The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-08-30
rHE rrRKISH MINIsrER or WAR.
From "The Land Of the Arabian Nights" by "
P. Fogg, in scrbner for September.

P, Fogg, in scribner for September
The Pasha of Bagadad is the despotic
ruler of the largest and most important
province in Turkey, He has the com
mand Of a large army which is stationed
at Bagdad and other towns within his
pashaliC, which is bounded on the east
and south by the Persian frontier and
the Gulf. More than once ambitious
men holding this position, 80 remote from
the home government, have been sus'
pected of designs to render themselves
Independent sovereigns-a design which
was successfully accomplished in lS3O,by
Mohammed Ali, Pasha of Egypt At the
time of my visit to Bagdad, the governor
was the present Turkish Minister of War
Rediff Pasha, a successful general and 4
man of unquestioned energy and ability,
Once, while was in Bagdad, he had an
opportunity to show his power as des'
potic ruler, and he acted with nerve
and energy worthy of all praise The
Tigris, which had been on the rampage
for two months, at last broke through the
dikes some ten miles above the city, and
the torrent sweeping down with irresisti'
BILE force, did great damage to the crops
and in a single day turned the broad plain
back of the city into an immense lake,
The water was only kept from flowing
into the city by an embankment outside
the walls, which in many places was out
ofrepair. Great fear was felt of such an
inundation as occurred in l83l-the year
of the plague-when seven thousand
houses fell in a single day. Here was an
emergency calling for prompt action. The
pasha issued an order closing all the
bazaars and shops, and for four days inn
pressed the whole male population (for-
eigners excepted) to work on the dikes
Half the force was sent up the river, ana
the balance set to work to repair the en-
bankments around the city. l rode out
in that direction one morning, and wit
messed lively scene. Several thousand
men were at work, and the pasha him
self was on the spot, surrounded by a
brilliantly uniformed staff, superintend-
ing the operations. These energetic
measures saved the city. The break in
the dixie up the river was stopped, and
the water gradually subsided.
AS there are no American ministers or
consular agents in this part oftne world,
before leaving Cairo l had inclosed let
ter of introduction to our minister at
ConstantinopIe, with the request that he
would forward to me at Bagdad such Gre
dentials to the pasha as might be of SER
vice to any excursion | desired to make
to Babylon or other places of interest in
Mesopotamia Upon reaching Bagdad l
found awaiting me .frman from the
Turkish Government addressed to the
pasha, and Commending the American
traveller in the strongest terms to his hos
pitality and protection. Upon my en-
trance to the audience room of the pasha
| found him seated at the further end of
the apartment, near large table covered
with papers, and as entered he rose and
advanced toward me, shook hands, and
courteously motioned me to a seat beside
BILL he 10 ldIBo uldllj ltll anu dulIO
portly, perhaps forty.fve years old, with
a full face, brown beard, and eyes sharp
and piercing. His dress was entirely
European, except the tea, without even
button to indicate his rank. His Counte.
nance indicates energy and frmness,and
his manners are pleasing. Several off
GERS of rank standing near were present
ed to me, but no one was seated except
the pasha and myself. AS he spoke only
Turkish and Arabic, Mr.. Stanno, Le-
vautine in the service of the government
was summoned to act as interpreter. Our
conversation was necessarily slow, but
the questions and replies were very read
lily translated, and l felt quite at my ease
l found the pasha very intelligent as to
the geography and government of foreign
countries, and he seemed fully to compre
hend that England and America were
two distinct and separate countries. lie
offered me every facility for seeing Bag
dad, and said that as | was the only
American who had ever visited him, he
hoped l would receive favorable i'm
preston fthe country,