The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-02-17
FOREIGN NOTES.
ApRAINoPLE, Jan. Is, 1881.

hphalNOPLE, Jan. 10, 1901.
You will no doubt be surprised
when you learn that l am in Adrian.
ople, and you will be more than sur
prised when l tell you how l got
here. When wrote You last was
fully determined to go to Athens and
spend the rest of the winter in his
tOric Greece, but there came such a
longing over me for adventure to do
something startling, that I gave up
Greece and Immediately made pre-
partitions for another journey which,
if accomplished, will not be equaled
in this country for awhile. 1 decided
to take horseback trip across Tur-
key; in other words, to go from Con-
stantinople to Belgrade in Servia.
The distance is something over GOO
miles, and if everything comes out
rs l hope, why, the lst Of March
will find us safe in Belgrade. In
getting ready for this journey the
first thing l found necessary to pro.
cure was guide, SO / went up to the
English Embassy and made inquiries
for one. In reply to these there was
ushered into my lodgings one even
ing, tall, handsome looking Turk,
who announced that he was willing to
guide the "Gospodius Americanski
~ their journey, and to furnish us
with all the articles necessary for it..
l quickly made bargain with him
and signing the articles of agree
ment. he announced that OH the morn.
ing of the 9th inst, (this was the 3d),
he would be at orr door all ready for
us to start.
1t was the first time since / had
been here that had trusted altOgeth.
er to a Turk to keep his promise, but
there was something in Mustakha's
THAT is our guides name) appearance,
that led me to believe that he could
be trusted, and so far he has not
changed that belief. Iwould not adj
wise all travellers to do so in this
country, but when you have nothing
to lose and plenty Of time, then trust
the Turkish nation.
made no preparations to start but
to pack my 4xS knapsack, for that is
all the personal luggage I shall carry,
and to write some farewell letters.
The morning of the 9th came and
us promptly came Mustapha, with an
outfit that made me think of my old
journeys across the American plains.
For horses, he had provided me with
Il black, that by its large, tremulous
nostrils, bright eyes. delicate head
clean limbs, knew to be of first.class
blood. Pat was mounted on a quiet
looking roam, and Mustapha bestrode
as pure an Arabian as l ever cast eyes
on. Besides these three there was a
wicked looking donkey to carry our
camping utensils and other articles.
For arms, and Pat carried a brace
of revolvers each, and q small rifle.
To complete this description, our
guide filled up the picture IN an attire
that for beauty and elegance, beat
most everything I had ever seen here.
On his head was a turban of many
colors well blended together, over his
shoulders was flung an elegant scarf
of silk, at his waist was a sash filled
with pistols, and at his side hung a
small cimiter like sword. He wore
no jewelry except signet ring of
peculiar workmanship, and scarf
pin cut out in ivory and representing
q crescent and star with hand grasp.
ing them. His bearing and manners
so impressed me. that while he was
making some thrilling changes in the