The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-29 00:00:00

THE TROOPS AT GALLIPOLI.

THE following lively description of Gallipoli, and the
encampments formed there for the British and French
troops, is given by the Times correspondent in a letter
dated the 10th instant :

" Take dilapidated outhouses of farmers' yards in Eng-
land—remove ncketty, old, wooden tenements of I lolywell-
street, Wych-street, and the Borough—catch up, wherever
you can, any seedy, cracked, shutterless structuresof planks
and tiles that have escaped the ravages of time in our ca-
thedral towns—carry off sheds and stalls from Billingsgate,
and add to them the huts along the shores of the Thames
between London-bridge and Greenwich—bring them all to
the European side of the Straits of the Dardanelles, and
having pitched on the most exposed portion of the coast,
on a bare, round hill, sloping away to the water's edge, with
scarcely tree or shrub, tumble them higgledy piggledy '
on its declivity, in such wise that the streets may resemble,
on a large scale, the devious traces of a bookworm through
some old tome—let the roadway be very narrow, of irregu-
larly varying breadth, according to the bulgings and projec-
tions of the houses, and filled with large, round, slippery
stones, painful and hazardous to walk upon—here and there
borrow a dirty gutter from a hack street in Boulogne—let
the houses in parts lean across to each other so that the
tiles meet, or that a few planks thrown across from over
the doorways unite and form a sort of ' passage or arcade'—
steal some of our popular monuments, the shafts of various
national testimonials, or Irish round towers—surround
them with a light gallery about twelve feet from the top,
put on a large, extinguisher shaped roof, paint them all
white, and, having thus made them into minarets,clap them
down into the maze of buildings—then let fall big stones
all over the place—plant little windmills with odd-looking
sails on the crests of the hill over the town—transport the
ruins of a feudal fortress from Northern Italy, and put it
in the centre of the town, with a flanking tower extending
to the water's edge—erect a few buildings of wood by the
waterside to serve as café, Custom-house, and Government
stores—and, when you have done this, you have to all ap-
pearance imitated the process by which the town of Galli-
poli was created. The receipt, if tried, will be found to
answer beyond belief. To fill it up you must, however,
catch a number of the biggest-breeched, longest-bearded,
dirtiest, and stateliest old Turks to be had at any price in
the Ottoman empire ; provide them with pipes, and keep
them smoking all day on little wooden stages or platforms
about two feet from the ground, by the water's edge or up
the main streets, as well as in the shops of the bazaar ( one
of the ' passages' or arcades already described): see that
they have no slippers on, nothing but stout woollen hose
(their feet-gear being left on the ground below), shawl
turbans (one or two being green, for the real descendant
of the Prophet), fur-lined, flowing coats, and bright-hued
sashes round the waist, in which are to be stuck silver-
sheathed yataghans and ornamented Damascus pistols ;
don't let them move more than their eyes, or express any

• •

APRIL 29, 1854

send very much greater numbers of men, though they
pack their ships too much and have small and insufficient
vessels in use.

" Officers coming out here should know what they have
to expect. Let them provide themselves with everything
they are likely to want, for they will find nothing at
Gallipoli. There is no chance of getting horses at present
for love or money—indeed, comfort or necessary accommo-
dation is out of the question. In every respect the French
can teach us a lesson in these matters. While our sick
men have not a mattress to lie down upon, and are literally
without blankets, the French are well provided for. Wm
have no medical comforts—none were forwarded from
Malta—and so when a poor fellow was sinking the other
day the doctor had to go to the general's and get a bottle
of wine for him. The hospital sergeant was sent out with
a sovereign to buy coffee, sugar, and other things of the
kind for the sick, but he could not get them, as no change
was to be had in the place. After this it is annoying to
visit the French hospital, and see them so well prepared.
Everything requisite is nicely made up in small packages,
so that they can be carried on mules' backs, and marked
with labels so that one can lay his hand on what is wanted
in a minute. Dr. Alexander has managed to get beds fur
about '2OO patients in different houses, and he goes down
to-day with Mr. Calvert to the Dardanelles to look at the
building which is destined for the principal medical
establishment. The French and English are generally
very healthy, and the town and neighbourhood are said to
enjoy great freedom from sickness and disease."