1895] Riot at Constantinople 187 



themselves with the cudgels — great crowds, and men being carried 

 away in carriages with their arms bound. Still it has produced much 

 excitement, and there is talk of revolution, massacres, and who knows 

 what more. 



' 1st Oct. — The news to-day about the Armenian riot is that the 

 deputation arranged by the Armenian Revolutionary Committee con- 

 sisted of 2,000 men, who were to meet at Kapu and to march to the 

 Ministry (the Porte), while a deputation of women were to go to 

 Yildiz. On their assembling, however, the police, forewarned of their 

 intention, stopped and arrested the leaders. The Armenians then fired 

 revolvers, and the Bimbashi of the Police was killed. Arrests were 

 then made, the police, it is said, conniving at the Mohammedans of the 

 quarter arming themselves with cudgels and beating the Armenian 

 prisoners. Sixty Armenians are reported killed and fifteen of the 

 police. The last news is that 1,000 Armenians, with some women and 

 children, are being besieged in a church in the Armenian quarter. The 

 revolvers and knives found on the Armenians arrested were all of one 

 pattern, a fact which points to premeditation of defence, if not of at- 

 tack. All this reminds me much of what took place at Alexandria in 

 1882 when the fleet was ordered there. I expect to see the programme 

 repeated here. There will be a cry of ' Europeans in danger ' ; the fleet 

 will be ordered up to the Sea of Marmora; some British sailors will be 

 mobbed on shore; a British Consul will be assaulted; and Stamboul 

 will be bombarded. I am glad I am here to exercise what slight re- 

 straining power I can, though I am glad to say Philip shows no sign yet 

 of having lost his head or lost his temper. We drove in the evening to 

 the aqueduct, a very lovely evening. 



" 2nd Oct. — I went in the Embassy launch to Constantinople to-day 

 to lunch with my old relative, Walter Blunt Pasha. We landed at the 

 railway station on Seraglio Point, and drove across the bridge, where 

 all things had returned to their usual quiet. The Pasha tells me the 

 Armenians who formed the deputation had been warned not to come 

 in large numbers, and not to come armed. They therefore divided 

 themselves into groups. One of these was stopped by the police, and, 

 an altercation arising, the Bimbashi struck the leading Armenian with 

 his sword, whereupon the man nearest him drew a revolver and shot 

 the Bimbashi through the head. This led to a general riot ; arrests were 

 made and men killed on both sides. There seems no doubt that the 

 Moslems of the quarter were encouraged to arm themselves with staves. 

 He says, however, that the Government is afraid now that the Softas 

 who took part in the riot against the Armenians will continue it against 

 the Government. The Sultan, he says, has become very unpopular in 

 the last two years, and everybody would really be glad to get rid of him. 

 Even the highest officials are kept in a state of tutelage which galls 



