Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-19
THE TERRIBLE TURK
Makes the Funniest Seaman
Afoat.
CENTRE CREW SLEEPS
THEIR ANTICS WHEN THE SHIP
TOOK FIRE.
The Grim Humor of Europe's Bloody
Men-On a Man-'o-
War.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
The Turk as seaman is as amusing as
he is terrible as soldier. For every story
of Nj lcedonian outrage by the Bashi Ba-
zouk one about the funny antics of his sea-
faring brother in Islam can be told. Little
wonder that the Turkish sailor is held in
utter contempt by the world afoat.
A story that has become classic among
Mediterranean sailors aptly illustrates the
Turk $ inability Il navigator.
A TUT kish steamer with a native captain
put out OF the Dardaneles, bound for
Trieste. Austria. As soon as he lost sight
of land the Turkish skipper likewise lost
his head. Just then another steamer came
up from astern. and the Turk made signals
that he wished to speak with the stranger.
The latter. on approaching. proved to be
French tramp. Fortunately one of the
Turkish officers spoke French.
"Where are you bound for?' asked the
Turk
"Brest." returned the Frenchman.
The Turk asked no more questions and
allowed the Frenchman to go ahead Next
morning the French captain noticed that
the Turk was still astern, and was follow
Ing most conscentiously in his wake.
When next morning he still found the Turk
In his wake his surprise grew. On the
third day it was the same, and the
fourth-the French captain always made
out that Turkish steamer coming up
astern. On the fifth day his establishment
was so great that he determined to let the
Turk overhaul him and ask for an eXplana-
ton By this time they were well down
the Mediterranean toward the French
coast.
''Why do you keep so close astern of me?''
roarod the French captain through a mega
phone
II am following you to Trieste" answered
the Turk.
Whereupon the kindly French captain
sent q boat aboard the steamer flying the
crescent to explain to her commander that
he about five hundred miles of his
course and to instrust him how to regain It,
Queer Schooners Of the Black Sea
Wonderful to a seaman's ears are the
STORIES told of the small Turkish schooners
that navigate the Black sea. the Bos-
phorus and the sea of Marmora. In the
first place. it is said that no watches are
kept. and that all hands including the man
at the wheel. not infreauently sleep at
once. There is no discipline. The sailors
never clean ship or wash down decks. This
Is easy to believe. If you ever sail close to
windward of q Turkish craft one Whit
from it's decks will convince you that clean
ing is not the Turks strongest point In sea-
manship. 1t Is further averred that these
schooners never carry compasses. and dare
not lose sight of land. They have captains,
but the rest of the crew are all equals
they eat, sleep and quarrel together. and
are at liberty to call themselves the mates
or the sailors. as they choose.
once went aboard one Of these craft.
shall never do IT again. All hands were
on deck. dressed most picturesquely In
fezes and loose, colored jackets and trouS-
ers. Every mothers son of them was
hideously dirty. We asked for the captain,
and he turned from coiling up a rope to
answer our call. 1t Is all right for a cap
tain to be democratic enough to coil up a
rope but not when a big lOafer of sailor
Is stretched full length on the main hatch
watching the horizon over his big toe. But
this Turkish skipper seemed too benevolent
TO mind that.
AS we We're talking sheep came up from
the cabin and was followed by a big cat,
which rubbed against the sheep In a most
friendly and purring manner. No doubt 1t
was indicative of general good will and
feeling among all aboard. but 1t was not
the kind of discipline with which to sail a
ship.
Chickens were perched about on any
place that offered a roost. A goat which
had rubbed his whiskers into the universal
dirt until they were fringed black and white
at the roots. ambled about the decks. On
one of his horns stuck piece of pa
per as though 1t had been filed away for
future reference
Perhaps this was only first impression.
At any rate. l did not stay long enough to
get more thorough one. The stencil tor
bade.
A Visit to a Turkish Man-o'-War.
A visit to a Turkish man-o-war was
scarcely more profitable. 1 believe that at