15 JULY 1854, Page 15

BOOKS.

GENERAL MACINTOS3I'S MILITARY TOUR IN TURKEY. MANNERS, anecdote, and travelling incidents, will be found in General Macintosh's Tour through the present seat of war both in Europe and Asia ; but the proper character of the book is military topography. The author has visited the East on several occasions during the last twenty years, apparently with some professional object in reference to the defences of Constantinople by sea and land, if not with a larger purpose. His travels at various times have reached from Belgrade, through Bulgaria, the Balkan, and the country between those mountains and Constantinople ; which last region has indeed been gone over with the minuteness of a military surveyor, every road and every position, not to say every place, being described. From Constantinople General Macintosh voyaged to Trebizond ; travelled through the country now the seat of the war in Asia ; surveyed the frontiers of Turkey, Persia, and Russia ; traversed the whole length of what are called the Transcaucasian provinces, and the passes of the Caucasus ; made a tour along Southern Russia to Odessa, and subsequently visited Sebastopol and the Crimea. He also made his way through Persia into Cen- tral Asia ; but of his explorations there he gives no account. His book is confined to those countries which are or may be the seat of war.

The assistance of the Allied fleet in the Black Sea, by covering the flank of the Turks and preventing the Russians from pouring in reinforcements or provisions, has been more important than obvious. At liberty to disregard the coast, the generalship of Omar Pasha, the valour of the Ottomans, and the better discipline of the Turko-European army, may practically be said to have ren- dered Bulgaria safe. Suggestions respecting the defence of Con. stantinople, the Balkan, and the Bulgarian fortresses, have no longer the immediate interest they possessed while the success of Russia on the Danube was doubtful. It is General Macintosh's opinion that Sebastopol cannot be carried by a sort of coup de main either by land or sea. It can only be taken by regular ap- pmach from some distance, and by a force superior to the Russians either in the field or in position. If this be so, the great arsenal of the Black Sea cannot be carried so quickly as many suppose. Al- though practically the country South of the Danube may be safe, it is not altogether clear of Russians. Austria has not yet ad- vanced into Wallachia ; there is no saying when she may reach Moldavia and cover the Delta of the Danube. To withdraw the Allied armies and a large portion of the Turkish army, (for it is doubtful whether the Allies are strong enough of themselves,) to begin a campaign in the Crimea would be a greater risk than men charged with actual responsibility may be inclined to run. Hence, however important the author's account of the Crimea may be for the caution it impresses, it is not so attractive reading as if it promised victory offhand. The precise condition of the land side of Sebastopol is not now known ; but General Macintosh infers that it is not left so exposed as later travellers have represented ; and if the town itself could "be walked into," even that is not easily done.

"So late as last year (1853) travellers, who, however, were not military men, reported that the town was still altogether open to the land side. De- tached works may, however, have existed even then which escaped their ob- servation ; and there is little doubt that since the occurrence of war the Russians have been busied in extending the defences on that side. The landing-places near the Monastery of St. George are too precipitous to be surmounted in the face of a defending force prepared for such an attempt ; and any force landing on the level shore between Cape Kherson and Sebas- topol would most probably find itself at once engaged in a general action, and would have to fight for a space large enough to encamp upon. I am, therefore, certainly of opinion, that a descent made in the immediate neigh- bourhood of Sebastopol, even with a strong and well-appointed force, espe- cially after so much time has been allowed to Russia to erect fortifications there—though these may be only field-works—and to collect forces for their defence, would be a very bold and indeed hazardous undertaking- and that while a subsequent hasty reembarkation, should it occur, without any object having been attained, would in itself be inglorious, a great loss in men and material would hardly fail to attend such a repulse. "When we consider the great scale on which arrangements must be made for attacking even an imperfectly-fortified place, the heavy and cumbrous cannon and siege-stores which it would be necessary, to land here, the great quantity of provisions requisite for the support of the besieging corps, to last possibly some months, and which must be collected in a secure situation ; and when we take into calculation what a large force ought also to be kept in front to resist attempts to raise the siege ; when we consider further that the army must land on a level shore, commanded at no great distance by heights of very considerable strength, and that the area where it would have to make all its preparations is too confined for the operations of so large a force as would be required for such an attack,—I feel persuaded that my view of the subject will be admitted to be just by all who have had experience in such matters, though it may not meet the wishes of many who are too im- patient that a blow should be struck at any cost in that direction."

The part of the work which relates to the Caucasus, the Trims- Caucasian provinces, and the districts adjoining the frontiers, is the most interesting. The military topography, if that word is large enough to describe the nature of the matter, is varied by s!cetches of the.people, incidents of travel, the character of Rus- sian rule, and the unpopularity of the rulers. The most important and the most novel part to the public, (for the information has doubtless been communicated to our Government,) is the picture furnished of the policy and advantageous position occupied by Russia. Her Asiatic frontier line has been drawn with skill, so A Military Tour in European Turkey, the Crimea, and on the Eastern Shores of the Black Sea : including Routes across the Balkan into Bulgaria, and Excursions la the Turkish, RUSAILD, and Persian Provinces of the Caucasian Range; with 8trategi051 Observations on the probable scene of the Operations of the Allied Ex- teditionarrForce. By Major-General A. F. Macintosh, KAI., With Maps. In two volumes. Published by Longman and Co.

as not to alarm or irritate by taking in strong or commanding positions, but so near to them that they can readily be occupied and a force advanced upon the vital points of either Turks or Persians,—that is, with such troops as the Persians or the Asiatic Turks have lately shown themselves to possess, for the country is very strong in itself. True to her invariable policy of sowing dissension, Russia was intriguing with the half-independent tribes of Koords, encouraging their complaints, stimulating their dis- satisfaction, and keeping questions open so as to have an ex- cuse for war at any time. Within some fifty miles from their frontier in a direct line, is Byazeed, latitude 39' 22' N., longitude 440 8' E.; a position directly commanding the Persian Gulf on the South, and Syria, Asia Minor, and the Mediterranean, on the West.

"I do not think there is a place of greater importance than Byazeed, in a. military point of view, in the whole of Western Asia. There is a con- tinuous descent along the banks of the Euphrates to the Persian Gulf ; but as this great valley conducts through the range of Mount Taurus into Syria, its value to Russia, on this account alone, must be obvious. It is much nearer to her present frontier, and much more accessible than Erzeroum, which lies on the Western branch of the Euphrates ; and should the con- tingencies of the present war render it possible for ilussia to push on a force into the Northern part of Syria, the good-will of the Koords, at the moment of undertaking such an operation, would afford her an immense advantage. "There is another exceedingly strong pass at Byazeed, on the Persian side, where a very small regular force might completely seal the entry into Persia from the side of Erzeroum, except through the roads of central Koordistan. It may also be looked upon as a key to Koordistan, and to Diarbekir, Mousul, and the whole course of the Tigris as tar as Bagdad. I have no hesitation in saying, that Russia, with the assistance of the Koordish tribes, could speedily establish a route, and march an army down this valley into Syria. The distance from Erivan to Aleppo is not above 600 miles, if so much. The route by Aleppo, Diarbekir, and Wan, to Aderbyon from the Mediterranean, is quite practicable for an army."

In feet, by the Russian acquisitions in Asia, Turkey is practi- cally enveloped, and the wedge so far driven into Persia that the existence of either empire depends upon circumstances beyond themselves : and the same may be said of Russian ascendancy in the Mediterranean ; though at present there may be little danger to Europe from the Russian power in Asia. The army is in a trap ; far removed from its base, surrounded by populations not friendly ; with one of the strongest countries in the world in its front, and exposed throughout the whole extent of Georgia to flank operations from the Black Sea. Omar Pasha and his army, at Erzeroum, would readily have disposed of this Russian army, at least in Armenia. Yet every effort in that quarter has been at- tended with disaster and disgrace to the Turks ; owing, as it ap- pears, to the incompetency and corruption of the leading men. Whether it would be better to reorganize and reinforce with Euro- pean troops the army of Erzeroum, or to march an Allied force in conjunction with the Circassians from the Black Sea upon Tiflis, thus striking at the heart and cutting off the troops in Armenia, or whether both should be adopted, is a matter for practical con- sideration. Other operations, no doubt, look larger. It would be grander to invade Finland, defeat the elite of the Russian army, cap- ture St. Petersburg and Cronstadt, and destroy the Baltic fleet. Not so brilliant but still a grand affair would be the destruction of Sebas- topol and the conquest of the Crimea. But both these exploits are very difficult. Apparently there are not means at present available to fight a land battle for St. Petersburg ; the capture of Sebastopd and the occupation of the Crimea is at all events a tasking operation. With the Circassians as allies, there would be little difficulty in clearing the Transcaucasian provinces of the Russians, even if a mere demonstration against Tiflis would not suffice : and expelled they must be, if Russian prestige in Asia is to be destroyed, and Turkey and Persia, to say nothing about the future of India, Syria, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, are to be defended from Russian intrigues and interference.

From the nature of the Military Tour, which is chiefly con- cerned with minute description of places, a good deal of the book is somewhat dry. Such, however, is the effect of purpose, that the military topography, which is naturally the fullest, has more ins terest than the descriptions of general scenery. The antiedotes indicative of manners or individual character are numerous in the Asiatic travels, and well relieve the mere descriptive parts. The following extracts are taken as bearing on present circumstances; for although they refer to a time some years gone by, there ia little change in those regions except what is brought about by the action of Russia. In his journey from Erzeroum to Tabreen, General Macintosh turned aside to visit a tribe of Koords, and this is the sketch of them as horsemen.

"Having expressed a desire to see a well-equipped Koordish horseman before I left the encampment, the chief addressed a few words to his eldest son ; who left the tent, and in a few minutes reappeared outside splendidly mounted and equipped, in company with his youngest brother, who, although only about eighteen years of age, was six feet in height. The eldest son rode a white Arab, upwards of fifteen hands high, which he had procured near Bagdad, and which, he said, was from the province of Nedjid. Half of the animal's tail was dyed crimson, in conformity with a custom very general in Persia. The other son was mounted on a bay horse of somewhat smaller size, but equally handsome. Their arms and accoutrements were of the best description, and the horse-furniture was in part mounted in gold and silver.

"The condition of the horses and the state of the arias and clothing were very superior, and great attention seemed to have been given to cleaning and polishing the arms. The Koords, before proceeding to battle, pay the most scrupulous attention not only to their equipment, but to what in Europe would be termed a very particular toilet; a custom which, with the more effeminate practice of applying powdered antimony to the eyelids, is very prevalent among these trib, being adopted even by the hardiest war- riors, and alluded to in their national songs. The young chiefs carried at the pommel of their saddles a slender steel javelin, fitted in a velvet case, and which, with a 61111111 steel battle-axe, is, I believe, the distinguishing mark of a chief. They were also furnished with a small round shield or

target, covered with skin, and studded with metal bosses, which is used by Koords of all ranks.

"When we had fully scrutinized their equipment, they began galloping about, and performed a kind of exercise called the Key Kaj following each other in turn and enabling us to form a very good idea oetheir expertness as horsemen, and of the speed and action of their steeds.

"The eldest son informed me that the number of horsemen in Koordistan, mounted and appointed equally well with themselves, was very great : which I can easily believe ; for when leavino. Persia, some time afterwards, I met part of the tribe a short way to the North of Teheran, proceeding under .A,climet Aga, the second son, to join the Shah's camp before he went to Herat; stud a great many were, as his brother had said, quite as well mounted as himself. He asked whether I thought cavalry of that description would not be very formidable if accompanied by a few light guns. I told him that in India the British Government maintained a great force of irre,gular cavalry who acted in conjunction with artillery ; and that a similar Cossack force was employed in Russia, a part of which had light guns of their own, lie said he had seen the Cossacks, and he thought it was impossible there could be worse cavalry : but the body he referred to were a very ill-mounted force, which I afterwards saw performing duty alonv.' the left bank of the Araxes, and I was alluding to the regular corps at St. Petersburg, belonging to the Imperial Guard."

The following hint, though occurring in another place, may be taken in continuation. It is, however, difficult to carry out, except by an able despot, who can promptly execute his ideas without the cheeks of colleagues and departments.

"While treating of this subject, I may remark that the Koords and Reliauts appeared to me while in Persia, and on its Western frontier, beyond all comparison the finest irregular horsemen I saw in that part of the East, whether in regard to physical strength and activity or personal appearance ; and their horses are a noble and hardy race of animals. The Turkomans, on the South-eastern shores of the Caspian, are even better mounted than the Koords and Eeliauts; but they are still greater marauders in their own plains, and less under control.

"It appears to me, that in our pending campaigns, our chief deficiency, numerically speaking, is likely to be in cavalry ; and I cannot help reflecting that we may be in many situations where a good force of such cavalry as I have alluded to here would be very useful. The Shah of Persia possesses great influence over the Eeliaut and Koordish tribes near his dominions ; and besides this, the mountaineers of the Kara-bagh in the late Persian and now Russian provinces near the Caspian, still look up to him in a great degree as their suzerain,—a feeling watched with great jealousy by Russia.

"I do not think we ought at such a crisis as the present to lose sight of our Persian influence. Although we are of old familiar with the character of that people, and are aware that their alliance is to be secured by those who pay the best, yet in operations in the provinces towards the Caspian' and also if a serious attempt were made to drive back Russia from theCatt- .oasais, their cooperation with the Turks might be highly important; and even a cavalry force of Koords and Eeliauts sent by the shortest route to the Danube—and they are quick travellers—would be a valuable addition to that already there, especially as these tribes all speak a dialect of Turkish."

Here is a straw showing how the wind sets, from the travels in Georgia.

"In the evening, bearing horses ordered to be prepared with all despatch for some one at the post-stanitza where we lodged, I made inquiries as to the cause, and found that a party of Russian soldiers (probably those we had passed) had taken a melon from a garden or field somewhere in the neigh- bourhood; on which the peasant to whom it belonged had wounded one of them in the thigh with the kummer or dirk which they all wear; and as the man had to proceed on his march, no house being near, he had soon bled to death. The horses were for the officer, who meant to pursue the man, Who had fled to Nakshivan, and to have him apprehended. The resolute resistance of the Mussulman population here to any excess of the soldiery evinces a widespread disaffection among them. I heard at Julfa that a whole party of soldiers were soundly beaten at a village by the peasants, for trying to obtain possession of water for irrigation : but in this region water is almost as valuable as the crop itself, and is dealt out to the agriculturists in shares, as in Persia."