The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-26 00:00:00

THE FRONTIER OF TURKEY AND

PERSIA.

OROOMIAII, Oct. 13.-1 have just returned from visit-
ing a Kurdish notability of sufficient local rank and
importance to merit a brief mention in your columns--
an individual whose brother, up till his death some 18
months ago-, was one of the most influential friends of,
and in constant communication with, Schamyl. The
residence, of Sheikh Saleh, the individual in question,
is at Burdasoor, a Kurdish village, distant from this a
few days' journey into the mountains ; and thinking it
probable that he might be able to give me some fuller
and more authentic information about the Daghes-
tanee chief than usually reaches Europe, I resolved
to see him in person, and glean what I could. His
brother, Sheikh Tahar, had while he lived been the
most influential and revered "ecclesiastic" throughout
the whole rf Kurdistan : the most savage of the chiefs,
who acknowledged no seCul-tr sovereign, submitted to
his guidance, and their people made pilgrimages to him
as a second prophet. Holding. and teaching the
same 8 vfee doctrines of which Schamyl has became
the great exponent and high priest, he was—as I
have remarked—one of the most intimate friends of
the Imam ; and, next to him, was considered the
greatest of the Mahommedan "New Lights." At his
death, about a year and a half ago, he was succeeded
by his brother Sheikh Saleh, also a True Believer of
great sanctity, and a zealous disciple of the " reformed"
faith. In proper course, his son should have inherited
the sacred office and its dignity • but as a Kurd ex-
pressed it to me, " Sheikh Abdullah (so the young man
is called) is fonder of horses and fighting than of his
prayers," and has, consequently, no reputation or in-
fluence as a holy man—whatever he may enjoy as .a
warrior.

To Sheikh Saleh, therefore, rather than to his nephew,
I resolved to go. Burdasoor lies at the base of what
may be considered the first of the Kurdistan chain of
mountains, which stretch south-west from the plain of
Oroomiah to the neighbourhood of Mosul, and north-
wards into Armenia. From the plain the road winds
along the banks of a rapid mountain torrent, through a
long and tortuous ravine. The mountain slopes on either
side are covered with the flocks of the tribe now in tern•
porary occupation of the district, aid clusters of
black tents everywhere abound in the neighbourhood of
the richest grazing grounds, As I rode past several
of these canvas hamlets with the gentleman who was
to act as my Kurdish interpreter, we had occasion to ob-
serve what I had previously noticed elsewhere, that the
physique of the Kurdish women is, as a rule, much
inferior to that of the men, In saying that in appear-
ance one of them closely resembles a very ugly and very-
dirty English gipsy, I describe pretty accurately the ex-
tent of their claims to admiration. The men, on the
other hand—whatever may be their rascality—are as fine
a race physically as an eastern traveller often sees ; the
Persians, indeed excepted, I have myself seen none finer.
Kurdistan, however, though rich in this human materiel,
is not to be recommended to ethnologists as a field for
study ; enthusiastic Pritchards and Lathams might be
interrupted in their scientific researches by certain prac-
tical freaks of their "subjects" which would summarily
put an end to their pursuit of knowledge under diffi-
culties, and to themselves at the same time.
Before reaching the village we sent on a servant to
apprise the chief of our coming ' • as it would not have
been comme it fact to have gone direct and without in-
vitation to the house of the Sheikh. Unlike the under-
ground villages of Armenia, Burdasoor is mostly com-
posed of substantial stone houses entirely above ground,
and laid out with a degree of regularity creditable on
the whole to the builders' notions of convenience and
comfort. Passing through groups of idle gazers—
mostly women and children—we ascended the steep
cliff, on the overhanging summit of which is perched
the castle or fort, occupied by Alahmoud Khan,
the chief. At the top we were met by this
individual—a youth of nineteen—and his uncle,
Schamyl Beg, who was as fine a specimen of a wild
' mountain chief as I have seen ; of lofty stature and ad-
mirable symmetry of build, he struck me as being the
very ideal of a Kurdish Rob Roy, The young Khan
led the way into the castle—now in a half ruinous state
—and, with rather a sheepish effort to do the hospitable,
assured us that "his house and all in it were our own."
The inevitable pipes and coffee disposed of, Schamyl
Beg relieved his nephew by starting a lively conversa-
tion in Turkish on the war, the Governor of Oroomiah
(with whom the tribe is now at loggerheads) and Sultan
Beg. This last is the chief of a neighbouring and hostile
tribe, between whom and the Kurds of Burdasoor
violent and bloody feud has existed for several years.
Unfortunately, my companion mentioned that I had
received a letter from Sultan Beg, promising me a safe
conduct and a guard over whatever part of the moun-
tains I should need to pass. This seemed to imply that
I was on terms of friendship with his enemy, and it
was not till I had explained the extent of my acquaint-
ance with him that the fiery Schamyl becalie disposed
to enter into " relations." S )on after sunset dinner
was brought in ; but it would not have tempted an
epicure, consisting merely of bread, sour milk, atid
dishes of bad pilau, interspersed with pieces of meat,
much in the same proportion as raisins in a school
plain-pudding. After dinner the conversation was re-
sumed, and we were then entertained with au account
of the famous Nur-Ullah Beg's stay at Burdasoor. When
driven from his stronghold at Julanierik by the
Turks, this powerful chief, the murderer of the unfortu-
nate German traveller at Schulz, and the ally of Seder
Khan Beg in his massacre of the Nestorians, took refuge
in the strong castle of our host's father, and we were
now shown some Persian writing which he had left in-
scribed on the wall as a memento of his visit. As Bur-
dasoor is in Persian territory, the Turks demanded his
extradition from the Shah's Government, and a party of
troops was accordingly sent from Oroomiah to effect his
capture for that purpose. Achrnet Khan, however, was
not the man to surrender so distinguished a guest with.,
out a struggle ; a body of Kurds, under his brother
Schamyl Beg, was therefore despatched to meet the Per-
sians at the entrance to the ravine ; a fight followed,
and more than 30 of the former were killed and the re-
mainder driven back to the city. Schamyl Beg boasted
to us that he had slain four of the Shah's men with his
own hand ; since then he had been " on his keeping,"
and did not venture to make his appearance in the plain.
A still stronger force, however, being soon after sent in
pursuit of hien, the Hakkiari chief was compelled to seek
shelter elsewhere ; and after having been driven from
rock to rock like a patridge was at last taken by the
Terks and exiled, in company with Beder Khan Beg,
to Candia, where they now are.
This subject and its allied episodes supplied matter
for conversation till bed-time, when I discovered that
the small and not over clean apartment we had hitherto
occupied was to be the sleeping place of the whole com-
pany, with the exception of the young Khan, who retired
to probably more agreeable quarters. For the nine
who remained, including a mollah and two unwelcome
visitors from the governor of Oroomiah, we had a room
of about 11 feet by 13 ; and as this was likely to be a
tight fit, I measured off space to suit my own propor-
tions, allowing a fair margin for turning and kicking
room. By this timely provision, and an ominous dis-
play of a pair of heavy jack-boots, I succeeded in ob-
taining from the mollah, who flanked on the left, a toler-
ably wide berth ; and bringing down my spurred heel
with a thump that made his reverence start, turned over
on the mattress, and tried to sleep. As I more than half
expected, however, the effort was useless. Through
jack boots and everything else the teeming population
of the coverlet penetrated, torturing me with their
vampire fangs in a manner which would have kept even
the fat boy in " Pickwick" from bobbing an eye. I
had passed through a pretty severe noviciate of flea
endurance, but these of Burdasoor fairly put to shame
the most lively specimens I had suffered from as yet.
Sleep, therefore, being out of the question, I made my-
self some compensation by administering an occasional
awakener to the snoring mollah, and so managed to
while away the time till daylight.

After the Sheikh had performed his sunrise prayers
we were told he would see us ; so, accompanied by our
host, our host's uncle, and some others, we descended
from the castle to his house. To enhance his own im-
portance, however, the old heathen kept us waiting the
greater part of an hour, but had the civility to treat us
to a very passable breakfast of fruit, honey, and yaourt
in the meantime. Ho then made his appearance, dres-
sed in a flowing robe of blue cloth, which hung loosely
over au under garment of some white fabric, which again
was enveloped round the waist in the ample folds of a
good Persian shawl. But even this comparative rich-
ness of rig, with the addition of a rabbinical beard and a
ponderous white hat, which completely buried his fore-
head, could not redeem a strikingly mean and stupid ex-
pression of features. As we had not come, however,
to study physiognomy, after the usual hyperbolical
welcomes and compliments, which neither party meant,
my friend introduced the object of our visit, judiciously
enlarging, by way of introduction, on the great fame of
Sheikh Tahar in England. But this imaginative tribute,
though it evidently gave great satisfaction, in no way
lessened the old man's caution—and it was not till I had
given him very sufficient proof of my trustworthiness,
that he consented to answer a single question. He then
spoke freely of his late brother's intimacy and frequency
of communication with Schamyl —whom, I observed,
both the Sheikh and the others present invariably spoke
of as Schamyl Shah—but said that since his death last
year only one letter had been received, owing to the
greatly increased difficulties of passing through Georgia
and over the frontier since the breaking out of the war.
In Sheikh Tahar's time the communication had invari-
ably been carried on through Lesghian messengers, who
knew the country and spoke the local 'dialects. Thoy
came from Schamyl, and carried back the Sheikh's let-
ters to Daghestan. since last autumn, however, n•
communication of any kiwi had been received, owing,
as the Sheikh supposed, to the cause I have mentioned.
In reply to my inquiry, if lie thought an attempt to reach
Daghestan from Persia might be successful, he said that
unless the individual making it were thoroughly familiar
with the interjacent parts of Georgia, and spoke either
Georgian or Armenian like a native, his seizure would
be certain. He had strong hopes, however, of receiving
news during the winter ; and if so, he promised to de-
tain the messenger till he communicated with myself.
Seeing my interest in the "Shah," he also engaged to
procure me one of his autograph letters to Sheikh Ta-
har, and to forward it to me through my friend at
Oroomiah.
So much, or rather little, I repot to say, has this

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Captain 13rock's.experienct? onyar of openingettehre; caonadstlohfalleinmgyreselilaf
foundhasprotwvheai proved them
tbhhyieln l
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both i
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of Fars quarter;
I2lt Cars and Persia the ob-
stacles are equally great. Till the war is carried into
Georgia in spring, therefore, the public must still be
dependent for news of the Circassian leader on the
same uncertain channe!s through which we have hitherto
heard of his movements, taking the reports for what
they are worth, and that I can testify is in many
.cases
innotnoiucbs not
much. Till b
l then,
had, mnl,howeyer, more trustwoortelri. y
Im4.for-
atin i

A native merchant, arrived last evening from Er-
zeroum, by w+y of Mush and Bitlie, brings no news of
interest from the army. At the date of the last intelli-
gence from Kav,-Zarif Paella had not left for Constan-
tinople, but was on the eve of doing so. ;The army re-
mained in camp before the town, and the Russians had
made no movement since what I last reported. This
person, however, brings intelligence of the very brutal
murder of a French officer on his way from Erzeroum to
Trebizond. M. Bullet, the victim of this sad occurrence,
and whom I knew well at Kars, was an instructor
of cavalry, with the rank of colonel, and had
done more than any other officer in the place to im-
prove this branch of the service. At the battle of
Kuracdere his personal bravery was conspicuous over
that of every European who fought on ,the Turkish
side, and I need not say had no equal amongst the Turks
themselves. With his own hand he shot and cut down
no less than fire Russian Cossacks and dragoons, and
brought in their arms as trophies to the Mushir, telling
that worthy, as he presented them, that his army and
himself deserved what the Russians had given them, and
that, for his own part, he would never again draw his
sword on behalf of such cowards. I had this from an
eye-witness. In fulfilment of this resolution he soon
after left Kara, and. after a stay of some time at Brae-
roum, was proceeding to Trebizond, accompanied by a
native servant, when they were attacked- by astray party
of Bashi-bazouks. The servant, of course fled, but not
before Bellot had shot one and cut down another of
his assailants. Some hours after the Turkish govern-
ment tatar, on his way to Erzerotn; came to the
spot, and found the brave fellow literally hacked to
pieces with spear and sabre wounds, and the two dead
Bashi-bazouks lying near him. When the news of this
brutal murder reached Erzeroum, the Pacha despatched
a body of Zaptiebs to pursue the perpetrators and bring
in poor Bellot's remains. They had not returned when
my informant left for Persia. One's indignation rises to
soiling point at the news of so brave a man dying a dog's
death at the hands of such cowards. Grapeshot is the
only treatment for such a cut-throat riff-raff as the
whole tribe have shown themselves to be, both at Kars
and on the Danube.