referred to as Syrians. -They live in that portion of the country which the -Bible has familiarized to us as Assyria, and are -confusedly termed Syrians, not because they come from -Syria proper on the Mediterranean littoral, with its -cities of Antioch, Aleppo, and Damascus, but rather -because their rubric and sacred writings are in ancient -Syriac, while the language of the people themselves -is modern Syriac. -</p> - -<p> -Hundreds of years ago the seat of the Nestorian -or Assyrian Patriarchate was near Ctesiphon on the -Tigris, a short distance below Bagdad. But the -Turkish conquerors persecuted the Christians, the -Patriarch was forced to flee, and finally took refuge -at Qudshanis, in the highlands of Kurdistan. The -present spiritual head of the Assyrians, who is -ecclesiastically designated Mar Shimun, is said to be the -one hundred and thirty-eighth Catholicos, or -Patriarch, of the Nestorian Church. -</p> - -<p> -At the outbreak of the European War there were -three distinguishable main groups of Assyrian -Christians. One inhabited the Upper Tigris Valley beyond -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P221"></a>221}</span> -Mesul and the hilly country towards Lake Van; a -second was to be found on the Salmas-Urumia -plateau and in the mountainous country bordering -on the Persian-Turkish frontier; the third group -lived on the Turkish side of the frontier between -Lake Van and Urumia. Roughly they may be -classified as Highlanders and Lowlanders, with -various tribal subdivisions, of which one of the better -known is the Jelu group. -</p> - -<p> -Urumia itself is the scene of considerable foreign -missionary activity, and is the headquarters of the -Anglican, American, French, and Russian religious -missions to the Assyrian Christians. Each had its -own well-defined sphere of influence, and worked in -the broadest spirit of Christian tolerance. When war -burst upon this unhappy land, anything in the nature -of sectarian rivalry and proselytizing zeal vanished, -to give place to a united effort to aid and materially -comfort the victims of Turkish fury. -</p> - -<p> -The retreat of the Russians from Urumia, at the -beginning of January, 1915, left some thousands of -Urumia Christians who were unable to accompany -them at the mercy of the Turks and their savage -auxiliaries, the Kurds; and the usual massacre -followed. The Christians, though poorly armed, -defended themselves as best they could, and the -survivors were driven to seek sanctuary in the American -Mission Compound. Those who surrendered and -gave up their arms to the Turks were put to death -without mercy. At the beginning of May, 1915, the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P222"></a>222}</span> -army of Halil Bey, operating in North-Western -Persia, was routed by the Russians, who reoccupied -Urumia. But the beaten Turks in their retreat -westwards killed every Christian tribesman they could -find. A second Russian evacuation of Urumia in -August, 1915, led to a fresh exodus of the able-bodied -Assyrian fighting men, and to another massacre -of those who remained behind. -</p> - -<p> -From then until 1918 they had endured all the -horrors and vicissitudes of war, with its fluctuations -of victory and defeat. The Christian army had put -up a brave fight against the Turks after the final -Russian withdrawal from North-Western Persia. -Now, hemmed in and suffering from hunger, they -were about to attempt a third exodus, this time -towards the South into the British lines. -</p> - -<p> -During the last week in July the Christian -army—probably about 10,000 fighting men, but with -its ranks swelled to 30,000 by women and children -refugees—withdrew from Urumia and marched -southwards. The Turks gave pursuit and much harried -their rearguard, which they subjected to artillery -fire, inflicting severe losses. Ultimately the retreat -under Turkish pressure degenerated into a rout, -during which the mass of fugitives was severely cut -up. In the course of the panic which prevailed, the -Nestorian Army lost its artillery and its remaining -supplies, while many of the women and children were -abandoned in the general <i>sauve qui pent</i>, and fell into -the hands of the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P223"></a>223}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Turks reoccupied Urumia on August 1st, and -vented their displeasure upon the defenceless people -in the customary Turkish way. The aged were -killed, and young girls were carried off and subjected -to a fate worse than death. -</p> - -<p> -Mgr. Sontag, the head of the French Lazarist -Mission, a saintly man who was revered even by the -local Moslems amongst whom he had lived for many -years, was one of those who fell victims to the blind -fury of the Turkish soldiery when they found -themselves once more masters of Urumia. -</p> - -<p> -At Sain Kaleh and Takan Teppeh, to the north-west -of Bijar, the British were able to intervene -between pursuers and pursued. The Nestorians, a -sadly diminished band, were drafted back to Bijar -and thence south to Hamadan. Harbouring vindictive -feelings against Moslems in general as a result -of the atrocities perpetuated upon them by the Turks, -it is not perhaps surprising that they in their turn -made an onslaught upon the inhabitants of the -Persian villages encountered <i>en route</i>, and left them -in much the same condition as the man who, going -down from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among thieves. -</p> - -<p> -Mar Shimun, the spiritual head, and Agha Petros, -the recognized military leader, accompanied the -Nestorians from Urumia. The survivors of the -exodus were put in a concentration camp at Hamadan -with their women and children. The able-bodied -and healthy amongst the men were subsequently -drafted out and sent to Bakuba near Bagdad, where -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P224"></a>224}</span> -an attempt was made by the British to organize and -train them into fighting units. They received good -pay and rations, but proved very difficult material -to handle. Their wild, free lives had apparently -unfitted them for a régime of discipline and ordered -restraint. A large contingent refused to sign attestation -papers lest they should be sent to fight overseas. -It was useless attempting to reassure them on this -point, and to tell them that all the military service -they were expected to render in return for British -pay and British rations was that of defending their -own country against the common enemy, the Turk. -It may be that their physical sufferings had -demoralized them, but the irregulars of Agha Petros -were incapable of attaining an ordinary degree of -military efficiency as judged by British standards. -They were a perpetual source of embarrassment to -the British officers entrusted with their training. -The experiment proved a failure, and at last, on the -Turks suing for an armistice, the men of Agha Petros' -command were disbanded and sent back to their -own country. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap22"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P225"></a>225}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXII -<br /><br /> -IN KURDISTAN -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -The last phase—Dunsterforce ceases to exist—The end of Turkish -opposition—Off to Bijar—The Kurdish tribes—Raids on -Bijar—Moved on by a policeman—Governor and poet. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -It was in South-Western Kurdistan that I saw the -last phase of the war between the Turks and ourselves. -</p> - -<p> -At the end of September, Dunsterforce had ceased -to exist, at any rate under that name. Dunsterville -himself had gone down to Bagdad to discuss the -whole Caucasian and North Persian situation with -General Headquarters, and the officers of Dunsterforce -had either gone back to their units in France, -Salonika, and Egypt, or had been absorbed by the -North Persian force which was concentrating under -General Thompson at Enzeli for a fresh smack at -the Turk in Baku. -</p> - -<p> -After his capture of the oilfields' port, the enemy -seemed to have reached the last stages of physical -exhaustion, and to be incapable of further effort. -His push through from Tabriz towards Zinjan and -Kasvin had been finally arrested, and he had been -driven back to his entrenchments on the Kuflan -Kuh Pass, where he was well content to sit down to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P226"></a>226}</span> -a peaceful, inoffensive life, smoke his hubble-bubble, -nurse his blistered feet lacerated by long marches -on unfriendly Persian roads, and, in general, by his -exemplary behaviour earn "good conduct" marks -from the inhabitants of the zone of occupation. -</p> - -<p> -But in the country to the west of Mianeh and -south of Lake Urumia the enemy was still inclined -to spasmodic activity. It was in this region that -he had harried the Nestorian Army as it was fighting -its way to the south and to safety. At the beginning -of October, 1918, the Turks held Sauj Bulagh, the -local capital of the Kurds of Azerbaijan, Sakiz, Sain -Kaleh, and Takan Teppeh, all of which were in more -or less precarious touch with Kowanduz on the -western slopes of the Kurdistan Range, and thence -with the main and sole surviving Turkish -Mesopotamian Army which was clinging tenaciously to -Mosul. Their occupation of these several strategic -points on the Persian side of the frontier enabled -the Turks to threaten the British post at Bijar, on -the confines of South-Western Kurdistan, and in a -sense to menace the British occupation of Hamadan. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-226"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-226.jpg" alt="GENERAL VIEW OF THE SCENE FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN RETIREMENT." /> -<br /> -GENERAL VIEW OF THE SCENE FOLLOWING THE ARMENIAN RETIREMENT. -</p> - -<p> -But Allenby's smashing blow at the Turk in -Palestine had its repercussion in the remote -highlands of Persia and in the remoter region of the -Caspian Sea. Its effect was instantaneous. It broke -the Turkish grip on Baku and appreciably loosened -his hold on Azerbaijan. He withdrew from Mianeh -and made ready to evacuate Tabriz and retire into -his own territory in an eleventh-hour effort to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P227"></a>227}</span> -buttress up his remaining Asiatic provinces which, -one after the other, were tottering beneath the -sledgehammer blows of the British. -</p> - -<p> -Early in October the wheel of fate and the illness -of a brother officer led to my being transferred from -Caspian Headquarters to Bijar, as Assistant Political -Officer and Intelligence Officer. I looked it up on -the map and started. It was a long and interesting -zigzag trek across Persia, first south-west to -Hamadan, then north-west to Bijar and the wild -country of the Kurdish tribes. -</p> - -<p> -Few Europeans can lay claim to any intimate -knowledge of Kurdistan and its predatory but -fascinating people. It is distinctly remote from the -beaten tourist track. Russian and German travellers -and scholars have nibbled at the ethnological and -philological problems which it presents, and, much -more recently, our own Major Soane in his remarkable -book, "Through Kurdistan in Disguise," draws aside -the veil a little, and we are able to take a peep at -Kurdish life and manners naturally portrayed. -</p> - -<p> -Kurdistan cannot be said to possess either natural -or political boundaries, for it embraces both Persian -and Turkish territory, and in it live people who are -not racially Kurds. Broadly speaking, it may be -said to stretch from Turkish Armenia on the north -to the Luristan Mountains on the south, and the -Turkish-Persian frontier cuts it into two longitudinal -sections. Persian Kurdistan, then, is bounded by -Azerbaijan on the north, the Turkish frontier on the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P228"></a>228}</span> -west, Kermanshah on the south, and Khamseh and -Hamadan on the east. Its old administrative capital -is Sinneh. -</p> - -<p> -Its geographical outline is one of bold and rugged -mountains which in winter are covered deep in snow. -Narrow valleys run far into the flank of the towering -hills, and it is here, taking advantage of these natural -barriers, that the villages cluster and the inhabitants -attempt to keep warm during the long, bitter, and -often fireless, winter months. -</p> - -<p> -A nonsense rhymester who evidently knew something -of the proclivities of the Kurds once scored -a palpable bull's-eye on the target of truth when he -wrote: -</p> - -<p class="poem"> - "The hippo's a dull but honest old bird;<br /> - I wish I could say the same of the Kurd."<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -The Kurds themselves have more traducers than -friends outside their own country. As the great -majority of them are Sunni Moslems, it has been -pointed out, and with a certain element of truth, that -the root of the Persian-Kurdish Question is the -religious hatred between Sunni and Shi'ah, just as -the root of the Turkish problem is the undying hatred -between Moslems and Christians. Kurmanji, the -main Kurdish language, has been incorrectly described -as a corrupt dialect of Persian, whereas it is really -a distinct philological entity, tracing an unbroken -descent from the ancient Medic or Avestic tongue of -Iran. -</p> - -<p> -I had a good deal to do officially with several of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P229"></a>229}</span> -the principal Kurdish tribes, such as the Mukhri, -Mandumi, and Galbaghi, while I was stationed at -Bijar, and I cannot agree with the generally accepted -estimate of their character as "a lazy, good-for-nothing -set of thieves." They are admittedly fierce -and intractable, of noted predatory habits, and ready -to prey with equal impartiality upon Persian or -Christian neighbour. On the other hand, I found -that they were neither cruel nor treacherous; they -are never lacking in courage, and possess a rude, but -well-defined sense of hospitality and chivalry. -</p> - -<p> -Unarmed, save for a riding-crop, and accompanied -only by a few Sowars, I have gone into their villages -in search of raiders—not always a pleasant task -amongst Asiatic hill tribes—and the inhabitants -would be amiability itself. Here one saw the happier -side of these wild, free people who, revelling in the -unrestrained life and the health-giving ozone of their -native mountains, find the trammelling yoke of -modern civilization about as irksome and fearful an -infliction as a bit and saddle are to an unbroken colt. -</p> - -<p> -What I liked about the Kurds was their habit—the -common inheritance of most free men—of looking -their interlocutor straight in the face. Their women, -many possessing great physical beauty, and glorious -creatures all, would crowd round to do the honours -to those visiting their village. Amongst the Kurds -the women are allowed a great deal of freedom. -They shoot and ride like so many Amazons. It is -true they are the hewers of wood and the drawers of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P230"></a>230}</span> -water in the village or community, but, save for -lacking parliamentary enfranchisement, they do not -seem to have many grievances against the masculine -portion of the Kurdish world. They always go -unveiled, are not a bit "man-shy," and, unlike their -Moslem sisters in Turkey and Persia, do not consider -themselves spiritually defiled when their faces are -gazed upon by some Infidel whom chance has thrown -across their path. -</p> - -<p> -From this I do not wish it to be inferred that the -Kurdish women are immodest in conduct, or of -what might be described as "flighty morals." Far -from it. -</p> - -<p> -These self-same tribesmen who received us so -hospitably in their villages, and gave us entertainment -of their best—treating us in friendly fashion -according to their laws, because we had come trusting -to their honour in the guise of friends and without -hostile intent—would, when they took the "war -path" and raided a British post, put up a spirited -fight, fully bent on killing or being killed. -</p> - -<p> -Persian Kurds are largely pastoral and nomadic. -There are the sedentary tribes who are the tillers of -the soil and never move very far away from home. -The nomads, on the other hand, roam with their -flocks and herds and womenfolk from winter to -summer quarters and vice versa, and it is during -these periodical migrations that the inherited -predatory instincts of the Kurds are given free rein. -Many are the armed forays made on a peaceful -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P231"></a>231}</span> -Persian neighbour's stock. Often there is resistance, -and occasionally an attempt at reprisals; so a -respectably-sized Persian-Kurdish hill-war may have had -as its origin the theft of half a dozen goats by Kurdish -robbers. Stray bands of brigands who had made -life more than usually interesting for some Persian -village or other, if pursuit became too vigorous and -they were threatened with capture, were always able -to escape the consequences of their depredations by -slipping over the frontier and seeking bast (sanctuary) -in Turkish territory. -</p> - -<p> -Whether the Kurds are, or are not, the descendants -of those first-class fighting men of long ago who -opposed the retreat of the Ten Thousand through the -bleak mountain passes of Kurdistan, they undeniably -are imbued with a certain pride of ancestry which -manifests itself in various little ways. No pure -nomadic Kurd will ever engage in manual labour, -which he looks upon as a disgrace, and a job fit only -for helots, nor will he become a Charvadar (muleteer). -</p> - -<p> -The Kurd undoubtedly possesses an unenviable -reputation for lawlessness amongst the more -law-abiding Persians and Turks of this wild and turbulent -frontier land. He is handicapped, perhaps, to this -extent, that, being an alien to the Turk in language, -and to the Persian in religion, he is looked upon as -a pariah, and the hand of both is ever raised against -him. Being resentful and overbearing, if not -arrogant, in manner, and knowing no legal code beyond -that which a rifle imposes, he seeks to enforce his -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P232"></a>232}</span> -own arbitrary ready-made justice, to call it by that -name. So the merry game goes on, and up amongst -the snows of Kurdistan Persian and Kurd and Turk -kill each other on the slightest pretext, and often for -no ascertainable cause. -</p> - -<p> -The Kurd is always well armed, and usually well -mounted—often at the expense of some lowland -Persian villager. He invariably affects the national -costume, which is an abbreviated coat and enormous -baggy trousers, with a capacious Kamarband of -coloured silk in which he carries pipe, knife, and -odds and ends. -</p> - -<p> -Ten armed Kurds riding into Bijar, a town of -10,000 inhabitants, would start a panic in the -Bazaar. Shutters would go up and shopkeepers -would vanish as if by magic, while the small force -of Persian police in the place, who were usually -suffering from the combined effects of malnutrition -and arrears of pay, would discreetly go to cover, and -not be seen again until the visitors had departed. -Usually a British military policeman, armed with a -stout stick, would be sent to handle the delicate -situation, to see that there was no looting, and that -the King's peace was preserved inviolate by these -quarrel-seeking, pilfering rascals from beyond the -hills. -</p> - -<p> -Bijar itself, unhappily for the peace of mind and -pocket of its shopkeeper-citizens and wealthy -agriculturists, is unhealthily near the "Bad Man's -Land" of the nomad Kurds. It is built in a cup-shaped -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P233"></a>233}</span> -hollow surrounded by barren peaks, and its -altitude (5,200 feet) gives it a rigorous winter climate. -The enclosed gardens which usually lend a touch of -picturesque embellishment even to the meanest and -dirtiest of Persian towns are lacking at Bijar. It -grows wheat and corn in abundance on the long, -wide plateau which stretches unbrokenly for miles -between the bare, rugged hills. The arable land is -so fertile, and its acreage so abundant, that but -one-third is cultivated yearly. The average wheat -yield is enormous, yet the people are always hovering -on the border-line of starvation, the result of -mismanagement, misappropriation, and all the other -evils which may be grouped together under the head -of Persian official maladministration. -</p> - -<p> -When the British marched into Bijar in the summer -of 1918 anarchy and disorder were paramount. The -Persian Government is supposed to keep a garrison -here, but the oldest inhabitants had never seen it. -If it did exist, it was carefully hidden away and not -allowed to meddle in such troublesome affairs as -Kurdish forays. The Turks during their occupancy -looted Bijar very thoroughly, and roving Kurds, too, -when short of supplies—and that was often—never -forgot to extend their unwelcome patronage to the -local bazaars, on the principle of "Blessed is he that -taketh, for he shall not want." -</p> - -<p> -The Governor was a local resident, and his office -an unpaid one as far as the Persian treasury was -concerned; but his power was great and his rule -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P234"></a>234}</span> -arbitrary, and the post brought him considerable -emoluments. He was a timid and vacillating but -well-meaning individual, who always trembled at the -knees when brought face to face with the unusual. -The mere brandishing of a loaded pistol anywhere -in his immediate vicinity would throw him into a -paroxysm of terror. He spoke halting French, and -was afflicted with the prevailing Persian mania for -verse-writing. Still, he never allowed his literary -pursuits to clash with or nullify his keen commercial -instincts; and he grew daily in affluence. -</p> - -<p> -But even a Persian peasant has his limits of -endurance when he finds himself being ground to fine -powder in the mill of oppression and corruption. -Those of the Bijar district were no exception. After -having been systematically looted all round, by -Turk, Kurd, and dishonest local officials, they rose -in revolt when a demand was made upon them for -the payment of the Government Maliat, or grain -tribute. They followed up an emphatic refusal by -threatening to duck the Governor and his coadjutor, -the Tax-collector, in the local horsepond. The latter -fled the town, while as for the terrified Governor, -he promptly shut himself up, seeking bast (sanctuary) -with an ill-armed following within the sacred precincts -of his serai. From the roof, one of his retinue, -using his hands for a megaphone, sent out an urgent -S.O.S. call to the British, with the result that a -compromise was effected; the Governor was rescued -from his undignified plight, and the angry peasants -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P235"></a>235}</span> -were appeased by his promise that the collection of -the unpopular tax would rest in abeyance until -Teheran gave its decision on the subject. -</p> - -<p> -Our job in sitting down in Bijar was to hold the -place against the Turks and prevent their coming -back, to instil a little wholesome respect for law and -order into the minds of the plunder-loving Kurds, -and to stop them from eating up the smaller and -unprotected Persian fry. To keep the Turk at bay -and hold the Kurd in awe, we had approximately -a couple of squadrons of the 14th Hussars, under -Colonel Bridges, a detachment of the Gloucesters in -charge of Captain Stephenson, machine-gun and -mountain battery sections, and a couple of hundred -of Persian levies who were commanded by Captain -Williams, an Australian officer. Colonel Bridges was -in command of the whole force. The total certainly -did not err on the side of numerical superiority. -</p> - -<p> -The day after I reached Bijar the Governor arrived -to pay an official call. After the usual formalities -as laid down by Persian etiquette for ceremonies of -this kind had been safely negotiated, he begged my -acceptance of a manuscript copy of his poems, and -incidentally hinted that, as the district was in the -throes of famine, he would have no objection to -collaborating in the purchasing of wheat with British -money in order to alleviate the prevailing distress. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap23"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P236"></a>236}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XXIII -<br /><br /> -THE END OF HOSTILITIES -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -Types of Empire defenders—Local feeling—Dealing with Kurdish -raiders—An embarrassing offer of marriage—Prestige by -aeroplane—Anniversary of Hossain the Martyr—News of the -Armistice—Local waverers come down on our side of the -fence—Releasing civil prisoners—Farewell of Bijar—Down -country to the sea and home. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -I have often wondered if the British who stayed at -home, through force of circumstances rather than -any reluctance to participate in the Great War, can -have had any conception of the varying types of men -who helped to uphold British interests in this remote -and little-known corner of the Asiatic Continent. -Here, then, are a few of them taken at random! -</p> - -<p> -There was Hooper, an Australian Captain, who in -civil life was a farmer on a rock-girt island off the -Tasmanian coast, and had been through more than -one big push in France. Williams, also an Australian -officer, was a Rhodes Scholar from the University of -Adelaide. He commanded Persian levies, made a -hobby of dialects, and was always eager to try his -growing wisdom teeth on such abstruse problems as -"How the camel got his hump," or, "Why Jonah -gave the whale indigestion." But he was a good -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P237"></a>237}</span> -lad, was this youthful pedant, a fearless soldier, and -an untiring worker who, in a few months, gained a -surprising knowledge of colloquial Persian. Then -there was Seddon, a Government land surveyor from -New Zealand, who also had looked on Red War in -Flanders. In cold weather, of all times, he was -always shedding surplus garments, until there was -a positive danger of his arriving at the stage of the -"altogether." Seddon was fiercely intractable on -the subject of hygiene as applied to clothing, and -would hear of no compromise where his cherished -principles were concerned. It was said that he was -wont to lie awake at night planning new curtailments -in his winter kit. Still, there must have been some -wisdom in his methods, for, although thinly clad -during the early winter months, he was always in -perfect health, and escaped the pulmonary maladies -which proved fatal to so many others who looked -askance at him and his hygienic, minimum-clothing -theory. -</p> - -<p> -We had Gordon Wilson who came from the Argentine -to enlist at the outbreak of the War and attempted -to leap the age-limit barrier. His ardour was -somewhat damped on being refused by the Home -Authorities. But, nothing daunted, he went to France, -joined the Foreign Legion, and saw a good deal of -fighting. He was afterwards transferred to a British -Field Battery and given a commission, and lost no -time in winning the M.C. -</p> - -<p> -In the 14th Hussars was a lieutenant named Voigt, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P238"></a>238}</span> -an Afrikander born, who had gone through the South -African campaign. One day, riding with Voigt and -his troop of Hussars in a "punitive" expedition -against raiding Kurds, I asked him casually—and -quite forgetful of the momentous past—with whom -he had served in South Africa. He replied with the -flicker of a smile on his broad, sun-tanned face, "I -was with Louis Botha's commando." And such is -the material out of which has been woven our thrilling -island story! -</p> - -<p> -Up to the moment of the Turkish collapse, towards -the end of October, many of the notables of Bijar -were inclined to be dubious concerning our possibility -of success. These cautious individuals shaped their -conduct accordingly. They "hedged" very carefully, -to use a sporting phrase, and, in order to avoid all -risks, backed both sides. One wealthy Persian -resident whom I particularly remember was lavish -of lip-service. He would call round to the Mission -Headquarters at least twice a week to assure us of -his ever-enduring devotion, and of his hopes of -success for British arms. About the same time he -would be sending off a courier to the Turkish -commander in our front telling him that he was his -devoted servitor and that it would be a blessed day -for all True Believers when the Infidel British were -driven out of Persian Kurdistan. So much for -Persian duplicity. Our "friend" was a confirmed -"pulophile," which is an impromptu Perso-Greek -expression for "money-lover," and, while awaiting -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P239"></a>239}</span> -our military downfall, he had no conscientious -objections to seeking to rob us right and left in wheat -transactions. -</p> - -<p> -On the whole the various Kurdish chiefs kept their -peace pact with the British, and for a time strove -hard to walk in the path of honesty and to cease -from annexing their neighbours' flocks and herds. -But occasionally temptation proved too strong to be -resisted, and there would come a recrudescence of -pillaging and violence. The Mandumis and the -Galbaghis were the chief offenders. Their subtle -imagination was never at a loss for a plausible pretext -to condone their lawlessness. Once, when Mandumi -tribesmen attacked a British post at an outlying -village called Nadari, a certain Mustafa Khan, the -chief of the guilty raiders, sent a very apologetic -letter pleading for forgiveness, and pointing out that -the regrettable occurrence arose through a -"misunderstanding" on the part of his tribesmen who -possessed an inordinate love of well-conditioned -sheep. Times were hard, and if the poor Kurds -were not to be allowed to replenish their larders by -the time-honoured method of pilfering, then, in the -name of Allah, he asked, what was to become of -them? This curious and essentially Kurdish plea -of "extenuating circumstances" was backed up by -a letter from the tribal Mujtahid, or priest, who wrote -that he was a simple man of God saying his prayers -regularly and knowing little of secular affairs. His -tribesmen had evidently been maligned by their -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P240"></a>240}</span> -enemies—"May the Evil One pluck their beards!" He -had always exhorted his people to remain friendly -with the British, and would continue to do so. -</p> - -<p> -On this occasion Mustafa Khan escaped with a -fine and a reprimand, but he was obviously looking -for trouble, and it soon overtook him. He became -very insolent. Some of his men stopped and robbed -the British native courier, and the Chief sent a -message that he would soon come and raid Bijar -itself. There was nothing to do except to teach -Mustafa Khan a much-needed lesson. However, -before the salutary drubbing could be administered, -Mustafa and his men, throwing discretion to the -winds, and forgetful of their oft-repeated promises -to be of good behaviour, got completely out of hand, -cleaned out several Persian villages, and indulged -in a veritable orgy of lawlessness. -</p> - -<p> -Then Mustafa, with consummate skill, having no -case of his own, set about abusing the other side. -He blamed the hapless villagers, and accused them -of having killed two of his Sowars who had gone -into the Persian village to "purchase" corn. The -villagers in question, he remarked, were liars, and -the sons of the Father of Lies—"May perdition be -their lot!" But this time his defence of provocation -was found to be unjustifiable; a richly deserved -punishment was meted out to him, and for long -afterwards he led an exemplary life. -</p> - -<p> -Nabi Khan was another Kurdish freebooter who -gave considerable trouble before he was finally -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P241"></a>241}</span> -subdued and made to see the error of his ways. -From the point of view of stature and general -physique he was one of the finest looking men I -have ever seen. He stood a good 6 feet 4 inches in -his socks, belying the prevailing idea that the Kurds -are of small stature. In an evil moment for himself, -he threw in his lot with the Turks, and for a brief -period made things right merry for the British. He -fought like an enraged tiger in defence of his village -stronghold, but was put to flight after suffering -severe loss. He thought the thing out for a couple -of weeks, and then, like the old sportsman that he -was, came in and surrendered, saying that he had -lost, and was ready to pay the full price. It is easy -to be generous to a chivalrous foe, and Nabi had -been all that, so he found that he had not thrown -himself upon our mercy in vain. -</p> - -<p> -I well remember the morning that Nabi surrendered. -His name and his fame had preceded him -to Bijar, and, as he strode down the Bazaar with a -belt full of lethal weapons, his very appearance -inspired terror in the breasts of the pusillanimous -Persian traders, and they bolted for cover like so -many scared animals. In addition to his stature, -Nabi was a man of handsome appearance. He had -a bold, open countenance, and was brief and blunt -of speech. Brushing past the startled Persian janitor, -whom he disdained to notice, he made a dramatic -entry into the Political Office at Bijar. Flinging his -weapons on the table, he exclaimed, "I have been -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P242"></a>242}</span> -foolish; aye, misguided by evil counsellors; I have -lost, and am here to pay the price. Do with me -what you will. But you may tell your Shah that -I regret the past and am willing to make amends." Peace -was arranged with Nabi Khan, and the pact -he kept very faithfully, becoming one of our most -ardent partisans in the difficult country and amongst -the turbulent folk over whom he held sway. He -policed his district, and did it very thoroughly, -proving a veritable terror to evildoers; and he -suppressed Turkish propaganda with a vigour that -demonstrated his real earnestness in the British -cause. -</p> - -<p> -After the manner of his kind, as a further evidence -of his good faith, and in order to set a time-enduring -seal upon his treaty of friendship, he was anxious -to negotiate a Kurdish-British matrimonial alliance. -After a good deal of preliminary verbal manoeuvring, -he definitely broached the project, and suggested -the giving in marriage of his daughter, a very comely -damsel, to the Political Officer. The latter was -completely taken aback and, not being a Moslem, -had visions of all sorts of unpleasant legal -complications should he ever set foot in England with a -supplementary wife. However, he faced the trying -situation with commendable fortitude, and cast about -for a means whereby he might be enabled to retreat -with honour, and without offending Kurdish -susceptibilities. Nabi was tactfully informed that, -while the offer was much appreciated, the acceptance -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P243"></a>243}</span> -of a Kurdish bride would entail no end of complications -for at least one of the parties concerned, as an -unsympathetic British law had long set its face -against bigamy. In fact, isolated enthusiasts in -khaki who, as a relief from the tedium of trench -life, had sought to popularize plural marriages in -England had been rewarded by a term of imprisonment. -This was news indeed for the benevolent-minded -Nabi, but he did not insist further, and the -incident terminated happily. -</p> - -<p> -The Kurds are in many respects as simple as -European children of tender age. They had heard -much about the wonderful flying machines of -Faringistan, and, never having seen an aeroplane, -were inclined to be sceptical, and to treat reputed -aerial adventures as so many "travellers' tales." A -Kurdish chief came to call on me one day seeking -enlightenment. He had seen automobiles, and -admitted that they puzzled his primitive brain. "Why," -he asked honestly enough, "is the horse put inside -the box, and why does this strange creature prefer -petrol to barley by way of food?" It took a long -time to knock into his head some primitive notion -of motor traction. Then he inquired, "Is it true -that in Faringistan, as currently reported, men make -themselves into birds and soar in the air like -eagles?" The reply, as they say in Parliament, was in the -affirmative, but the Kurdish seeker for knowledge -remained frankly incredulous. A few days after the -conversation, a youthful Scottish aviator, who was -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P244"></a>244}</span> -familiarly known as "Little Willie McKay," arrived -by air from Hamadan in order to give Bijar and the -Kurdistan hill-folk a taste of his quality. It was a -day of days, and inaugurated a new era in the local -Mohammedan calendar, for it marked the flight of -the terror-stricken Faithful towards a place of safety -away from the aerial monster that, appearing from -out of a clear sunlight sky, swooped down on the -town. The youthful McKay was a noted aerial -stunt artist, and he executed an extensive and varied -programme for the edification of those of the -astonished onlookers who had steeled their courage to -the point of sticking it out. The houses are -flat-roofed, and here the spectators assembled to watch -the show. As the aviator nose-dived occasionally, -it was amusing to see the celerity with which they -dropped flat on their faces, fearing lest they should -be caught by the talons of the "man-bird" and -carried off heaven knew where. Later on, at the -local aerodrome, the people came, timidly enough at -first, to peep at the monster; but they did their -sightseeing cautiously from a respectful distance, and it -was only necessary for the engine to throb once or -twice fretfully, and for the propeller to revolve, to -bring about an instantaneous stampede. Thenceforth -no one ever doubted that the British were -miracle workers, and had at their disposal an -unlimited supply of magic to assist in the overthrowing -of their enemies. -</p> - -<p> -The Moharran, or anniversary of the death of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P245"></a>245}</span> -Hossain the Martyr, is an occasion for the display -of great religious fervour by the Shi'ite Moslems. -It fell on October 17th, and the Bijar Bazaar was -closed and the houses draped in mourning. It is -perhaps the only day in the year when the average -Persian looks in deadly earnest, and when his -fanaticism is aroused to such a pitch as to make him -at all dangerous to persons of other creeds. There -was a procession through the streets, and the chief -incidents of the martyrdom were re-enacted by a -devoted band of Shias. The "body" of the Sainted -One was carried on a bier and, in order that the -finishing touch of realism should not be lacking, the -covering of the bier was plentifully bedaubed with -blood, while the head of the "corpse" was enveloped -in gory bandages. The <i>mise en scène</i> was completed -by the addition of a local troupe representing Hossain's -wives and adherents who, according to legend, were -also put to death by the hated rival sect, the Sunnis. -The followers in the procession, in a burst of -religious frenzy, gashed their faces or bodies with -swords or knives, and, with blood streaming from -the self-inflicted wounds, were not exactly a pleasant -spectacle to look upon. A Persian youth employed -at the British Headquarters was one of those who -achieved religious merit and local distinction on the -occasion. Having volunteered for the role of -follower, he had his head cut open by a local barber, -and off he went to join in the quasi-religious -ceremony. In the afternoon he was back at his job -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P246"></a>246}</span> -with his poor damaged head swathed in bandages -and feeling very proud indeed of his exploit. -</p> - -<p> -Bijar was very excited by the intelligence that -arrived on November 1st. We received an official -notification that an armistice had been concluded -with Turkey, at the request of the latter Power, and -that hostilities were to cease at once. The Governor -made an official call to offer his felicitations, and -to congratulate the British on their triumph over -another of their enemies. He dissimulated his real -feelings with great artfulness, for while openly -professing joy at our victory he was sorrowing in secret -that a Moslem Power should have been overthrown -by an Infidel. Still, he made the best of it, and -candidly told some of his intimates who were inclined -to be tearful because their religious pride had been -wounded by the success of our arms, that the British, -after all, had shown more real humanity and -compassion in dealing with the oppressed Persians than -ever had their coreligionists, the Turks. -</p> - -<p> -The Governor having set the example in offering -his congratulations, all the local notables were quick -to follow, and they told us what, curiously enough? -we had never realized before—that throughout the -long-drawn-out War they had always ardently wished -for the complete triumph of the British. We accepted -their assurances, although finding it difficult to -reconcile them with many of their actions when our -military fortunes were not of the brightest. -</p> - -<p> -An official communication was sent off by messenger -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P247"></a>247}</span> -to the Turkish commander, informing him of the -armistice, and inquiring if he were prepared to abide -by its conditions and order a cessation of hostilities -on his side. But the enemy had evidently had the -news as soon as we had, and decided to end the war -then and there. When our messenger reached the -Turkish position, it was only to find the place -abandoned, the commander and every man having gone, -leaving no address. The messenger trekked after -them for a day, but their haste was so great that -he was unable even to come up with their rearguard, -so he returned to Bijar with the letter undelivered. -And that was the last we heard of the Turk in the -region of Southern Kurdistan. -</p> - -<p> -Everybody in Bijar was now our sincere friend and -well-wisher. The Bazaar was beflagged in honour of -our victory. Ours was the winning side, of that -there could be no doubt. The Governor was more -assiduous than ever in his professions of undying -devotion, and he was always planning fresh schemes -for manifesting his goodwill and friendship. He even -hit upon the expedient of declaring an amnesty for -Persians incarcerated in the local gaol. At his -urgent solicitation, I visited the prison to decide -upon the offenders who were to benefit by this -generosity. It was a filthy, evil-smelling hole. Lying -upon a stone floor were about a dozen offenders, all -huddled together and chained like so many wild -beasts. There was a Jew who had been arrested for -debt. He wore round his neck a heavy iron collar -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P248"></a>248}</span> -like the joug of the Scottish pillory. He speedily -divined my mission, and was clamorously insistent -that he should be the first to be set free. Chained -to him were two Persians, one of whom had been -arrested for manslaughter and the other for petty -larceny. -</p> - -<p> -In this foetid den, and near the trio already -mentioned, was a young Persian girl of attractive -appearance—an unregenerate Magdalene, as it turned out, -who had been put in chains for a breach of the -somewhat elastic Persian law governing public morality. -She alone made no protestation of innocence and no -appeal for release. Perhaps that was why I -suggested she should be the first to have her fetters -struck off and be set free. She seemed dumbfounded -at first, but on realizing that liberty awaited her, -she burst into tears, and showed her gratitude by -kissing my hand. It seemed a pity to leave the other -poor wretches, however guilty they might have been, -to rot in this terrible dungeon; so I availed myself -to the full of the privilege of the amnesty and asked -that all should be liberated, including the loquacious -Jew debtor. This was done, and the poor, dazed -creatures walked out of the prison doors and once -more breathed the purer air of freedom. -</p> - -<p> -With the granting of the armistice to Austria came -the welcome orders for the British force to evacuate -Bijar and retire to Hamadan. On news of Austria's -defection from the side of her German ally becoming -known, the Governor arrived to offer fresh felicitations. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P249"></a>249}</span> -But a shadow clouded his beaming self-satisfied -countenance when he learned that the -British were to withdraw immediately. He became -greatly perturbed at the news, for he feared the -ever-present menace of Kurdish incursions, and -trembled for the safety of Bijar and the wealth of -its Bazaar. "What will become of us all?" he -asked in despair. "When the British go, the Kurds -will come, and then——" He made a significant -gesture across his throat. -</p> - -<p> -The Governor returned next day with a deputation -of the inhabitants to ask that a British garrison -might be left behind to carry out the duty which -really devolved upon the Persian Government, that -of protecting its subjects against acts of lawlessness. -He pleaded hard and earnestly. They would find -fuel, food, and quarters free for the soldiers who -were to remain. First he suggested twenty, then -a dozen, and finally he said, "Take pity on us, and -send a message by the lightning-flash (wireless) to -the British King asking him to permit three of his -soldiers to remain here to protect the people. Then -the Kurds will never bother us at all." It was -certainly a tribute to our worth and fighting value. -Gently but firmly the Governor had to be led to -understand that it was impossible. The soldiers had -homes and wives in far-off Faringistan across the -Black Water; their duty was done, and home they -must go. -</p> - -<p> -The deputation set off with bowed heads and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P250"></a>250}</span> -sorrowing hearts. It was kismet, and the decree of -Destiny could not be set aside. -</p> - -<p> -The wealthier inhabitants, however, made every -effort to save themselves and their worldly -possessions. All available transport was bought up at -enhanced prices, and an exodus from Bijar preceded -the British evacuation. -</p> - -<p> -On November 7th Colonel Bridges and his column -bade farewell to Bijar. The inhabitants, or at least -those of them who were too poor to take flight, turned -out <i>en masse</i> to speed the parting troops. They -had got to know and to admire the splendid British -soldier who is always a gentleman, who had fought -the battle of the Persian people against Kurdish -brigand and Turkish regular, and whose ofttimes -scanty ration he was always ready to share with -any roadside starveling who crossed his path. The -Governor and a numerous retinue rode for two miles -with the head of the column. On a bare plateau, -exposed to a keen, biting wind, and under a lowering -sky, the last farewells were cordially exchanged. The -Governor told us that the British had left behind an -ineffaceable record for justice and generosity. I -think it was sincerely meant and devoid of any -exaggeration. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-250"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-250.jpg" alt="HARVESTING IN PERSIA." /> -<br /> -HARVESTING IN PERSIA. -</p> - -<p> -It took seven days to reach Hamadan. The snow -overtook us on the second day out, and the bitter -Kurdistan winter set in with extreme severity. The -Indian transport camels, unaccustomed to extreme -cold, and not possessing the thick fur coating of their -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P251"></a>251}</span> -Afghan brother, died in numbers, and the Indian -Charvadars followed their example. -</p> - -<p> -From Hamadan there was the long trek down-country -and over the snow-clad Asadabad Pass. But -the weather grew milder and brighter as we steadily -dropped down from the high altitudes, neared the -warmer plains of Mesopotamia, and left Persia behind -us. At last came the day when our long overland -journey was to end, and Xenophon's war-worn -soldiers never cried more exultingly "Thalatta!" -"Thalatta!" at the sight of the sea, than we did on -reaching the shores of the Persian Gulf. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="appendix"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P252"></a>252}</span></p> - -<h3> -APPENDIX -<br /><br /> -THE WORK OF THE DUNSTERFORCE ARMOURED CAR BRIGADE -</h3> - -<p> -I am giving the following account of the work of the -Armoured Car Brigade with General Dunsterville's -Mission, not only because the Brigade deserves fuller -mention than I have been able to give elsewhere in -this book, but because some description of their -operations will give a better idea of the difficulties -of transport, stores, etc., with which the whole force -had to deal. For my facts in this instance I have -been allowed access to an official report by the men -who actually did the work. -</p> - -<p> -The Brigade, commanded by Colonel J. D. Crawford, -was organized in squadrons of eight cars each. In -addition it had a mobile hospital of fifty beds, and -the usual supply column. -</p> - -<p> -The Brigade had originally been known as the -Locker-Lampson Armoured Car Unit, and its work -in Russia in the earlier stages of the war is one of -the most stirring stories of the whole campaign. For -its present work, it began to mobilize in England -during the latter months of 1917. The personnel was -obtained by the transfer from the R.N.A.S. of officers -and men who had been serving in the Armoured Car -Unit in Russia. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P253"></a>253}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Owing to the internal conditions of Russia, the -personnel arrived in small parties at long intervals, -the last party leaving Russia as late as March, 1918. -The unit was made up to strength by the enlistment -of personnel from motor and other munition works -in England. The cars and material were all to be -provided from England, and the necessary orders -for their manufacture were issued without delay. -The armoured cars were of Austin make, and mounted -two machine-guns in twin turrets. -</p> - -<p> -A demand for the early presence of some cars with -the Mission necessitated the despatch of an advanced -party, the last draft of which landed in May, 1918. -</p> - -<p> -This party consisted of 21 officers, 450 other ranks, -with 8 armoured cars, 24 lorries, 30 touring cars, -44 Ford box vans, 32 motor-cycles, and other stores -and equipment. -</p> - -<p> -That it was impossible to concentrate and fully -equip the unit in England before despatch overseas -was unavoidable, but unfortunate from the point of -view of organization. The delay in the despatch of -the remainder of the unit was a further misfortune. -The absence of many of the specialist personnel and -much of the essential equipment increased the -difficulties with which the Brigade was faced. Some -of the personnel and considerable equipment never -reached the Brigade until it was withdrawn from -Persia. -</p> - -<p> -Of the personnel that did arrive nearly 40 per -cent. had only joined the Army in January, 1918, were -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P254"></a>254}</span> -devoid of all training, and had often no mechanical -knowledge. -</p> - -<p> -By May 15th the advanced party, together with -such cars and personnel as arrived later, were -concentrated at Hinaidi, and preparations for the move -into Persia were rapidly pushed forward. -</p> - -<p> -On May 14th a start was made to establish petrol -dumps at Tak-i-Garra, Kermanshah, and Hamadan, -and by May 15th these were sufficiently stocked to -permit of the move of "A" Squadron, which left -Hinaidi on May 17th. In connection with the -establishment of these dumps it is worthy of note that -the Brigade Peerless lorries were the first heavy -lorries to cross the Pai Tak and Asadabad Passes, -in spite of expert opinion that the road was -impassable for heavy lorries. -</p> - -<p> -It will be simpler to follow the actual operations -of the Brigade if each series of operations, although -concurrent, are dealt with separately: -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -1. Operations against the Jungalis. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -2. Operations with General Bicherakoff's Force in -the Caucasus. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -3. Operations at Baku. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -4. Operations at Zinjan. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -OPERATIONS AGAINST THE JUNGALIS. -</p> - -<p> -"A" Squadron arrived at Hamadan on June 7th. -At this time General Bicherakoff's troops were -concentrating at Manjil. The Jungalis under Kuchik -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P255"></a>255}</span> -Khan were prepared to permit the Russian forces -to continue their withdrawal to Russia, but were -opposed to the passage of any British troops through -their territory to Enzeli, a port on the Caspian. -General Bicherakoff refused to sever his connection -with the British, and prepared to attack the Jungalis -who were entrenched covering Manjil Bridge. He -applied to General Dunsterville for such assistance -as he could give. -</p> - -<p> -Orders were received by the Brigade on June 8th -for all cars to proceed to Kasvin, to take part in -these operations. The cars were much in need of -overhaul after their long trip from Bagdad, and the -work of getting them ready for the road was pushed -forward as fast as possible, cars as they became -ready being sent forward. One battery left Hamadan -on June 9th, and the whole squadron was on the -road by June 13th. -</p> - -<p> -At this point the Rubberine tyres with which the -cars were fitted gave considerable trouble, and failed -to stand the wear necessitated by running over -metalled roads. The average mileage per tyre worked -out at 60 instead of 500 miles, and spares were soon -used up. To obtain further supplies from railhead -400 miles distant necessitated a delay of at least -ten days. By stripping some cars it was possible -to maintain the others on the road, but by June 27th -only two cars were mobile. -</p> - -<p> -As regards the failure of Rubberines, it must be -remembered that these tyres are solely intended for -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P256"></a>256}</span> -work in action, and not for long-distance running. -However, pneumatic tyres had not been sent from -England, and efforts to supply the deficiency by -local purchase failed. Some tyres were purchased, -but it was not possible to get the necessary fittings -to enable Warland rims to be efficiently converted -to take the pneumatics. -</p> - -<p> -As soon as the abnormal expenditure of Rubberines -was experienced, arrangements were made to maintain -a sufficient supply, and the cars were not off -the road again on this account, although they -consumed in one month 75 per cent. of the estimated -year's supply. Considering that a single Rubberine -tyre weighs 200 pounds, the strain imposed on the -transport of the Brigade in maintaining a sufficient -supply was considerable. -</p> - -<p> -From June 13th to July 20th the cars were mainly -employed on convoy duties, and for defensive -purposes at Resht and Manjil. -</p> - -<p> -On June 28th one armoured car was in action -along the Kasmar road, supporting infantry who -were attempting the rescue of an A.S.C. officer who -had been captured by the Jungalis. Captain -J. Macky was wounded in this engagement. -</p> - -<p> -On July 20th the Jungalis made a determined -attack on Resht, which they occupied. They, however, -failed to drive back the British troops camped -on the south-west outskirts of the town. Both the -armoured cars of the Brigade and those of the 6th -L.A.M. Battery took a prominent part in the fighting, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P257"></a>257}</span> -and later in the relief of isolated parties cut off in -the town. The street fighting was heavy and difficult. -Trenches were dug across the road and barricades -erected, but the armoured cars thoroughly proved -their suitability for street fighting. Their moral -effect materially assisted in clearing the enemy out -of the town a few days later. Captain G. N. Gawler -was wounded during the fighting. -</p> - -<p> -On July 28th, to relieve the pressure at Resht, -and to make troops available to assist in the defence -of Baku, the Brigade offered to organize a motor -machine-gun company from the personnel of "B" -and "C" Squadrons then training at Hamadan, -awaiting the arrival of their cars from England. -The offer was accepted, and the company, consisting -of sixteen machine-guns (with crews), left Hamadan -on July 30th. The machine-guns and ammunition -were carried in sixteen Ford vans, and the personnel -in the Brigade Peerless lorries. It was decided that -half the company should remain at Resht until the -situation there improved, the other half proceeding -to Enzeli to be in readiness to embark for Baku -should the situation there permit. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> - OPERATIONS WITH GENERAL BICHERAKOFF'S FORCES<br /> - IN THE CAUCASUS.<br /> -</p> - -<p> -General Bicherakoff.s troops embarked at Enzeli -on July 3rd. No. 2 Battery, "A" Squadron, was -ordered to accompany them. In order to avoid -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P258"></a>258}</span> -possible trouble with the Bolsheviks, they wore -Russian uniform, but later were ordered to discard -it. The force landed at Aliyat, south of Baku, on -July 4th, and proceeded by rail to Kurdamir, which -was reached at midnight, July 7-8th. The cars were -immediately detrained, and by 4 a.m. two cars were -in action on the Russian right, near Kara Sakal, and -remained in action all day against the Turkish -advanced troops. -</p> - -<p> -Two reconnaissances were successfully carried out -in this area under cover of darkness, during the -night, July 8-9th, and the Turkish outposts engaged. -A reconnaissance at dawn, 3.40 a.m., on July 9th, -met with heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. -</p> - -<p> -The Turks attacked the village of Kara Sakal at -5 a.m. Their advance was greatly hampered by fire -from the cars which covered throughout the day the -withdrawal of the Russian troops in this sector to -Kurdamir. On two occasions, the Turks having -deployed in the proximity to the road, the cars ran -right up into the opposing lines of infantry, which -they enfiladed, forcing the Turks to withdraw. -</p> - -<p> -On July 10th the Russians, after a reconnaissance -by the armoured cars, attacked, but failed to reach -their objective. An enemy counter-attack was -repulsed by the armoured cars, which eventually -covered the withdrawal of the infantry to Karrar. -A determined attack on the rearguard by enemy -cavalry was repulsed by one armoured car, with heavy -loss to the enemy. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P259"></a>259}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The battery withdrew to Sagiri on the llth, and -was employed continuously in reconnaissance from -July 12th to 18th. -</p> - -<p> -Owing to the defection of the troops protecting -General Bicherakoff's right, he was compelled to -retire to Ballajari, which was reached without -incident on July 23rd. The armoured cars formed a -portion of the rearguard and carried out one -reconnaissance at Kara Su, without, however, meeting any -enemy troops. -</p> - -<p> -On July 26th one armoured car was ordered to -carry out a reconnaissance along Shemaka-Baku -road. This car failed to return. A force sent out -to look for it found two bodies, which were identified -as the driver of a Ford touring car, and a batman, -both of whom were travelling in Captain Hull's -touring car. Unofficial reports have been received -that a British officer and four men were prisoners -at Elizabetpol. No details as to what actually -happened are available. -</p> - -<p> -On July 29th the Turks took Adji-Kabul Station, -to the south-west of Baku, and began an encircling -movement to the north. General Bicherakoff, not -wishing to be shut up in Baku, withdrew northwards. -The armoured cars acted as rearguard, Kirdalana -being reached at 6.30 p.m. From hereon the -armoured cars travelled by rail to Hatcmas, which -was reached on August 10th. Although the force -was continually harassed by Tartars, the armoured -cars took no part in the fighting. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P260"></a>260}</span> -</p> - -<p> -On August 11th the cars were sent forward by rail -to Kudat, to operate against the Tartars. The -country being impassable for armoured cars, they -returned to Hatcmas. -</p> - -<p> -On August 12th a general advance was made on -Derbend, but the cars still travelled by rail. The -Bolsheviks retired from Derbend after desultory -fighting, and the town was occupied on August 15th -at 9.20 a.m. -</p> - -<p> -The train on which the armoured cars were travelling -was smashed in a collision south of Derbend, -and the armoured car personnel were responsible for -the rescue of many men, under conditions calling -for gallantry and endurance. Two N.C.O's. received -the M.S.M. for their gallant behaviour on this -occasion. -</p> - -<p> -The armoured cars were not in action again until -the attack on Petrovsk on September 3rd. The -armoured cars preceded the infantry at 4.30 p.m., -and, driving in the Bolshevik troops, engaged a -battery of 6-inch guns at close range, driving the -gunners off the guns and capturing them. They -pursued the Bolshevik troops through the town, -driving some 600 of them into the hands of the -Cossacks, who had got round to the north of the -town. -</p> - -<p> -One armoured car was now immobile, owing to -back-axle trouble, and was out of action until -September 20th, when necessary spare parts were -received from Baku. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P261"></a>261}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The cars remained at Petrovsk till September 10th -for overhaul, every facility and excellent -workshops being placed at their disposal by General -Bicherakoff. -</p> - -<p> -On September llth the cars were sent to -Temi-Khan Shuna, thirty miles south of Petrovsk, to -co-operate in operations being carried out at that -place against a mixed force of 600 Turks and 1,500 -Dageshani Tartars. The operations fell through -owing to an armistice being arranged on the 12th. -The cars remained at Temi-Khan Shuna to maintain -order until the 19th. -</p> - -<p> -On September 18th three Russian armoured cars, -which had been under the orders of the Brigade -at Baku, and had proceeded to Petrovsk when -the evacuation took place, were attached to No. 2 -Battery. -</p> - -<p> -On September 27th two armoured cars (one D.A.C. Brigade -and one Russian) were ordered to embark -to join Colonel Sleseneff at Briansk. The cars were -disembarked at Starri Terechnaya by 11 a.m. on -the 30th, and left for Alexandrisk, which was reached -at 6 p.m. the same evening, moving to Marinova on -October 2nd. Here touch was gained with General -Alexieff by aeroplane. -</p> - -<p> -The advance was continued, Seri Brakovka being -reached on the 3rd. -</p> - -<p> -The cars moved to Breedeekin on October 12th, -reporting to the headquarters of the force (General -Mestoulov), on the outskirts of Kislyar, at 8.30 a.m. on -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P262"></a>262}</span> -the 13th. An attack on Kislyar was ordered for -the 14th. One armoured car was ordered to precede -the infantry attack, and clear the enemy trenches -at 12 noon, after a preliminary bombardment. The -car was driven forward until the wheels rested on -the parapet, and the trenches were enfiladed, and -the Bolshevik infantry fled. The car, whilst returning -to bring forward the Russian infantry, was hit -by a direct shell, which killed three of the crew and -wounded Captain Crossing and the driver. At this -point the Russian infantry panicked, and, failing to -restore order, a general withdrawal was ordered to -Breedeekin. -</p> - -<p> -The personnel of the British armoured car was -withdrawn to Petrovsk, which was reached on -September 18th. -</p> - -<p> -On October 26th No. 2 Battery, which had served -with General Bicherakoff since July 3rd, was ordered -to return to Enzeli to rejoin the Brigade. -</p> - -<p> -During the whole period, Captain Barratt, R.A.M.C., -was mainly responsible for the medical work with -General Bicherakoff's force, and received the 4th -Class of the Order of St. Vladimir for his work. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Crossing, D.S.C., who had commanded -this battery, received the St. George's Cross for -gallantry, and also the 4th Class of the Order of -St. Vladimir. -</p> - -<p> -Lieutenant E. W. Wallace also received the 4th -Class of the Order of St Vladimir, and several -St. George's Crosses were awarded to the men. -</p> - -<p> -</p> - -<p> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P263"></a>263}</span> -</p> - -<p class="t3b"> -OPERATIONS AT BAKU. -</p> - -<p> -At the end of July the new Government in Baku -asked for British assistance. One section of No. 1 -Battery (two cars) and two sections of the motor -machine-gun company embarked at Enzeli, arriving -at Baku August 5th. The remaining section of No. 1 -Battery and two sections of the machine-gun -company were withdrawn from Resht on August 6th, -embarking the same evening for Baku, which was -reached on August 7th. -</p> - -<p> -Owing to the presence of Bolshevik troops in the -town, the armoured cars and machine-gun company -did not proceed to the line. There were constant -threats that the Bolsheviks intended to attempt to -turn out the new Government by a <i>coup de main</i>. -The armoured cars "stood to" every night, whilst -machine-guns were located in various buildings -commanding the streets leading to the quarter of the -town in which the British troops were billeted. -</p> - -<p> -In order to stiffen and encourage the local forces, -British troops were sent into the line on August 9th. -One section of the motor machine-gun company took -up positions at Voltchi Vorota on the left of the line, -co-operating with detachments of the Staffords. -Efforts were also made to organize the Russian -machine-guns in this section of the line, with some -success. (The organization of the Russian machine-guns -was later handed over to Major Vandenberg.) -</p> - -<p> -On the same date two armoured cars and one and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P264"></a>264}</span> -a half sections of the motor machine-gun company -were sent to Zabrat, to take part in operations being -carried out against Mashtagi. These two cars were -constantly in action, handling very severely about -100 Turks who were found sitting and lying about -behind a hedge. -</p> - -<p> -The machine-guns took up positions in the Armenian -lines. These machine-guns were taken forward, and -then covered the advance of the Armenians. No -serious attack on Mashtagi was, however, at any -time made by the local forces. -</p> - -<p> -One incident in this area is worth recording. At -the request of Headquarters a Brigade Vauxhall -Staff car was lent for the purpose of taking Tartar -delegates to the front line, from whence it was -intended that the delegates should make their way -behind the Turkish lines and arrange terms with the -local Tartars. Through some error, the car, also -containing in addition to the delegates two sergeants -of the Brigade, was sent on through the lines and -captured by the Turks. Sergeant Miks was captured -on this occasion. Russian born, he was a local -linguist, and had gone through some remarkable -adventures, whilst keeping under observation the -movements of the Bolsheviks in Baku. -</p> - -<p> -On August 14th one section of guns took up a -position in the line at the foot of Griazni Vulkan, -to the north-east of Baladjari Station. The next -few days were fully occupied in the construction of -machine-gun emplacements. Two armoured cars -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P265"></a>265}</span> -and a half-section of the motor machine-gun -company were retained in Baku in reserve to maintain -order in the town. On August 24th one of these -armoured cars proceeded to Griazni Vulkan, where -it remained in support of the line. -</p> - -<p> -On August 26th the Turkish attack, the imminence -of which was evident from the daily reconnaissance -reports, materialized against Griazni Vulkan. The -advance took place under cover of heavy and -destructive artillery fire, which caused considerable -casualties. The line at the point of the attack was -held by 150 Staffords and four machine-guns of the -Brigade motor machine-gun company. The attack -was three times brought to a halt, the machine-guns -doing great execution. One gun's crew withdrew -their gun from its emplacement, which had overhead -cover, and remounted it on top in order to obtain -a greater field of fire. Enemy reinforcements coming -up about 2 p.m. caused the troops on the right flank -to fall back. The two machine-guns in this area, -however, remained at their posts, and were last seen -still firing, although completely surrounded. -</p> - -<p> -The remainder of the infantry were forced to -withdraw, but this order did not reach the remaining -two guns, which only left their positions when they -found small parties of enemy in rear of them. Fifty -per cent. of the crews became casualties whilst -withdrawing. Lieutenant Titterington, who was in -charge, was compelled to use his revolver. -</p> - -<p> -The armoured car in this sector, which, owing to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P266"></a>266}</span> -the impossible nature of the ground, had not -previously been able to come into action, now covered -the withdrawal of the remnants. These were -reorganized by Major Ruston, a new line formed, and -a further withdrawal carried out in good order to a -line some 2,000 yards to the east. Fresh gun crews -were immediately organized from batmen and other -employed men of the Brigade, and sent forward to -man the two guns that were left. -</p> - -<p> -On August 27th the section of the machine-gun -company was withdrawn from Voltchi Vorota, and -received orders to report to the O.C. 39th Brigade, -who took over charge of the Baladjari Sector on the -evening of August 26th. The new line ran from -Baladjari to Vinagradi. Two guns were placed in -position at Baladjari and two on Vinagradi Hill. -</p> - -<p> -The Turks had suffered so heavily on the 26th that -they waited till the 31st before resuming their attack. -During the interval reorganization was carried out, -and, owing to heavy casualties, crews were only -available for two sections of machine-guns and three -armoured cars. One armoured car was immobile -owing to magneto trouble, and did not come again -into action whilst at Baku. The Turks attacked -Vinagradi Hill on August 31st, and, as the flanks of -the infantry were too exposed to permit of sustained -resistance, they withdrew shortly after the attack -developed. Orders again did not reach the two -machine-guns in this sector, who maintained their -position single-handed for an hour and a half, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P267"></a>267}</span> -inflicting considerable casualties before they were -forced to withdraw, owing to enemy fire, from the -rear. They took up a fresh position on the -railway-line east of Baladjari. -</p> - -<p> -During the whole of the period of fighting two -armoured cars and six machine-guns (reduced to four -after August 26th) remained inactive in the Mashtagi -area. -</p> - -<p> -The capture of Dighiya on September 1st endangered -the security of the force in front of Mashtagi, -which accordingly withdrew. The armoured cars -and machine-guns took up a position about 1,000 -yards south of Balakhani. -</p> - -<p> -The Turkish success made the evacuation of Baku -advisable, and orders were issued for evacuation to -take place in the evening. These were later cancelled -owing to the attitude of the local authorities -and Caspian Fleet, and orders issued for a last stand -to be made on the inner defensive line. -</p> - -<p> -The next few days were spent in building the -necessary defences. -</p> - -<p> -On September 1st the Russian armoured car -section, consisting of two heavy cars mounting -3-pounders, and two light cars with maxims, under -the command of Lieutenant-Colonel the Marquis -Albrizzi, were placed under the orders of the Brigade. -They were mainly employed supporting attacks -against Tartar villages on the right flank, which -never materialized. -</p> - -<p> -Between September 1st and 13th a general -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P268"></a>268}</span> -concentration of the Turks was noticed south-west of -Baladjari. On the evening of the 12th an Arab -officer deserter gave full details of the expected -Turkish attack, which was to take place during the -early hours of the morning on the 14th against the -Voltchi Vorota Sector, a feint being made to hold -the troops at Baladjari. The attack developed as -stated at 6 a.m. on the 14th. The feint attack in -front of Baladjari was heavily handled by our machine-guns -and rapidly brought to a standstill. The main -attack, however, against the local troops, progressed -satisfactorily. -</p> - -<p> -The two armoured cars from Baladjari were -withdrawn to the Seliansky Barracks at the north-west -corner of the town at 9 a.m. Their departure opened -up the left flank of the position at Baladjari. This, -together with the danger of being cut off by the -main attack, forced the Baladjari detachment to -withdraw at 1.30 p.m. They were covered by the -machine-guns, which retired successfully, the last -gun only leaving when the Turks were within 100 yards -of their position, three members of the crew being -wounded during the withdrawal. They took up a -fresh position on the top of a ridge some 600 yards -to the rear. -</p> - -<p> -At 8 a.m. one armoured car was ordered out along -the Voltchi Vorota road. It here engaged the -enemy single-handed for two and a half hours, and -though shelled intensively, managed to escape -destruction by continuously moving in a figure of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P269"></a>269}</span> -eight in the very small space available for manoeuvre. -This checking of the main attack allowed the Russian -forces to be re-formed in rear and stiffened up with -British troops. The remaining two armoured cars -from Baladjari were ordered into action along the -Baladjari road, with orders to prevent the troops -withdrawing from Baladjari from being cut off. -They were in action in this area the whole day, -running up among the Turkish troops and inflicting -very heavy casualties, destroying three enemy -machine-guns and dispersing in panic some Turkish -cavalry which were massing for the attack. -</p> - -<p> -At 11 a.m. the machine-gun section from the -Balakhani road was withdrawn, and remained in -reserve throughout the afternoon near Seliansky -Barracks. -</p> - -<p> -At 5 p.m. orders for the evacuation of Baku were -received, the armoured cars being disposed as follows, -to cover the withdrawal of the infantry: -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> - 1 car on the Dighiyar road.<br /> - 1 " " " Baladjari road.<br /> - 1 " " " Voltchi Vorota road.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -The withdrawal commenced at 8 p.m. and was -carried out without incident, the last car arriving -at the embarkation point at 10 p.m. -</p> - -<p> -Owing to the still doubtful attitude of the local -authorities and Caspian Fleet, it was considered -inadvisable to delay whilst the armoured cars were -embarked, and orders were issued for their destruction, -as well as for the destruction of the motor -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P270"></a>270}</span> -transport which had accompanied the Brigade, and -which had done most useful work in rationing the -Brigade and other British troops in the line. The -following cars were consequently destroyed: -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> - 4 Austin armoureds.<br /> - 6 Vauxhall tenders.<br /> - 3 Ford touring cars.<br /> - 2 Ford ambulances.<br /> - 18 Ford vans.<br /> - 1 Ford van (belonging to Wireless Section).<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Kazian was reached on September 16th. -</p> - -<p> -During the fighting leading to the evacuation the -Russians' cars under the Marquis Albrizzi rendered -valuable assistance, and covered the withdrawal of -the local troops in the early morning of the 15th, -and were eventually evacuated with General -Bicherakoff's detachment to Petrovsk, where they were -attached to No. 2 Battery of the Brigade. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -OPERATIONS AT ZINJAN. -</p> - -<p> -During the fighting at Baku a considerable -concentration of troops at Tabriz enabled the Turks to -advance towards Zinjan, driving our outposts at -Mianeh across the Kufian Kuh. -</p> - -<p> -Eight more armoured cars from England arrived -at Hamadan on September 1st. In spite of the fact -that the majority of the personnel for these cars had -been taken to form the machine-gun company, the -balance of personnel was rapidly organized and -"E" Squadron formed. The cars needed considerable -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P271"></a>271}</span> -attention mechanically, and this was rapidly -carried out, cars as they were fit for the road being -despatched to Zinjan. -</p> - -<p> -The serious threat to the main communications to -Enzeli by this Turkish advance necessitated the -consideration of a general withdrawal to Hamadan -on September llth. In spite of mechanical difficulties, -the Brigade offered to get the whole squadron -to Zinjan immediately, and, further, to organize from -batmen and cooks sufficient crews to man four -machine-guns, the whole being carried in a Peerless -lorry. This squadron and machine-gun section were -concentrated at Zinjan by September 16th, and their -addition to the small force justified a stand being -made north of that place, and the orders for the -evacuation being held in abeyance. Reconnaissances, -in which one section 6th L.A.M. Battery played a -considerable part, were pushed out as far as -Jamalabad, where Turkish cavalry were engaged. -</p> - -<p> -"E" Squadron had considerable trouble from -back axles giving. The presence of armoured cars -undoubtedly checked the advance of the Turkish -troops beyond Jamalabad. -</p> - -<p> -An additional twelve armoured cars left Bagdad on -August 19th, arriving at Hamadan on September 1st. -These cars also needed overhauling, and in view of -the back-axle trouble experienced by "E" Squadron -it was considered desirable to take down all back -axles and thoroughly overhaul them. In the -meantime the personnel of "D" Squadron was collected, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P272"></a>272}</span> -organized, and trained. This squadron was stationed -at Hamadan, for fear of any possible advance of -Turkish troops from Urumia via Bijar. -</p> - -<p> -A road reconnaissance towards Bijar was carried -out by two armoured cars on October 3rd. These -reported that the road was impassable, and the -country unsuitable for armoured cars some sixty -miles north of Hamadan. -</p> - -<p> -On the formation of Norperforce on September 14th, -it was pointed out that Persia did not offer -opportunity for the employment of a large number of -armoured cars, whilst there was great difficulty in -obtaining the requisite petrol to keep the Brigade -mobile. It was considered that the armoured-car -work could be carried out by eight cars, especially -as the approach of winter would make movement -impossible. Much of the work would be in the -nature of patrol work, and previous experience had -shown that this was very expensive in Rubberine -tyres. The pneumatic tyres for the cars had not -up till that date arrived from England. -</p> - -<p> -Accordingly, on October 2nd the withdrawal to -Mesopotamia commenced. -</p> - -<p> -There are one or two features of interest as regards -the rationing worthy of record. -</p> - -<p> -Owing to the heat and the rapidity with which -fresh meat went bad, considerable difficulty was -experienced in rationing convoys, which might be -absent several days from main rationing bases. No -tinned meat was available, and after several experiments -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P273"></a>273}</span> -a successful method of dry-salting and sun-drying -mutton was found. Meat thus treated proved -very palatable when soaked and cooked, and kept -even in the hottest weather for several weeks. -</p> - -<p> -Jam was made from fruit purchased locally, and -stored in earthenware jars, a jam ration being issued -to the men the whole time they were in Persia. -Crushed wheat proved excellent for porridge. -</p> - -<p> -This excellent result was mainly due to the initiative -and hard work of the Brigade Quartermaster, Captain -Lefroy and his staff. -</p> - -<p> -To sum up, the Brigade, in addition to entirely -supporting its own personnel in rations, munitions, -and stores of all kinds, afforded very considerable -assistance in transport to Dunsterforce. It -maintained all armoured cars which had arrived from -England, working over 1,000 miles from railhead, -and had all available personnel in the fighting-line -as a machine-gun company at Baku, some 800 miles -from railhead. The whole time it was solely -dependent on its own efforts. -</p> - -<p> -The work was entirely due to the magnificent body -of officers and men forming the unit, who have worked -throughout unsparingly in whatever duty they have -been called upon to perform. The gallantry shown -by the men of the machine-gun company in the fight -of August 26th, when they stayed with their guns -to the last, is enhanced by the fact that practically -all these men had under eight months' service in the -Army. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="index"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P274"></a>274}</span></p> - -<h3> -INDEX -</h3> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -ADJI-KABUL, <a href="#P207">207</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Afshar tribesmen, <a href="#P142">142</a>, <a href="#P143">143</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Agre Petros, <a href="#P137">137</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Akhbar, Lieutenant, <a href="#P15">15</a>, <a href="#P29">29</a>, <a href="#P55">55</a>, -<a href="#P67">67</a>, <a href="#P58">58</a>, <a href="#P101">101</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Alexandria, <a href="#P10">10</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ali Akhbar Khan, <a href="#P79">79</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Aliullahis, <a href="#P84">84-86</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ali Elizan Pasha, <a href="#P159">159</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Allen, Mr., <a href="#P128">128</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Alvand Mountains, <a href="#P112">112</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Amarah, <a href="#P41">41-43</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -American Presbyterian Mission, -<a href="#P84">84</a>, <a href="#P89">89</a>, <a href="#P106">106</a>, <a href="#P128">128</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Amory, Captain, <a href="#P172">172</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ardabil, <a href="#P175">175</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Armoured cars, <a href="#P109">109</a>, <a href="#P194">194</a>, <a href="#P205">205</a>, <a href="#P206">206</a>, -<a href="#P207">207</a>, <a href="#P210">210</a>, <a href="#P252">252</a> <i>et seq.</i> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ashar, <a href="#P23">23</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Assadabad Pass, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P111">111</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Azarbaijan, <a href="#P133">133</a>, <a href="#P157">157</a>, <a href="#P163">163</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Bagdad, <a href="#P47">47-60</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Baku, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P67">67</a>, <a href="#P135">135</a>, <a href="#P190">190</a>, <a href="#P206">206</a>, <a href="#P207">207</a>, -<a href="#P208">208</a>, <a href="#P212">212</a>, <a href="#P226">226</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Baleshkent Pass, <a href="#P154">154</a>, <a href="#P193">193</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Baqubah, <a href="#P74">74</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Baratof, General, <a href="#P70">70</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Basra, <a href="#P18">18</a>, <a href="#P19">19</a>, <a href="#P20">20</a>, <a href="#P21">21</a>, <a href="#P22">22</a>, <a href="#P24">24</a>, <a href="#P29">29</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Batum, <a href="#P135">135</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Benik Suma, <a href="#P177">177</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bicherakoff, General, <a href="#P70">70</a>, <a href="#P71">71</a>, <a href="#P133">133</a>, -<a href="#P203">203</a>, <a href="#P208">208</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bijar, <a href="#P227">227</a>, <a href="#P232">232</a>, <a href="#P246">246</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bisitun, <a href="#P107">107</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bolshevik activities, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P64">64</a>, <a href="#P66">66</a>, <a href="#P67">67</a>, -<a href="#P71">71</a>, <a href="#P72">72</a>, <a href="#P134">134</a>, <a href="#P135">135</a>, <a href="#P204">204</a>, <a href="#P211">211</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bray, Captain, <a href="#P4">4</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bridges, Colonel, <a href="#P250">250</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Byron, Brigadier-General, <a href="#P3">3</a>, <a href="#P10">10</a>, -<a href="#P23">23</a>, <a href="#P36">36</a>, <a href="#P55">55</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P87">87</a>, <a href="#P100">100</a>, <a href="#P196">196</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Cachagli Pass, <a href="#P178">178</a>, <a href="#P179">179</a>, <a href="#P182">182</a>, <a href="#P183">183</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Calthorpe, Sergeant, <a href="#P176">176</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cannibalism, <a href="#P118">118</a>, <a href="#P119">119</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Caspian Sea, <a href="#P62">62</a>, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P68">68</a>, <a href="#P71">71</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Caucasus, <a href="#P67">67</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Chesney, General, <a href="#P17">17</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Chihar Zabar Pass, <a href="#P97">97</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cinema, native interest in, <a href="#P26">26</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cochrane, Captain Basil, <a href="#P175">175</a>, <a href="#P182">182</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cooper, Captain, <a href="#P15">15</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cowden, Miss, <a href="#P84">84</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Crawford, Colonel, <a href="#P194">194</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Crossing, Captain, <a href="#P207">207</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Derhend, <a href="#P207">207</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Dervishes, <a href="#P98">98</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Diala River, <a href="#P74">74</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Donnan, Colonel, <a href="#P5">5</a>, <a href="#P6">6</a>, <a href="#P9">9</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Dunsterville Force, <a href="#P2">2</a>, <a href="#P60">60</a> <i>et seq.</i>, -<a href="#P74">74</a>, <a href="#P112">112</a>, <a href="#P133">133</a>, <a href="#P198">198</a>, <a href="#P212">212</a>, <a href="#P225">225</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Dunsterville, General, <a href="#P62">62</a>, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P64">64</a>, -<a href="#P74">74</a>, <a href="#P115">115</a>, <a href="#P123">123</a>, <a href="#P130">130</a>, <a href="#P133">133</a>, <a href="#P190">190</a>, <a href="#P203">203</a>, -<a href="#P212">212</a>, <a href="#P225">225</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Edwards, Mr., <a href="#P128">128</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Enzeli, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P68">68</a>, <a href="#P206">206</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Eve, Captain George, <a href="#P4">4</a>, <a href="#P15">15</a>, <a href="#P23">23</a>, <a href="#P42">42</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Famine, scenes and relief work, <a href="#P77">77</a>, -<a href="#P88">88</a>, <a href="#P89">89</a>, <a href="#P103">103</a>, <a href="#P117">117</a> <i>et seq.</i> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Football, native enthusiasm for, -<a href="#P24">24</a>, <a href="#P25">25</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Funk, Dr., <a href="#P128">128</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Gamasiab, <a href="#P107">107</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -German activities, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P65">65</a>, <a href="#P66">66</a>, <a href="#P73">73</a>, -<a href="#P204">204</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gilan, <a href="#P68">68</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Goldberg, Captain, <a href="#P109">109</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Goupil, Lieutenant, <a href="#P109">109</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gow, Lieutenant, <a href="#P90">90</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Haji Agha, <a href="#P163">163</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hale, Mr., <a href="#P106">106</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hamadan, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P71">71</a>, <a href="#P112">112</a> <i>et seq.</i>, <a href="#P140">140</a>, -<a href="#P196">196</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hampshire Regiment, <a href="#P78">78</a>, <a href="#P82">82</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a>, -<a href="#P169">169</a>, <a href="#P172">172</a>, <a href="#P184">184</a>, <a href="#P190">190</a>, <a href="#P194">194</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Harunabad, <a href="#P94">94</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Heathcote, Captain, <a href="#P172">172</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hinaida camp, <a href="#P47">47</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hooper, Captain, <a href="#P172">172</a>, <a href="#P236">236</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hussars (14th), <a href="#P91">91</a>, <a href="#P94">94</a>, <a href="#P169">169</a>, <a href="#P172">172</a>, -<a href="#P190">190</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Jamalabad, <a href="#P154">154</a>, <a href="#P193">193</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Japanese naval escort, <a href="#P3">3</a>, <a href="#P8">8</a>, <a href="#P9">9</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Jelus, <a href="#P136">136</a>, <a href="#P137">137</a>, <a href="#P165">165</a>, <a href="#P219">219</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -John, Captain, <a href="#P173">173</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Jones, Lieutenant, <a href="#P170">170</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Julfa, <a href="#P134">134</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Jungalis, <a href="#P73">73</a>, <a href="#P116">116</a>, <a href="#P204">204</a>, <a href="#P205">205</a>, <a href="#P209">209</a>, -<a href="#P254">254</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Kalhur Kurds, <a href="#P99">99</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kangavar, <a href="#P110">110</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kara River, <a href="#P107">107</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Karachaman, <a href="#P174">174</a>, <a href="#P183">183</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Karangu River, <a href="#P189">189</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Karasf, <a href="#P143">143</a>, <a href="#P147">147</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kasr-i-Shirin, <a href="#P77">77</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kasvin, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P71">71</a>, <a href="#P72">72</a>, <a href="#P190">190</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kazemain, <a href="#P56">56</a>, <a href="#P57">57</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kellik (native raft), <a href="#P51">51</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kennion, Colonel, <a href="#P106">106</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kerbela, <a href="#P75">75</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kermanshah, <a href="#P66">66</a>, <a href="#P72">72</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P104">104</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Keyworth, Colonel, <a href="#P214">214</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Khaniquin, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P99">99</a>, <a href="#P104">104</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Khaseki, mosque of, <a href="#P60">60</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Khazal Khan, <a href="#P28">28</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Khorsabad, <a href="#P94">94</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kirind, <a href="#P82">82</a>, <a href="#P83">83</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kizil Robat, <a href="#P105">105</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kizil Uzun River, <a href="#P72">72</a>, <a href="#P190">190</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Koweit, <a href="#P17">17</a>, <a href="#P18">18</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Krasnovodsk, <a href="#P67">67</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kuchik Khan, <a href="#P72">72</a>, <a href="#P73">73</a>, <a href="#P116">116</a>, <a href="#P127">127</a>, -<a href="#P133">133</a>, <a href="#P158">158</a>, <a href="#P198">198</a>, <a href="#P203">203</a>, <a href="#P208">208</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kufa (native boat), <a href="#P50">50</a>, <a href="#P51">51</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kuflan Kuh Pass, <a href="#P156">156</a>, <a href="#P189">189</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kurdistan, <a href="#P225">225</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kurds, <a href="#P100">100</a>, <a href="#P228">228</a>, <a href="#P239">239</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kut, <a href="#P37">37</a>, <a href="#P44">44</a>, <a href="#P45">45</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -L.C.C. Steamers on the Tigris, <a href="#P38">38</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Lincoln, Mr., <a href="#P35">35</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -McDouell, Mr., <a href="#P117">117</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -McKay, "Willie," <a href="#P244">244</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -McMunn, Major-General Sir -George, <a href="#P22">22</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -McMurray, Mr. and Mrs., <a href="#P128">128</a>, <a href="#P129">129</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mahidast, <a href="#P99">99</a>, <a href="#P101">101</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Makina, <a href="#P24">24</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -<i>Malwa</i> (P. and O. Liner), <a href="#P1">1</a>, <a href="#P3">3</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mandali, <a href="#P99">99</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Manjil, <a href="#P72">72</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Marjanieh mosque, <a href="#P59">59</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Marling, Sir Charles, <a href="#P122">122</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Marriage ceremonies (Persian), -<a href="#P29">29</a> <i>et seq.</i> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mar Shimon, <a href="#P137">137</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Matthews, Colonel, <a href="#P78">78</a>, <a href="#P191">191</a>, <a href="#P214">214</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Maude, Sir Stanley, <a href="#P61">61</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mazandaran, <a href="#P68">68</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mianeh, <a href="#P155">155</a>, <a href="#P156">156</a>, <a href="#P161">161</a>, <a href="#P186">186</a>, <a href="#P187">187</a>, -<a href="#P188">188</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Milman, the "amphibious purser", <a href="#P6">6</a>, <a href="#P7">7</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mohammerah, Sheikh of, <a href="#P28">28</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mussick (native raft), <a href="#P51">51</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mustafa Khan, <a href="#P239">239</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Nabi Khan, <a href="#P240">240</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Nadari, <a href="#P239">239</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Nestorians, <a href="#P136">136</a>, <a href="#P219">219</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Newcombe, Major, <a href="#P23">23</a>, <a href="#P42">42</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Niebuhr, <a href="#P60">60</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Nikhbeg, <a href="#P154">154</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Orenburg, <a href="#P67">67</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Osborne, Captain, <a href="#P149">149</a>, <a href="#P155">155</a>, <a href="#P156">156</a>, -<a href="#P163">163</a>, <a href="#P167">167</a>, <a href="#P171">171</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Pai Tak Pass, <a href="#P77">77</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Parisva, <a href="#P112">112</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Pennington, Lieutenant, <a href="#P166">166</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Persians at cinema, <a href="#P26">26</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Persians at football, <a href="#P25">25</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Persian marriage ceremony, <a href="#P29">29</a> <i>et seq.</i> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Persian native levies, <a href="#P172">172</a>, <a href="#P173">173</a>, -<a href="#P180">180</a>, <a href="#P182">182</a>, <a href="#P185">185</a>, <a href="#P191">191</a>, <a href="#P195">195</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Petrovsk, <a href="#P207">207</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Pierpoint, Lieutenant, <a href="#P153">153</a>, <a href="#P155">155</a>, -<a href="#P158">158</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Poidebard, Lieutenant, <a href="#P153">153</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Pope, Captain, <a href="#P91">91</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Poti, <a href="#P135">135</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Presbyterian Mission, American, -<a href="#P84">84</a>, <a href="#P89">89</a>, <a href="#P106">106</a>, <a href="#P128">128</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Resht, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P68">68</a>, <a href="#P71">71</a>, <a href="#P206">206</a>, <a href="#P209">209</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Rifle thieves, <a href="#P79">79</a>, <a href="#P80">80</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Roberts, Captain, <a href="#P169">169</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Robertson, General Sir William, <a href="#P2">2</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Russia, effect of fall of, on Persian -affairs, <a href="#P70">70</a>, <a href="#P135">135</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Russian movements, <a href="#P63">63</a> (<i>see also</i> -Bicherakoff, General) -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Samarkand, <a href="#P67">67</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Sarab, <a href="#P174">174</a>, <a href="#P175">175</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Sarcham, <a href="#P194">194</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Saunders, Sergeant, <a href="#P176">176</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Seddon, Lieutenant, <a href="#P237">237</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Senjabi tribesmen, <a href="#P78">78</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Shahsavan tribesmen, <a href="#P157">157</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Sharaf Khane, <a href="#P135">135</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Shatt el Arab, <a href="#P18">18</a>, <a href="#P19">19</a>, <a href="#P20">20</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Shibley Pass, <a href="#P156">156</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Shi'ite sect, <a href="#P55">55</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Smiles, Colonel, <a href="#P5">5</a>, <a href="#P194">194</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Soane, Major, <a href="#P227">227</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Staffordshire (North) Regiment, -<a href="#P213">213</a>, <a href="#P215">215</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Stead, Mr. and Mrs., <a href="#P106">106</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Stokes, Colonel, <a href="#P215">215</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Surkhidizeh, <a href="#P79">79</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Surma Khanin, <a href="#P137">137</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Suttor, Captain, <a href="#P218">218</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Sweeney, Lieutenant, <a href="#P170">170</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Tabriz, <a href="#P71">71</a>, <a href="#P134">134</a>, <a href="#P139">139</a>, <a href="#P141">141</a>, <a href="#P156">156</a>, -<a href="#P159">159</a>, <a href="#P163">163</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Taranto, <a href="#P1">1</a>, <a href="#P3">3</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Tasbandi, <a href="#P112">112</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Teheran, <a href="#P71">71</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Thompson, General, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P225">225</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Tiflis, <a href="#P67">67</a>, <a href="#P134">134</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Tigris, River, <a href="#P36">36</a>, <a href="#P37">37</a>, <a href="#P38">38</a>, <a href="#P39">39</a>, <a href="#P40">40</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Tigris River flotilla, <a href="#P37">37</a>, <a href="#P38">38</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Tikmadash, <a href="#P169">169</a>, <a href="#P171">171</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Titterington, Lieutenant, <a href="#P216">216</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Townshend, General, <a href="#P44">44-47</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Trott, Captain, <a href="#P172">172</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Turkmanchai, <a href="#P176">176</a>, <a href="#P183">183</a>, <a href="#P184">184</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Turkish activities, <a href="#P137">137</a>, <a href="#P138">138</a>, <a href="#P142">142</a>, -<a href="#P158">158</a>, <a href="#P163">163</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Urumia, <a href="#P135">135</a>, <a href="#P168">168</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Van, Lake, <a href="#P66">66</a>, <a href="#P135">135</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Voigt, Lieutenant, <a href="#P237">237</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -"Volunteers of Islam," <a href="#P66">66</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Wagstaff, Major, <a href="#P141">141</a>, <a href="#P150">150</a>, <a href="#P153">153</a>, -<a href="#P161">161</a>, <a href="#P169">169</a>, <a href="#P176">176</a>, <a href="#P189">189</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wallace, Lieutenant, <a href="#P208">208</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Warden, Colonel, <a href="#P5">5</a>, <a href="#P215">215</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Williams, Captain, <a href="#P236">236</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wilson, Gordon, <a href="#P237">237</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Worcestershire Regiment, <a href="#P191">191</a> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -"Young Persia" movement, <a href="#P68">68</a>, -69,72 -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Zinjan, <a href="#P141">141</a>, <a href="#P149">149</a> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t4"> -BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, GUILDFORD, ENGLAND -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's With the Persian Expedition, by M. 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