The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-08-20

equipment. Their saddles are heavy masses Of
wood, like pack-saddlas, peaked before and be-
hind, and are the most awkward and uneasy in
the way they use them. Their stirrups are
very short, and their stirrup irons very cum
brous, resembling the blade of fire shovel, the
handle of which they use to goad On the horse
as they have no spurs; this heavy apparatus is
not secured on the horse by regular girths, but
tied with thongs of leather, which are continu.
ally breaking out of order On this awkward
and insecure seat the Turk sits, with his knees
approaching to his chin /; yet | never saw more
bold and dexterous horsemen, in the most diff
| cult and dangerous places. When formed into
cavalry, they observe little order; yet they act
together with surprising regularity and effect
but 1T IS in broken ground and mountain passes
they are most serviceable. where the surface
seems impracticable for European horsemen.
They drove at full speed through ravines and
mountain torrents, and up and down steep ac-
clivltes, and suddenly appear on the TANKS or
In the rear OF their enemies, after passing
rapidly through places where it was supposed
impossible that horsemen could move. Some
OF their troops called, for their headlong and
reckless impetuosity, delhis, or madmen and
the desperate enterprises they undertake Justify
the name. Such cavalry, in the passes of the
Balkan, must oppose formidable resistance TO
the most effective and hest disciplined troops
I and no doubt the Russians, if they ever attempt
this barrier, will find it so. Another obstacle
/ will be afforded by the season of the year. The
only time for operation is the spring the coun-
try is then exceedingly beautiful and healthful
the rivers are full of sweet water the grass aud
fodder abundant, and the air elastic and salubri-
Gus; but as the summer advances, the rivers
dry up, vegetables disappear and nothing is
presented but an arid burning soil, intolerable
from the glare of the sun by day, and danger
Gus from the cold and damp of the heavy dews
by night and the morbid effects of these, every
army has experienced, campaigning in those
countries at that season, both in ancient and
modern times. To pass the chain in winter,
with an army, seems still more hopeless at
tempt: the morasses saturated with rain, inca
pable of supporting the heavy burden of wagons
| or artillery the ravines filled with snow or
mountain torrents, and passed over by totterng
bridges of wood, SO rotten as to break with the
! smallest PRESSURE; the numerous defles which
a few can defend against multitude, affordng
so many natural fortresses, behind which the
Turks fight with such energy and effect the
scattered villages, which can afford neither
shelter nor supplies: all these present obstacles,
of which the Russians themselves seem very
conscious. In their last campaign hey were in
[ possession of the whole of the country, from the
Balkan TO the Danube, with the exception of Var
ma, Nyssa and Shumla, in which the Turks were
shut up and they had nearly 100000 men in the
plain below, completely equipped, and were at
the very base of the mountain and the entrance
to the passes yet they never attempted to as
cend, with the exception of few Struggling
! Cossacks, who made dash across the ridge,
and returned as speedily back again. The
| Turks seem to have no apprehension of an ap-
proach to the capital on this side {: relying on
h., 81
they have not fortified any of the passes, nor do
l recoect single fortress from Shumla to
| Constantinople. Their great apprehension is,
that the invasion will be made by sea and in
this persuasion, not only the Dardanees, but
the Bosphorus, resembles one continued for
| tress, from the Sea of Marmora 10 the Black
| Sea. In the year 1921, when rupture was ap-
pretended with Russia, all the castles were
completely repaired, and additional batteries
were erected on every point of land which bore
advantageously on the channel, so as to present
a most formidable obstruction to any approach
by water. These batteries, however were al
| together untenable if attacked on the land side,
| The high ground above the shores of the Bospho-
usevery where commanding them, and ifa land
ing were effected any where in the rear, which
it was at that time said was the plan of the Rus
slams, they must be Immediately abandoned.
| But it seems as if the Turkish power in Europe
was fast Fastening TO ruin, which the few con-
vulsive efforts they occasionally make cannot
avert or long delay. had travelled more than
800 miles through the Turkish Dominions in
] Europe from their capital to the last town they
possessed at the extremity of their empire
| When / contemplated the extent of the terrific
ry, the fertility of the soil, the abundances of
the resources, the cattle and corn it produced
and the inte:minable capabiity it possessed of
| producing more, the large cities of Adrianople,
! Shumla Rutschuk, and the multitude of vii
lagos scattered over the country when con-
sidered the despotc government that had abso-
! Lutte power over all these resources, to direct
| them in whatever manner and to whatever ex-
tent it pleased, and that this was but small
portion of the vast empire which extended over
! three parts of the globe,-it seemed as if the
Turkish power was sleeping lion which had
only to arouse itself and crush its opponents.
But when on the other hand, | saw the actual
state OF this fine country,-its resources neg
lected its fields lying waste, its towns in ruins,
its population decaying, and not only the trac.
es of human labor, but of human existence,
every day becoming obliterated, in fine, when
| saw all the people about them advancing in
the arts of civilized life, while they alone were
stationary, and the European Turk on this day
differing little from his Asiatic ancestor, ex-
cept only in having lost the fierce energy which
then pushed him on when considered this,
was led to conclude that the lion did not sleep,
but was dying, and after few fierce convul-
sions would never rise again.
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