The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-24
SCENES IN THE FAR EAST.
A Travellers Troub; es-Russia Vast Prison
and Everybody Suspected.

Travellers Troub es-Russia Vast Prison
and Everybody Suspected.
Odessa Letter in New York World.
In some parts of the world one is scarcely al
lowed to turn around unless one has a passport
signed and vised by the authorities. It is diff
cult to realize this in America, where many have
never even seen passport, yet 1t is a fact. When
preparing to leave Constantinople for Russia
was told that permission from the Russian con-
sui would be necessary, and so hurried to that
official and presented my card and passport He
scanned both closely as he demanded:
"Who are you"
pointed to my card and the passport
'How do know that is your name or your
passport replied the great sternly. go
to your consul first; you must show me that you
are yourself"
did the Russian but for the sum of Is piastres.
(about 81. 25 he very oblgingly certified that
was whoever I claimed to be. and armed with
the document he gave me, / returned again to
the charge. The mighty man looked at the pass
carefully. scanned it from every point of view,
then demanded why was going to Russia.
ITO the country" replied.
'For nothing elseP
Nothing"
'What is your busness9"
Travelling"
'.Are you married." and so forth and so on
through long and strict examination. When
finally his numerous questions had been salts
factorily answered, huge book was brought
forth and the long columns searched to see if
my name was among the list of ''sus-
poets" or exiles. Apparently it was
not, for after awhile he shut his big book
up again and with rather a sour look as if dis
appointed at not finding me On the list banished
to Siberia. told me my application would be
granted. and to return the next day for my pass
and the wise. l wert back the next dav, paid
the Russian consul ten piastres, and received
the necessary papers Then came another strug-
GLE this time with the Turk, for without the per-
mission Of the Sun and Light of the World. of
the Sublime Porte. one can leave the realms
of Turkey. Happily, the American and Russian
vises not without their effect and after only
some slight delay, the heather pocketed his fee.
scratched something on my pass in Arabic, and
intimated that was free to go. At the harbor
there was one last struggles the customs officers
went through my knapsack to see that nothing
was being carried away that should not be
ried away, and then hired a skiff-caiques they
are called in Turkey-and started for the
steamer, which lay at anchor in the Golden
Horn, hundred yards so from the shore.
One would suppose that after providing all these
official documents and undergoing such an array
of formalitles, there would be no further trouble
in leaving their blessed land. The heather Turk,
however, for tricks that dark and ways
that are vain can ''see" the heather Chinee
and go him hundred better. Scarcely was
the caiQue fairly ahoat than was signaed by
small boat in the middle of the stream which in
few moments pulled up alongside, while vii
famous looking fellow, as black q coal-mine
unstrap my baggage He was another customs
officer, and possessed of a wonderful amount of
impudence and boorishness. Before touching
my sack, he said: .Backsheesh." refused to
give anything, whereupon he began a S, las
if expecting to find stolen diamonds. ry
thing was dumped out on the bottom. the
caiaue. He took out my letters, unfoded them,
and shook the envelopes Every few seconds he
would say "backsheesh" again, and
on my continued refusal he would
renew the examination, with still
greater vigor. OF course it was all a mere at
tempt to extort money. He even went into my
pockets, and required me to show him my watch
and pocket note book. When. at length, he had
exhausted even his resources for annoying, he
climbed back into his boat fairly shaking with
rage, while looked him in the face and laughed
He had worked over the baggage half an hour,
and still extorted no backsheesh. The thought
made him furious. 'Englishman," he muttered,
mo give backsheesh Englishman damn foollp
On board of the Russian steamer my pass sport
was again examined. and it was not until the
vessel was fully under way that felt at all GER
tain about being allowed to get out Of the coun-
try.
Leaving Constantinople it is three hours be-
fore the steamer passes out of the Bosphorus
into the Black sea. During that time the eye
is Toasted on both the Asiatic and European
shores, with q view of the long lines of forts and
bristling guns The spot where Mahomets big
cannon was planted, and the old castle that he
erected, to the terror and dismay of the feeble