IN THE NEAR EAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18294, 10 January 1923, Page 10

IN THE NEAR EAST.

DARDANELLES SNAPSHOTS.

DEALINGS WITH THE TURK.

THE BRITISH FORCES.

The Dardanelles widen, but into a basin brownish yellow hills rise abrflptly from the" bluest of water. A hard:-; blue sky and heat radiating up from the hillsides. From the waterfront of Chanak no exit and no entrant can be seen. It seems a busy lake. The view is monotonous but splendid, reminiscent tof Southern Italy, wrote the special correspondent of the London Times from : Chanak recently.

The landscape is historical. As one looks round the water's edge, northerly is the Florence Nightingale Hospital, upon-; the ridge over Divisional Headquarters. In the hospital is the headquarters of the Ist Loyal Regiment, which has formed the garrison of Chanak for some months past. Lower toward the end of the bay is the Mejidie Fort, commanding the Aegean entrance to the Dardanelles. These forts suffered comparatively little during the war. Men from naval units in the harbour may be found sometimes clambering over the deserted fortifications and examining the great guns, ..whose sting has been removed, with; a friendly and paternal air. Above and beyond, above,, the point, Nagara Burnu, Xerxes Mound rises like a camel's hump upon the ridge. Here Xerxes ''sat and watched his thousands pass from Asia to Europe, across his bridge of boats, marching to the conquest of Greece. The width of the Straits at this point is some 1600 yds. Here also Leander swam across to see Hero, Here also Lord Byron repeated the feat. Abydos is just, over the_ point and Sestos just across the water in Ak Bashi Bay. Tho current here runs at about eight miles an hour, varying according to the winds, with cold streams below the surface. Above Ak Bashi Bay stands the Castle of Temeneh. This is the first place in Europe where the Ottoman standard was planted by Suleiman I. It is here that Asia- again would pour into Europe. From Ak Bashi Bay the coast runs under Mersin Hill into Kilia Bay, where fly the flags of Australia and New Zealand; Here is the headquarters of the Imperial War Graves Commission, in charge of Colonel Hughes, of Australia. :"* An "Unaccustomed Stir.

There is an unaccustomed stir in Kiiia j Bay-,' Under Hill 463 the harrow grassy , strip] abova the sand 'is dotted with ; tents': Seaplanes are moored close by. i 'Anchored close by is the monstrous form of Argus, parent ship. The landing ' 'platform runs along the . whole length. No masts or superstructure give her -a heavy compact appearance. From the vast depths of this, labyrinth aeroplanes are born. "Gnats " slide up and hop off into space, and soar away into the air— eves of Argus—the eyes of this British force in the Asiatic Dardanelles. . , The local Turks were much impressed by her arrival. " Does she walk np .on Jo dry land?" they asked. At- nights aha is equally impressive: If one should come back at night from Kilia, hundreds of portholes are lighted, throwing mm gleams on to the rippling water; a signal. lamp'-winks and twinkles _as _ she speaks" her business across to Divisional Headquarters in Asia. \ In' Chanak Kalessi itself camel 3 and arabahs are transporting the last relics of the civil population to the waiting caiques which' set sail across the Narrows: Kilts and. khaki have replaced the f familiar population in cummer-_ bund and-fas, ',■ ■V ■' •'",.".-- '"■ v " : ?*"' ;-'-: Bound the town the Turkish cavalry , patrol-.- incessantly, avoiding all conflict. They-"are'uniformly and even smartly dressed. Black shirt, or khaki tunic, black'kaipakr three or four bandoliers, rifle and sword- * . I The Polite Turk.

"kn officer, riding alone in rough conn-I try to'Ms'Tregtmental headquarters in the line is met by a Turkish officer, quite unarmed, who asks to be taken into the officer commanding the regiment. On arrival he salutes smartly, is polite and . modest. He ha 3 orders, ha says, to* ocicupy (pointing) that hill on the flank. "It will not,'* he vouchsafes, "menace i any position iof yours, but I thought 1 1 should like to come in to inform you so as to avoid any musunderstanding or possibility of conflict." He leaves by a way ■which gives him no opportunity of seeing our positions too closely, and the hill is occupied by his squadron. "When approached by patrols they turn down their rifles or ground, arms if dismounted, and state that they have no desire to fight the English. Their object,, they state, is to chase all Greek-forces fro* their homes and to settle peacefully in their own; country, where the Turkish #e*6ple are in a majority**. Very many officers speak French, some German, and quite a number of the senior men, English. They approach our lines in the most amiable fashion, -without fear, and generally. without precautions.