TURKISH ARTILLERY. 203 



enter my head occasionally, after I had been 

 walking through crowded bazaars, or handling- 

 goods in them, that if there should be plague in 

 them, I should be in a most unenviable predica- 

 ment ; but after a few days I became quite accus- 

 tomed to it, and I really believe that persons 

 rarely give the matter a thought, excepting where 

 the plague is raging very badly. 



Amongst other visits to the resident authorities 

 at Salonica, we were introduced by Mr. Blunt 

 to the colonel commanding the artillery, Mussago 

 Bey, who appeared to be a very intelligent and 

 hard-working fellow ; asked us a good many ques- 

 tions ; took us to see all his guns, batteries, and 

 stores ; and had the artillery out to exercise, on 

 purpose for us to see. Of course we had to 

 smoke a good many pipes, in fact, nothing can be 

 done in Turkey without smoking a pipe ; but the 

 most amusing; scene I remember was at the review 

 of the artillery, the marching past the commandant 

 of the garrison and ourselves after the exercise 

 was over. The men marched well, and dragged 

 their guns well, the colonel dropped his sword in 

 time, and every part of the appearance of the 

 persons reviewed was perfect. But must the truth 



