In Taking
Thought For The East, Whilst In England, I Had Made One Capital Hit
Which You Must Not Forget - I Had Brought With Me A Pair Of Common
Spurs.
These were a great comfort to me throughout my horseback
travels, by keeping up the cheerfulness of the many unhappy nags
that I had to bestride; the angle of the Oriental stirrup is a very
poor substitute for spurs.
The Ottoman horseman, raised by his saddle to a great height above
the humble level of the back that he bestrides, and using an
awfully sharp bit, is able to lift the crest of his nag, and force
him into a strangely fast shuffling walk, the orthodox pace for the
journey. My comrade and I, using English saddles, could not easily
keep our beasts up to this peculiar amble; besides, we thought it a
bore to be FOLLOWED by our attendants for a thousand miles, and we
generally, therefore, did duty as the rearguard of our "grand
army"; we used to walk our horses till the party in front had got
into the distance, and then retrieve the lost ground by a gallop.
We had ridden on for some two or three hours; the stir and bustle
of our commencing journey had ceased, the liveliness of our little
troop had worn off with the declining day, and the night closed in
as we entered the great Servian forest. Through this our road was
to last for more than a hundred miles. Endless, and endless now on
either side, the tall oaks closed in their ranks and stood gloomily
lowering over us, as grim as an army of giants with a thousand
years' pay in arrear. One strived with listening ear to catch some
tidings of that forest world within - some stirring of beasts, some
night-bird's scream, but all was quite hushed, except the voice of
the cicalas that peopled every bough, and filled the depths of the
forest through and through, with one same hum everlasting - more
stifling than very silence.
At first our way was in darkness, but after a while the moon got
up, and touched the glittering arms and tawny faces of our men with
light so pale and mystic, that the watchful Tatar felt bound to
look out for demons, and take proper means for keeping them off:
forthwith he determined that the duty of frightening away our
ghostly enemies (like every other troublesome work) should fall
upon the poor Suridgees, who accordingly lifted up their voices,
and burst upon the dreadful stillness of the forest with shrieks
and dismal howls. These precautions were kept up incessantly, and
were followed by the most complete success, for not one demon came
near us.
Long before midnight we reached the hamlet in which we were to rest
for the night; it was made up of about a dozen clay huts, standing
upon a small tract of ground hardly won from the forest. The
peasants that lived there spoke a Slavonic dialect, and Mysseri's
knowledge of the Russian tongue enabled him to talk with them
freely. We took up our quarters in a square room with white walls
and an earthen floor, quite bare of furniture, and utterly void of
women. They told us, however, that these Servian villagers lived
in happy abundance, but that they were careful to conceal their
riches, as well as their wives.
The burthens unstrapped from the pack-saddles very quickly
furnished our den: a couple of quilts spread upon the floor, with
a carpet-bag at the head of each, became capital sofas -
portmanteaus, and hat-boxes, and writing-cases, and books, and
maps, and gleaming arms soon lay strewed around us in pleasant
confusion. Mysseri's canteen too began to yield up its treasures,
but we relied upon finding some provisions in the village. At
first the natives declared that their hens were mere old maids and
all their cows unmarried, but our Tatar swore such a grand sonorous
oath, and fingered the hilt of his yataghan with such persuasive
touch, that the land soon flowed with milk, and mountains of eggs
arose.
And soon there was tea before us, with all its unspeakable
fragrance, and as we reclined on the floor, we found that a
portmanteau was just the right height for a table; the duty of
candlesticks was ably performed by a couple of intelligent natives;
the rest of the villagers stood by the open doorway at the lower
end of the room, and watched our banqueting with grave and devout
attention.
The first night of your first campaign (though you be but a mere
peaceful campaigner) is a glorious time in your life. It is so
sweet to find one's self free from the stale civilisation of
Europe! Oh my dear ally, when first you spread your carpet in the
midst of these Eastern scenes, do think for a moment of those your
fellow-creatures, that dwell in squares, and streets, and even (for
such is the fate of many!) in actual country houses; think of the
people that are "presenting their compliments," and "requesting the
honour," and "much regretting," - of those that are pinioned at
dinner-tables; or stuck up in ballrooms, or cruelly planted in
pews - ay, think of these, and so remembering how many poor devils
are living in a state of utter respectability, you will glory the
more in your own delightful escape.
I am bound to confess, however, that with all its charms a mud
floor (like a mercenary match) does certainly promote early rising.
Long before daybreak we were up, and had breakfasted; after this
there was nearly a whole tedious hour to endure whilst the horses
were laden by torch-light; but this had an end, and at last we went
on once more. Cloaked, and sombre, at first we made our sullen way
through the darkness, with scarcely one barter of words, but soon
the genial morn burst down from heaven, and stirred the blood so
gladly through our veins, that the very Suridgees, with all their
troubles, could now look up for an instant, and almost seem to
believe in the temporary goodness of God.
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