| Description | Difficulties of delay in mail due to circuitous routes. Lord Raglan just arrived, plus daily reinforcements - 14,000 infantry but no cavalry. 2 ships of artillery just arrived after 2 months at sea in bad weather. All are bored with inactivity. 500 Turkish irregular cavalry (Bashi Bazouks) just rode through camp "at full gallop whirling their lances about and making digs at imaginary "Mosco's" as they call the Russians. I suppose they think we are as bloodthirsty as they are. Most wild looking objects! armed to the teeth, riding on little rats of ponies with their legs nearly touching the ground ... William [Clarke?] would laugh if he was to see the animals that are brought in to be sold ... It seems so odd to us here to be encamped in Asia Minor but one gets accustomed to it & all the odd sights ... The Parades are just the same as they would be at Manchester and all the routine ... There has been a fire in Constantinople 430 houses burnt down. Turks "a most unhelpful lot of people ... never made the slightest effort to put it out. They smoked their pipes and left all to fate only moving into their neighbours house as their own caught fire. They certainly are not worth fighting for. Their idea of our men is not bad they say that "By their beards the men are fine but they cannot fight. They will runaway. Where are their beards. They are all boys". HMS Terrible Steam Frigate has just repaired damages - 12 shot holes - only 1 man killed. May 10 "I hear it probable we shall move up very soon now. Omar Pasha I believe is shut up in ? with Cossacks interrupting his communications with the rear. If so we shall soon hear bullets whistling in real earnest. We are very good friends with the Turks here. I go very often in the evening to some of the Cafe's here and talk politics in French or Italian. Their hatred of the Russians is most sincere. It is war to the knife with them. They cannot forget Sinope". Constantinople is at first sight not very interesting. Streets infamous and very narrow and dirty - bazaars "very curious places" filled with every description of goods - "40 shoe shops altogether and a great lane entirely for sadlery". Refers to his journal "Our camp is full of Russian spies who sell oranges and change money. If the Turks catch them they poison them immediately. "Whole-bullocks are brought in for the Regiment and are cut up and slaughtered on the spot ... They are eaten immediately afterwards and I defy the youngest set of teeth to make any impression. It is just like trying to bite through a bit of India rubber .... "Rakkee" [Arak] is the spirit that Adams mentioned I suppose. It is most pernicious and our men get it so cheap that I have heard of 3,000 being drunk at a time in the streets. When a fresh regiment comes in they all drink together. They can also get Greek wine for about 2 pence a quart and cigars for almost nothing so they fancy themselves quite gentlemen". |