Sileh Zela—Its position—The old citadel—The soil in the neighbourhood—A battalion of infantry—The Caimacan—The audience-chamber—The Cadi—The battalion going to Samsoun—The local authorities—The Colonel—England would be neutral—What, desert her old friend of the Crimea?—An ally in Austria—Andrassy—An Imaum—Propensity for fighting—A Christian Bishop—The most welcome members of society—Yakoob Khan of Kashgar—The Russians and the Chinese—The Khivans, Bokharians, and Turkomans—A rising of the Poles—The Armenians in Sileh—The ancient city—A secret passage—My tea and sugar—Osman had a sweet tooth—My lord's liberality praised—Osman to kneel on his own coat—Tartars—Lazy husbands—A plain planted with tobacco—Mountains covered with vines—Many-coloured sand-hills—A wonderful phenomenon—Bazar—Pacha Williams—Teesdale—Kars—Is Pacha Williams still alive? 231 CHAPTER XXII. Tokat—The Caimacan of the town—The battalion is to march to Samsoun—A naturalized Englishman—The road from Tokat to Sivas—The population of Tokat—The rich inhabitants bribe the gendarmes—The want of funds—The officials' salaries in arrear—Armenian schools in Tokat—The Greeks; not much reliance to be placed upon them—Khiva—Tashkent—Samarcand—Mussulmans in India—The Black Sea and the Russian Fleet—Old soldiers in Tokat—The Armenians and Greeks to be supplied with fire-arms—Good governors—Osman Bey—A Circassian on Russian atrocities—A statement by the Russian authorities—Seven hundred families near Labinsky—Men, women, and children at the breast butchered—English sympathizers with Russia—The Russians sow the seeds of dissension amongst the Circassians—Yonn Bek—Many gold imperials offered to him 242 CHAPTER XXIII. The servant of the house—The Onbashee—Five piastres—Osman detected—The guilty man—Vankovitch's remarks—The sentence—May I put Osman in prison?—The barracks—Two old Khans—The women weeping—Immense enthusiasm—Numbers of volunteers—Parading for the march—Men crying—We shall eat the Russians—The Sergeant—The Major of the battalion—The Dervish—A Circassian—The Imaum of the regiment—The Muleteer—Baggage animals required for the regiment—A bitter cry—The women's wail—The old Major—The soldiers' hymn—The standard of the battalion—Go in safety—God be with you! 253 CHAPTER XXIV.