The Portland daily press., 1880-07-05
The Migratory Scot.
Leisure Hour.


Old Osborne said, ages since: "The Scot,
like the poor Swiss, finds more commodious
abiding under every climate than at home"
A story appeared in wellknown serial, some
several years since, describing the disappoint-
ment of an Englishman who went out to the
east as an interpreter, and whose ruling pas
sion was hatred of everything Scotch but
strolling through the camp of q Turkish officer
and abusing the Scotch to his hearts content,
to his astonishment Hassan Bey, the Turk,
broke out: "I'll tell ye what, ma mon, gin
ye daur lowse yer tongue upon my country
like that, III gle ye cloot on the lug that'n
max it tingle frae this till Halloween!' The
thunderstruck Englishman stammered out,
"why, my good man. thought you were a
Turk!' "And sac am Turk the moo, ma
Draw chiel," said the angry Glasgow Mussul-
man; "but ma fathers auld leather breeks
meier travelled farther than just fra Glasgow to
Greenock and back again; but when l gang
hame-as I'll do or it's lang, il it be Gods will
I'll just be Wully Forbes, son O. auld Daddy
Forbes, O. the Gorbals, for a that's come and
gane!'' Presently splendidly-dressed Hun
garian came up and said to the Turk, "Wully,
mon, there's truce the moo for twa. hours; Just
come wi me and we'll hae glass of whuskey
thegither." 1t was the same with a Russian
officer, until the Englishman exclaimed,
"Bless my heart! is everybody on earth a
Scotchman? Perhaps I'm one myself without
knowing itl'' But when the Russian General
Tarossoff exclaimed, "Eh, Donald Cawmllli
are ye here?" and Ibrahim Pacha burst forth
simultaneously, What, Sandy Robertson! can
this be you?" the Englishman burst forth: "It's
all over! Turks, Russians, Hungarians, Eng
lish-all Scotchmen. It's more than can bearl
shall go home; there's nothing left for me to
do here. l came out as an interpreter, but il
all the nations of Europe talk nothing but
Scotch, what use can be?" This seems very
droll, but not more droll than real.
We believe it is Sir Archibald Alison who
mentions how, when Marshal Keith was COM
batting the Turkish forces under the grand
vizier, the two generals came to conference
with each other the grand vizier came mount
ed on a camel, in all the pomp of eastern mag
nifcence; the Scotch Marshal Keith. who orig
inally came from the neighborhood of Turiff,
in Aberdeenshire, approached on horseback.
After the conference the Turkish grand vizier
said to Keith that he would like to speak few
words in private to him in his tent, and begged
that no one should accompany him. Marshal
Keith accordingly went in and the moment
they were alone the grand viZier threw off his
turban, tore off his beard, and running TO Mar
shall Keith, said, "Oh, Johnnie, hoo's a. wi ye,
mon?" and he then discovered that the grand
vizier of Turkey was a schoolfellow of his own
who had disappeared about thirty years before
from parish school near Methlie.
And we remember to have met with an an
ecdote of Scotchman from Perth, who had
penetrated into some far interior of Asia, we
forget where; he had to see the Pacha or the
Bashaw. HE was introduced to the comely
man in his tent. They gathered up their
knees, and sat down upon their carpets. They
drank their strong coffee, and smoked their
Eookahs together in solemn silence; few words,
at any rate, passed between them, but, we may
trust sufficient for the occasion; but when the
man of Perth was about to leave, the Pacha al
so arose, and, following him out of the tent,
said, in strong Doric Scotch, 81 kenned ye vera
weel in Perth; ye are just sac and sae." The
Perth man was astonished, as we'll he might be,
until the Pacha explained as he said, ''I'm Just
a Perth mon myserr' He had travelled, and
he had become of importance to the govern
ment there His story vas not very creditable
In the expectation of the post he filled he had
become Mohammedan.