These facts may explain many of the adventures narrated in this book which would be inexplicable to critics accustomed to the rigid discipline under which medical officers do their work in other European armies. It is only right to say, in conclusion, that I consider myself singularly fortunate in my coadjutor, who, while he has brightened this narrative of my early adventures with all the resources of the practised writer, has nevertheless left the truth of every single incident absolutely unimpaired. At a time when the Eastern Question looms like a huge shadow over Europe, and when the very existence of the Turkish Empire is once more threatened, may I hope that this story of the military virtues of the Ottoman troops may not be found without real interest? CHARLES S. RYAN. Melbourne, _July_, 1897. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE FROM MELBOURNE TO SOFIA. Autobiographical--My Wanderjahr--First Glimpse of Servians--Rome--A Prospective Mother-in-law--Sad Result of eating Chops--A Spanish Poet--The Chance of a Lifetime--How I seized it--Garcia's Gold Watch--The Via del Poppo--Off to London--Engaged by the Turkish Government--Vienna revisited--Stamboul--Origin of the Crescent--Misserie's Hotel--The Turkish Character--A Splendid Belvedere--View from the Seraskierat Tower--Scutari and Florence Nightingale--Stamboul by Day and Night--Scene in a Bazaar--Three Sundays a Week--A Trip to Sweet Waters--Veiled Beauties--I am gazetted to a Regiment--An Official Dinner--Off to the Front--A Compulsory Shave--My Charger--The March to Sofia--My First Patient--Prescription for a Malingerer--Mehemet Ali--My Soldier Servant--Diagnosing my Cases--Bulgarians at Home--At Sofia--MacGahan the War Correspondent--Learning Turkish--A Dinner in Camp--Leniency to Bulgarians--A Lady Patient--So near and yet so far--From Pirot to Nish--The Wounded--My First Operation 1 CHAPTER II. THE PRELIMINARIES TO THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR. Prince Czetwertinski--A Romantic Career--His First Commission--A Retrospect--The History of a Noble Pole--From Monte Carlo to Brisbane--A Prince as a Deck Hand on a Schooner--A Bush Tutor--He returns to Europe--The Load of Poverty--Lighter to Bear in Australia--A Big Win at Flemington--School Teaching in Batavia--Back to New South Wales--Death at Wagga--The Vale of Moravia--The Hot Spring--Bulgarian Blanchisseuses--Slavonian Folk-songs--How the Turks sing--A Bulgarian Sámadh--Foley's End--Infuriated Scavengers--A Mysterious Disturbance--Rough-and-tumble Fighting--A Turkish Hercules--Capturing a Prisoner--A Solitary Ride--A Bulgarian Farrier--Back to Sofia--Christmas in the Snow--A Maize Cob for a Christmas Dinner--Orkhanieh to Sofia--A Doctor frozen to Death--Bitter Experiences--Salutary Effects of a Good Dinner 32