The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-04 00:00:00

MUSHAR PACHA.
THE Turkish Commandant of Bucharest, known by
the name of Mushar Paella, has more than oncelately
attracted attention by the vigour and determination
of his proceedings. Wher. the Austrians entered
Wallachia they insisted on de reinstatement of Prince
Stirbey, the ex-Hospodar, who was notorious for his
Russian predilections. Mushar Pacha then inter-
posed boldly and effectually to prevent any public
demonstration in his favour among the inhabitants
of Bucharest. On other occasions the commandant
has resisted the Austrian attempts at exercising
domination in the principality and asserted the
supremacy of the Sultan. A few days since he ad-
dressed a proclamation to the denizens of Bucharest,
(hankiag them for their offer to supply Omer Paella's
troops with fuel and other necessaries gratis, but
saying that " his Imperial Highness cannot accept
such a sacrifice from a people who have already suf-
fered so much,- and lodgings only are required for
the Turkish soldiers. The paella's consequent un-
popularity with the AustWan party in Wallachia has
led the Wanderer to publish a rumour that he is to
be dismissed from his post As Commandant tf Bu-
chare-4. This, if true, will cause a new vicissitude in
an existence already remarkab.e for changes of scene
and fortune. The pacha is by tirth an Englishman,
and has undergone some singular fluctuations of
destiny in this and other countries in the course of
his life. Some interestirq reminiscences of his
career have been furnished to us by a correspondent
who enjoyed opportunities for making personal ac-
quaintance with Colonel Laktman, alias Mushar
Pacha :

In the summer of 1846 I was residing at Hampstead. A
friend of mine who with his family were in a state of
convalescence, after an epidemic disorder, were staying
with me to accelerate their cure. One Sunday morning I
related to my guest a dream I had had dn. previous night,.
I saw a cab come up the steep pitch of hill near the heath
and stop there. A gentleman got out, called on my friend,
stayed with him halt an hour, then left and re entered the
cab. In descending the hill the cab overpowered the
horse, the animal ran away, the occupant of the cab
jumped out, and was flung on his head, and I seemed to
see him senseless on the ground, bleeding at the neck.
My expression in describing my dream was " that he had
broken his neck." In the course of that same afternoon
my friend rushed hurriedly into my room exclaiming,
" For God's sake come with me, Lakeman is killed." We
ran down the town, and in a surgeon's shop was Minim
Pacha, ghastly pale, having several bones broken, and
bleeding at the neck. I had never seen him before, but
the accident happened in exact accordance with my dream.
He had called on my friend, and received the injuries at
the spot and in the manner I had dreamt. Mr. Lake-
man was then engaged in extensive transactions with the
French Government chiefly relating to public works in
France. i was au idle student, keeping my terms at the
Temple, but with nothing definite to do, and was glad to
beguile the tedium of the sick man's chamber by sitting
with him, talking to him, and acting as his amanuensis.
In this capacity I had distinguished corresponients.
Amongst others I remember writing for him to M. Guizot
and M. Teste, the Minister of Justice, who was soon after-
wards degraded and sentenced to imprisonment for cor-
ruption and accepting bribes. In three weeks Musher
Pacha was able, a, he would have expressed it, for he spoke
English like a foreigner, to locomote, i.e., decamp from the
pretty spot that had been so unfortunate fur him ; and the
next time we met was in France. I was wandering about
the south of that pleasant land, and had, by Musher Pacha's
permission, directed letters to be sent for me to his resi-
dence as a central depdt, where I should be sure to find
them sometime, for I had reselved to call upon him. I
went down the Rhone in a steamer and delimited at Mar•
Bellies. The quays were covered by long lines of chain-
cables and anchors in rows. " Whose are these, and what
are they for?" 1 inquired. " Milord Lakeman's ; and they
are for the Cam Mer." The Caw Mer was a wonderful
breakwater invented by Rear-Admiral J. N. Tayler, C.ll ,
which was tried off Brighton, where it signally failed, and
of which patented invention the gallant admiral had sold
the use either to the French Government or to Milord
Lakeman. From Marseilles I went to La Ciotat, where
Mr. Lakeman resided.
La Ciotat is a little collection of houses on a landlocked
bay, with an island in front, sheltering it from the sirocco
and the storms that come hurtling from the African coast.
A small Government yard is here for repairing ships, and
when I was there two Neapolitan war-steamers were in
the harbour. They looked just as good as our own—per-
haps they were English built. Here, in a convenient
chateau, detached from the meaner dwellings, Musher
Pacha had metaphorically pitched hls tent. He was in
the service of the Government. Hi; duty was to build and
test the capabilities of Admiral Tayler'n useful invention.
The former he did to perfection : the cables I had seen at
Marseilles would have sufficed to moor the Baltic and
Black Sea fleets in a West Indian hurricane, and all the
other requisites to bring the breakwater to perfection were
provided on a similar scale of mionificence : but he tested
its powers more moderately ; perhaps he was afraid of pull-
ing it to too severe a strain at first. However, three sec-
tions of it were moored close to shore in the landlocked
bay, and there they answered to a miracle. They he'd
quite fast to their moorings, and no one found the anchor-
age insecure. Meanwhile, Milord Lakeman drew a large
salary for superintending this work, so necessary to the
maritime greatness of France, and had 40/. allowed him
for travelling expenses whenever his presence was neces-
sary in Peris, whither, of course, lie had frevent occasions
to go. I year or two afterwards, some meddling Minister