THE RUSSIANS IN CONSTANTINOPLE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5388, 4 July 1878, Page 3

THE RUSSIANS IN CONSTANTINOPLE.

The Adelaide Register's correspondent in Constantinople says:—“The streets of Constantinople are crowded with Russians. The cafds and such places of amusement as Pera and Galata afford are thronged every night with Russian officers, one-third of whom perhaps are in uniform, while the others are in civilian dress. Their behavior is admitted' on all sides to be exemplary, I nave not heard of a single complaint against them, though the Levant Herald informs us that two days ago the Russians had made representations to the Turks against the clandestine gambling establishments in the cafds, dens, and other places in Pera, where officers had been severely fleeced. As, however, to plunder is the raison d'itre of these hells, no special objection can perhaps be made. The Turkish Government every few months makes a raid upon them, and clears them out, not forgetting, it is usually said, to swallow up all the available cash ; but they spring up again as quickly as mushrooms, and Pera is practically never without them. The officers are uniformly quiet and orderly. At first the Turks stared with amazement at the sight of Russians in the streets of Stamboul and at their gorgeous uniforms, for notwithstanding the campaign, many of them look as if they had just stepped out of the shop of some military tailor. At first, too, as they passed along clanking their swords over the stony streets, they would be followed by curious street boys and inquisitive eyes ; but the novelty of their appearance has altogether pissed away, and nobody now takes the trouble to look after them. Before the Grand Duke arrived the Russians who entered the city were nearly all in private clothes. After his entry liberty seems to have been given to more of them to enter, and they came apparently as they liked, either in uniform or not. When the Grand Duke had visited the Sultan, and had had his visit returned, he made a formal entry into the Russian Embassy in Pera. Over the gates of this building •are the Russian eagles, which during the war had remained carefully covered over with black canvas. The witty Greeks, however, observed that at no-time had their claws been covered. As the Grand Duke entered at the gate these coverings were simultaneously taken off. Since then the Embassy, has begun to look like what it was before the war. Russian officers are everywhere in the bazaars, in the streets, walking, riding, and driving, crowding the music-halls and the clubs, peering curiously into the shop windows, at the mosques and the churches. And how they are fleeced 1 The „ three millions of roubles which are said to have been sent from Odessa three weeks ago must by this time have found their way, or a good part of them, into the pockets of the dealers of Stamboul and Pera. I will back the bazaar-keepers and the Galata tradesmen against any one in Europe to obtain the highest price for an article ; but the Egyptians have been spoiled. Goods which a month ago could have been had for five francs cannot now bo had for a napoleon. Cabs of the most .ricketty and tumble-down description—and there is scarcely one in the plqoe whiph wqulcj nqt ha condemned at Scotland Yard; —command one and a half and two pounds a day. The restaurants are crowded and their prices are largely increased, The inhabitants of Constantinople— Turks, Jews, Greeks, or Armenians—never dream of concluding a bargain without a good deal of haggling, I believe the Russian has fallen enormously in the estimation of all this class. He pays what he is asked 1 “ When the Russians first arrived the inhabitants flocked in numbers to see them. Some still go to have a look at the camp and to watch the soldiers at drill, but it is not necessary to go to San Stefano now to see the ■Russians themselves. The oharaoteristio feature both of the Bussians and the Turks in presence of each other seems to be great forbearance. I have not heard of any case of either Turk or Russian showing ill-will one towards the other. I have seen Russian officers in uniform pass through crowds of Pomaks and other refugees, most of whom were armed, but neither seemed to take much notice of the other, or to anticipate the possibility of a row. This state of things is due partly to the belief on the side of the Turk in “ Kismet"—the Russian has won, and there is an end of the matter for him; but it is due in part also to the' absence of drinking habits, and, it must bo said also to the credit of the Russians, to the sober condition in which the officers who have come to Constantinople are always found. A story is current that last week four English sailors on shore for a holiday from one of the despatch boats here started off to San Stefano with the object of getting up a shindy with the Russians. When they reached San Stefano, however, some of the Russian soldiers proposed to stand liquor. Tfiq tempting ojfay was top strong for Jack to resist, and'before long British Jacks and .Russian soldiers were swearing eternal friendship over deep draughts of rooky, “ English sailors and Russian soldiers jostle each other in the streets. English officials and Russian officers dine together, and both with newspaper correspondents, and all alike hope for peace. X have yet to find the man in Constantinople—always excepting a few Turks, and only a few of them—who wants war to recommence. -A great work has been accomplished by Russia, which she ought not to spoil by exacting terms merely beneficial to herself, and which wg qught net to attempt to spoil through an unreasoning dread of Russian influence. Such is the opinion which ;anyono may hear expressed in a dozen different langqagcs in the streets of Constantinople. At all

times these streets contain a motley crowd. Never, I suspect, have they contained one so varied as now—Russians in a .great uniforms, and refugees iu national and provincial costumes . of> ahno>t every conceivable variety, crowd them. X have just com© from my usually quiet Club, to which Pashas as well as Europeans belong, and where three' months ago a word in favor of Russia was very rarely uttered, and have left thirty or forty Russian ©timers at dinner, and perhaps a dozen English naval officers. The impression which they have made everywhere is favorable —an impression which will not of course prevent war, but if war does come the amenities of the past month will do something to soften the rigor of war and help 1 officers on both sides to fight like gentlemen.”