The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

THE GUARDS AT SCUTARI.

The following letter has been received from Constan-
, tit-I.:vie. It was written by a private of the Scots Fusi-
lier Guards, and is addressed to his mother :
" Scutari Camp, May 2.
"Dear Mother,—We sailed from Malta on Saturday,
April 22, and had rather a stormy passage, especially the.
first two days. The name of the vessel that we sailed in
was the Kangaroo, and well named she is, for I don't
think the animal she is called after can go through more
antics than she did. The Grenadier Guards sailed at the
same time ; the name of their vessel was the Golden
Fleece ; so did the Coldstreams ; their ship is called the
'Vulcan, one of her Majesty's troop-ships, all screw-steamers.
Our vessel was the smallest ; there was only room for one
half of us below, consequently the rest had to be on deck
24 hours at a time. Ours is intended for an Australian
packet, to take out emigrants. Being the fastest sailer
she soon left the others behind. We soon had a hint
of what sort of weather we might expect as we
left the harbour, by meeting two of her Majesty's
steam-ships, one towing the other, that had lost one
of her pad ile-wheels and her funnel. I took up my
quarters on a seat in front of the galley, and wrapped my
blanket round me, to make myself as comfortable as possi-
ble. I was rather ' amused at seeinr, the troops rolling about
the decks ; they were almost all' sick, with very few ex-
ceptions. I could have had as much victuals as would
have served me a voyage half Sound the world. On Mon-
day mom ring the storm abated. We were very .nearl run-
ning on a rock, the weather being hazy, and awalstthielen‘arant otn
the iouk out did not see it ; theca
notice it ; he had been up all the nPigll,sterawenndotgasTe strictr(ios
orders for the seamen to look out. We
from it when it was first noticed. Shortly afxterya we
passed one of the islands of the Greek Archipelago and
anchored in Gallipoli Bay on Tuesday night, at 11 p ro.
Thane were seven French and one English wen-of-war l.l;ino-
there, and our regiments were encamped some miles from
where where we lay at anchor. The French occupy the town,
and were busy fortifying it. A sergeant of the 93d came on
board ; he said the French and English soldiers agree very
well, and are quite sociable together. We sailed from
Gallipoli on that night, and had a stiff head-wind all the
way that we sailed up the Sea of Marmora, and arrived
at Stamboul at 9 a.m. on Thursday. The country all the
way from Gallipoli appeared to be well cultivated, and
put me in mind of the sea coast of Sussex. When I first
saw Constantinople I thought it the finest city I ever be-
hold, it is so nobly situate, and the minarets and domes
glitter in the sun ; but I believe it will not do to inspect
it closely. Close to where we landed there is a fine square
building that was intended for us, but it was swarming
with vermin, so they have sent us to camp. There is
a regiment of the line there ; they showed some of our
men their arms and breasts ; they were quite flayed.
We did not disembark before Friday, and went to our
present station. The place where we are is like Hamp-
stead, only it is all green grass. The regiments of the line
are stationed on a sloping hill on the left, and we on an-
other at the extreme right. At the bottom thereis a
fine green valley with a brook running through, where
I go to wash my shirt, for I have turned my own washer-
woman since I left London. Close to the encampment there
is a Mussulman burial-ground, three or four miles in length,
it looks like a Scotch fir wood ; it is thickly planted with
cypress trees and has a most gloomy and funereal appear-
ance. The gravestones have a strange look ; they are
shaped like turbans, and the flat ones have a place that
holds water, where the pious Mussulmans wash themselves
when they pray. In fact, everything around puts me in
mind of being amongst a people of strange manners and cus-
toms. Close to the wood there is a publicroad and the well
where we draw our water, and not a day has passed
since we have been here but a troop of wild, savage-looking
horsemen have passed, headed by their sheik or chief, from
the interior. I had a close look at a troop the other day,
and a more villanous cut-throat lot could not be got to-
gether; they were of all colours, from a red to an ebony,
and armed with all mannerof weapons, and such wretched-
looking horses ! The Sultan's artillery barracks are close
to our encampment ; I cannot say much for the soldier-
looking appearance of the men. The place seems quite
a Primrose-hill for the inhabitants. They come here
in all manner of strange-looking machines, from a bul-
lock cart to a donkey ; the young roll about the grass, and
the old smoke the pipe of meditation. We have quite a
bazaar hero, and it is principally tenanted by Jews and
Greeks. The suttling tents are kept by Greeks, and a ras-
cally lot they are ; I would sooner take a Turk's word than
a Greek's oath. They have got a Greek in prison for at-
tempting to poison two soldiers of the 88th Regiment. It
is only of the lower class of Greeks that I talk this way ;
the better class are well enough.
" Lord Raglan and the staff have arrived here. I don't
know bow long we shall be here. We are all in the best of
spirits and health, and havenot lost a man, but left a
few behind at Malta to be sent to England. The Grenadier
Guards had three men die while there, and the Coldstreams
two by fever. The Turkish women, when they walk or
ride out, have their faces covered all but their eyes. It
gives them a strange look. They seem to be as inquisitive
as their sex in England. I have not received an answer
to the two letters that I have written you, one from Malta,
the other before we sailed from Spithead : this will be the
third."