CONSTANTINOPLE COMMISSION

In spring 1879, William Gill was sent to Constantinople (Istanbul) as assistant boundary commissioner for the new border between Asiatic Turkey and Russia. This was required by the Treaty of Berlin, signed the previous July. This had virtually abrogated the recent Treaty of San Stefano and was much less favourable to the Russians.

Captain Gill set off for Constantinople on 27th March. We join him four days later at Naples in Italy, where his steamer has anchored:

We had a perfectly calm passage and reached Naples at about 9 a.m. so that our passage must have been almost as fast as on the ‘Ava’. The morning was gloriously fine and the clouds cast wonderful shadows over the houses of the beautiful town. Looking at a panorama of this kind, where for some miles rows of houses stretch along the shore and rise one above the other on the steep hill side, and where at one glance from the deck of a vessel so many thousands of windows can be seen, I am always impressed by the vast amount of life that one takes in at a glance - how many human beings are there living, doing, thinking or working. Without the windows the scene would not be so impressive but in imagination one can look into each and picture to oneself the scene behind, and they seem to be the outward and visible signs of the great pulse of life that beats behind.

But there is not much more time for philosophizing. A boat awaits us and soon we five, General Hamley, Major Gordon and Major Ardagh (all Commissioners), Stephens of the F.O. and myself are rowed ashore. Stephens went to see some friends and we took two carriages and went for a drive for about an hour and a half.

Vesuvius viewed from Naples

We were on board again soon after eleven and as the breakfast had been put off for our convenience we started again before it was over at about midday and in the calm blue sea steamed southwards skirting sunny Italy. The night again was magnificent and Stromboli was passed at about 10.30 and Messina at 2 a.m.

The following day, which happened to be April Fools’ Day, Gill was sceptical about the distance at which the captain claimed Etna could be seen:

I was on deck before 7 and Etna’s snowy cone was visible over the taffrail above a bank of clouds, the mountains of Calabria on our port quarter were just tipped with snow, but after breakfast all had sunk from view and the sea horizon was visible all round. A light breeze on our starboard beam made it worthwhile to set fore and aft canvass and the day could hardly under any circumstances have been more delightful.

The captain said that Etna was sometimes visible for a distance of 180 miles, a statement the exact accuracy of which I should feel inclined to question. We certainly did not see it for more than 80 or 90 miles.

The shores of Calabria gradually sank from view and we saw no more land today.

Next day they were off the coast of Greece:

Still the same magnificent weather. I was on deck about 6.30 and found we were steaming past the Grecian coasts. We ran past Cape Matapan at about 9 and Cape Malea about 12. Here a hermit is said to live in a little white house close by the sea shore. We hoisted our ensign for him and sounded the whistle but he seemed to take no notice and we did not see him although we were within a few hundred yards of the shore.

We reached the Piraeus at about 9 o’clock in the evening and if the Captain had given us another hour, we were going to have driven up to the Acropolis at Athens but he declared his positive intention of going off again at 11 so there was no time. Ardagh, Gordon and I landed and walked about the town at the Piraeus for half an hour and went off again. We started pretty punctually and again steamed off in a lovely calm moonlight night.

On 3rd April, the ship had a distinguished visitor, Heinrich Schliemann, excavator of Troy:

All day the sea was smooth as glass. We passed Besika Bay but there were no ships there and we stopped for a few moments at the entrance to the Dardanelles to land some mail, and an old French Savant who had come on board at the Piraeus. He was going to visit Schliemann who came on board to take him away to Troy.

The following day they arrived at Constantinople:

Constantinople was in sight when I got up this morning and we anchored before 8. Thus ended a wonderfully fine passage, brilliant sun and a smooth sea all the way. We stopped on board a long time before going off and let all the usual hubbub abate somewhat.

Ardagh’s servants came on board to meet him, and a lot of dragomen [guides or interpreters] familiar and otherwise crowded round us. Amongst others I recognised ‘George’ the man who acted as dragoman to Heaviside [W.J. Heaviside, R.E., later involved in the Survey of India] and myself when we came here. I forget how many years ago but I think in the end of 71 or beginning of 72. He did not recognise me, but I spoke to him.

We did not get an embassy Cavasse (a man in a fine raincoat) as we might have done, and so passed our goods through the custom house, but we took them straight ashore and with a bribe of 4 shillings and 6 pence overcame the scruples of the douaniers, which divided amongst 4 people makes about 13½ pence (not very egregious ransom).

The General and Ardagh took up their quarters at the Hotel Royal. I could find no rooms to suit me, the only bedrooms to be found were small and wretched and after the general had been satisfied, the only salon was a huge one at 40 francs a day. Ardagh has a servant called Artin. I should like to call him Ah-Sin for then he would be a Chinaman; as it is he is Armenian. Artin knew of a house where he said the lodgings were good. I found a sitting room and two small bedrooms with an anteroom, all for 20 francs a day which I engaged, though they were not quite what I like, in a narrow and dark street. I changed my clothes and then went to breakfast at the Hotel Royal in company with the general, Ardagh and Gordon. After that I wrote a letter reporting arrival to Lord Salisbury [Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, later thrice Conservative Prime Minister] and took it to the Embassy. I saw Malet for a few moments who is minister plenipotentiary in the absence of the Ambassador Sir H. Layard [Sir Austen Henry Layard, excavator of Nineveh and sometime Privy Councillor], and I left cards for all the other embassy people. Smyth is here whom I used to know at Teheran but there were no other acquaintances, they all seem horribly busy and I did not stay long. I called with Gordon on Sir Collingwood Dickson [much decorated instructor of the Turkish artillery] and in their house saw some charming rooms, probably the best in Constantinople looking over the Embassy Garden to the Golden Horn. There was only one bedroom and as I expect Clarke very soon I want another for him, but they said there was another room upstairs.

Previously to this I had come across Angelo Pereki who had acted as dragoman to Baker, Clayton and myself when we were here in 73 and I engaged him at once.

Gordon and I then called on Hobart Pasha at the club ‘Le Sport’, on the Consul Mr Fawcett, and on Sir Drummond Wolf. Fawcett put us down for the Maritime Club, and we dined at the Hotel Royal. I smoked a cigar in Ardagh’s room and walked home to bed.

There are about a dozen dogs in every street in Pera (the European part of Constantinople). They belong to no one but are useful scavengers, they never venture far from their own street, for should a dog dare to hunt about for refuse in any other street than his own, he is at once attacked by all the dogs that belong to that particular street. They are otherwise inoffensive creatures with great fear of man but useful brutes.

I passed a wretched night horribly eaten of insects. A squall too came in the night and as all the Venetian shutters outside the windows were loose, there was a terrible clatter till someone came in to shut them.

Next day, not surprisingly, William Gill decided to move:

When Angelo appeared I determined at once to move into the house where Sir C. Dickson lives and gave Angelo instructions accordingly. Then went out to do a few little things and at 11 went to appointment to meet Gordon at the restaurant St. Petersburg and breakfast there. I walked in but it did not look much like a place for breakfast. I asked the waiters and they said oh yes, so I sat down and after waiting till 11.45 breakfasted by myself. Just as I had finished I saw Gordon pass the door and rushed out. He said that he had always been accustomed to breakfast in a room above, and did not know that breakfasts were served in the room below. He had also been waiting since 11 for me, sitting just over my head. We then got a carriage and drove together to the Serai Kuat (War Office) where we saw Chekar Bey, Gordon’s co-commissioner and Shehab Bey, my co-commisioner. [A bey was a high-ranking Ottoman official, such as a provincial governor.] I made an appointment with the latter for 6 o’clock tomorrow evening, we then took a caique [a light rowing boat] and rowed to the Ambassador’s yacht H.M. Ship ‘Antelope,’ commanded by Wingfield R.N. (a lieutenant I suppose). We called on him and then I went home to my new apartments to dress for dinner.

I have two splendid rooms 24 feet long by 15 feet broad, beautifully fresh, clean and light and pay 184 francs a week for them and when Clarke comes I shall have another room upstairs, giving up my present bedroom to him.

Dined at the embassy, played a game of billiards (the last time I played was on Wood’s table at Shanghai, I think) and as on that occasion I distinguished myself by winning the game.

Walked home to bed and sleep magnificently.

Next morning, which was Sunday, William Gill got value for money at breakfast time:

Breakfasted at the club with Gordon and only paid 2¼ francs for breakfast with cheese, wine, dessert and a cup of black coffee, all compris – the same breakfast for which 6 francs is charged at hotels and restaurants.

I then went to the embassy to get some papers and maps and then home to do some writing. The morning was chilly and it came on to rain but I did not want to go out and it cleared up more or less afterwards – got out some Turkish books as I mean to try and learn something of the language.

I got a carriage and drove off at 5 o’clock to see Shehab Bey who had given me an appointment for 6 o’clock.

There are two bridges across the Golden Horn; the upper one an iron bridge and the lower one a bridge of boats, which is supposed to be a temporary affair until the completion of a new iron bridge. The tolls however on the bridge of boats are the perquisite of one of the Sultan’s wives and she not liking the idea of losing so lucrative an affair, bribed the captain of a ship to run into and smash up the iron bridge. After that she found a means to stop further work and there the half bridge is, as it is likely to be for many years, a melancholy illustration of the Turkish System. The Sultana however was very nearly losing her profits, for the toll is half a piastre which may be paid in paper money, but there was no paper of less value than one piastre. The change was consequently given in copper but lately the paper currency has been reduced to a sixth and sometimes a tenth of its nominal value and the consequence was that the change given at the toll gate, viz half a copper piastre, was absolutely worth three times or sometimes five times as much as the paper piastre tendered as payment.

Constantinople

The gamins of Constantinople were not slow to discover this, a means of obtaining at least a livelihood if not amassing a fortune by the simple means of continually passing and re-passing the bridge, and it was some days before the simple minded official could invent the original device of manufacturing the paper half piastre. This paper money is called ‘caime’, a phrase that is now about as familiar in London as Stamboul.

Arrived at the War Office. I found the whole place shut up and everyone gone away, for which Angelo vouchsafed the suggestion that when Shehab gave me an appointment for 6 o’clock he meant 6 o’clock Turkish time or Noon.

I discovered someone who knew the Bey’s private residence and stowing Angelo beside me, let the man mount the box and we drove away.

Shehab was at home and now in the quiet room where we had our conversation to ourselves I soon found out that French was not a very familiar language to him – in consequence of which I succeeded in extracting very little information.

He gave me another appointment at the Serai Kuat for six heures à la France. I knew he did not mean what he said and got out my notebook to make a memorandum of the engagement, but in reality to give him an opportunity of correcting himself which he did by saying six heures du matin. He thought for a moment and then said à la Turque. I now knew what he meant so said à midi at which he was evidently much relieved in his mind.

I then bade him adieu and drove off. I dined at the Club Maritime where I found Gordon and we dined together. Just as I had finished, Baker came in. sat down at his table and we had a long talk over present, past and future.

Baker was Gill’s old travelling companion who, following release from prison after the incident on the Portsmouth to Waterloo train, now worked for the Turkish government.

One thing he told me that I certainly never before dreamed of, that the Turkish army was governed by red tapism to an infinitely higher degree than the English Army even.

The War Office or Serai Kuat is a funny place to our ideas. The courts are full of beggars, chiefly women and very little children who follow one about through the passages up the stairs and to the very doors of the official rooms. At an interview of any sort, cigarettes and coffee are always produced.

Gill started the new week with Monday morning breakfast at the club ‘Le Sport’. He did not do much till the afternoon:

Met Gordon about 1.30, went with him, called on Hausen of Hausen’s bank, on Wrench the Vice Consul and on H.M.S. ‘Bittern,’ then took a row in a caique. I then called on General Sletnitzky whom I had previously met at Tiflis [Tbilisi] six years ago. He is a very scientific man and is the Russian commissioner for the Anatic boundary. He remembered me and we mostly talked on indifferent subjects. He at last observed that there had been some correspondence between the Russian and English governments with regard to the extent of frontier in the delinulation of which the English had any voice and observed that the English commissioner was precluded from taking any part in the proceedings of delinulation except for the frontier east of Kara Ougau.

I have never seen the termination of the correspondence, but I believe that our government weakly gave way to the Russians on the subject. I declined however to accept Sletnitzky’s assertion and avoided any direct answer until I could find out from Shehab Bey how matters stood.

The agreement between Lord Salisbury and Count Shouvaloff was the line of the Alashguird should be delinulated by the mixed commission. During the Berlin congress Lord Salisbury appears the first to have substituted the word ‘valley’ (a most unfortunate substitution). If the expression ‘line of Alashkird’ had been been retained it was a sufficiently loose expression to have included the whole frontier but the term ‘valley of Alashkird’ can only mean the geographical valley.

If the term ‘line’ had been retained, we might have claimed to be represented on the whole line from Olti but by using the word ‘valley’ we can hardly claim to work on the westward of Kara Orgau: and now I don’t know how matters have been settled between the two governments but I fear much that the Russians are to have it all their own way.

Sletnitzky is a pleasant old fellow, but he had some German with him who was backing him up in all he said. I can’t help thinking that the Germans and Russians are in very close alliance. Sletnitzky has amused himself during his stay here by fixing the latitude and longitude of Constantinople.

I dined with Baker at the club ‘Le Sport’ and Hamley and Ardagh sat at the same table.

The following Saturday, Gill recorded Baker’s explanation of the strange workings of the Ottoman regime:

As he remarks, this is a wonderful country. He has no money and no transports; there are absolutely no means for doing anything and yet, he says, the things get done somehow as they always do. H. [Hobart Pasha — Augustus Hobart-Hampden, commander of the Turkish Black Sea fleet] says the same thing; sometimes they come to him, and tell him that there is no rice for the men, none to be had anywhere, none to be bought, no money to pay for any, and the prospect of the whole fleet starving is opened up, but just at the last moment a week’s supply turns up from somewhere, no one knows where, and no one knows how. The astounding way in which this country lives from hand to mouth is almost beyond belief.

That Monday, 14th April, Gill wrote of Russian ambitions regarding India:

Because of differences of opinion between the English and Russians, the boundary commission never set out from Constantinople in 1879, so in the autumn, William Gill returned to England. The following year, a new commission under General Hamley finished the work.