INCIDENTS OF THE WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 215, 11 September 1877, Page 4

INCIDENTS OF THE WAR.

{From the Home News.] RUSSIANS CATCHING A TARTAR. Some Russian soldiers broke into a house in Tirnova by way of the cellar, in which repository the owuer of the house had a number of bottles full of vitriol used for the purification of wool in the manufacture and dyeing of woollen stuffs. These bottles t!ie Russian soldiers promptly annexed, and having extracted the corks began to drink the contents. The drink did not exactly meed their views; on the contrary, they must have had cast-iron mouths and throats, and the vitriol must, have been greatly diluted, or they would have paid with their lives the penalty of their lawless couduci. As it was they fared pretty bauly. Their lips and moutbs were burnt black, their clothes, hands, and boots were burned, and they were half mad with rage aud pain. They had rushed to the conclusion that the house must be a Turkish bouse, and the cellar a Turkish cellar, that the proprietor had purposely stored a quantity of devils' drink in wine bottles, wherewithal to poison the Russian enemies, and that they were tbe vie- , tims. They insisted on regarding the servant of the special correspondent as the Turkish proprietor, and etrove to revenge themselves by forcing him to drink, as they believed he had brewed. . With wild cries and threats they forced bottles into his hands, and swore that be should drink, but he objected to the beverage in the most emphatic manner* He imitated the unwilling horse, in that they could not make him drink, but in the struggle he got his bands and clothes very much burnt with the vitriol. The correspondent here interfered to protect the mao, but, they seized him also, and whirled him up to a solitary under-officer, who was addressed as tbe "Patrol," and who appeared to be serenely superintending the operations. The patrol recognised the "correspondent" badge on this person's arm, and ordered the soldiers to unhand him, whereupon tbe victims of vitriol retired, probably in search of a less fiery fluid as an alterative. ALLEGED RUSSIAN ATTROCITIES. The Porte bas addressed the following despatch to its representatives abroad: — "It is my painful duty to report to you fresh acts of revolting barbarity committed by Cossacks in the Province of tbe Danube. Two villages, situate five hours' journey from Rustchuk — Oustroudja and Kidisle, have been sacked by tbe Cossacks, who massacred thirty of the Mussulman inhabitants, without distinction of ago or aex. In the village of Bin Puuar, they cut off the dresses of the women and girls as far as tbe waist, and then violated them ia the presence of their relations; all the male inhabitants were made prisoners, and finally, to fill up the measure of these horrors, the barbarians, losing all feeling of humanity, cut off the arms of a woman, and ia derision, placad her unfortunate child in ! the mutilated and bleeding arms. The Montenegrins, who mutilated their prisoners and thus excited the indignation of Europe, always respected women and children, and it wus reserved to tbe Russians to present a spectacle of monstrosities unknown by the least civilized nations. Some Cossacks havin?, about seven hours' march from Rustchuk, come across some Mussulmans who bad abandoned their villages, and were fleeiug to tbe mountains, massacred them without sparing the woraea or children. All these facts are derived from telegrams received at the Sublime Porte from different sources." INSIDE A TURKISH HOSPITAL. The military doctors at Erzeroura and Hissan Ka'e are kept busily eraployed looking after the numerous invalids continuously pouring ia from the army. Dysentery, typhoid, aud affections of tbe foot consequent on the miserable condition of the soldiers' compound rag snocassius (I can't call them Bhoes), are the principal maladies, and the mortality, I am infbrme.l by (be doctors, ia very considerable. W.mt of hospital accommodation, necssitiiing the locating of large numbers of sick in the miserable witrwatns of tbe towns, increases the difficulty of properly attending to tbe patients, and contributes largely to increase tho mortality. The doctors complain sadly, too, ol " malingering." Soldiers preaeut themselves for a'lmisaion to hospital ou tbe slightest pretence — "a pai u on the top of tbe nose " being in onn instance tbe claim for exemption from service.

For the Circassians, especially the wounded proceeding from the late skirmish with the Russian cavalry, and most of whom suffer from sabre and lance woum.'s, a separate hospital has been established at Hassan Kile, The principal surgeon tells me he has the greatest difficulty in maintaining orjler among them, owing to their belonging \ to different tribes, and keeping up thjeir oil clan feuds with a persistency scarcely second to their aversion to (hecommon enemy. '. .- INSIDE KAKS. ! Of this place the Times correspondent says that the shops are occupied mostly byArraenians, but a great many Russians and foreigners have come from fc Tiflis to make something. It is quite astonishing what you are able to buy here. I expected to be half starved, but I fin d I have only, to go into! a restaurant and order what I please, from fresh caviare to beefsteak, and . Russian vodki (whisky) to English porter. It puzzles one to see how all these things have been brought over the wretched and long road (200 miles nearly) that separates us' from civilisation. There are cigars and p&pirswe (cigarettes), clothing and beds; hatters aud sewing machines have turned up, and two first-rate watchmakers. 1 All round are the fourgons and carts, wbich have come laden with provisions, etc., and the place is filled with a heterogeneous mixture of races, Armenians, Turks, Circassians, Lesjians, Tartars, aud. other races which cannot be j couuted, all dressed in a picturesque fashion. I have just left a cour-martial, in which an Armenian deserter from the Russian army has been sentenced Jo be shot. When the trial waa coneluded the sentence was read, and translated by an interpreter to the prisoner. He piteously attempted to exonerate himself on the ground that ho bad been taken prisoner, and was trying to get back to the Russian army. When he was led off he almost fell down. It was a sad spectacle? but severity was absolutely necessary, as great leniency has hitherto been shown. THE TURKISH "WOUNDED. There are eighty-eight wounded in Rustchuk, and the English doctors are not allowed to attend them. All are packed off, with broken legs and arms, without being dressed,, in a dreadful state, for Constantinople. Soldiers implore the English doctors to extract bullets ; but they are helpless, as tweuty-3iglit cases of medical stores sent by the Stafford House .Committee have been seized by the Turkish doc-tor-in-chief at Rustchuk, in spite of the protest of the English doctors. They have not been distributed, and are practically useless. Battalions are murcbeti off without medical stores, while thiß man keeps everything under lock nod key. All stores should be consigned to the English doctors. JEALOUSY IN THE TURKISH NAVr. Ac the time the Russians were crossing the Dmube the entire control of tbe Turkish fleet was in the hands of Serdar Ekrem, with whom, indeed, in spite of all bis mismauagemeut, it remains to this day. Nor was the excuse valid which has sioce • been made for him — that he bad no competent adviser, for Hobart Pasha happened to be on the spot at the ; time, and not only detailed to the Serdor Ekrem what appears to have baen an excellent plan for the immediately occupation of all points (hat could be made available by the- Russians for crossing tbe river, but urged on him the absolute necessity of immediate getting torpe.loes, petroleum, and other necessaries for holding their owu on tbe river. But the Serdar Ekrem desireJ flobart Pasha to understand that he, the Seniar Ekrem, was commander-io-cuief of the ships on the Danube, as well as the armies ashore, and that he had no Deed of any ad vicein fact the plainly requested tbe admiral to mind his own bussiuees. Thus, through culpable wa t of foresight, the fleet which might have done something, has been reduced to total inactivity, and in the present helpless condition of: the ships it remaius to b; saen whit fate with befall them, now that ao much of both sides of thts river is in tha bands of ti.e Russians. It, seems bitter irony, but it is none the less true, that the only part of the Danube fleafc which iuuy be considered sale consists of the s'eam lauuc'ies presented by the Khedive, wbich are still lying in tbe railway trucks at Hasgrad, having been forwardjd too late from Varna to enable their beiug launched at Rustchuk.

Hobart Paaha had! since a loog interview with the Sultan, who gave iim permission to command an expedition to the Black Sea, with complete liberty of action. | ;w» i .i i _ 1 1 ' :