Star.
London, England, 1828-10-20 00:00:00

THE RUSSIANS AND TURKS.

• —tkoim THa UMLAUT 01111.1711.
RUSSIAN CAMP•ZITORZ GIUZGIVO, -ON THI LOWER
• • DANUBE, JULY 28.

I have persevered thus far, in ray attempts to visit
the Russian army as ao,amateur, for the purpose of ob-
serving its operations against the Tutks, and arrived in
Wallachia by way of 'Rotterdam, Frankfort, Vienna,
Pesch, aid Hermannstadt. The former part of my
.
jourae7 was productive chiefly of pleasure; but the lat-
ter part. of many of the disagreeable, of travelling ; for
in my progiessbither from Austria, I have been nearly
jolted to death-by the bid. roads of Hungary, and nar-
rowly escaped breaking my neck by the viler passes of
the Carpathians 'of Transylvania, on the frontiers of
Wallachia; I have been almost poisoned by filth, de-
voured by vermin, broiled by the sun, have exposed
myself to the contagious fever of the country, and to
that infernal disease the plague, which has for some
time past been committing its raiages. in Bucharest;
indeed, have almost gone through fire and water to
attain the fulfilment of my wishes, but have only as yet
succeeded fit reaching the banks of the Lower Danube.

...

There is no scarcity of provisions, though the quality
of bread, " of the darkest hue," is bad ; and the water,
which is in this country very indifferent, is supplied
from the neighbouring Welli • u .•
But the Russian soldier is a tough material, and or-
dinarily calculated to bear the fatigues and hardships of
war. In the manner above alluded to, subsisting on
food of very inferior quality, he is constantly exposed to
all weathers, for here the burning heat of the day is
generally succeeded by cold, damp, chilly nights; and
the thunder storms, which at certain seasons are so fre-
quent, are accompanied by torrents of rain, which in-
stantly deluge the country with water. These to ordi•
nary constitutions would be fatal, but on him they seem
to have comparatively no effect. With an implicit
obedience to orders, the Russian is, as it.were, a coma
plete Machine. Careless and thoughtless of danger—
indeed, without exercising his reasoning faculties, he

moves when be is told, and halts swim., he is cons.
nsanded ; nor will he, under the severe.t fire, retire us*
less ordered to do so.
It was surprising to see the perfect indifference with
which a regiment the other day stood under a rather
severe cannonade, and the apathy with which the mat
looked at the balls and shells that fell around them t sod
it is a fact, that at the siege of Brailow a considerdble
column, which was destined to storm the place, missed
its way. Budget into the ditch, where there was not the
slightest vestige of a breach. In this situation they
were nearly annihilated; nor would they, notwithstand-
ing the mistake was evident. moveuntil a positive order
from the Grand Duke. Michael was seat to recall them.
But the Cossacks excite most my curiosity and in.
serest: equally brave and hardy as the regular Russian
soldier, they possess a sagacity and cunning which is
not a characteristic of the former. When the firing
commenced, it was easily observed that the Cossacks
around began instantly to assume an alacrity and to be
alive to what was going on. They took their horses in
hand--never remained quite stationer!—kept a'sharp
look den in the direction of the fire of the cannons, and
watched-the ricochet of the ball and flight of the sell,
so as to be in readiness to avoid them. They are as
iattoegroeue set certainly l Boma old fellows, with
long gray beards some smut young lads some
• almost in rags and patches of various colnuts—while
others are in eery decent attire. The Cossack who
is appointed to attend me as orderly, is s young man,
by no means Cossack-like, according to the notions I
had formed of those people. I was struck by his civilised
appearance and manners; for, ea my arrival, when he
first came to be, with the respectful deportment of a
soldier, united to an easiness and almost elegance of
manner, he said he was sent to wait upon me by order
of his General, and had the honour of presenting him•l.
self to receive my commands. I do not mean to *say
they are all of this class, but I am told that soprr-of
them are people of rent wealth in their own council.
amassed chiefly by plunder in the last wars; yet so
great is their passion for that species of gain, sari sacra
fames, that, notwithstanding their riches, they volun-
tarily leave their families and comfortable cleanly',
and expose themselves, at an advanced age, to dangers,
in quest of more.
That they are marauders. and that they are ranter
meteiless at times, is true; for an attempt was made to
make them give up for the
.general. good the plunder
they took in action, but without success--it was then
found that no prisoners were taken—they were imps-
riably killed; so that, as their services are so essential
to the army, it is become necessary to sanction their
practices; and to prevent atrocities. the Empero; has
issued a very humane order, by which the Cossack' or
soldier receives. One ducat for every prhoner on toot
taken alive, and two ducats for every prisoner mounted.
The Cossacks are divided into regiments of 500 each,
having a standard and captain for every hendred,sinde.
pendent of junior Offietrs—one, •two or more Field
Officers for the whole, according to circumstances, and
a Lieutenant Colonel, or Colonel Ciontaandant, whose
mime the regiment bears. In their bivouacs, as well as
in their operations and attach, they seem td pin little
regard to regularity ; and their huts, ehoseof the Officers
as well as those of the men, in front of which ate
picketted their horses, are formed in the simplest and
rudest manner imaginable; sometimes three pikes 'or
poles with blanches and hay, or perhaps their burkas, or
cloaks of skin, thrown over them, form their dwellings.
Dressed in a short blue jacket, without buttons, but
hooked down the front—loose trousers of the same
colour—a cylindrical, and sometimes a fur or forage
cap—seated upon a eushion fixed to a high saddle,
mounted upon a small. bony, and by no means Buse-
Aalus-like, but certainly hardy, horse—armed with a
pistolstuck under each arm in a girdle, a firelock slung
across his shoulders, and sword, or a long teelve-toot•
pike—the Cossack is, on the least alarr, instantly ready
tor the combat. He is endowed by his nature and imitate
with an instinct which peculiarly fits him tor the dutjes
of outposts, and for their serviceiin-which, by the b#,l
am taking some lessons) supposethe Cossacks the best •
troops in the world. The confidence repo-ed in dim
is such, that the whole duty of the advanced posts'is in.
trusted co their care, and performed by up men; and
so great is their patience and vigilance; that nothing
escapes their observation, and not a Turk can stir
side the fortress without their immediate knowledge.
The moment an alarm is given, the fist ivy or three
that can get ready immediately sally foadr from the
bivouac—these are followed by six or eight—these
again by more—and lastly comes the reserve or -main
body, in perhaps greater order. In their regular attacks
they are sometimes in one, sad sometimes in two tanks,
according to their strength; they advance in the form
of a semicircle, with the centre retired; tie greater
numbers immediately fly off and seek the flanks and
rear of the enemy, while a small portion, supported
frequently by a reserve, attack to the front; but
perhaps what ..makes them the most formidable. is,
the extraordinary facility with Which they disperse
and instantly collect again in a pulk or body upon
any paiticalar part of the enemy's line. However.
for the most pan, they pay little attention to vegeta' ity ;
so that after an attack, having no trumpets or sounds
to assemble them. and as they do not always take out
their standards, their captains areobliged, by dint of
hollowing, or, in the best manner they can, to collect
their pulls. They do not in general use the pike lib&
the lance, but couch it, and ride full gallop, like the
knights of old, at their antagonists. The Turk pal,
fears it ; as the instrument, should it not kill, inflicts *
dreadful gash; and the unfortunate sufferer, when se-
verely wounded and transpierced. has often been known
to say, 14 Ab, Cossaik I Cossack !" and by signs implore
him to put an end to his miseries by an effectual threst.
After barring overcome hit prisoner, the first thing
the Cossack does is to seiz: upon his arms, which with
the Turks are highly ornamented and valuable=his
turban and sash, which are sometimes Cashmere shawls
of great worth—and his purse; and if be is not killed
or badly wounded, the victor then places the unions.
-nate man behind him, upon the very cantle of his saddle,
seizes him by the band:, and gallops off with him to
the rear. lu this situation, jolted and galled almost to
death, I saw a Turkish Chief (a Colonel), a few days
ago, who bad been taken prisoner by an old gray-
bearded, toothless' Cossack, at the commencement of
an affair, and was by him brought before the General
for examination. e`
The outposts have skirmishes almost daily ; but the
'Cossacks and Turks seem to have a good understanding
'between them, for they often meet, talk to each other,

• -s
ander:ll7on war in a more civilized way than formerly.'
The Turks—perhaps I should say those of the garri-
son ofGiorgevo and Rotrchnk—do not correspond with
the idea I had formed of them., from all "that I have
beard or read of ,that race: indeed, I believe we stave
lemony a very imperfect knowledge of that nation, and
that most of the accounts we receive of them are very
much Misrepresented or exaggerated. There is a noble:,
mess of disposition, an opennes, and truth, in the Turk, in-,
dividuallyf that is not to be found in his Christian tri-
butary,who has of la:e so much occupied the attenti ri of
foreignl'owers: the word of *Tor k is sacred: if he pledge
it, you are safe. How very different the latter'sl with
whom, it is said, you can never be sure of any engage.
ment:—whose treachery is proverbial, arid whose bar-
barities are snore numerous, and of a deeper dye, than
those of his governors. But, as I said, the forces of the
above garrison do not answer the expectations I had
formed of the Turkish soldier. From the specimen be-
fore us, it would induce a belief that they had either de-
penerat.'d as warriors, or, which is most natural to sup.
pose;tirat the Sultan has the flirwer of the ammo's
forces at Schumla, behind the Balkan ; but the
itrvinci-
ble'Janissary no longer exists, and the • daring Spahis,
with hit proud Arab charger, does not glitter amid the
t;anks of Xutchuck Achmet, whose troops are mounted
upon sma:4-ordinary, and sometimes very inferior horses.
Trousers, very loose to the calf, thence tight to the
uncle—a close waistcoat, open at the•neck, and covered
lektilt by *rishasvl tied round the waist—a jacket with
very full and short sleeves, showing the equally Inoue
sleeves of the s•lirt.--a turban on his Lead, and yellow
boots or slippers on his feet. form the usual and very
becoming diets of a Turk ; the trourers, waistcoat,
.and
• jacket are of vari.,u. colour s, alfornatnet.ted with em
broidery ; and the turban is white, greest,or other wi e,
according to the rank and privileges of the wearer. His
arms area long knife, c4il,-..d a hanJjar or yateger, used
fie cuttiig off heads—a brace or .pistols; which he
carries in a broad leathern girdle—a gun slung across
the shoulders—arid a correct sabre, hie desteri.y in the
tbst of which is such, that with a single blow, or rather
cut, he will sever tire heari from the body.. • • ' '
The Tu• ks have little or no method in their move-
tnents or in their mode of warfare. Snmetime, they ,
will sally forth from the fortress in bodies of 100 or',
150, and endeavour to surprise an advanced post of
Cossacks, near the village of Slobadze, on the west of
tiriorgeiro; and sometimes, with a larger force, they will
make a dash nu the left fork of the campiss here several I
have been killed in the very bivouac of the Cossacks).
in the rear of which are some stores and waggons, sup-
posed by therutl be treasure.
The Padre is very active, and had his favourite days
for sorties, which are generally on Thursdays, Satur-
day, or Sundays. Reinforced by troops. from Ruts-
etruk, he will at those times come out with a .6rce of
sis or seven thousand men,- and endeavour at once to
penetrate to the encampment of his enemy, or.heWill
-
draw up under protection of the guns of the fortress,
and tempt his adversary from his position, and within
range of the shot of the works. Frequently, ieter can
.nonading for a time, the Turks .111 move forsiard in a
tolerable line of cavalry and infantry mixed, and then
• in masses or wedges, composed promrscui.osly of those
two f ices, and with shouts of ',Allah ! A Ilah ! Allah r

'they wilt advance upon their opponents. Infuriated
often by opium, they are very vigorous at first ; but the
coolness and firmness ot the Russians, who usually re-
ceive them in squares, supporting each whet., -and the
cavalry having at tee same, time guns at their angles,
and the steady and well directed fire, particularly of
their artillery, soon disperse mid put the Moslem to
Bight, and then the Cossacks are let loose upon-them.
They have always been very wary of the squares ot in-
fantry; upon which, notwithstanding they are only
• formed three.deep, the Turkish cavalry have not suc-
ceeded in making any impression.
The field pieces of the Turks are, if any thing, of a
smaller calibre than those of the Russians, and were at
first drawn by bullocks instead of -horses; but in 'the
practice of their artillery, they are by no means so de.'
• Ileient as is generally supposed. • It is possible they may'
have foreigners.with them, f their shot, contrary to
retvived opiniin, are thrown with an accuracy that'
pould ido credit to regularly discipl'ned attilleryists.
The Turkish prisoners meet with sissy thing but ill
-4reatcheat from the Russian,. The Cossacks will ocea-

atonally be rather merciless ; but the tallness, when
brought in, are always *ell treated. and have frequently
been sent back with presents. The Turkish chief of
whohrl have made mention, was. on the day after his
.capture, invited to the hut of the chief of the staff—.
presented with a purse of money, subscribed by several
of the officert—and told, that it he chose to write fin
hisiimi baggage he was at liberty to do so, and a message
be sent to the Patina to that effect. Indeed, be
seemed quite content with bus ch.nge of situation,
• smoked his pipe. took coffee, - was quite communica-
tive, and ao doubt wondered nt the circumstance of
finding his bead upon iris shoulders.
C. R. 0. D. lates,lsM.Haasan.

EVl4;l•4l.Nti STAt.

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