So Burnaby was in Asia Minor, you see
Jan 6, 2012 16:19:50 GMT
Post by Kilted Cossack on Jan 6, 2012 16:19:50 GMT
Gents:
In 1876 a serving British officer took his winter's leave to go and visit Asia Minor, and see if all the bad things people were saying about the Turks were true. His name was Captain Frederick Burnaby, and he was one of those guys who just makes you feel inadequate. Reputed to be the strongest man in the British Army, able to leap a pool table from a standing start, speaker of seven languages, that kind of thing. He was doing a writeup of his journey for the papers---having previously ridden to Khiva during the height and heat of the Great Game. His book is entitled "On Horseback Through Asia Minor" and it's a good read.
Here's the part that leapt out at me as I was rereading it:
Just as we were leaving Ismid, two Zaptieh or mounted policemen rode up. They had been ordered by the Pacha to escort me as far as Sabanja. Smart looking fellows they were, too, in light blue jackets, red trousers, and Hessian boots. Each of them carried a repeating rifle slung across his shoulder. Revolvers were stuck in the crimson sashes which encircled their waists. Short scimitars, but with no hilt-guards to protect the hand, hung from their sword belts.
It is singular that the Turkish military authorities, who have adopted the modern armaments in so far as the fire-arm is concerned, should still be so backward in the manufacture of swords. A cavalry soldier armed with a Turksih sword without a hilt-guard would have very little chance if engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter with a dragoon armed with one of our own weapons.
(End of extract)
I found this interesting for a couple of reasons. First, I thought it a little odd that a young but up and coming serving officer in 1876 considered swords to be important. (Seems a little late, but perhaps that's my modern interpretation of things.) Second, the "with no hilt guards" sounds an awful lot like either a shashka, or a yataghan. While they originated in about the same area, very roughly speaking, I associate the yataghan with the Turks and the shashka with the Circassians. Somehow I think that he'd have mentioned the yataghan's forward angled (or curved) blade if the "Zaps" had carried yats, while a shashka would have looked more or less saberish to him.
Oh heck I don't know, but I found it to be an interesting little extract from an interesting little book.
Pip pip, cheerio, and all that.
In 1876 a serving British officer took his winter's leave to go and visit Asia Minor, and see if all the bad things people were saying about the Turks were true. His name was Captain Frederick Burnaby, and he was one of those guys who just makes you feel inadequate. Reputed to be the strongest man in the British Army, able to leap a pool table from a standing start, speaker of seven languages, that kind of thing. He was doing a writeup of his journey for the papers---having previously ridden to Khiva during the height and heat of the Great Game. His book is entitled "On Horseback Through Asia Minor" and it's a good read.
Here's the part that leapt out at me as I was rereading it:
Just as we were leaving Ismid, two Zaptieh or mounted policemen rode up. They had been ordered by the Pacha to escort me as far as Sabanja. Smart looking fellows they were, too, in light blue jackets, red trousers, and Hessian boots. Each of them carried a repeating rifle slung across his shoulder. Revolvers were stuck in the crimson sashes which encircled their waists. Short scimitars, but with no hilt-guards to protect the hand, hung from their sword belts.
It is singular that the Turkish military authorities, who have adopted the modern armaments in so far as the fire-arm is concerned, should still be so backward in the manufacture of swords. A cavalry soldier armed with a Turksih sword without a hilt-guard would have very little chance if engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter with a dragoon armed with one of our own weapons.
(End of extract)
I found this interesting for a couple of reasons. First, I thought it a little odd that a young but up and coming serving officer in 1876 considered swords to be important. (Seems a little late, but perhaps that's my modern interpretation of things.) Second, the "with no hilt guards" sounds an awful lot like either a shashka, or a yataghan. While they originated in about the same area, very roughly speaking, I associate the yataghan with the Turks and the shashka with the Circassians. Somehow I think that he'd have mentioned the yataghan's forward angled (or curved) blade if the "Zaps" had carried yats, while a shashka would have looked more or less saberish to him.
Oh heck I don't know, but I found it to be an interesting little extract from an interesting little book.
Pip pip, cheerio, and all that.
