CHAPTER XXXII.Usury laws in Turkey—An Armenian in prison for debt—The Caimacan—The Turkish creditor—Hanistan Ereek's father—A Government cannot be imprisoned for debt—The redif soldiers—Their unwillingness to serve—The Armenians not to be trusted—Yanoot—A picture of desolation—A Jordan road—Turkish soldiers do not grumble—Arabkir—A silk-merchant—My host—His library—Pretty covers—A Russian servant—He was taken prisoner during the Crimean war.I was now to learn that the usury laws in Turkey are also used against the Christians. On returning to my house, a servant informed me that an Armenian was downstairs, and wished to see me.He had been in Paris, and could speak a little French. This he so interlarded with Turkish that it was rather difficult to follow him. The man's name was Hanistan Ereek. At length I discovered that, twelve years ago, his father had borrowed 300 piastres from a Turk. Soon afterwards the father died, and the son, leaving Divriki without paying the debt, had gone toEurope. On his return, the creditor had him arrested for the sum of 6000 piastres. This Hanistan Ereek refused to pay; he had been imprisoned for three months in consequence.The Caimacan was in the room at the time the man made his complaint."It seems a hard case," I remarked."It is our law," was the reply; "if he had been a Turk, the same thing would have happened.""No, it would not have happened! 300 piastres could never have amounted to 6000 piastres!" cried the Armenian indignantly.It appeared that the case was one of hard swearing. The Turkish creditor had produced a piece of paper, on which was written that he had lent a larger amount than 300 piastres to Hanistan Ereek's father—the document in question bearing the latter's signature. This the son swore was a forgery. However, the Turk had been believed, and the Armenian had been sent to prison."What would have been done if this case had happened in your country?" asked the Caimacan; "would you not have put the man in prison for debt?""No; a son is not liable for his father's debts.""Well, each country has its own laws, which doubtless are good for the respective inhabitants," observed the governor; "but if my father had died owing a sum of money, I should have thought that it was my duty to pay it.""A very proper resolution," I remarked; "but supposing that a Government has contracted a debt, do you not think that its successors are bound to pay the interest of the loan?"The Caimacan stroked his beard and looked at the Cadi, who presently answered,—"We could not put a Government in prison.""No," I observed, "but your nation owes my nation more than a hundred millions of liras, and not only you do not pay us any interest, but you have even proposed to repudiate the debt altogether!""How can we pay?" said the Cadi; "we have no gold, only caime, and your people will not take that. When the Russians leave us alone, then we shall be able to pay.""And in the meantime I suppose I am to go back to prison?" said the Armenian."We shall see," said the Caimacan gravely; "the law must be carried out."I have, perhaps, given the above case more prominence than it deserves, but I have done sobecause in this instance the governor of Divriki and a Christian were confronted in my presence, and the Armenian made his complaint without the slightest hesitation or fear. Now if the Christians had been so ill-treated as some of their co-religionists would have had me believe Hanistan Ereek would not have been likely to have dared to come forward and find fault with the Cadi of his town, who had adjudicated upon the matter.According to the governor, the people in his district had not shown much readiness to go to the war. In some of the villages, the redif soldiery were very reluctant to leave their homes, and could only be made to do so by the Zaptiehs of the province, who were most of them engaged at present in this duty."Why do you not give the Armenians arms?" I inquired."They would turn them against us, and join the Russians," was the governor's reply. "In some districts which are very near Russia, and where the Armenians have the opportunity of seeing the Russians as they are, and not as they pretend to be, the Christians prefer being under the Turkish rule; but the Armenians in our central provinces are constantly being tampered with by Russianagents. If we were to give the Christians arms, Allah only knows what would take place!"I left Divriki at daybreak the following morning, and continued the march towards Arabkir.We ascended once more into the clouds, and, after a four hours' ride, halted to bait our horses at the village of Yanoot—if, indeed, it deserves the name of village—for it consists of a few huts, and about twenty-five inhabitants make up the entire population.Now a curious phenomenon presented itself before us. We were passing a chain of hills which traversed our track from north to south. The northern side of every height was covered with deep snow, on the southern declivities some igneous rocks were exposed to view and glared in the sun. Here the rays were so fierce that not only there was no snow, but the weather became oppressively warm. A few hundred yards further, and winter attacked us again in all its rigour. Our horses were tried to their utmost in forcing a way before them.The road became very rugged. An immense quantity of loose sharp pebbles were lying on the track. Our horses could not see them and were constantly falling on their knees. Not a village or solitary house was met with duringour march. It was a picture of desolation. A few magpies, which from time to time flew mournfully across the path, were the only living things besides ourselves."Well, sir, this is a Jordan of a road," remarked my servant Radford, referring to some popular song, as the horse he rode fell down for the fifth time that morning. "That cemetery in Constantinople, where we tried the 'osses, was a bad place for riding, but it was nothing to this. Mohammed, he don't seem to take any account of it whatever. I never see such fellows as these Turks; they don't seem to be able to muster a grumble amongst them, no matter what they may have to undergo! Why, sir, some of them soldiers as we saw at Sivas had not received a day's pay for twenty-five months, and they seemed quite content and happy like; whilst, as for rations, it is true that the men fill themselves to bursting when they have the chance, but when they have to go without their grub they don't grumble! I wonder, sir, what our soldiers at Aldershot would say if they had not received a ha'p'orth of pay for two years, and had to march sometimes from morning to night, with nothing inside them save a whiff or so of tobacco?"Radford was right in his remark about the track being a Jordan road—that is, if a Jordan road is the quintessence of everything that is stony and disagreeable. We had to lead our horses. Hour after hour sped by; we still seemed to be no nearer to any signs of Arabkir. Now we were up to our waists in snow and quagmire, and then we were lying between our horses' heels, the result of a slip from some half-hidden boulder.At last we arrived at a spot close to the town. Here the rocks were of a crimson hue, their sides were covered with pebbles of ebon blackness. We mounted our horses, and, riding along a precipice-bounded path which leads into the long straggling city, presently halted at the house of an Armenian gentleman, who was kind enough to offer us a lodging for the night.My host was a silk-merchant. He had started in business a very few years previous. This district being suitable for breeding silk-worms, he had speedily amassed a fortune. He was now one of the wealthiest men in the province, and not only supplied the Arabkir district with textures of his manufacture, but sent them by caravans to the limits of Asia Minor. He was very much respected by the Mohammedans in the town,and was on the best of terms with the Caimacan. The latter, when he heard of my arrival, called, and, after salaaming my host, told him that he should stay to dinner.The apartment set aside for my use was hung round with engravings of all the sovereigns in Europe. A book-shelf in one corner was filled with French books, none of which my host could read."Do you know French?" I inquired."No!""Then what is the good of those volumes to you?""I am sorry for my ignorance," replied the man, "but I mean to have my child sent to Constantinople; there he shall learn French, and afterwards he will be able to read to me what is inside these books. Pretty covers, are they not?" he continued, pointing to the binding. "I bought them when I was residing at Erzeroum, and the merchant told me that they were full of wisdom. I have a European servant," he added."A Frenchman?""No, a Russian.""A Russian!""Yes. You may well be surprised," he said, "for there is not much love lost between the Russiansand ourselves. This man was taken prisoner during the Crimean war. When it was over he preferred remaining with us to returning to his own country."END OF VOL. I.
Usury laws in Turkey—An Armenian in prison for debt—The Caimacan—The Turkish creditor—Hanistan Ereek's father—A Government cannot be imprisoned for debt—The redif soldiers—Their unwillingness to serve—The Armenians not to be trusted—Yanoot—A picture of desolation—A Jordan road—Turkish soldiers do not grumble—Arabkir—A silk-merchant—My host—His library—Pretty covers—A Russian servant—He was taken prisoner during the Crimean war.
I was now to learn that the usury laws in Turkey are also used against the Christians. On returning to my house, a servant informed me that an Armenian was downstairs, and wished to see me.
He had been in Paris, and could speak a little French. This he so interlarded with Turkish that it was rather difficult to follow him. The man's name was Hanistan Ereek. At length I discovered that, twelve years ago, his father had borrowed 300 piastres from a Turk. Soon afterwards the father died, and the son, leaving Divriki without paying the debt, had gone toEurope. On his return, the creditor had him arrested for the sum of 6000 piastres. This Hanistan Ereek refused to pay; he had been imprisoned for three months in consequence.
The Caimacan was in the room at the time the man made his complaint.
"It seems a hard case," I remarked.
"It is our law," was the reply; "if he had been a Turk, the same thing would have happened."
"No, it would not have happened! 300 piastres could never have amounted to 6000 piastres!" cried the Armenian indignantly.
It appeared that the case was one of hard swearing. The Turkish creditor had produced a piece of paper, on which was written that he had lent a larger amount than 300 piastres to Hanistan Ereek's father—the document in question bearing the latter's signature. This the son swore was a forgery. However, the Turk had been believed, and the Armenian had been sent to prison.
"What would have been done if this case had happened in your country?" asked the Caimacan; "would you not have put the man in prison for debt?"
"No; a son is not liable for his father's debts."
"Well, each country has its own laws, which doubtless are good for the respective inhabitants," observed the governor; "but if my father had died owing a sum of money, I should have thought that it was my duty to pay it."
"A very proper resolution," I remarked; "but supposing that a Government has contracted a debt, do you not think that its successors are bound to pay the interest of the loan?"
The Caimacan stroked his beard and looked at the Cadi, who presently answered,—
"We could not put a Government in prison."
"No," I observed, "but your nation owes my nation more than a hundred millions of liras, and not only you do not pay us any interest, but you have even proposed to repudiate the debt altogether!"
"How can we pay?" said the Cadi; "we have no gold, only caime, and your people will not take that. When the Russians leave us alone, then we shall be able to pay."
"And in the meantime I suppose I am to go back to prison?" said the Armenian.
"We shall see," said the Caimacan gravely; "the law must be carried out."
I have, perhaps, given the above case more prominence than it deserves, but I have done sobecause in this instance the governor of Divriki and a Christian were confronted in my presence, and the Armenian made his complaint without the slightest hesitation or fear. Now if the Christians had been so ill-treated as some of their co-religionists would have had me believe Hanistan Ereek would not have been likely to have dared to come forward and find fault with the Cadi of his town, who had adjudicated upon the matter.
According to the governor, the people in his district had not shown much readiness to go to the war. In some of the villages, the redif soldiery were very reluctant to leave their homes, and could only be made to do so by the Zaptiehs of the province, who were most of them engaged at present in this duty.
"Why do you not give the Armenians arms?" I inquired.
"They would turn them against us, and join the Russians," was the governor's reply. "In some districts which are very near Russia, and where the Armenians have the opportunity of seeing the Russians as they are, and not as they pretend to be, the Christians prefer being under the Turkish rule; but the Armenians in our central provinces are constantly being tampered with by Russianagents. If we were to give the Christians arms, Allah only knows what would take place!"
I left Divriki at daybreak the following morning, and continued the march towards Arabkir.
We ascended once more into the clouds, and, after a four hours' ride, halted to bait our horses at the village of Yanoot—if, indeed, it deserves the name of village—for it consists of a few huts, and about twenty-five inhabitants make up the entire population.
Now a curious phenomenon presented itself before us. We were passing a chain of hills which traversed our track from north to south. The northern side of every height was covered with deep snow, on the southern declivities some igneous rocks were exposed to view and glared in the sun. Here the rays were so fierce that not only there was no snow, but the weather became oppressively warm. A few hundred yards further, and winter attacked us again in all its rigour. Our horses were tried to their utmost in forcing a way before them.
The road became very rugged. An immense quantity of loose sharp pebbles were lying on the track. Our horses could not see them and were constantly falling on their knees. Not a village or solitary house was met with duringour march. It was a picture of desolation. A few magpies, which from time to time flew mournfully across the path, were the only living things besides ourselves.
"Well, sir, this is a Jordan of a road," remarked my servant Radford, referring to some popular song, as the horse he rode fell down for the fifth time that morning. "That cemetery in Constantinople, where we tried the 'osses, was a bad place for riding, but it was nothing to this. Mohammed, he don't seem to take any account of it whatever. I never see such fellows as these Turks; they don't seem to be able to muster a grumble amongst them, no matter what they may have to undergo! Why, sir, some of them soldiers as we saw at Sivas had not received a day's pay for twenty-five months, and they seemed quite content and happy like; whilst, as for rations, it is true that the men fill themselves to bursting when they have the chance, but when they have to go without their grub they don't grumble! I wonder, sir, what our soldiers at Aldershot would say if they had not received a ha'p'orth of pay for two years, and had to march sometimes from morning to night, with nothing inside them save a whiff or so of tobacco?"
Radford was right in his remark about the track being a Jordan road—that is, if a Jordan road is the quintessence of everything that is stony and disagreeable. We had to lead our horses. Hour after hour sped by; we still seemed to be no nearer to any signs of Arabkir. Now we were up to our waists in snow and quagmire, and then we were lying between our horses' heels, the result of a slip from some half-hidden boulder.
At last we arrived at a spot close to the town. Here the rocks were of a crimson hue, their sides were covered with pebbles of ebon blackness. We mounted our horses, and, riding along a precipice-bounded path which leads into the long straggling city, presently halted at the house of an Armenian gentleman, who was kind enough to offer us a lodging for the night.
My host was a silk-merchant. He had started in business a very few years previous. This district being suitable for breeding silk-worms, he had speedily amassed a fortune. He was now one of the wealthiest men in the province, and not only supplied the Arabkir district with textures of his manufacture, but sent them by caravans to the limits of Asia Minor. He was very much respected by the Mohammedans in the town,and was on the best of terms with the Caimacan. The latter, when he heard of my arrival, called, and, after salaaming my host, told him that he should stay to dinner.
The apartment set aside for my use was hung round with engravings of all the sovereigns in Europe. A book-shelf in one corner was filled with French books, none of which my host could read.
"Do you know French?" I inquired.
"No!"
"Then what is the good of those volumes to you?"
"I am sorry for my ignorance," replied the man, "but I mean to have my child sent to Constantinople; there he shall learn French, and afterwards he will be able to read to me what is inside these books. Pretty covers, are they not?" he continued, pointing to the binding. "I bought them when I was residing at Erzeroum, and the merchant told me that they were full of wisdom. I have a European servant," he added.
"A Frenchman?"
"No, a Russian."
"A Russian!"
"Yes. You may well be surprised," he said, "for there is not much love lost between the Russiansand ourselves. This man was taken prisoner during the Crimean war. When it was over he preferred remaining with us to returning to his own country."
END OF VOL. I.