CHAPTER XXXVI.
Price of corn—Indian corn—Barley—Hardly any horses in the neighbourhood—Bashi Bazouks—The Persians—Bagdad—A passenger had been drowned—Mohammed is sea-sick—The harbour of Batoum—The quarantine station—The garrison—The Cossack outposts—Shooting Turkish soldiers—The encampment—The sanitary arrangements are good—The new rifle—The market—Money-changers—A Turkish steamer—The agent—If the Lord wills it—Farewell to Mohammed—His tears—Human nature—Reform impossible in Turkey so long as Russia keeps on intriguing—My fellow-passengers—The Pacha—Trebizond—Arrival in London.
I now learnt that corn is dear in this district, costing two piastres and a half the oke. It is chiefly brought here from the neighbourhood of Ardahan, the difficulty of transport adding enormously to the price. Indian corn is grown in the vicinity of Livana, but it is not easy to procure barley. This last, however, is not so much required, as there are hardly any horses in the neighbourhood.
Just above Miradet lie the ruins of an old bridge. At this time of the year, the only way to cross the river is in the cayeks of the peasants. I was informed that in the summer months a horseman could ford the Tschoroch in some places near the village. According to the Mudir, there are iron-mines in the neighbourhood, but the inhabitants did not work them.
There was a battalion of infantry, Bashi Bazouks, in his village. The men, Georgians, were magnificent fellows, much taller than the Turkish soldiers, and with that light and elastic step which distinguishes mountaineers. A report had just reached Miradet that the Persians were attacking Bagdad with thirty thousand men; In the opinion of the Mudir, this was the precursor of an immediate outbreak of hostilities between the Sultan's forces on the one hand and Russia and Persia on the other.
We entered our cayek early the following morning. Mohammed was more alarmed if possible, than on the previous afternoon. A passenger had been drowned two weeks before, when going to Batoum. Mohammed had learnt this; he now bandaged his eyes with a pocket-handkerchief.
"What are you doing that for?" I inquired.
"So as not to see the waters," replied Mohammed; "they roar, my stomach aches."
"Tchok eyi (very nice), is it not?" suddenly remarked Radford, nudging his fellow-servant violently in the ribs. We were in the midst of some rapids. Two or three violent bumps announced our close proximity to the rocks. "He will not laugh at me any more, sir, for not liking to look down precipices. Have a hegg, Mohammed;" taking one from his own pocket, Radford handed it to the sufferer.
We had arrived at the open sea. Mohammed removed his handkerchief from his eyes, the motion of the cayek was different to that which he had experienced on the river. He gazed upon the egg for an instant, and then thrust it away indignantly; the sea and his fears were too much for him; he leaned against the side of the boat. Radford was thoroughly revenged.