WITH THE TURKS IS TRIPOLI.

Otago Witness, Issue 3029, 3 April 1912, Page 90

WITH THE TURKS IS TRIPOLI.

BRITISH MAJOR'S AUVENTURES. CAPTURE AND AN ESCAPE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, February 13. Major Bathurst, a retired officer of the Cape Constabulary, has just reached Malta, and recounts an exciting story of adventure in Tripoli, where he has been serving as a member of the Turkish staff. He explained that, furnished with credentials from Constantinople, he left England the day after ex-Lieutenant Montagu's " atrocities " cable was received. Major Bathurst reached Tunis on November 11, and from that moment his adventures began. "I was shadowed by gendarmes on my journey to Sfax, but there I managed to evade them. Setting out in a small beat without any companion, I was capsized near Gabes, fortunately not more than a hundred yards from the shore, which I reached by swimming. Then I walked to Medinin, and on to Zuara, covering 70 miles in 24 hours, with five hours' rest." At Zuara Major Bathurst presented his credentials to Musel Bey, whom he describes as a most capable commander. He goes on: "It is inexplicable to me why the Italians did not occupy Zuara at the outset, for through this base the Turkish forces in the field have received arms and stores sufficient to last for several years. Five days after I reached Zuara two Italian vessels commenced a bombardment, which continued throughout the hours of daylight for six days. Zuara being unprovided with artillery, it was not possible to reply to this hot fire, but when on the sixth day the two Italian vessels left we found that the damage done did not total £250 in value, and there had been no casualties. Taking cover behind the san dunes, the Turkish soldiers patiently waited, sometimes for 40 hours on end, even without food, for the Italian landing which was never made." Leaving Zuara, Major Bathurst went to Azizieh, arriving there the day after the Ain Zara battle. Having presented his credentials to Tetish Bey, Major Bathurst was found employment as scouting staff officer. Of his doings in that capacity the Major said: "I approached within a quarter of a mile of the Italian trenches, and, with the d-esert as a background, I must have presented an excellent target. However, although whole companies of the Italians fired at us, our party suffered nothing worse than the loss of two horses killed." After interpolating the remarks that the Arabs could not be induced to make prisoners of Italians, despite the Turkish commander's offer of £5 for each Italian brought into camp alive, and that he had several times been a witness of the utter confusion and complete demoralisation of the Italian forces, having seen whole companies abandon arms, ammunition, and accoutrements, Major Bathurst continued: "On January 27 I left Azizieh on a secret mission to Tunis. That completed, I returned to Zuara, and received instructions to go to Tripoli. I succeeded in penetrating the Italian lines, and for two days I went about in 'Tripoli unmolested. Dining with some friends in a restaurant in Tripoli, I was, however, recognised by a Frenchman who had met me in Tunis, and a few hours later I was arrested. At first two detectives sought to arrest me. Jujitsu came in useful, and, after hurling one detective down the stairs, I flung the other through the window. Later the Chief of Police visited me with a courteous request that I should accompany him to the station. Meanwhile I had not had time to dispose of some important documents I was carrying, but I managed to get rid of them by a ruse I employed when in the chief's office. Subsequently I was liberated, but afterwards 1 received a summons to wait upon General Caneva, who inquired as to the means I had employed to gain access to the town and as to my business. I posed as a South African newspaper correspondent, and was ordered to leave within 24 hours. As I was unable to find a steamer I returned to the general, who, after insisting upon my departure, ordered my rearrest. This time I was put into a dungeon without either food, water, or light, and there I stayed for a clay and a night. Then an English lady friend whom I had met in the hotel reported my arrest to the British Consul, and I was removed to a cell which afforded more air space and overlooked the harbour. From this cell I made my escape, and got aboard a German vessel hound for Malta."