WITH THE TURKS. 
499 
At Yelestino I was unable to identify the scene of the fight there veiestino. 
about a fortnight earlier. Coming from the direction of Pharsala it 
did not strike me that any extraordinarily strong position existed near 
that place, but probably the fight took place further to the north of the 
Larissa road. 
The story of the much talked of cavalry charge, of which, I think, 
the Turks were very proud, was related by an eye witness in my 
presence at Tekke. 
It would seem that the Greeks held two parallel lines of shelter 
trenches placed somewhat in echelon, when the Turkish cavalry received 
the order to dislodge them. Advancing towards their right flank, 
they received the order to wheel to the right from behind the cover of 
a wood so as to take the front trench in flank. Instead of this, owing 
to some confusion of orders, they wheeled to the left and bearing 
straight down at a very slow pace, the horses being blown, on the rear 
trench, lost very heavily in men and horses, expecially in the latter, 
which they were least able to spare. 
On arriving at Yolo it was somewhat disconcerting to learn that the 
Greeks had established a blockade there which prevented any of the 
ordinary lines of steamers from calling. 
Fortunately for me I met Holmes and Birt, who had already been 
waiting there for some days and learning that they had made arrange¬ 
ments for a passage next day to Salonica on board the Italian man-of- 
war “Etna,” I at once went on board and threw myself on the 
hospitality of the captain, who most kindly allowed me to sail with 
him, accommodating me for the night in a luxurious manner in the 
“admiral's” cabin, with which, I understand, nearly all Italian men-of- 
war are provided. 
Outside the Gulf of Yolo in the early morning of the 20th we met 
some of the Greek fleet, who did not, however, disturb my slumbers ; 
and at about 5 o'clock p.m., with the arrival of the Turkish torpedo 
boat sent to guide us through the defences (real or imaginary) of the 
harbour at Salonica, my experiences of the Turco-Greek war of 1897 
ended. 
In conclusion I may be permitted to offer a few general remarks on General re- 
the organisation of tbe Turkish army, with the preliminary observation Turkish* 1 
that they represent merely an individual opinion formed under not armj * 
particularly advantageous circumstances and may easily, therefore, be 
mistaken in many points. 
1.-—So far as I was able to ascertain there was no regularly Transport, 
organised transport service; fortunately for the Turks the great 
majority of their men, drawn from Asia Minor and Albania, are born 
mountaineers and muleteers. It would appear that ammunition and 
stores, as they arrived by train at Karaferia and Sorovitch, were 
formed into small convoys placed in charge of detachments of regular 
soldiers and despatched by road to the army, travelling independently 
and halting wherever they found convenient on the way; the animals 
being returned to the base, either empty or perhaps carrying sick or 
wounded men, for more supplies. The pack loading was generally 
66 
