106 The Armenian Movement V l ^9Z 



Sultan will send for me some time during the summer, and he will 

 obtain for Anne the Chefket Order in diamonds as a sign of extreme 

 favour. In the meantime I am to write to Jemal ed Din letters which 

 he can show to the Sultan on political affairs in England. Thus I shall 

 be his unaccredited Ambassador. The two matters they want prin- 

 cipally to be informed about are Armenia and Egypt. And so, much 

 pleased with all that has happened during our week's stay at Constan- 

 tinople, we are off and away." 



Thus ended the eventful spring of 1893 and my part in what hap- 

 pened during it at Cairo. On our way back from Constantinople I 

 note : 



" 2nd May. — In the train all day crossing the great plain of Eastern 

 Roumelia, the Balkans to the north and the Rhodope range to the south, 

 a splendid plain full of storks and large birds of prey, with a few 

 rollers — frogs croaking gaily, bright sunshine. This part of Bulgaria 

 seems very prosperous — the peasants still in their national costume, 

 the villages still with their minarets, though most of the Mohammedan 

 population is gone. 



" Mr. Thompson, the U.S. Minister at Constantinople, is in the train. 

 Ford had given me a note of introduction to him. He has told me 

 much about Armenia, having just sent in a report on the subject to his 

 Government. He says that it is proved the Armenians intended a 

 revolt on the 5th January, but were betrayed by one of their own people. 

 The placards inciting the people to rise were printed in England — 

 no Turks were concerned in it. Also he tells me the whole resident 

 Armenian census is under three-quarters of a million as against five 

 millions of Mohammedans. The only province where the Christians 

 outnumber the Moslems is Kaisariyeh, the smallest of the villayets — 

 there they may be three to one. There was some reason for their dis- 

 content in the way of injustice, especially through the tyranny of a 

 certain ex-brigand, Kurshid Pasha, chief of the police, but the measures 

 taken by the Government were not very severe. All the prisoners have 

 now been released except 200, and these he had been promised should 

 not be severely punished though reserved for trial. He has been acting 

 in concert with Ford in the matter. He says emphatically that there is 

 not the material in Armenia to make a nation, though the Christian 

 Armenians desire it. Their brethren under Russia would revolt too if 

 they dared. The Catholic Armenians are with the rest in desiring in- 

 dependence. The whole movement has been got up in England and 

 with English help. 



" yd May. — Thompson tells me there may be trouble with Russia at 

 Constantinople soon, as the young King of Servia wants to go there 

 and do homage, while the Russian Emperor is opposed to it. The Rus- 

 sians supported the Regency at Belgrade and are angry with the King. 



