The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-02-27
TURKISH WARFARE.

TURKISH WARFARE.
Mr.. Green, late the British Consul in the
Morea has published several letters under the
title of sketches of the war in Greece. from
which we make the following extracts:
Il am now able, from personal observa-
ton, to give you some account of the Egyp-
tan army. Each regiment originally con
slsts OF four thousand Arabs, clothed in a
uniform composed Of red cloth Jacket.
trowsers and skull-dap, and armed with a
mnsket, bayonet, and cartouche box. The
ofhcers are Asiatic, and other Turks, but
the seigeants, corporals and drulnmers, are
Arabs. In appearance, they are certainly
the most despicable troops imaginable,
there being scarcely fine looking man
amongst them; added to which, they have
almost universally suffer ed from the opthal-
mia, and have either lost an eve, squirt
very much, or are short-sighted Since
their arrival In the Morea, the uniform of
many has given place to all kinds of gro
tesque clothing, acquired by pillage, such
as women's petticoats, Albanian kits, &c.
They make up, however, for their appear
ance by their behavior, being exceedingly
obedient, and apt at learning military evo-
lutions, the old regiments going through
the exercise very well added to which,
they neve?, by any chance, complain, and
stand fatigue remarkably well. At Patras
tie tents sore pitched, tho mon were
exposed day and night to the weather, and
to protect themselves from its mclemency,
dug holes in the ground, into which they
thrust their heads, leaving the rest Of their
bodies exposed. They are constantly drill
oh on1 comatiuooc ora pvarn.Sod civ or GOV
en- times day. When off duty, one of
their occupations is the cleaning of their
muskets, which they keep remarkably
bright and in good order.
Nautical skill may truly be said not to
exist among the Turks; and any one who
has had the good fortune to have sailed
with the squadron which accompanied our
/ feet at the time Of Bonaparte's expedition
to Egypt, is thought very Nelson. With
such a crew it is matter OF surprise how the
Turks manage to navigate at all but the
| fact is. that the vessel is sailed and steered
by Europeans, while the fighting part be-
longs exclusively to the Turks. | have
been told, and, from what hu.e seen,
can easily believe, that the confusion on
board Turkish vessel is absolutely rldicu-
lous. One half the men are, perhaps, nor
ribly sea-sick, sprawling about the deck
while the other half are pulling at ropes, oil
which they have no knowled@ %. The
Chaouses are seen running here and there,
bastnadoing right and left, and forcing the
men to their outy. Indeed, the way in
which the sailors are taught to handle ana
know the different ropes is, as was inform
ed, quite on par with the rest of the sys-
tenn. Vegetables, pipes, pieces of cloth,
&c. are attached to the rigging and the
cordage, and then the command is given,
q" haul up the long pipe let go the cab
bage," &c. After the news was known OF
the destruction of fine ship of war, by the
fre-ships of the Greeks, the panic that seiz-
ed the crew of Turkish vessel on the ap-
proach of a Greek one was excessive
Sailors on board these have told me that
nothing could exceed the scene of confu-
sion. The guns were fred without aim
and often on the side on which the enemy
was not: the men were flying here and
There, Vociierating and running many were
preparing to jump overheard, and others
absolutely did so. In fact, at the best o.
times, there is little discipline but at such
a juncture there is none.
"Ihese scenes, however, occurred in the
beginning of the revolution. Both theiI
panic and their thorough want of skill
have been bettered by experience and il
more than one instance single Turkish
vessel has fought its way through whole
Greek squadron.
1.-THE viceroy of Egypt, for some years
/ past, has been gradually increasing his ma
val force, and his feet now consists of a
least sixty vessels of war. OF these, six o.
seven are frigates, which have been chiefly
built IN private dock-yards at Marseilles
Leghorn, and Trieste the others consist o
corvettes, briggs, and schooners, and, witt
few exceptions, the whole Of these vessels
are of very superior class, and in excel
I lent order. In action, and in the manage
ment Of their vessels, the Egyptians have
proved themselves infinitely superior to tht
Constantinople Turks but this, no doubt
is owing In great measure to the fact o
there being many foreign seaman in th'
Viceroy's service, who form part Of Thu
crew Of each vcsselN