IN the winter months of 1876-77 there were complications in the Near East, Constantinople as usual being the centre of the disturbance. Abdul Hamid had recently become Sultan of Turkey,-a short time previously there had occurred the celebrated Bulgarian Atrocities and all the agitation connected therewith. Turkey, as has happened recently, had got a brandnew Constitution, with Midhat Pasha as Grand Vizier.

There had been a Servian and Turkish war, resulting, as might have been expected, in the defeat of the Servians, and terminated by the Turks granting an armistice at the instigation of the Great Powers. About the middle of November 1876 a part of the Russian Army had been mobilised, and in fact the whole situation was most threatening and uncertain.

At that time I was holding an appointment at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, which I had been offered in 1875, not long after my return from the first Ashantee campaign under Sir Garnet Wolseley. My health had suffered much from the effects of the pestilential climate of the West Coast of Africa. I became subject to attacks of intermittent fever, which even now come back on me occasionally, and the doctors strongly recom

mended me to remain in England for a year or so in place of joining my regiment, the 14th Hussars, who then proceeded to India. A couple of years, however, of the fine Sandhurst air quite restored me to health, and giving way to what I fear was a somewhat restless spirit, I yearned to have a chance of seeing more active service and something of real war, which then appeared almost imminent in the Balkan Peninsula. I therefore took counsel with Sir Patrick MacDougall, head of the Intelligence Department at the War Office, a most distinguished and able soldier, as well as a very charming and sympathetic chief, under whom I had the good fortune to serve after leaving the Staff College. He told me that if I were willing myself to take the risk of an adventurous journey without official recognition he had something for me to do, and advised me to resign my appointment at Sandhurst, where the whole system was about to be changed, thus giving me a plausible excuse for retiring. Sir Patrick told me that our Government were extremely

anxious to obtain some reliable information regarding the actual intentions of the Russian Government and their preparedness for war with Turkey. They also wished to discover what preparations had been

made by the Turks, and in what condition they were to oppose a Russian invasion with any chance of success. He added that the Russian Ambassador at St James's, Count Schouvaloff, was continually assuring our Foreign Minister that the Czar had nothing but peaceful intentions; our Military Attaché at St Petersburg gave the same reportthat the Russians were not prepared and did not mean war. In fact, on every side, he said, through Court circles and other channels, there were profuse assurances that peace was certain. The Government, he said, want to know if all these protestations are well founded -do you think you can find out for us? Sir Patrick went on to warn me that I should have to take all the risk, that the Government would not acknowledge me, that they had already been involved in some difficulties with the Russian Government by Captain Burnaby's ride to Khiva, and were specially anxious to avoid any similar disagreeables, more especially as our relations with the Government of the Czar were at that time far from cordial.

I thought the matter over and decided that the game was worth the candle, and keeping my own counsel started off for Paris on January 2, 1877. I may mention that shortly before I left Sandhurst, after I had seen General MacDougall, it occurred to me that it would be a good opportunity to write an historical account of the previous contests that had

taken place between Russia and Turkey, as if this war came off such a work would certainly be of public interest and might command a good sale. I accordingly set to work at once, collected the materials and began to write hard. Unfortunately the time was 80 short that I had to write hurriedly, and the work, which I managed to produce in a few weeks' time, entitled 'Russian Wars with Turkey,' which afterwards went through two editions, was neither so plete nor so satisfactory as I hope it would have been had I been able to devote more time to it. As I see an old copy now on my bookshelves, I lament that I had not made better use of such a good chance of writing a standard work, and groan over one or two mistakes which I discovered when too late to correct them. However, the only publisher whom I consulted was glad to publish the work, and offered me the usual terms in such

cases.

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While thus preparing to start for the East, and working at my book, General von Gorloff, the Russian Military Attaché, who is mentioned in the Memoir of Madame von Novikoff recently published, paid me several visits at my lodgings in St James's Place, which I had selected as being near a club where I used to get my meals-" Arthurs "- So as to leave me as much time as possible for writing. I had made the acquaintance of this distinguished officer, who, I regret to see, died not very

long since. I cannot quite remember how or where I first met him, but I found him a most polished and charming gentleman, and we became great friends. I could not, however, help wondering why he so frequently came to see me, always on some trivial pretext. I then remembered that in course of conversation I had mentioned to him that I was leaving Sandhurst and going abroad. He asked me at our last interview in London if I was going to pass through Paris and where I should be staying. I told him my hotel, and shortly after my arrival there who should turn up but Gorloff again. I thought he really was most friendly, but just as we parted the cause of his attentions was disclosed: as he wished me good-bye he said, "Now tell me, are you going out to join Baker?" Poor Valentine Baker had just been let out of prison, and, seeing there would be trouble in the East, had started off for Constantinople in hopes of obtaining employment under the Turkish Government, and there were reports that he had been commissioned to reorganise the Turkish cavalry, and that a number of British officers would be sent to assist him.

While, however, reassuring General Gorloff as regards Baker, I thought it quite unnecessary to tell him that my mission was to look at the Russian Army concentrated on the Pruth, and also to visit the Turkish frontier fortresses. After I came home I again saw something of my friend Gorloff,

VOL. CLXXXVI.-NO. MCXXVI.

who apparently bore me no malice for having, as I thought, got the better of him, or for the outspoken manner in which I laid bare the various aggressions of Russia in my little book. I remember asking him to dine with me at the Army and Navy Club to meet some interesting people, in order to make it quite clear that there was no personal feeling between us. He was delighted to come, and said the date suggested would suit him perfectly. Then I unfortunately mentioned that Mr Frederick Greenwood, editor of the 'St James's Gazette,' would also be one of my guests. He immediately pulled a note-book out of his pocket,-in order to make quite sure of the date, he said, and suddenly discovered that he had a special engagement on that evening. The subterfuge was so palpable that I asked him at once, "Why don't you like meeting Mr Greenwood?" He then replied frankly, "I do not like meeting any newspaper people, and I will let you know why.' He then told me that when the 1870 war was going on between France and Germany he was appointed Military Attaché to

the United States, and landed in New York. He was immediately surrounded by newspaper reporters, whom he absolutely refused to interview, and got safely to his hotel. Shortly after he got there a man came up to him and said, "Sir, I want your views on the present aspect of affairs in Europe." Then angrily he turned on his heel and said, "I

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