The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-20 00:00:00

daunted by his formidable al tr,aranee and reputation
as a, swordsman, succeeded with apparent e.e.e in la-
flicting a " palpable hit" upon his ribs, just beneith
the left arm of the Tartar (who is a left-handed
swordsman), as the latter raised his arm to inflict a
perpendicular cut at his head. The Tartar did not
appear to comprehend what had occurred, and in
rather an irritable manner dismounted and did not
renew the contest. Mr. Maynard then threw his
fencing-glove on the ground, and putting his horse in
a canter, lifted it up without dismounting. This gen-
tleman also exhibited the feat of vaulting into the
saddle, and in the comparison of horsemanship with
the Oriental foreigner certainly suffered nothing. As
a skilful swordsman the Tartar is certainly to be sur-
passed by many of those who were on the ground,
and many of the Life Guardsmen expressed their
willingness to contend with him. On Tuesday last,
we believe, he exhibited at the barracks in the Re-
gent's-park, and was matched with Limbard, consi—
dered the best swordsman in the regiment quartered
there, and also w ith Hemmingway, a good swords-
man of the same regiment. Limbard, in the sporting
phrase, had the best of him, and Hemmingway also
set him at nought. In the course of the exercises of
that day he discharged his pistol so close to the face
of the last named of these two men, that the powder
drew blood, and the man's face is blued, probably for
the, rest of his life, as such marks are rarely oblite-
rated. Some allowance must, however, be made for
the impetuosity of the Thrtar, and his total unac-
quaintance with the manner and feeling in which our
national sports are carried on.
The following account of this singular personage
may not be uninteresting to our readers ; we have it
from a gentleman who has had opportunities of in-
quiring and coming at the facts :—Balthazar Beck
Pogus is the son of a Kniaz, or Khan of Independent
Tartary, a country which boasts of never having been ,
conquered by, or subject to any foreign power. The
inhabitants are Christians. At the early age of four-
teen, Balthazar joined the Circassian army and fought
against the Russians for three years. At the end of
this time the troop in which he served were taken
prisoners, when engaged in a battle near Tiflis. Ai
Balthaza,r had no choice left but to be sent to Siberia
or to 'take service in the Russian army, in the hopes
that some day or other a chance of escape would offer
itself, he chose the latter, and was sent to Warsaw,
where he was placed in a klussulman regiment, and
served in it for nine years. ,In November last, a mus-
ter of hii regiment was eidered ; the horsemen under
his cmmand consisted of '29, but as he appeared on
parade with 28 only, his superior officer inquired why
the number was' hot complete,- and on being told that
the reason was, that one of the men had been taken
very ill _ in the morning, and there had been no time
to report the circumstance, he exclaimed, " Christian
dog, I shall punish you for this breach of discipline;
you are one of those who eat-pork, and your religion
is a dog's religion !" and at the same time struck Bal-
thazar on the breast in an insulting manner with the
back of his hand. Thus outraged without cause, be-
fore his own men, the Tartar could no longer master
his feelings, and, in a state of frenzy, he drew his
sword and cut down the officer who had so griev-
ously wronged him-. He saw, in a moment, that
he was a lost man, and there was no safety
for him but in the
,desperate expedient of
flight Beckoning to his cousin and his ser-
vant, who served in the same regiment, -to
follow, he started without losing a moment. They
made for the frontier of Prussia; hut by mistake they
took the road of Plock instead-of Plonsk. Meanwhile
an alarm was raised, and Cossacks were sent in pur-
suit of them ; but although the pursuers obtained
fresh horses at the different pickets, so well were the
fugitives mounted, that it was not till after they had
ridden twelve hours, having performed a distance of
120 English miles, and being very near the Prussian
frontier, they were at length overtaken. An officer
with seven men rode up to them, calling out to Bal-
thazar to surrender. He replied " Never;" and
added " You know me, and that when I take an aim
I never miss ; if therefore, you value your life,. suffer
me to nroeppa " A 4. iSvo pistol shots
were heard, and Ins companions dropped dead from
theirhorses. Battliatz.ar bj ..1.1.
his brace of pistols two of the Cossacks; then, setting
spurs to his horse, he resumed his flight, followed by
the remaining Cossacks. So good, however, was his
horse, of Arab breed, that his pursuers, one by one,
dowmr
wounded
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ai
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feltfitrhe officer.
etdheath T
blood
m him, and
gush
out and run down, but he was not of a temper or in a
situation to be stopped by such a casualty ; and now
he suddenly came to a wide and deep brook, which
seemed to forbid his further progress. Rousing, how-
ever, his aded but high-couraged horse, he rode
boldly at the brook, and got clear over. The Cossack
officer, following closely, attempted the same feat, but
failing, fell with his horse into the water.
Balthazar, now in Prussia (for that brook formed
the boundary), and freed from his pursuers, rode on
to the first village, where having told his story, he
was taken in and kindly treated. 'Shortly after the
Russians sent to claim him as a deserter, but the
Prussian authorities refused to give him up. Some
Prussian gentlemen of distinction in the neighbour-
hood showed him great kindness, and when he reco-
vered from his wound, which was not for a long time,
and expressed his desire to return to his own home,
they advised him as the bestmode of doing so, to get to
the coast and embark for England. Accordingly, hav-
ing been supplied by them with money for the journey
and with letters to friends at'Dantzic, he proceeded on
his horse to that city, where he met with further
kindness from the officers of the garrison, by whom he
and his horse were sent to this country, whence it is
said he intends to depart for France, and by way of
Marseilles to get to Constantinople. We understand
he has been patronised by Lord Dudley Stuart, and
other influential persons, and that a subscription to
defray his expenses and journey to Constantinople, to
the amount of 501., has already been made. He has
the greatest affection for his horse, a grey Arab, of
great beauty and extraordinary good points, and has
refused to part with it for any price. On being asked
a few days ago by an officer of the Life Guards if he
would sell the animal, he energetically laid his hand
upon the scalp of his head, and said, " I would sooner
cut this from my head, and make• my horse eat hair
and sill, than. sell her, my preserver r—Times.