A DUNEDIN ENGINEER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 53, 17 October 1911, Page 8

A DUNEDIN ENGINEER.

WHO SERVED IX THE TURKISH NAVY FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. Such a man was found a day or two ago, and Ids experiences entitle him to a hearing, says the Dunedin “Star.” Not that he was anxious to talk, hut he politely consented to do so, merely stipulating that his name he not mentioned. “Yes,” he said, “it is quite true that I served with the Turks. 1 went out with their first ironclad after she was launched at Glasgow in 18C5. Her name? The Abdul Aziz. She was built by Napier. One of the first ironclads in the world.- Not the first. Our people had the Black Prince and the Warrior. “Captain Gumming took her as far as Constantinople, and when wo got there the captain and all the rest of our men went ashore, leaving mo and Jack Ross the only Britishers on that big ship amongst -170 Turks. Jack Ross was fourth in the engine rtmn. 1 1 was third.' I don’t mean that' the I other fellows left the ship. They came back after a day or two—some of them anyway. The captain was done with her when we got to port, hut I mind that Campbell, the chief, came hack, and Spence, the second. I can’t say now what became ed' the others, but I mind their names. There was Sanders fifth, Barber sixth, and Lang seventh. “You see she was a big ship, 800-horse-power, which was a lot in those days. She could do about 1;1 knots in a seaway. I was barely a iyear in her. There was nothing particular that she had to do. “Then came a bit of excitement—the insurrection iu Crete—and in the changes that were made I was sent on board one of the Sultan’s yachts, lie had three of them. 'The rebels had a fast little vessel called the Arcadia, and this yadht that I was put on was picked because she was the speediest of the three, and they kncAv that speed was wanted for the job wo were sent to, to stop the Arcadia and her pranks. “Out we went and searched, and one morning, early, wo saw her and gave chase; hut a stern chase is a long one, and it took us till the evening to overhaul her. When we got within range they let drive. One shot carried away 4ft. of our funnel, and another damaged one of our paddleboxes. We lot her have it in return, and she bolted and took refuge in the Greek island of Saragota, half-way between Syra- and Crete. “Our skipper was a brave man, but uneducated. He had risen from the, common sailors. He didn’t know what to do about going in after the Arcadia. So we just held her there, and the captain sent a pilot to the Greek Admiral to ask for advice. The answer was to lot her go. So we left, much against the will of the people on our yacht. When about half-way to headquarters we met our own Admiral, and upon hearing what had happened lie ordered us to turn hack and catch her. Off wo went as fast as wo* could go, but by the time we returned to Saragota the Arcadia had disappeared. “We watched the and did a little dodging up and down the coast, until one night u r e saAV a vessel coming in. The word passed round, “The Arcadia!” Immediately she saw ns she turned and bolted, and avo AA-cnt after her. As we had not full steam up at the time it took us tAvo hours to catch her. When avo did got Avithin range she took it on, and avc fought at short range, circling round one another. We both had light brass guns. Then my mate and me put up our captain to ram’ her. Wo knew that our yacht had a stem that Avould stand a shock. She Avas British built, turned out by Penn, of London. The old man tried to carry out our suggestion, and at last avc managed to hit her-—not exactly Avhere avs Avanted to, but bctAvceu the forrard sponsou and the !)oav. Wo cut right into her, and then fell alongside, and the ereAvs started fighting desperately. Our yacht carried 108 men, and by the time avc carried her avo had lost four killed and fourteen Avounded. Her croAvd suffered mere severely. Being cut doAvn to the Avater’s edge, the Arcadia commenced to sink, but avc Avc.ro not far from the shore, and her people managed to beach her and set her on firo before they ran. “Our Admiral came up after the set-to and made his men repair her, so that she might be toAved the 450 miles to Constantinople as a trophy * of arms. We managed that job right | enough. We, expected the Sultan to : come down and have a look at the captive, but lie didn’t. He avus a sort of recluse. But ho sent his chief Ministers, and they praised us, and they gave mo £IOO and a. rise in Avages for my share in the victory. 1 also got £2O from Omar Pasha, avlao shook hand Avith me, and presented mo Avith this medal, Avhich is the Fifth Order of the Mcdjidie. “1 stuck on that yacht for about three years and a half. We did all sorts of cruising jobs. For a Avliile wo had Hobart Pasha on hoard. He seemed to be putting in time. Most of his days Avere spent in fishing and digging up sponges, and that sort of Avork. Ho hadn’t much to say to me. There Avas no more fighting over the Crete affair—the capture of that Arcadia settled it.

“But avo kncAv the diplomats Avere at Avork, and anything might happen. One day, off Syra., a Greek vessel fired on us, and rushed past us-into port. We folloAvcd up, but as avo neared the jetty avo could .see the people in tumult. They Avould have killed every one of us if avo had attempted to take her out. Wo Avatched the port for tAvelvc days, but nothing happened. Hobart Pasha Avas on board at that time.

“1 left the yacht to go on shore to Avork in the arsenal at Constantinople. Other Britishers were there too, as directing artisans. The pay Avas not much aboA*o Avhat avo could got in England, but the job was A*ery easy and pleasant. The Turks treated us avoll. ! Avas married at Constantinople to the daughter of the chief armourer, avlio had come from the Old Country. Occasionally. 1 Avas sent to sea. fin one of these trips I Avas sent to Yemen and to Jeddah, then to the mouth of the Red Sea. Why the Turks kept us English on so long i don’t know. They paid us about five times ns much as they Avoidd have bad to pay Turks avlio were equal to the Avork. 1 whs fourteen years in the service altogether.

“What do I think of the Turks? Well, like all others, there are good and bad amongst them. But don’t laugh at me if ! toll you that 1 am a Turknphile. They are a very clean peo-ple-—a ;>roud people-- but dilatory and

aAerse to effort fill roused. That’s boAV men take advantage of them. They are good fighters . I saw a lot of their sobiici 1 v qualifies, for I was

in Constantinople at the time of the .•’.hipka Pans r.i nipple. They sire patient beyond any other soldiers i over saw, ami will hoar hardship nnemnplaininy;iy. On nnr little yaelit, o()0 tons, wo enrried 1100 Turkish soldiers on nnc hip that lasted more than a week. There was no room for them to lie down, there was no looker beyond the bread and fruit and oil that they car-

ried iu their haversacks —and never a word came from them. “If it comes to a fair light betAvcen the Italians ami the 'lurks, I’ll back the Turks. I Icuoav their bravery and their steadiness and their ability to suffer hardship. “With regard to their religion, 1 was struck by their supremo faith. I came in contact Avith men in all Avalks of life, and novel - met one with any doubts. They Avere all true believers. witii an unshakable faith iu their religion. “I said just uoav that the 'l urks are dilatory. We should call them indolent. They don’t like to do things in a hurry. I used to rent a house from Uwaiiim Pasha, a lieutenant in the Navy. After being in the place a month Ibrahim called. Of course he had come for the rent. I suav him, and called out; ‘Hullo, Ibrahim, I’ll f o and get ir and he Avi tli you in a moment,’ He cidled me hack, and asked me la penult him to sit doAvn, Avhercupon lie pro*.need cigarettes and 1 .got (•■);';< c, and there avo sat and idled an nour in a yarn all about nothing, excepting dint during the conversation he said he ■ini.hi n’t- understand Avliy every I uglishman aaus always in a hurry. As a fact, Ibrahim avus really busy, but, having to call on me, he reckoned it polite behaviour to take a time about it and go through some ceremony. That's the Turkish manner. “The Turks are fond of a joke, and they like it subtle. Here is a sample. An old teacher, lying down one evening, siuv thieves outer his place, and juicily, and as they thought unseen by him, they packed up all sorts of things—kettles and food and clothes and light household articles. The teacher didn’t budge. When the thieves had left lie leaped up, grabbed a bed, and went after them, and as lie caught up he sat doAvn in their company and quietly remarked: M didn’t Snow avo Avere moving to-day.’ ”