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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9e21803 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51879 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51879) diff --git a/old/51879-0.txt b/old/51879-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ee06418..0000000 --- a/old/51879-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11912 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The City of the Sultan; and Domestic Manners -of the Turks, in 1836, Vol. II (of 2), by Miss (Julia) Pardoe - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The City of the Sultan; and Domestic Manners of the Turks, in 1836, Vol. II (of 2) - - -Author: Miss (Julia) Pardoe - - - -Release Date: April 29, 2016 [eBook #51879] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITY OF THE SULTAN; AND -DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE TURKS, IN 1836, VOL. II (OF 2)*** - - -E-text prepared by Julia Miller, Turgut Dincer, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive/American Libraries -(https://archive.org/details/americana) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 51879-h.htm or 51879-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51879/51879-h/51879-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51879/51879-h.zip) - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive/American Libraries. See - https://archive.org/details/cityofsultanandd02pardiala - - Project Gutenberg has the other volume of this work. - Volume I: see http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51878 - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - A carat character is used to denote superscription. A - single character following the carat is superscripted - (example: G^t). Multiple superscripted characters are - enclosed by curly brackets (example: Lith^{rs}). - - The part of List of Illustrations in Vol. I. related - to Vol. II. is moved to Vol. II. for completenes and - consistency. - - - - - -THE CITY OF THE SULTAN; AND DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE TURKS, IN 1836. - - -[Illustration: Miss Pardoe del. - -Day & Haghe Lith^{rs}. to the King. - -YÈRÈ BATAN SERAÏ - -_Henry Colburn 12 G^t. Marlborough St. 1837_] - - - - -THE CITY OF THE SULTAN; AND DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE TURKS, IN 1836. - -by - -MISS PARDOE, - -Author of “Traits and Traditions of Portugal.” - - -[Illustration: TOWER OF GALATA.] - - -In Two Volumes. - -VOL. II. - - - - - - - -London: -Henry Colburn, Publisher, -Great Marlborough Street. -1837. - -London: -P. Shoberl, Jun., Leicester Street, Leicester Square. - - - - -CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. - - - CHAPTER I. - - Departure for Broussa—Rocky Coast—Moudania—The Custom - House—Translation of the word _Backshich_—The Archbishop of - Broussa—The Boatman’s House—The Dead and the - Living—Laughable Cavalcade—Dense Mists—Fine - Country—Flowers, Birds, and Butterflies—The Coffee Hut—The - Turkish Woman—Broussa in the Distance—The Dried-up - Fountain—Immense Plains—Bohemian Gipsies—Mountain - Streams—Turkish Washerwomen—Fine Old Wall—The Jews’ - Quarter—The Turkish Kiosk—Oriental Curiosity—A Dream of - Home Page 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Ancient Gate—Greek Inscriptions—Mausoleum of Sultan - Orcan—Monkish Chronicle—The Turbedar Hanoum—Inverted - Columns—Painted Pillars—Splendid Marbles—Tombs of the - Imperial Family—The Greek Cross—The Sultan’s - Beard—Mausoleum of Sultan Ali Osman—Monastic Vaults—Ruined - Chapel—Remains of a Greek Palace—Bassi Relievi—Ruined - Fountains—Ancient Fosse—Dense Vegetation—Noble - Prospect—Roman Aqueduct—Valley of the Source—Picturesque - Groups—Coffee-Kiosks—Absence of Pretension among the - Turks—The Tale Teller—Traveller’s Khan—Sick Birds—Roman - Bridge—Armenian Mother 21 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Orientalism of Broussa—Costume of the Men—Plain - Women—Turbans and Yashmacs—Facility of Ingress to the - Mosques—Oulou Jamè—Polite Imam—Eastern Quasimodo—Ascent of - the Minaret—The Charshee—Travelling Hyperboles—Silk - Bazàr—Silk Merchants Khan—Fountains of Broussa—Broussa and - Lisbon—The Baths—Wild Flowers—Tzekerghè—Mosque of Sultan - Mourad—Madhouse—Court of the Mosque—Singular - Fountain—Mausoleum of Sultan Mourad—Golden Gate—Local - Legend—The Tomb-house—More Vandalism—Ancient - Turban—Comfortable Cemeteries—Subterranean Vault—Great - Bath—Hot Spring—Baths and Bathers—Miraculous - Baths—Armenian Doctress—Situation of Tzekerghè—Storks and - Tortoises—Turkish Cheltenham 38 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Difficulty of Access to the Chapel of the Howling - Dervishes—Invitation to Visit their Harem—The Chapel—Sects - and Trades—Entrance of the Dervishes—Costume—The - Prayer—Turning Dervishes—Fanatical Suffering—Groans and - Howls—Difficulty of Description—Sectarian Ceremony—Music - versus Madness—Tekiè of the Turning Dervishes 60 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Loquacious Barber—Unthrifty Travellers—Mount Olympus—Early - Rising—Aspect of the Country at Dawn—Peasants and - Travellers—Fine View—Peculiarity of Oriental Cities—Stunted - Minarets—Plains and Precipices—Halting-Place—Difficulty of - Ascending the Mountain—Change of Scenery—Repast in the - Desart—Civil Guide—Appearance of the Mount—Snows and - Sunshine—Fatiguing Pilgrimage—Dense Mists—Intense - Cold—Flitting Landscape—The Chibouk—The Giant’s Grave—The - Roofless Hut—Lake of Appollonia—The Wilderness—Dangerous - Descent—Philosophic Guide—Storm among the Mountains—The - Guide at Fault—Happy Discovery—Tempest 72 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - The Armenian Quarter of Broussa—Catholics and - Schismatics—Armenian Church—Ugly Saints—Burial Place of the - Bishops—Cloisters—Public School—Mode of Rearing the Silk - Worms—Difference between the European and the Asiatic - Systems—Colour and Quantity of the Produce—Appearance of the - Mulberry Woods 90 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - The Cadi’s Wife—Singular Custom—Haïsè Hanoum—The - Odalique—The Cadi—Noisy Enjoyment—Lying in - State—Cachemires—Costume—Unbounded Hospitality of the - Wealthy Turks—The Dancing Girl—Saïryn Hanoum—Contrast 96 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Tzèkerghè—Bustling Departure—Turkish _Patois_—Waiting Maids - and Serving Men—Characteristic Cavalcade—Chapter of - Accidents—Train of Camels—Halt of the Caravan—Violent - Storm—Archbishop of Broussa—The Old - Palace—Reception-Room—Priestly Humility—Greek - Priests—Worldly and Monastic Clergy—Morals of the - Papas—Asiatic Pebbles—Moudania—Idleness of the - Inhabitants—Decay of the Town—Policy of the Turkish - Government—Departure for Constantinople 106 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Death in the Revel—Marriage of the Princess Mihirmàh—The - Imperial Victim—The First Lover—Court Cabal—Policy of the - Seraskier—The Second Suitor—The Miniature—The Last - Gift—Interview between the Sultan and Mustapha Pasha 118 - - - CHAPTER X. - - Yenekeui—The Festival of Fire—Commemorative - Observance—Fondness of the Orientals for - Illumination—Frequency of Fires in Constantinople—Dangerous - Customs—Fire Guard—The Seraskier’s Tower—Disagreeable - Alarum—Namik Pasha—The Festival - Localized—Veronica—Bonfires—Therapia and - Buyukdèrè—Singular Effect of Light—The Armenian Heroine—A - Wild Dream 134 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - A Chapter on Caïques—The Sultan’s Barge—Princes and - Pashas—The Pasha’s Wife—The Admiralty Barge—The Fruit - Caïque—The Embassy Barge—The Omnibus Caïque—Turkish - Boatmen—The Caïque of Azmè Bey—Pleasant Memories—The - Chevalier Hassuna de Ghies—Natural Politeness of the - Turks—Turkey and Russia—Sultan Mahmoud—Confusion of - Tongues—Arif Bey—Imperial Present—The Fruit of - Constantinople—The Two Banners—The Harem—Azimè Hanoum 143 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - The Bosphorus in Summer—The Tower of Galata—Mosque of - Topphannè—Summer Palace of the Grand Vizier—Seraï of the - Princess Salihè—Seraïs and Salemliks—Palace of Azmè - Sultane—Turkish Music—Token Flowers—Palace of the Princess - Mihirmàh—The Hill of the Thousand Nightingales—Turkish, - Greek, and Armenian Houses—Cleanliness of the Orientals—The - Armenians—Cemetery of Isari—The Castle of Europe—Mahomet - and the Greeks—Village of Mirgheun—The Haunted Chapel of St. - Nicholas—Palace of Prince Calimachi—Imperial Jealousy—Death - of Calimachi—The Bosphorus by Moonlight—Love of the - Orientals for Flowers—Depth of the Channel—An Imperial - Brig—Turkish Justice—Fortunes of the Turkish Fleet—Sudden - Transitions—Influence of Russian Sophistry—The Sultan’s - Physicians—Naval Appointments—Rigid Discipline—The Penalty - of Disobedience—The Death Banquet—Tahir Pasha—Radical - Remedy—Vice of the Turkish System of Government—Unkiar - Skelessi—A Mill and a Manufactory—Pic Nics—Arabian - Encampment—Bedouin Beauty—Poetical Locality 158 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Facts and Fictions—Female Execution at Constantinople—Crime - of the Condemned—Tale of the Merchant’s Wife—The Call to - Prayer—The Discovery—The Mother and Son—The - Hiding-Place—The Capture—The Trial—A Night Scene in the - Harem—The Morrow—Mercifulness of the Turks towards their - Women 183 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Political Position of the Turks—Religion of the - Osmanlis—Absence of Vice among the Lower Orders—Defect of - Turkish Character—European Supineness—Policy of - Russia—England and France—A Turkish Comment on England—The - Government and the People—Common Virtue—Great Men—Turks of - the Provinces—European Misconceptions 198 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - Death in a Princely Harem—The Fair Georgian—Distinction of - Circassian and Georgian Beauty—The Saloon—Sentiment of the - Harem—Courteous Reception—Domestic Economy of the - Establishment—The Young Circassian—Emin Bey—Singular Custom - of the Turks—The Buyuk Hanoum—The Female Dwarf—_Naïveté_ of - the Turkish Ladies—The Forbidden Door—The Sultan’s - Chamber—The Female Renegade—Penalty of Apostacy—Musical - Ceremony—Frank Ladies and True Believers—A Turkish - Luncheon—Devlehäi Hanoum—Old Wives _versus_ Young Ones—The - Parting Gift—The Araba—The Public Walk—Fondness of the - Orientals for Fine Scenery—The Oak Wood 211 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Military Festival—Turkish Ladies—Female Curiosity—Eastern - Coquetry—A Few Words on the Turkish _Fèz_—The Imperial Horse - Guards—Disaffection of the Imperial Guard—False Alarms—The - Procession—The Troops at Pera—Imitative Talent of the - Turks—Disappointment 231 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Turkish Ladies “At Home”—The Asiatic Sweet Waters—Holy - Ground—The Glen of the Valley—Hand Mirrors—Holyday - Groups—Courtesy of the Oriental Females to Strangers—The - Beautiful Devotee—The Pasha’s Wife—A Guard of Honour—Change - of Scene—Fortress of Mahomet—Amiability of the Turkish - Character 242 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - The Reiss Effendi—Devlehäi Hanoum—The Fair Circassian—The - Pasha—Ceremonious Observances of the Harem—An - Interview—Namik Pasha _versus_ Nourri Effendi—Imperial - Decorations—The Diploma—Turkish Gallantry—The Chibouks—The - Salemliek—The Garden—Holy Horror—The Kiosk—The - Breakfast—A Party in the Harem—Nèsibè Hanoum—The - Yashmac—The Masquerade—Turkish Compliments—The Slave and - the Fruit Merchant—Departure from the Palace 262 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Imperial Gratitude—The Freed Woman—A Female - Cœlebs—Hussein the Watchmaker—Golden Dreams—Arabas and - Arabajhes—Maternal Regrets—A Matrimonial - Excursion—Difficult Position—The _Sèkèljhes_—A Young - Husband—The Emir—The Officer of the Guard—The Emir’s - Daughter—First Love—Ballad Singing—A - Salutation—Moonlight—Rejected Addresses—Ruse de Guerre—The - Arrest—A Lover’s Defence—Munificence of the Seraskier Pasha 278 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - Turkish Madhouses—Surveillance of Sultan - Mahmoud—Self-Elected Saints—Lunatic Establishment of - Solimaniè—The Mad Father—The Apostate—The Sultan’s - Juggler—Slave Market—Charshee 293 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - The Castle of Europe—The Traitor’s Gate—The Officer of the - Guard—Military Scruples—The State Prison—The Tower of - Blood—The Janissaries’ Tower—_Cachots - Forcès_—Guard-room—The Bow-string—Frightful Death—The - Signal Gun—The Grand Armoury—Flourishing State of the - Establishment—A Dialogue—The Barracks of the Imperial - Guard—The Persian Kiosk—Courts and Cloisters—The - Kitchen—The Regimental School—A Coming Storm—The - Tempest—Dangerous Passage—Turkish Terror—Kind-hearted - Caïquejhe—Fortunate Escape 302 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - The Plague—Spread of the Pestilence—The Greek - Victim—Self-Devotion—Death of the Plague Smitten—The - Widow’s Walk—Plague Encampments—The Infected Family—The - Greek Girl and her Lover—Non-Conductors—Plague - Perpetuators—Vultures—Melancholy Concomitants of the - Pestilence—Carelessness of the Turks—The Pasha of - Broussa—Rashness of the Poorer Classes—Universality of the - Disease in the Capital 317 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - A Greek Marriage—The Day before the Bridal—The Wedding - Garments—Cachemires—Ceremony of Reception—The Golden - Tresses—Early Hours of the Greek Church—Love of the Greek - Women for Finery—The Bridal Procession—The Marriage—The - Nuptial Crowns—Greek Funerals 338 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - The Fèz Manufactory—Singular Scene—A Turk at Prayers—Pretty - Girls—Progress of Turkish Industry—Mustapha Effendi—Process - of Manufactures—Omer Effendi and the Arabs—Avanis Aga, the - Armenian—The Fraud Discovered—The Imperial - Apartments—Departure for the Seraï-Bournou—The Outer - Court—The Orta Kapoussi—The Pestle and Mortar of the - Ulémas—The Garden of Delight—The Column of - Theodosius—Arrival of the Sultan—Ancient Greek - Inscriptions—Confused Impression—The Diamond—Memories of - Sultan Selim 348 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - Social Condition of the Eastern Jews—Parallel between the - Jews of Europe and the Levant—Cruelty of the Turkish Children - to Jews—A Singular Custom—Religious Strictness of the - Jews—National Administration—The House of Naim Zornana of - Galata—Costume of the Jewish Women—Hebrew Hospitality 361 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - Hospitality of the Armenians—An Impromptu Visit—The - Bride—Costly Costume—Turkish Taste—Kind Reception—Domestic - Etiquette of the Schismatic Armenians—Armenian Sarafs—The - National Characteristics 373 - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - Season-Changes at Constantinople—Twilight—The Palace - Garden—Mariaritza, the Athenian—A Love-tale by - Moonlight—The Greek Girl’s Song—The Palace of - Beglierbey—Interior Decorations—The Bath—The Terraces—The - Lake of the Swans—The Air Bath—The Emperor’s Vase—The - Gilded Kiosk—A Disappointment 384 - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - The Bosphorus in Mist—The Ferdinando - Primo—Embarkation—Tardy Passengers—The Black Sea—The - Turkish Woman—Varna—Visit to the Pasha—Rustem Bey—Mustapha - Najib Pasha—Turkish Gallantry—The Lines—Sunset - Landscape—Bulgarian Colonies—Discomforts of a Deck Passage 402 - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - The Danube—Cossack Guard—Moldavian - Musquitoes—Tultzin—Galatz—Plague-Conductors—Prussian - Officer—Excursion to Silistria—Amateur Boatmen—Wretched - Hamlet—The Lame Baron—The Salute—Silistrian Peasants—A - Pic-Nic in the Wilds—The Tortoise—Canoes of the Danube—The - Moldavian State-Barge—Picturesque Boatmen—The Water - Party—Painful Politeness—Visit of the Hospodar—Suite of His - Highness—Princely Panic—The Pannonia 414 - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - Hirsova—Russian Relics—Town of Silistria—Bravery of the - Turks—Village of Turtuki—Group of Pelicans—Glorious - Sunset—Ruschuk—Cheapness of Provisions—The Wallachian - Coast—Bulgaria—Dense Fog—Orava—Roman Bath—Green - Frogs—Widdin—Kalifet—Scala Glavoda—Custom House - Officers—Disembarkation—Wallachian Mountains—A Landscape - Sketch—Costume of the Servian Peasantry—The Village - Belle—Primitive Carriages—The Porte de Fer—The - Crucifix—Magnificent Scenery—Fine Ores 427 - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - Orsova—Castle of the Pass—Turkish Guard—Quarantaine - Ground—Village of Tekia—Awkward Mistake—Pretty Woman—Gay - Dress—A Visiter—Servian Cottagers—A Discovery—Departure—A - Volunteer—Receiving House—A Forced March—The - Grave-Yard—The Quarantaine—A Welcome to Captivity—A Verbal - Coinage—Pleasant Quarters—M. le Directeur—The - Restaurant—Pleasant Announcement—Paternal Care of the - Austrian Authorities—The Health-Inventory—The Guardsman’s - Sword—Medical Visits—Intellectual Amusements—A Friendly - Warning 443 - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - The Last Day of Captivity—Quarantaine Enclosure—Baths of - Mahadia—Landscape Scenery—Peasantry of Hungary—Their - Costume—Trajan’s Road—Hungarian Village—The Mountain - Pass—The Baths—A Disappointment—The - Health-Inventory—Inland Journey—New Road 458 - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - Departure from Orsova—Daybreak—The Mountain-pass—Village of - Plauwischewitza—Austrian Engineers—Literary Popularity—The - Rapids—Sunday in Hungary—Drinkova—Holy day - Groups—Alibec—Voilovitch—Panchova—River-Shoals—Wild - Fowl—Semlin—Fortress of Belgrade—Streets of Semlin—Greek - Church—Castle of Hunyady—Imperial Barge—Agreeable - Escort—Yusuf Pacha—Belgrade—Prince - Milosch—Plague-Preventers—General Milosch—Servian - Ladies—Turk-Town—Ruined Dwellings—The Fortress—Osman - Bey—Gate of the Tower—Fearless Tower—Rapid Decay of the - Fortifications—Sclavonian Garden—Vintage-Feast—Sclavonian - Vintage-Song 471 - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - Carlowitz—Peterwarradin—Bridge of Boats—Neusatz—The - Journey of Life—The Chevalier Peitrich—Austrian - Officers—The Hungarian Poet—Illok—The Ancient Surnium—Peel - Tower—Intense Cold—Flat - Shores—Mohasch—Földvar—Pesth—German Postillion—A Few Last - Words 492 - - -ILLUSTRATIONS. - - PAGE - - Yèrè Batan Seraï _Frontispiece._ - - Tower of Galata _Vignette Title-page._ - - Ruins of the Imperial Palace 28 - - Roman Bridge at Broussa 36 - - Roof of Oulou Jamè from the Garden of the Greek Church 40 - - Turkish Mausoleum 53 - - The Seraglio Point 159 - - Part of the Valley of Guiuk-Suy 244 - - Castle of Mahomet 256 - - Column of Theodosius 358 - - View near Fanaraki, in Asia 406 - - -THE CITY OF THE SULTAN. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - - Departure for Broussa—Rocky Coast—Moudania—The Custom - House—Translation of the word _Backshich_—The Archbishop of - Broussa—The Boatman’s House—The Dead and the - Living—Laughable Cavalcade—Dense Mists—Fine - Country—Flowers, Birds, and Butterflies—The Coffee Hut—The - Turkish Woman—Broussa in the Distance—The Dried-up - Fountain—Immense Plains—Bohemian Gipsies—Mountain - Streams—Turkish Washerwomen—Fine Old Wall—The Jews’ - Quarter—The Turkish Kiosk—Oriental Curiosity—A Dream of - Home. - -Having decided on visiting Broussa, we hired an island caïque with four -stout rowers, and provided ourselves with plenty of coats and cloaks, a -basket of provisions, and a few volumes of French classics; and thus we -set sail from the Golden Horn on the last day of May, leaving Stamboul -all splendour and sunshine. - -A brisk northerly wind carried us rapidly out into the Propontis; all -sails were set; my father and myself comfortably established among “the -wraps,” our Greek servant ensconced between two baskets, the steersman -squatted upon the poop of the boat grinning applause, and revealing in -his satisfaction a set of teeth as white as ivory; and, ere long, -excepting this last, our attendant, and myself, every soul on board was -asleep. - -In less than two hours, Stamboul had vanished like a vision, and could -only be traced by the line of heavy mist which skirted the horizon. The -coast of Asia Minor was darkening as we advanced, wearing the dense -drapery of vapour woven by the excessive heat—the mountain chain, -fantastic in outline, stretched far as the eye could reach, and we had -already left behind us the two quaint rocks which form so peculiar an -object from the heights above Constantinople. But here the wind failed -us altogether; the slumbering caïquejhes were awakened, the oars were -plied, and we moved over the Sea of Marmora, of which I had such -horrible memories, from the night of pain and peril that I had passed -upon it on my way to Turkey, as though we had been traversing a lake. - -Twilight darkened over us thus; and then a light breeze tempted us again -to set the sails, and we glided along smoothly, skirting the rocky coast -until we reached the point opposite Broussa; which, sloping rapidly -downwards to the beach, suddenly revealed to us the glorious moon, that -was rising broad and red immediately on our track, and tracing a line -of light along the ripple which gleamed like gold. - -After having sated myself with the bright moon, the myriad stars, and -the mysterious mountains, at whose base the waves had hollowed caverns, -through which they dashed with a noise like thunder, and once or twice -almost deluded me into a belief that I could distinguish the sound of -human voices issuing from their depths, I at length yielded to the -excessive fatigue that overpowered me; and, wrapping myself closely in -my mantle, I stretched myself along the bottom of the caïque, and did -not again awaken until the boatmen announced our arrival at Moudania. - -It was an hour past midnight, and not a sound came to us from the town. -A score of Arabian barks were anchored off the shore, whose seaward -houses overhang the water; the white minarets of the mosques were in -strong relief upon the tall, dark, thickly-wooded mountains which rose -immediately behind them, and whence the song of the nightingales swept -sweetly and sadly over the ripple; and had we not been drenched with the -heavy dew that had fallen during the night, I should have been quite -satisfied to remain until daylight in the caïque, which soon entered a -little creek in the centre of the town. - -But, previously to casting anchor, we were obliged to pull considerably -higher up the gulf in order to show ourselves at the Custom House, and -to exhibit our Teskarè, or Turkish passport, as well as to submit our -two travelling portmanteaux, and our provision-hamper, to the inspection -of the examining officer. After a vast deal of knocking and calling, an -individual was at length awakened, who came yawning into the caïque with -a paper-lantern in his hand, and his eyes only half open; and who, after -looking drowsily about him, murmured out “_backschish_,” and prepared to -depart; upon which a few piastres were given to him, and he returned on -shore. - -The word backshich is the first of which a traveller learns the meaning -in Turkey; it signifies fee, or present. The Pasha receives backshich -for procuring a place or a pension for some petitioner; then, of course, -it is a present, and precisely as unwelcome as it is unexpected: the boy -who picks up your glove or your whip, as you ride along the street, -demands backshich—he must be fee’d for his civility. Nothing is to be -done in the country without backshich. - -On entering the creek we despatched the servant and one of the -caïquejhes to the house of the Greek Archbishop of Broussa, to whom we -had brought a letter, and who had removed to the coast for the benefit -of sea-bathing; but his Holiness was from home, and there was -consequently no ingress for us. In this dilemma, for hotels there are -none, we had no alternative but to accept for a few hours the -hospitality of one of the boatmen, until we could procure horses to -carry us on to Broussa; and we consequently made our debût in Asia Minor -in an apartment up two flights of rickety stairs, walled with mud, and -shivering under our footsteps. But it suffices to state that the -caïquejhe was a Greek, for it to be understood at once by every Eastern -traveller that the house was cleanly to perfection; and our reception by -the hostess, even at that untoward hour, courteous and attentive. - -Before the servant had brought the luggage up stairs, my father, worn -out by fatigue, was sound asleep upon the divan; and, when the attendant -had withdrawn, I also gladly prepared myself for the enjoyment of a few -hours’ repose; and, casting off my shoes, and winding a shawl about my -head, I took possession of the opposite side of the sofa, and should -soon have followed his example, when I was aroused by the light foot of -the caïquejhe’s wife in the apartment, who, opening a small chest, cast -over me a sheet and coverlet as white as snow, and then retired as -quietly as she came. - -But that sheet and coverlet changed the whole tide of my feelings—the -chest in which they had been kept was of cypress wood—they were -strongly impregnated with its odour—I was exhausted by fatigue and -excitement—and a thousand visions of death and the grave came over me -in the half dreamy state in which I lay, that by no means added to my -comfort. - -With a morbidity of imagination to which I am unhappily subject, I -followed up at length one fantastic and gloomy image, until I began to -believe myself in a state of semi-existence, habiting with the dead; but -the delusion was brief, for I was soon as disagreeably convinced that my -affair was at present altogether with the living. I had been warned that -Broussa was as celebrated for its bugs as for its baths, but I had never -contemplated such martyrdom at Moudania! I sprang from the sofa, shook -my habit with all my strength, and then, folding my fur pelisse for a -pillow, I stretched myself on the carpet, and left the luxuries of the -cushioned divan to my father; who, fortunately for him, proved to be a -sounder sleeper than myself. - -At five o’clock, the horses came to the door; and after partaking -sparingly of the provisions which we had brought with us, we drank a cup -of excellent coffee, prepared by our hostess, and descended to the -street; where my European saddle, by no means a common sight at -Moudania, had collected a crowd of idlers. - -Had Cruikshank been by when we started, we should assuredly not have -escaped his pungent pencil. My father led the van, mounted on a -high-peaked country saddle, with a saddle-cloth of tarnished embroidery, -and a pair of shovel stirrups; I followed, perched above a coarse -woollen blanket, with my habit tucked up to preserve it from the stream -of filth that was sluggishly making its way through the street; after me -came our Greek servant, sitting upon a pile of cloaks and great coats, -holding his pipe in one hand, and his umbrella in the other; and he was -succeeded in his turn by the serudjhe who had charge of our luggage, and -who rode between the portmanteaux, balancing the provision basket before -him, dressed in a huge black turban, ample drawers of white cotton, and -a vest of Broussa silk. The procession was completed by three attendants -on foot, the owners of the horses; and thus we defiled through the -narrow and dirty streets of Moudania, on our way to the ancient capital -of the Ottoman Empire. - -For a time the mists were so dense that, although we had the sea-sand -beneath the hoofs of our horses, we could not distinguish the water; -and, as we turned suddenly to the right, and traversed a vineyard all -alive with labourers, the vapours were rolling off the sides of the -hills immediately in front of us. Feathered even to their summits with -trees, they appeared to rest against the thick folds of heavy white mist -in which they had been enveloped during the night, and presented the -most fantastic shapes. I never traversed a more lovely country; -vineyards were succeeded by mulberry plantations and olive groves, -gardens of cucumber plants, beet-root, and melons, stretches of rich -corn land, and immense plains, hemmed in by gigantic mountains, of which -the unredeemed portions were a perfect garden. - -I have spoken, in my little work on Portugal, of the beauty of the wild -flowers in that country, but I found that those of Asia even transcended -them. Delicate flowing shrubs, herbs of delicious perfume, and blossoms -of every dye, were about our path: the bright lilac-coloured gum-cistus, -with a drop of gold in its centre—the snowy privet, with its scented -cone—the wild hollyhock—the bindweed, as transparent and as variously -coloured as in an European parterre—the mallow, with its pale petals of -pink and white—the turquoise, as blue as a summer sky, and as large as -a field-daisy—the foxglove, springing from amid the rocky masses by the -wayside, like virtue struggling with adversity, and seeming doubly -beautiful from the contrast; the bright yellow blossom which owes to its -constantly vibrating petals the vulgar name of “woman’s tongue”—the -sweet-scented purple starch-flower—wild roses, woodbine, and, above -all, the passion-flower, somewhat smaller than that cultivated in -Europe, but retaining perfectly its pale tints and graceful character, -were mingled with a thousand others that were new to me. - -Upon one spot on this plain I saw the richest clump of vegetation that I -ever met with in my life, it was a small mound near the road-side, -covered with dwarf aloes and arum; I made one of the seridjhes tear up a -plant of the latter for me to examine, and it was perfectly gigantic; -the blossom measured eighteen inches from the base of the calyx to the -extremity of the petal; the colour was a deep, rich ruby, and the stem -was five or six feet in height. I need scarcely add that the stench -which it emitted was intolerable, and we were obliged to rub our hands -with wild chamomile to rid ourselves of it. - -The butterflies were small, sober-coloured, and scarce; but the birds -which surrounded us were various and interesting—the bulfinch, the -elegant black-cap, the nightingale, making the air vocal; and the -cuckoo, whose sharp, quick note cut shrilly through the sweet song with -which it could not assimilate—the skylark, revelling in light, and -drinking in the sunshine—the partridge, half hidden amid the corn, or -winging its way along the valley, kept us constant company; while the -majestic storks sailed over our heads, with their long thin legs folded -back, and their long thin necks stretched forward, steering themselves -by their feet; or remained, gravely standing near the road-side, eyeing -us as we passed with all the confidence of impunity. - -After rising a tolerably steep hill, we descended into a plain of vast -extent, through which brawled a rapid river crossed by a bridge of -considerable span, wherein a herd of buffaloes were cooling themselves; -some lying on their sides wallowing in the mud, and others standing up -to their noses in water, and defying the fierce beams of a sun under -which we were almost fainting. As I pulled up for an instant to observe -them, a kingfisher darted from a clump of underwood overhanging the -bank, glittering in the light, and looking as though it had pilfered the -rainbow. - -Having passed the plain, we again descended, and stopped mid-way of the -mountain before a little hut of withered boughs, tenanted by a -superb-looking Turk, who dispensed coffee and pipes to travellers; -beside the hut a handsome fountain of white granite poured forth a -copious stream of sparkling rock water: and on the other side of the -road a very fine walnut tree overshadowed a bank covered with grass. -Upon this bank the servant spread our mat; and, having removed the large -flapping hats of leg-horn which we wore, we revelled in the dense shade -and refreshing coolness; nor were we the only individuals to whom they -had proved welcome, for a portion of the space was already occupied by a -Turkish woman, whose husband was in the coffee-hut, and who accepted -readily a part of our luncheon, although she could not partake of it -with us, the presence of my father preventing the removal of her -yashmac. I felt glad that she received the offer in the spirit in which -it was made, for the Turks are so universally hospitable that my -obligations to them on this score are weighty; and, singularly enough, -this was the first occasion on which I had ever had an opportunity of -returning the compliment. - -We lingered on this sweet spot nearly an hour, and then, continuing our -descent, and crossing a little stream at its foot, we clomb a lofty -mountain, whence we looked down upon a scene of surpassing beauty. -Before us towered a chain of rocks, whose peaks were clothed with snow; -and beneath us spread a valley dotted with mulberry and walnut trees, -green with corn and vineyards, and gay with scattered villages. At the -base of the highest mountain lay Broussa, and even in the distance we -could distinguish the gleaming out of the white buildings from among the -dense foliage which embosomed them. - -From this point a new feature of beauty was added to the landscape: -fountains rose on all sides, the overflowing of whose basins had -frequently worn a deep channel across the road, where the waters rushed -glittering and brawling along. With the form of one of these fountains I -was particularly struck; it was evidently of considerable antiquity, and -was overshadowed by a majestic lime-tree, whose long branches stretched -far across the road; but its source was dried, and it was rapidly -falling to decay. - -I hesitated for an instant whether I should sketch the fountain, or -again lend to it for an instant the voice that it had lost. I decided on -the latter alternative—and, seating myself upon the edge of the basin, -I hastily scratched the following stanzas in my note-book. - - - THE DRIED-UP FOUNTAIN. - - The emblem of a heart o’er-tried, - I stand amid the waste; - My sparkling source has long been dried; - And the worn pilgrim, to whose ear - My gushing stream was once so dear, - Passes me by in haste. - - No wild bird dips its weary wing - In my pure waters now; - No blushing flowers in beauty spring, - Fed by the gentle dews, that erst - Taught each fair blossom how to burst - With a yet brighter glow. - - The nightingale responds no more - Since my glad sound was hushed, - As she was wont to do of yore, - To the continuous flow, which oft, - When leaves were rife, and winds were soft, - Like her own music gushed. - - Still wave the lime-boughs, whose sweet shade - Was o’er my waters cast, - When high in Heaven the sunbeams played; - But o’er my dried-up basin now - Vainly is spread each leafy bough; - It but recalls the past— - - And thus the human heart no less, - In its young ardent years, - Pours forth its gushing tenderness - Freely, as though time could not fling - A gloom around each lovely thing, - And turn its smiles to tears. - - And thus, like me, it too must prove - How soon the spell goes by; - How falsehood follows fast on love, - Treachery on trust, and guile on truth; - Until the heart, so full in youth, - In age is waste and dry. - - Worn heart, and dried-up fount—for ye - The world is fair in vain; - Birds sing, boughs wave, and winds are free; - But song, nor shade, nor breath, can more - Your joyful gush of life restore— - It will not flow again! - -A great stretch of road, after we had passed the exhausted fountain, -traversed another of those immense plains for which this part of the -country is celebrated. No monotony, however, renders them irksome to the -traveller; on the contrary, they are characteristic and various in the -extreme. Gigantic walnut trees, laden with fruit; fig trees, almost -bending beneath their own produce; little wildernesses of gum cistus, -carpeting the earth with their petals; woods of mulberry trees; -stretches of dwarf oak, with here and there timber of larger size -overtopping them; grass land, gay with tents, pitched for the -accommodation of those who guard the droves of horses grazing in their -vicinity; camels browzing on the young shoots of the forest trees; herds -of buffaloes, with their flat and crescent-shaped horns folding -backward, and their coarse and scantily-covered hides caked with the mud -in which they have been wallowing; and flocks of goats as wild and as -agile as the chamois, keep the eye and the imagination alike employed. - -Now and then a native traveller, mounted on his high-peaked saddle, with -a brace of silver-mounted pistols and a yataghan peeping from amid the -folds of the shawl that binds his waist; his ample turban descending low -upon his brow, and his yellow boots resting upon a pair of shovel -stirrups; his velvet jacket slung at his back, and the long pendent -sleeves of his striped silk robe hanging to his bridle-rein, passes you -by. His horse is, nine times out of ten, scarcely one remove from a -pony, but it can go like the wind; and, as it tosses its well-formed -head, expands its eager nostril, and scours along with its long tail -streaming in the wind, you are immediately reminded that both the animal -and his rider are, although remotely, of Tartar origin. Of course, the -horse has his charm against the Evil Eye, as well as his master; and, -moreover, perhaps, his brow-band, or breeching, prettily embroidered -with small cowries, and his saddle-cloth gay with the tarnished glories -of past splendour. - -At times you are met by a party of Greek serudjhes returning to Moudania -with a band of hired horses, which, although they have probably tired -the patience and wearied the whip of their strange riders, are now -racing along amid the shouts and laughter of their owners, as though -they were engaged in a steeple-chase. A cloud of dust in the distance -heralds the approach of a train of rudely-shaped waggons, frequently -formed of wicker-work, drawn by oxen or buffaloes, and generally laden -with tobacco; while, nearer the city, gangs of donkeys, carrying -neatly-packed piles of mulberry boughs for the use of the silk-worms, -which form the staple trade of the neighbourhood, complete the moving -picture. - -The river which traverses the plain is spanned by a bridge of five -beautifully-formed arches. When we passed, it was so shrunken that an -active leaper might have cleared it at a bound; but the current was -frightfully rapid, and the channel, heaped with flints and sand, had -evidently been insufficient to contain its volume during the winter, as -the land, for a wide space on either side, bore traces of having been -flooded. - -On the edge of the plain stands the fountain of Adzim Tzèsmèssi, -overshadowed by three fine maple trees, and in itself exceedingly -picturesque. A rudely-constructed kiosk, raised a couple of steps from -the ground, and surrounded by seats, protects the small basin of granite -into which the water rises, and whence it afterwards escapes by pipes -into two exterior reservoirs: that which is shaded by the maples being -reserved for the use of travellers, and the other for the supply of -cattle. - -Here, of course, we found a caféjhe, surrounded by a group of smokers; -and procured some excellent coffee and cherries. - -During our halt, a party of Bohemian gipsies, on their way to the coast, -stopped to refresh themselves and their donkeys at the mountain spring; -they were about thirty in number, and the men were remarkably tall and -well-looking, but formidable enough, with their pistols and yataghans -peeping from their girdles; they had two or three sickly, weary children -in their train, who appeared half dead with heat and toil; and half a -dozen withered old women, who might have sat for the originals of -Macbeth’s witches, they were so “grim and grisly;” but there was one -female among them, a dark-eyed, rosy-lipped maiden of sixteen, or -thereabouts, who was the perfection of loveliness. For a while she stood -apart, but, as the rest of the tribe, attracted by my riding-dress, -clustered about me, and assailed me by questions to which I was utterly -unable to reply, she at length took courage and joined the party. As her -wild and timid glance wandered from me to her companions, I found that -it invariably rested upon one individual, and I had little difficulty in -filling up the romance suggested by her earnest looks. Nor was I -deceived; for when the tribe moved away, the bridle of her donkey was -held by the tall, sunburnt youth to whom she had attracted my attention; -and as they passed the stream, he did not relinquish it though he trod -knee-deep in water, when he might have traversed the little bridge -without wetting the soles of his feet; but in recompense of his -devotion, he feasted, as he went, on the smiles of his fair mistress, -and the cherries which I had poured into her lap. After their departure, -I made a hasty sketch of the fountain, and then quitted with reluctance -a spot so redolent of beauty. - -The plain at this point appeared to be set in one uninterrupted -frame-work of mountains—the river ran shimmering and sparkling through -its centre—the mulberry and walnut trees were scattered thickly over -its entire surface—the clouds, as they flitted by, created a thousand -beautiful varieties of light and shade; and the soft wind that sighed -through the maple leaves almost made me forget my fatigue. - -What rills of water we passed through after we left the plain! Every -quarter of a mile we encountered a fountain; and for upwards of a league -we rode through the heart of a mulberry plantation, fringed with noble -walnut trees. At some of the fountains, groups of women were washing; -and it was amusing to see them hastily huddling on their yashmacs as -they remarked the approach of our party. In many cases, the water which -escaped from the basins provided for it, ran rippling along the road, -and covering the whole surface for a considerable distance, ere it -buried itself among the long grass that skirted the plantation. The -mulberry wood was succeeded by gardens; and the rich, rank vegetation -reminded me strongly of Portugal, than which I never saw any country -more similar. - -At a short distance from Broussa, a fine old wall, based on the living -rock, rose in its stern hoary decay immediately before our path; -clusters of mouldering towers, half overgrown with parasites, from among -which gleamed out the modern and many-gabled palace of some Turkish -noble, all apparently growing out of its grey remains, varied the -outline; nor did we lose sight of them until, on reaching the gate of -the city, we turned sharply to the right, in order to escape the Jews’ -quarter; and, on arriving in that appropriated to the Greeks, took -possession of a furnished house, which had been prepared for us by the -polite attention of Mr. Z——, an Armenian merchant, to whom we had a -letter: when, on approaching the window, I found that the view was -bounded by the same old wall, crowned by a charming kiosk, with its -trelliced terrace and domed temple, overhung with roses; while the rock, -and even the wall itself, were thickly covered with wild vines, trailing -their long branches like garlands; flowering rock-plants in abundance, -and white jessamine and other parasites, rooted in the garden above, and -mingling their blossoms with those which Nature alone had planted. - -A stately Turk was seated at the open window of the kiosk, smoking his -chibouk, and attended by his pipe-bearer; who, when he had satisfied his -own curiosity, slowly withdrew, and was shortly replaced by a female, -closely veiled, and followed by a couple of slaves. I fell asleep on -the sofa without obtaining a glimpse of her face; and, on awaking, found -that she had departed in her turn, and that a party of solemn-looking -Musselmauns had established themselves in the temple from which they -could overlook the whole of our apartment, where they were smoking, and -drinking large goblets of water. - -I do not know when the party broke up, as I retreated to the other side -of the house, and took possession of a room whose windows looked into a -court enclosed by high walls painted in fresco, and containing two -pretty fountains, whose ceaseless murmurings soon lulled me once more to -sleep. A fine lime tree threw its shade far into the apartment—a female -voice was singing in the distance—and as I cast myself on the divan, -and closed my eyes, a feeling of luxury crept over me which influenced -my dreams.—— - -No wonder that my visions were of home, and of the best of mothers!—I -was in her arms—on her heart. - -My first hour’s dream at Broussa was worth a waking day! - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - - Ancient Gate—Greek Inscriptions—Mausoleum of Sultan - Orcan—Monkish Chronicle—The Turbedar Hanoum—Inverted - Columns—Painted Pillars—Splendid Marbles—Tombs of the - Imperial Family—The Greek Cross—The Sultan’s Beard—Mausoleum - of Sultan Ali Osman—Monastic Vaults—Ruined Chapel—Remains of - a Greek Palace—Bassi Relievi—Ruined Fountains—Ancient - Fosse—Dense Vegetation—Noble Prospect—Roman Aqueduct—Valley - of the Source—Picturesque Groups—Coffee-Kiosks—Absence of - Pretension among the Turks—The Tale Teller—Traveller’s - Khan—Sick Birds—Roman Bridge—Armenian Mother. - - -At an early hour on the following morning we started, accompanied by a -guide, and our own servant who acted as Dragoman, to visit such objects -of interest as might exist in the immediate vicinity of the city; and -after climbing the hill on which the ancient wall is based, and passing -through a fine old gate, in whose neighbourhood we remarked several -Greek inscriptions that had apparently been displaced at the capture of -the city, as one or two of them are inverted, we found ourselves in -front of the Mausoleum of Sultan Orcan. - -This sovereign, who was the son of Othman, the first Turkish Emperor, -took Broussa, (which was at the time the capital of Bithinia) in the -year 1350; and, according to an old monkish chronicle which I consulted -on the spot, “He found three towers filled with the treasures of these -kings, which they had been amassing from the first building of the city; -gold and silver in ingots and in coins; pearls and jewels, among which -were twelve precious stones unique in value; furniture and dresses -wrought in gold and silver; crowns of great price filled with gold and -pearls; saddles, pantaloons, and swords worked with gold, and pearls, -and jewels—forming altogether the lading of seven hundred camels, all -of which he despatched to his native country. This done, he collected -together all the young children: some he caused to lie on their stomachs -upon the earth, where he trampled them beneath the feet of horses; -others he flung into the river; and others again he exposed naked to the -sun, where they died of thirst. Many mothers stifled their children, -rather than deliver them over to the barbarian. It would be difficult to -describe the torments inflicted on the Bishops, the Priesthood, and the -monks; some were drowned, some burnt, some dragged by horses, &c. &c.” - -“This monarch,” pursues the historian, “was brave, luxurious, and -generous; and was the husband of Kilikia, the Princess of Caramania; he -was wounded at the taking of Broussa, and died in consequence a few days -afterwards, having reigned twenty-two years.” - -It was the tomb of this “generous” conqueror which we were about to -invade; and, while the guide was absent in search of the Turbedar -Hanoum, or Holy Woman, who had charge of the keys, I amused myself by -examining the exterior entrance of the building, or rather of that -portion of it now converted into an Imperial Mausoleum. - -The open porch, with its deeply projecting roof painted in fresco, is -supported by two pillars of coarse old Byzantine architecture, and -composed of delicately-veined white marble. This porch gives admittance -only to the Court of the Tomb-house, and presents a spectacle probably -unique, and so characteristic of the progress of the fine arts in this -country, that it deserves especial mention. The pillars to which I have -alluded as supporting the porch are reversed; the sculptured capitals -rest on the earth, and a plaistered summit has been supplied, gaudily -painted in blue and yellow; while the pillars themselves are only just -beginning, thanks to time and weather, to reveal the material of which -they are composed, through their decaying coat of whitewash! - -When a frightful old woman, huddled up in a scarf of coarse white -cotton, at length made her appearance, key in hand, and admitted us to -the Inner Court, a second anomaly nearly as startling as the first -presented itself. The enclosure was thickly planted with young trees, -among which a pomegranate, gorgeous in its livery of green and scarlet, -was the most conspicuous; and a sparkling fountain was pouring forth its -copious stream of clear cool water into a marble reservoir; while the -long flexile branches of a wild vine were gracefully wreathed across the -entrance of the Mausoleum. But here again the hand of barbarism had been -at work; and the four slender Ionic columns of gray marble which support -the porch, had undergone the same melancholy process of painting, and -their capitals were decorated with a wreath of many-coloured foliage! - -Little did such an exhibition of modern Vandalism prepare me for the -splendid coup-d’œil that awaited me within. The Mausoleum is a portion -of an ancient Greek monastery, dismantled by Sultan Orcan at the capture -of the city; and is supposed to have been a private chapel in which the -Emperor was accustomed to perform his devotions. It is of an oval form; -and, previously to a fire which partially destroyed it a few years -since, was entirely lined with rich marbles. Those now deficient have -been replaced by paint and stucco, in precisely the same taste as that -which operated on the exterior; but, as their number is comparatively -small, the general effect is not greatly marred. - -Sultan Orcan, with his wife Kilikia, two of his Odaliques, and seventeen -of his children, occupy the centre of the floor; whose fine mosaic -pavement has been covered throughout the whole space thus appropriated -with a mass of coarse plaister, raised about a foot from the floor, and -supporting the Sarcophagi. That of the Sultan himself is overlaid with a -costly cachemire shawl, above which are spread two richly embroidered -handkerchiefs in crimson and green, worked with gold; while the turban -at its head is decorated with a third, wrought in beautiful arabesques, -and by far the most splendid thing of the kind that I ever saw, Those of -the Sultanas and their children are simply painted of the sacred green, -and totally unornamented; the first instance of such a marked -distinction that I had yet met with in the country. - -At the upper end of the chapel, three rows of marble seats, arranged -amphitheatrically, occupy the extremity of the oval immediately opposite -to the altar, and are surmounted by a centre seat, supposed to have been -that from which the monarch was accustomed to hear the mass, while his -nobles placed themselves on the benches at his feet. The lofty dome is -supported by six gigantic square pillars of masonry, and the marbles -that line the walls are inserted with considerable taste. In one of the -side arches a cross still remains, which was introduced among the -mosaics by the Greeks; but a second, of much larger dimensions, which -surmounted their altar, has been destroyed, and the space that it -occupied coarsely covered with plaister. - -On the left-hand side of the Imperial Sarcophagus hangs a small wooden -case, shaped like a bird-cage, and covered with green silk, containing -the Sultan’s beard!—the precious relic of five centuries! - -The Mausoleum of Sultan Ali Osman, the son of Orcan, which occupies the -other wing of the building, contains no object of particular interest; -the Hall of Sepulchre is similar in material and in arrangement, save -that the Sarcophagi of his wives and children are simply whitewashed. -The modern Emperors have been more gallant; and many a deceased Sultana -sleeps the last sleep at Constantinople, covered with shawls which, -during the rage for cachemeres in Paris, would have killed half the -_élégantes_ with envy. - -From the Mausoleum of Sultan Ali Osman, we passed into the vaults of the -Monastery, and through a subterranean cloister, supported by pillars; -whence we clambered by a crazy ladder into what had evidently been the -Chapel of the Monastery. Fragments of frescoes still remain about the -dilapidated altar, and on the screen of the Sanctuary—here it is a head -without a body, and there a pair of legs without either—on one side a -half-effaced inscription in old Monkish Latin; and on the other a -cluster of wild flowers, concealing the ruin against which they lean. -Several of the arches of the chapel still remain, and are very -gracefully formed, but the whole scene is one of melancholy: the only -portions of the building which are perfect are the tombs of the Ottoman -Emperors; all that yet bears the trace of Christianity is stamped with -ruin. - -We next visited the remains of the Palace of the ancient Greek Emperors, -whose dilapidated gateway is flanked by the mouldering remains of two -_bassi relievi_; and the fragments of two fountains of white marble, -whose waters, unrestrained by the mutilated basins into which they -poured themselves, have worn a narrow channel beside the road, where -they rush along, sparkling in the sunshine. The capital of one of the -columns which once graced them still remains nearly entire, and is of -that elegant stalactite-like architecture peculiar to the Arabs, and -quite unknown in Europe. Having passed the gate, we entered a small -court, thickly planted with ancient mulberry trees, and containing the -remains of some of the Imperial offices; whence a second door admitted -us into a wide enclosure, now converted into a nursery-garden, full of -vigorous vegetation. - -Passing onward, we crossed, by a few unsteady planks, a portion of the -ancient fosse, and found ourselves upon the wall overhanging the city, -surrounded by the group of mouldering and ivy-grown towers that I had -remarked on my journey, and which I found to be the remains of the -Palace. - -[Illustration: RUINS OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE.] - -Nothing more magnificent can be imagined than the view from this height. -The wide plain through which we had travelled from the coast lay spread -out before us, dotted over its whole surface with mulberry and olive -trees—the river ran rushing in the light among the dense -vegetation—far as the eye could reach, lofty mountains, purpled by the -distance, shut in the prospect—while, immediately beneath us, Broussa -lay mapped out in all its extent, the sober-coloured buildings -overshadowed by lofty trees; and the three hundred and eighty mosques of -the city scattered in the most picturesque irregularity along the side -of the mountains, and on the skirts of the valley. The palace of a Pasha -was close beside us, and behind us rose the lofty chain of land which -veiled the lordly summit of Mount Olympus; while over all laughed the -bluest and the brightest sky that imagination can picture. - -Beyond this, and this was of course the result of situation, and in -itself independent of other interest, the remains of the Imperial Palace -are altogether destitute of attraction; its decay is too far advanced, -or rather its destruction is too absolute, to present a single charm to -the most determined ruin-hunter in the world. - -About a mile higher up the mountain stand the remains of a Roman -aqueduct; half a dozen mouldering towers of colossal dimensions rise -hoar and gray against the sky, and at their feet rushes along the -pellucid water that supplies the fountains of the city. A narrow channel -formed of stone, and full to overflowing, guides the course of the -stream, which escapes from the heart of the mountain at the point where -it hems in the gayest and the greenest valley that ever fairy revelled -in by moonlight. The channel skirts this valley, until it again passes -beneath the living rock, and pours itself into the reservoirs of -Broussa—but it is less of the mountain stream, or of the fine old Roman -remains, that I desire to speak, than of the lovely glen to which I have -just alluded. - -This fair spot is the “Sweet Waters” of Broussa; and as we chanced to -visit it for the first time on a Turkish Sunday, its effect was -considerably heightened. Surrounded by lofty mountains, overtopped by -mouldering ruins, shaded by stately trees, and fresh with springing -verdure, its aspect was yet further gladdened by groups of happy idlers -in their holyday costume, seated on their mats along the margin of the -source, or lounging beneath the shade of two rudely constructed -coffee-kiosks; one of which, built immediately beside the spring, and -resting against the rock whence it issued, was shaded from the north -wind by a small but elegant mosque, whose tall minaret was reflected in -the clear stream; while the other, erected beneath the shade of two -majestic maples, seemed to contend the prize of coolness and comfort -with its neighbour. From one ridge of rock an elegant kiosk overhung the -valley; while from another a cherry tree, laden with fruit, tempted the -hand with its clustering riches. - -Altogether, I never beheld a more lovely scene; and the last touch of -beauty was given by the distant view of a Turkish cemetery, which clomb -the side of the mountain, and whose grave-stones were shaded by clumps -of the dark, silent cypress, relieved here and there by a stately walnut -tree, with its bright leaves dancing in the wind. The groups that were -scattered over the valley were eminently picturesque: there was the -_employé_ with his ill-cut frock-coat and unbecoming _fèz_—the Emir, -with his ample green turban, and his vest and drawers of snowy -cotton—the Tatar, clad in crimson, wrought with gold, his waist bound -with a leathern belt, and his legs protected by Albanian gaiters—the -Ulema, with a white shawl twisted about his brow, and a brass ink-bottle -thrust into his girdle—the Turning Dervish, with his high cap of gray -felt, and his pelisse of green cloth—the Greek serudjhe, with a black -shawl twined round his _fèz_, his jacket slung at his back, his -gaily-striped vest confined by a shawl about his waist, his full -trowsers fastened at the knee, and his legs bare—the Armenian, with his -tall calpac and flowing robe—all sitting in groups, smoking their -chibouks, sipping their coffee, and drinking huge draughts of the cold -rock-water, from goblets of crystal as clear and sparkling as the -liquid which they contained. - -At the coffee-kiosk of the source, groups were engaged in conversation, -without any regard to rank or situation in life. The Turks are perfectly -destitute of that _morgue_ which renders European society a constant -state of warfare against intrusion. Every individual is “eligible” in -Turkey—no one loses _caste_ from the contact of unprivileged -associates—the hour of relaxation puts all men on a level; and the Bey -sits down quietly by the caïquejhe, and the Effendi takes his place near -the fisherman, as unmoved by the difference of their relative condition, -as though they had been born to the same fortune. - -There is something beautiful and touching in this utter absence of -self-appreciation; and the young noble rises from the mat which he has -shared with the old artisan, as uncontaminated by the contact as though -he had been partaking the gilded cushions of a Pasha. But, ready as I am -to admire this state of things, I am well aware that it could not exist -with us; the lower orders of Turkey and the lower orders of Europe are -composed of totally different elements. The poor man of the East is -intuitively urbane, courteous, and dignified—he is never betrayed into -forgetfulness, either of himself or of his neighbour—he never knows, -although he was bred in a hut, that he may not die in a palace—and -with this possibility before his eyes, he always acts as though the hour -of his metathesis were at hand. - -It is probably from this feeling that an Osmanli smiles when he hears a -Frank vaunting himself on his high blood; and that he replies tersely -and gravely to the boast that “every Turk is born noble.” - -No greater proof of the superiority of the working classes of Turkey -over those of Europe can be adduced, than the tranquillity of the Empire -under a government destitute alike of head, heart, and hand—a -government whose hollowness, weakness, and venality, will admit of no -argument—whose elements are chicane, treachery, and egotism—and which -would be unable to govern any other people upon earth even for a -twelvemonth. Perhaps the great secret of this dignified docility is to -be found in the high religious feeling which is universal among the -Turks, and to which I have made allusion elsewhere. Should my judgment -on this point be erroneous, however, it is certain that the character of -the mass in Turkey must be moulded by principles and impulses, in -themselves both respectable and praiseworthy, to produce so powerful a -moral effect. - -At the maple-tree kiosk the crowd was greater, for there one of the -itinerant Improvvisatori, or Eastern story-tellers, was amusing his -hearers with a history, which, judging from its length, and the patience -with which it was heard to an end, ought to have been exceedingly -interesting. But no sound of boisterous merriment arose amid the grave -and bearded auditors; once or twice, a low chuckle, and a denser cloud -of smoke emitted from the chibouk, gave slight indications of amusement: -but that was all; every thing was as quiet, as orderly, and as -well-conducted, as though every individual of the party had been under -priestly surveillance. On quitting the Valley of the Source, we visited -the Tekiè of the Turning Dervishes, with its two fine fountains and its -elegant chapel; and then proceeded to one of the public Khans, or -Caravanserais, in which are lodged all travelling merchants, and such -strangers as have not the opportunity of procuring private houses during -their residence in Broussa. The building was inconvenient, ill-built, -and confined in size, being a very inefficient substitute for one which -was destroyed a few years ago by fire in its immediate vicinity; but its -court was adorned with a very handsome fountain richly ornamented, -beneath whose projecting roof the inhabitants of the Khan congregate to -smoke and converse. - -A small erection just within one of the gates of the court attracted my -attention, from the circumstance of its roof being occupied by three -eagles; two of them about half fledged, and the other evidently sick. I -inquired the meaning of this location, and learnt that the little -edifice was appropriated to the use of such wild birds as the hunters -and peasants chanced to meet during their rambles among the mountains, -and which were suffering either from disease, desertion, or injury. -Being carefully transported hither, they are fed, and attended to until -they voluntarily take wing, and return to their rocky haunts. The -present patients were two eaglets, which had been abandoned in the nest, -and a wounded bird, which, without assistance, must have died from -starvation. Such a trait of national character is well worthy of -mention. - -Upon the roof of a mosque about a hundred yards from the house which we -occupied, a couple of storks had made their nest, and, at the time of -our visit, were carefully tending their young, apparently quite -indifferent to all the noise and clamour going on immediately beneath. -The Turks repay the confidence thus reposed in them with an almost -superstitious reverence for these feathered children of the wilderness; -and the destruction of a bird of this species would be sure to draw down -upon the aggressor the displeasure, if not the vengeance, of every -neighbouring Musselmaun. - -I must not omit to mention the covered bridge; a curious Roman remain -in the Armenian quarter of the city, forming a street across a rapid -torrent, which, falling from the mountain, pours itself into the plain. -It is entirely tenanted by silk weavers, and its numerous windows are so -patched and built up as to render it extremely picturesque. Its single -arch is finely formed, and from a distance it is a very attractive -object; but it is rapidly falling to decay. - -[Illustration: ROMAN BRIDGE AT BROUSSA.] - -I sketched it from the window of an Armenian house; overlooked in my -employment by a sweet young woman, who held upon her knees her dying -infant—her first-born son. As the Orientals believe every Frank, -whether male or female, to be skilled in the healing art, she never -ceased her prayer, during the whole of my stay under her roof, that I -would restore her child to health. I shall never think of the Roman -bridge at Broussa but the weeping image of the young Armenian mother -will be associated with it in my memory. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - - Orientalism of Broussa—Costume of the Men—Plain - Women—Turbans and Yashmacs—Facility of Ingress to the - Mosques—Oulou Jamè—Polite Imam—Eastern Quasimodo—Ascent of - the Minaret—The Charshee—Travelling Hyperboles—Silk - Bazàr—Silk Merchants’ Khan—Fountains of Broussa—Broussa and - Lisbon—The Baths—Wild Flowers—Tzekerghè—Mosque of Sultan - Mourad—Madhouse—Court of the Mosque—Singular - Fountain—Mausoleum of Sultan Mourad—Golden Gate—Local - Legend—The Tomb-house—More Vandalism—Ancient - Turban—Comfortable Cemeteries—Subterranean Vault Great - Bath—Hot Spring—Baths and Bathers—Miraculous Baths—Armenian - Doctress—Situation of Tzekerghè—Storks and Tortoises—Turkish - Cheltenham. - - -The city of Broussa is infinitely more oriental in its aspect than -Stamboul; scarcely a Frank is to be seen in the streets; no French -shops, glittering with gilded timepieces and porcelain tea-services, jar -upon your associations; not a Greek woman stirs abroad without flinging -a long white veil over her gaudy turban, and concealing her gay coloured -dress beneath a ferdijhe; while the Turks themselves almost look like -men of another nation. - -I do not believe that, excepting in the palace of the Pasha, there are a -hundred _fèz_-wearing Osmanlis in the whole city. Such turbans! -mountains of muslin, and volumes of cachemire; Sultan Mahmoud would -infallibly faint at the sight of them; worn, as many of them are, -falling upon one shoulder, and confined by a string in consequence of -their great weight. Such watches! the size, and almost the shape, of -oranges—such ample drawers of white cotton, and flowing garments of -striped silk, and girdles of shawl! The women, meanwhile, except such as -belonged to quite the lower orders, were almost invisible; I scarcely -encountered one Turkish woman of condition in my walks, and those who -passed in the arabas kept the latticed windows so closely shut, despite -the heat, that it was impossible to get a glimpse of them. The men were -a much finer race than those of Constantinople; I rarely met a Turk who -was not extremely handsome, and much above the middle height; while the -few women whom I _did_ see were proportionably unattractive. - -There is not a greater difference in the mode of wearing the turban by -the one sex at Broussa, than in that of wearing the yashmac by the -other. In Constantinople it is bound over the mouth, and in most -instances over the lower part of the nose, and concealed upon the -shoulders by the feridjhe. In Asia, on the contrary, it is simply -fastened, in most cases, under the chin, and is flung over the mantle, -hanging-down the back like a curtain. In the capital, the yashmac is -made of fine thin muslin, through which the painted handkerchief, and -the diamond pins that confine it, can be distinctly seen; and arranged -with a coquetry perfectly wonderful. At Broussa it is composed of thick -cambric, and bound so tightly about the head that it looks like a -shroud. - -One circumstance particularly struck me at Broussa—I allude to the -facility of visiting the mosques. While those of Stamboul are almost a -sealed volume to the general traveller, he may purchase ingress to every -mosque in Broussa for a few piastres; and well do many of them deserve a -visit. That of Oulou Jamè, situated in the heart of the city, is the -finest and most spacious of the whole. Its roof is formed by twenty -graceful domes, of which the centre one is open to the light, being -simply covered with iron net-work. Beneath this dome is placed a fine -fountain of white marble, whose capacious outer basin, filled with fine -tench, is fed from a lesser one, whence the water is flung into the air, -and falls back with a cool monotonous murmur, prolonged and softened by -the echoes of the vast edifice. The effect of this stately fountain, the -first that I had yet seen within a mosque, was extremely beautiful; its -pure pale gleam contrasting powerfully with the deep frescoes of the -walls, and the gaudily-coloured prayer-carpets strown at intervals over -the matting which covered the pavement. The pulpit, with its heavily -screened stair, was of inlaid wood; and the whole building remarkable -rather for its fine proportions and elegant fountain than for the -richness of its details. The scrolls containing the name of Allah, and -those of the four Prophets, were boldly and beautifully executed; and -the arched recess at the eastern end of the temple painted with some -taste. - -[Illustration: Miss Pardoe del. - -Day & Haghe Lith^{rs}. to the King. - -THE ROOF OF OULOU JAMÈ, FROM THE GARDEN OF THE GREEK CHURCH. - -_Henry Colburn, 13 G^t. Marlborough S^t. 1837._] - -The High Priest was reading from the Koràn when we entered, with his -green turban and pelisse deposited on the carpet beside him. His -utterance was rapid and monotonous, and accompanied by a short, quick -motion of the body extremely disagreeable to the spectator. As we -approached close to him, he suddenly discontinued reading, and examined -us with the most minute attention; after which he resumed his lecture, -and took no further notice of our intrusion. In one corner we passed a -man sound asleep—in another, a woman on her knees before the name of -Allah in earnest prayer, with the palms of her hands turned upwards. On -one carpet an Imam was praying, surrounded by half a dozen youths, -apparently students of the medresch attached to the mosque; while on -every side parties of True Believers were squatted down before their low -reading desks, studying their daily portion of the Koràn. - -The Imam who accompanied us in our tour of the mosque was so indulgent -as even to allow me to retain my shoes, alleging that they were so light -as to be mere slippers, and that consequently it was unnecessary to put -them off; and on my expressing a wish to ascend one of the minarets, the -keeper was sent for to open the door and accompany me; nor shall I -easily forget the object who obeyed the summons. - -His brow girt with the turban of sacred green—his distorted body -enclosed within a dark wrapping vest of cotton—and his short, crooked -legs covered with gaiters of coarse cloth—moved forward a humped and -barefooted dwarf with a long gristled beard, whose thin skinny fingers -grasped a pole much higher than himself; and who, after eyeing us with -attention for a moment with a glance as keen and hungry as that of a -wolf, sidled up close to the servant, and growling out “_backshich_,” -with an interrogative accent, began to fumble amid the folds of his -garment for the key of the tower; and at length withdrew it with a grin, -which made his enormous mouth appear to extend across the whole of his -wrinkled and bearded countenance. As I looked at him I thought of -Quasimodo—the monster of Nôtre Dame could scarcely have been more -frightful! - -Having carefully concealed his pole behind a pile of carpets, and flung -back the narrow door of the minaret, this Turkish Quasimodo led the way -up a flight of broken and dangerous stone steps, in perfect darkness, -consoling himself for the exertion which we had thus entailed on him by -an occasional fiend-like chuckle, when he observed any hesitation or -delay on the part of those who followed him; and a low murmured commune -with himself, in which the word _backshich_ was peculiarly audible. - -The stair terminated at a small door opening on the narrow gallery, -whence the _muezzin_ calls The Faithful to prayers. The burst of light -on the opening of this door was almost painful; nor is the sensation -experienced when standing within the gallery altogether one of comfort. -The height is so great, the fence so low, and the gallery itself so -narrow, that a feeling of dizziness partially incapacitates the -unaccustomed spectator from enjoying to its full extent the glories of -the scene that is spread out before him, and which embraces not only the -wide plain seen from the ruins of the Imperial Palace, but the whole -chain of mountains that hem it in. - -After a great deal of stumbling, slipping, and scrambling, we again -found ourselves beside the fountain of Oulou Jamè; and, on leaving the -mosque, remarked with some surprise that its minarets are painted in -fresco on the outside, to about one-fourth of their height. - -Having presented Quasimodo with a _backshich_, which sent him halting -away with a second hideous grin, we proceeded to the Charshee, which is -of considerable extent. As it chanced to be Sunday, the stalls usually -occupied by Armenian and Greek merchants were closed; but many a Hassan, -an Abdallah, and a Soleiman was squatted upon his carpet, with his wares -temptingly arranged around him, his long beard falling to his girdle, -his chibouk lying on the carpet beside him, and his slippers resting -against its edge. Here, a green-turbaned descendant of the Prophet, with -half a dozen ells of shawl twisted about his head, dark fiery eyes, and -a beard as white as snow, pointed silently as we passed to his embossed -silver pistols, his richly-wrought yataghans, and his velvet-sheathed -and gilded scimitars. There, a keen-looking Dervish, with his broad flat -girdle buckled with a clasp of agate, and his gray cap pulled low upon -his forehead, extended towards us one of his neatly-turned ivory -perfume-boxes. - -While examining his merchandize we might have been inclined to believe -that we could purchase of him perpetual youth, and imperishable beauty. -He had dyes, and washes, and pastes, and powders—essences, and oils, -and incenses, and perfumed woods—amulets, and chaplets, and -consecrated bracelets, and holy rings; all set forth with an order and -precision worthy of their high qualities. A little further on, a -solemn-looking individual presided over a miniature representation of -Araby the Blest—Spices were piled around him pyramidically, or confined -in crystal vases, according to their nature and costliness: there were -sacks of cloves, heaps of mace, piles of ginger, mountains of nutmegs, -hampers of allspice, baskets of pepper, faggots of cinnamon, and many -others less commonly known. Opposite the spice-merchant was the gay -stall of the slipper-maker, with its gaudy glories of purple, crimson, -and yellow—its purple for the Jew, its crimson for the Armenian, and -its yellow for the Turk. I purchased a pair of slippers of the true -Musselmaun colour, for which I paid about twice as much as their value, -being a Frank; and we then continued our walk. - -Not far from the slipper-merchant, on the platform in front of one of -the closed shops, sat a ragged Turk, surrounded by flowers of a pale -lilac colour, which emitted a delicious odour. While I was purchasing -some, I inquired whence they came, and learnt that they were wild -auriculas from Mount Olympus. I paid twice the price demanded for them, -and bore them off. How knew I but that the seed might have been sown by -Venus herself? - -I had been told, previously to my leaving England, and indeed before I -had an idea of visiting Turkey, that the stalls of the sweetmeat venders -resembled fairy-palaces built of coloured spars; and this too by an -individual who had resided a few weeks at Constantinople. I can only -say, that with every disposition to do ample justice to all I saw, my -own ideas of enchantment are much nearer realization at Grange’s or -Farrance’s. The Turks do not understand that nicety of arrangement which -produces so much effect in our metropolitan shops; and with the -exception of the perfume and silk merchants, and perhaps one or two -others, they are singularly slovenly in the disposition of their -merchandize. - -The sweetmeat-venders have a row of glass jars along the front of their -stalls, some filled with dried and candied fruits, others with sherbet -cakes, and others with different descriptions of coloured and perfumed -sugar; while the scented pastes, of which the Orientals are so fond, are -cut up into squares with scissors, and spread out upon sheets of paper; -or perforated with twine, and hung from the frame-work of the shops like -huge sausages. I confess that my imaginings of fairy-land extended -considerably beyond this. The merchandize itself, however, is far from -contemptible; and we found that of the Charshee of Broussa even more -highly perfumed than what we had purchased at Constantinople. - -From the Charshee we passed into the silk-bazàr, which was almost -entirely closed, three-fourths of the merchants being Armenians; but -among those who were at their posts, we selected one magnificent looking -Turk, who spread out before us a pile of satin scarfs, used by the -ladies of the country for binding up their hair after the bath; the -brightest crimson and the deepest orange appeared to be the favourite -mixture, and were strongly recommended; but their texture was so -extremely coarse, and their price so exorbitant, that we declined -becoming purchasers. - -On leaving the silk bazàr we proceeded to the silk merchants’ Khan, a -solid quadrangular building, having a fine stone fountain in the centre -of the paved court, the most respectable establishment of the kind -throughout the city, where their number amounts to twenty. Above the -great gate, the wrought stone cornice is curiously decorated with a -wreath of mosaic, formed of porcelain, as brightly blue as turquoise, -which has a very pretty and cheerful effect. - -The number of fountains in Broussa must at least double that of the -mosques, which amount to three hundred and eighty seven. You scarcely -turn the corner of a street that is not occupied by a fountain, and it -is by no means uncommon to have three and even four in sight at the same -time, without calculating that all the good houses have each one or more -in their courts or gardens; no kiosk being considered complete without -its basin and its little _jet d’eau_. Yet, notwithstanding this -profusion of water, many of the streets are disgustingly dirty, not an -effort being made to remove the filth which accumulates from the habit -indulged in by the inhabitants of sweeping every thing to the fronts of -their houses. Indeed, setting aside the costume and the language, -Broussa and its neighbourhood are a second edition of Lisbon; nearly the -same dirt, the same bullock-cars, and luggage-mules, and rattle from -morning to night within the city; the same blue sky, sparkling water, -dense vegetation, bright flowers, and lofty trees without; the golden -Tagus of the one being replaced by the magnificent plain of the other. - -After having returned home and changed our dress, we mounted our horses, -and started to see the Baths. Nothing can be more beautiful than the -road which conducts to them. Immediately on passing the gate of the -city, you wind round the foot of the mountain, and descend into the -village of Mouradiè; having the small mosque of Sultan Mourad on your -right, and in front of you, the lofty chain of land along which you are -to travel. After traversing the village, you turn abruptly to the left, -and by a gentle ascent, climb to about one-third the height of the -mountain; having on one hand the nearly perpendicular rock, and on the -other a rapid and almost unprotected descent, clothed with vines and -mulberry trees, whence the plain stretches away into the distance. The -road, as I have described, hangs on the side of the mountain, and is -fringed with wild flowers and shrubs: having the aspect of a garden; the -white lilac, the privette, the pomegranate, the rose, the woodbine, the -ruby-coloured arum, and the yellow broom, are in profusion; and it is -with compunction that you guide your horse among them when turning off -the narrow pathway at the encounter of a chance passenger; while the -perfume which fills the air, and the song of the nightingales among the -mulberry trees, complete the charm of the picture. - -By this delightful road you reach the village of Tzèkerghè, in which the -Baths are situated. It possesses a very handsome mosque, which was -originally a Greek monastery. The exterior of the Temple is very -handsome, the whole facade being adorned with a peristyle of white -marble, and the great entrance approached by a noble flight of steps. -The interior is, as usual, painted in scrolls, and lighted by pendent -lamps, but is not remarkable for either beauty or magnificence. The -arrangement of the cloisters and the refectory of the monks is very -curious, being all situated above the chapel, and opening from a long -gallery, surmounting the peristyle. To this portion of the building we -ascended by a decaying flight of stone steps, many of whose missing -stairs had been replaced by fragments of sculptured columns: and found -the gallery tenanted by a solitary old lunatic, who, squatted upon a -ragged mat, was devouring voraciously a cake of black soft bread, such -as is used by the poorest of the population. The monastic cells have -been converted into receptacles for deranged persons, but this poor old -man was now their only occupant. We threw him some small pieces of -money, which he clutched with a delight as great as his surprise, -murmuring the name of Allah, and apparently as happy as a child. - -The court of the mosque is shaded by three magnificent plantain trees, -and the fountain which faces the peristyle is remarkable from its basin -containing cold water, and its pipes pouring forth warm. As the pipe is -connected with the basin, the phenomenon is startling, although the -effect is very simply produced when once its cause is investigated, the -fountain being fed by two distinct springs; the hot spring being built -in, and forced into the pipes; and the cold one being suffered to fill -the basin, whence it runs off in another direction. - -Near the mosque stands the Mausoleum of Sultan Mourad I., whose court is -enclosed by a heavy gate, said to be formed of one of the precious -metals cased with iron; and the country people have a tradition that -previously to his death, the Sultan desired that should the Empire ever -suffer from poverty, this gate might be melted down, when the reigning -monarch would become more rich than any of his predecessors. Be this as -it may, and it is sufficiently paradoxical, the gate has originally been -richly gilded, though much of the ornamental work is now worn away; and -it is probably to this circumstance that it owes its reputation. - -Of an equally questionable nature is the legend relating to the name of -the village, which signifies in English, Grasshopper—a fact accounted -for by the peasantry in the following manner. - -Sultan Mourad, during the time that the Christian monastery was -undergoing conversion into a Mohammedan mosque, was one day sitting -within the peristyle, when a grasshopper sprang upon him, which he -adroitly caught in his hand; where he still held it, when a Dervish -approached, who, after having made his obeisance, began to importune the -pious Sultan for some indulgence to his order; and was answered that if -he could tell, without hesitation or error, what was grasped by the -monarch, the favour should be granted. The wily Dervish, knowing that -the mountain abounded with grasshoppers, and that nothing was more -probable than that one of these might have jumped upon the Sultan, -immediately replied: “Though the ambition of a vile insect should lead -it to spring from the earth of which it is an inhabitant, into the face -of the sunshine, as though it were rather a denizen of the air, it -suffices that the Imperial hand be outstretched, to arrest its -arrogance. Happy is it, therefore, both for the rebel who would fain -build up a sun of glory for himself, of a ray stolen from the hâlo which -surrounds the forehead of the Emperor of the World; and for the -tzèkerghè, that, springing from its leafy obscurity, dares to rest upon -the hem of the sacred garment, when the Sultan (Merciful as he is -Mighty!) refrains from crushing in his grasp the reptile which he holds. -Favourite of Allah! Lord of the Earth! Is my boon granted?” - -“It is, Dervish:”—said the Sultan, opening his hand as he spoke, and -thus suffering the insect to escape: “And that the memory of thy -conference with Sultan Mourad may not be lost, and that the reputation -of thy quick wit and subtle policy may endure to after ages, I name this -spot, Tzèkerghè——and let none dare to give it another appellation.” - -[Illustration: Miss Pardoe del. - -Day & Haghe Lith^{rs}. to the King. - -TURKISH MAUSOLEUM. - -_Henry Colburn, 13 G^t. Marlborough S^t. 1837._] - -We were obliged to exert all our best efforts, in order to induce the -Imam, who had charge of the Imperial Mausoleum, to allow us to enter. We -were compelled to declare our country, our reasons for visiting Asia, -and our purpose in desiring to see the tomb of a True Believer, when we -were ourselves Infidels. Having satisfactorily replied to all these -categories, we were, however, finally gratified by an assent; and the -tall, stately Imam rose from the wayside bank upon which he had been -sitting, and, applying a huge key to the gate of which I have already -spoken, admitted us to the Court of the Tomb. - -This edifice, which was erected by the Sultan himself, is beautifully -proportioned, and paved with polished marble; the dome is supported by -twelve stately columns of the same material, six of them having -Byzantine, and six, Corinthian Capitals, but the whole number are now -painted a bright green, having a broad scarlet stripe at their base! I -inquired the cause of this Vandalism, hoping, as the colour chosen was a -sacred one, that some religious reason might be adduced, which, however -insufficient to excuse the profanation, might at least tend to palliate -it: but I failed in my object; they had simply been painted to make them -prettier; and the same cause had operated similarly upon the gigantic -wax candles, that stood at the extremities of the Imperial Sarcophagus, -and which were clad in the same livery. - -A goodly collection of wives and children share the Mausoleum with -Sultan Mourad, who is covered with splendid shawls, and at the head of -whose tomb, protected by a handkerchief of gold tissue, towers one of -the stately turbans of the ancient costume. As it was the first that I -had seen, I examined it attentively; and am only astonished how the -cobweb-like muslin was ever woven into such minute and intricate folds. -At the head of the Sarcophagus, on a marble pedestal (painted like the -others!) stood a copper vessel inlaid with silver, and filled with -wheat—the symbol of abundance; and at its foot was suspended a plough; -while lamps and ostrich eggs were festooned among the columns. - -The light fell in patches upon the marble floor, or quivered as the wind -swept through the plantain trees, throwing fantastic shadows over the -tombs; and I left the Mausoleum of Sultan Mourad, more than ever -convinced that no people upon earth have succeeded better than the Turks -in robbing death of all its terrors, and diffusing an atmosphere of -cheerfulness and comfort about the last resting-places of the departed. - -The Sarcophagus, as I have already stated, is universally based on a -mass of masonry about a foot in height, covered with plaister, and -whitewashed. I inquired why this portion of the tomb was not built of -marble, when in many cases the floors, and even the walls of the -mausoleum were formed of that material; and was assured by the Imam that -it was from a religious superstition, which he was, nevertheless, unable -to explain. - -Beneath this stone-work an iron grating veils the entrance of the -subterranean in which the body of the Sultan is deposited; the -sarcophagus being a mere empty case of wood, overlaid by a covering of -baize or cloth, concealed in its turn by shawls and embroidered -handkerchiefs. No one is permitted to enter this subterranean, which can -generally be approached also by an exterior door opening into the court -of the tomb-house, save the reigning monarch, the Turks looking with -horror on all desecration of the dead, and neither bribes nor entreaties -being sufficient to tempt them to a violation of the sacred trust -confided to them. - -On quitting the mausoleum we proceeded to the principal bath; where, -leaving the gentlemen comfortably seated under the shade of a maple tree -near the entrance, I went in alone. The appearance of the outer hall was -most singular; the raised gallery was tenanted, throughout its whole -extent, with Turkish and Greek women, eating, sleeping, and gossipping, -or busied in the arrangement of their toilette; while, suspended from -the transverse beams of the ceiling, swung a score of little hammocks, -in which lay as many infants. How the children of the country can, at so -tender an age, endure the sulphurous and suffocating atmosphere of the -bath is wonderful, but they not only do not suffer, but actually appear -to enjoy it. - -Passing from this hall, which was of considerable extent, I entered the -cooling-room, in which the bathers were braiding their hair, or sleeping -upon the heated floor: and opening a door at the upper end, I walked -into the bath-room. Here I found between forty and fifty women, whom for -the first moment I could scarcely distinguish through the dense steam, -arising from a marble basin that occupied the centre of the floor, and -which was about a hundred feet in circumference. - -The natural spring that supplies this basin is so hot that it requires -considerable habit to enable an individual to support its warmth, when -the doors of the bath are closed. The effect which it produced on me was -most disagreeable; the combined heat and smell of the water were -overpowering; but the scene was altogether so extraordinary, that I -compelled myself to endure the annoyance for a few minutes, in order to -form an accurate idea of an establishment of which I had heard so much. - -The spring, escaping from a neighbouring mountain, is forced by pipes -into the bathing-hall, where it pours its principal volume into the -main basin, part of the stream being diverted from its channel in order -to feed the lesser tanks of the private rooms; from the basin it escapes -by a sluice at the lower end, and thus the body of water is constantly -renewed. When I entered, several of the bathers were up to their chins -in the basin, their long dark tresses floating on the surface of the -water; others, resting upon a step which brought the water only to their -knees, were lying upon the edge of the tank, while their attendants were -pouring the hot stream over them from metal basins; some, seated on low -stools, were receiving the mineralized fluid after the fashion of a -shower bath; while one, lying all her length upon the heated marble of -the floor—so heated that I could scarcely apply my open palm to it -without suffering—was sleeping as tranquilly as though she had been -extended upon a bed of down. - -The hot springs of Broussa are numerous, but vary considerably in their -degrees of temperature; those which are frequented by persons labouring -under chronic diseases are much warmer than those used by ordinary -patients. The most powerful spring boils an egg perfectly hard in two -minutes; while there are others that are not more than blood heat. They -are all highly mineralized, and that which feeds the large basin of the -public hall is strongly impregnated with sulphur. - -My appearance in the bath did not create the slightest sensation among -the bathers. The few whom I encountered on my way moved aside to enable -me to pass, and uttered the usual salutation; while those who were more -busily engaged simply suspended their operations for a moment, and -resumed them as soon as their curiosity was gratified. - -I afterwards visited the “Miraculous Bath,” of which it is asserted that -a person in a dying state, who will submit to pass a night in complete -solitude on the margin of the basin, will rise in the morning perfectly -restored to health, whatever may have been the nature of the disease: -but, unfortunately, I could not find any one who had experienced, or -even witnessed, a cure of the kind, though many had heard of them in -numbers. As an equivalent, however, an old, ugly, red-haired Armenian -woman was pointed out to me, who is a celebrated doctress, and who had -just succeeded in sending home a credulous elderly gentleman to die in -Constantinople, who came to Broussa in a state of indisposition, and -left it, thanks to the nostrums of this ancient sybil, without a hope of -recovery. - -Many of the houses in the village are furnished with hot springs; and -although they are, generally speaking, of mean appearance, and in a -dilapidated condition, they produce very high rents during the season; -and are usually let to Greek families of distinction, or to Europeans. - -The situation of Tzèkerghè is eminently beautiful, and the air is balmy -and elastic; the magnificent plain is spread out beneath it; it is -backed by lofty mountains; and it is in itself a perfect bower of -fig-trees, plantains, and maples. The nightingales sing throughout the -whole of the day—the rush of water into the valley feeds a score of -fountains, which keep up a perpetual murmur; open kiosks are raised -along the hill side, some of them traversed by a running stream; storks -build in the tall trees; tortoises and land turtles crawl among the high -grass and the wild flowers; and altogether I know not a prettier spot -than that which is occupied by the village of Tzèkerghè—the rural -Cheltenham of Turkey. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - - Difficulty of Access to the Chapel of the Howling - Dervishes—Invitation to Visit their Harem—The Chapel—Sects - and Trades—Entrance of the Dervishes—Costume—The - Prayer—Turning Dervishes—Fanatical Suffering—Groans and - Howls—Difficulty of Description—Sectarian Ceremony—Music - versus Madness—Tekiè of the Turning Dervishes. - - -Of all the religious ceremonies of the East, those of the different -sects of Dervishes are the most extraordinary, and, generally speaking, -the most difficult of access. The Turning Dervishes alone freely admit -foreigners, and even provide a latticed gallery for the use of the -women: while their chapels are usually so situated as to enable the -passer-by to witness all that is going on within. The more stern and -bigoted sects, on the contrary, permit none but Mussulmauns to intrude -upon their mysteries, and build their chapels in obscure places, in -order to prevent the intrusion of Christians. - -I had heard much of the Howling Dervishes, and had made many -unsuccessful attempts at Constantinople to penetrate into their Tekiè; -but they are so jealous of strangers that I was unwillingly compelled -to give up all idea of accomplishing my object, when, on arriving at -Broussa, and finding how comparatively easy it was to gain admittance to -the mosques, I resolved to renew my endeavours. But I found that even -here many difficulties were to be overcome; difficulties which, of -myself, I never could have surmounted; when, having fortunately made the -acquaintance of a gentleman who was known to the High Priest, and who -had already witnessed their service, I prevailed on him to exert his -influence for me, in which he fortunately succeeded. - -On arriving at the Tekiè, we found that the service had not yet -commenced, and we accordingly seated ourselves on a stone bench in the -little outer court, to await the gathering of the fraternity. While we -remained there, one of the principal Dervishes approached us, and -offered, should I desire it, to admit me into the interior of the harem -to visit the women; but, as the ceremonies were shortly to commence in -the chapel, and I was already suffering extremely from the heat, I -declined to profit by the indulgence. - -The chapel, which was up stairs, was approached by an open entrance, -having on the left hand a small apartment whose latticed windows looked -into this place of mystery; and into this room we were admitted, after -having taken off our shoes; while a couple of youths were stationed -within the gallery of the chapel itself, in order to prevent the crowd -from impeding our view. - -A large square apartment surrounded by a low gallery, and ornamented -like the mosques, with written passages from the Koràn; upon whose walls -were suspended battle-axes, tambourines, and half a dozen small Arabian -drums; and whose arched recess was shaded by three banners of the sacred -green, and overlaid with a rich crimson rug, formed the chapel of the -Howling Dervishes. Within the niche, framed and glazed, were suspended -the names of the Prophets, a huge chaplet, and a green scarf; and on -each side a small portion of the gallery was railed off for the -convenience of a few individuals of rank. One of these was already -occupied by a solemn-looking Turk, in a frock-coat and _fèz_, -doubtlessly one of the sect, who had withdrawn from the public exercise -of his religion. - -I know not whether I have elsewhere noticed that every Musselmaun, -however high his rank, has a trade and a peculiar faith—thus the Sultan -is a Turning Dervish and a Tooth-pick maker—and I have consequently no -doubt but the Turk in question had an individual interest in the -ceremonial. He was accompanied by a child of about six years of age, -dressed precisely like himself, and attended by a black slave. I was -more confirmed in my opinion relative to the father by watching the -gestures of the son, who imitated every motion of the Dervishes during -the service with the most perfect exactness, and who was accommodated -with a rug near the seat of the High Priest. - -The throng which pressed into the chapel was immense, and the heat most -oppressive; while the youths who guarded our windows were kept in -constant action by the strenuous efforts made by the crowd to occupy the -vacant space. I never saw a finer set of men—such bright black eyes, -fine foreheads, and sparkling teeth. - -At length a low chanting commenced in the court, and a train of -Dervishes, headed by the High Priest, slowly ascended to the chapel. -They had no peculiar costume, save the chief himself, who wore a -magnificent green turban with a white crown, and a cloak of -olive-coloured cloth. He was a pale, delicate-looking man of about one -or two-and-twenty, whose father had been dead a couple of years; when, -as the dignity is hereditary throughout all the sects of the Dervishes, -he had succeeded to the painful honours of the crimson rug. There was -something melancholy in seeing this sickly youth lead the nine fanatics -who followed him to the upper end of the chapel, to commence their -agonizing rites; and as he stepped upon the rug, with the palms of his -hands turned upwards, and the attendant Dervishes cast themselves on the -earth, and laid their foreheads in the dust, I felt a thrill of pity for -the ill-judged zeal and blind delusion which was rapidly wearing him to -the grave. - -One of the causes adduced by this sect of their disinclination to admit -Christians to their worship is the frequent recurrence of the name of -Allah in their orizons, which should never be uttered in an atmosphere -polluted by the breath of a Giaour. I presume that, in our case, their -consciences were quieted by the intervention of the wooden lattices, and -the reflection that we were not actually within the chapel. - -The prayer was long and solemn; not a sound was audible, save the low -monotonous chant of the High Priest, and the deep responses of his -followers, who, ere it ended, had increased in number to about fifty. At -its close, the whole of the Dervishes formed a ring round the chapel, -and one of the elders, of whom there were four, spread in the recess a -fine tiger skin, upon which the High Priest took his place; and then, -turning his face towards Mecca, and murmuring a low prayer, to which the -rest replied by stifled groans, he invested himself with the green scarf -which I have already mentioned, and, resuming his seat upon the rug, -commenced a species of chant, which was echoed by the whole fraternity: -every individual swinging himself slowly to and fro, as he sat with his -feet doubled under him upon the floor. Every moment added to their -numbers, and each on his arrival cast off his slippers at the entrance, -and advanced barefooted to the place of the High Priest; where, after -praying silently for a moment with outstretched palms, he stroked down -his beard, and, bending on one knee, pressed the hand of his leader to -his lips and forehead, and then took up a position in the ring; which -ultimately became so thronged that the individuals who composed it -pressed closely upon each other, and, as they swung slowly to and fro, -appeared to move in one dense mass. - -The ceremony was at this point, when the Chief of the Turning Dervishes, -accompanied by his two principal Priests, arrived to assist at the -service of his fellow-Dervish. The chant ceased as they entered the -chapel; the youthful leader of the Howling Dervishes bent down in his -turn, and pressed the hand of his visitor to his lips, while the stately -guest kissed the cheek of the pale stripling who passed forward to greet -his companions, and after conducting them to the place of honour, seated -himself beside them. - -The chanting was then resumed, and after a time increased in quickness; -while at intervals, as the name of Allah was pronounced, some solitary -individual uttered a howl, which I can compare to nothing but the cry of -a wild beast. - -Things had progressed thus far, when suddenly a strong voice shouted, -“Allah Il Allah!” and a powerful man sprang from the floor, as though he -had been struck in the heart, fell forward upon his head, and by a -violent spasm rolled over, and lay flat upon his back, with his arms -crossed on his breast, and his whole frame as rigid as though he had -stiffened into death. His turban had fallen off, and the one long lock -of hair pendent from the centre of his head was scattered over the -floor—his mouth was slightly open, and his eyes fixed—in short, the -convulsion was a terrific one; and it was not before the lapse of -several minutes that two of the fraternity, who hastened to his -assistance, succeeded in unclasping his hands, and changing his -position. Having ultimately raised him from the floor, still in a state -of insensibility, they carried him to the crimson rug, and laid him at -the feet of the High Priest, who stroked down his beard, and laid his -right hand upon his breast; they then continued to use all their efforts -to produce re-animation; and having ultimately succeeded, they seated -him once more in his place, and left him to recover himself as he might. - -The howling still continued at intervals, and as the chanting and the -motion increased in violence, these miserable fanatics appeared to -become maddened by their exertions; when, at a certain point of the -ceremony, four of the fraternity, who had green scarfs flung over their -left shoulders, advanced, one by one, to the seat of the High Priest, -and there slowly, and with much parade, transferred them first to their -necks, and afterwards to their waists, and ultimately took their stand, -two on each side of the _mihrab_, or recess. - -After the lapse of a short interval the High Priest rose and advanced -into the centre of the ring, where he took possession of a carpet that -had been spread for him, having immediately behind him two of the -assistant priests; and they then commenced a prayer, the effect of which -was thrilling. The young chief delivered a sentence in a clear, -melodious voice, and paused; when the whole fraternity responded by a -long groan: again and again this was repeated, only interrupted from -time to time by some wild, fiendish howl, the individual who uttered it -tossing back his head, and flinging his arms into the air with the -gesture of a maniac. - -To this prayer succeeded another low sustained wail, during whose -continuance the priests collected the turbans, pelisses, cloaks, -pistols, and yataghans of the Dervishes, who, springing to their feet, -stood in a circle about their chief; and then commenced the painful -portion of their service. The measure of the chant was regulated by the -High Priest, who clapped his hands from time to time to increase its -speed: himself and his four green-girdled assistants uttering the words -of the prayer, while the fraternity, rocking themselves to and fro, kept -up one continual groan, rising and falling with the voices of the choir. -Howl succeeded to howl, as the exhaustion consequent on this violent -bodily exertion began to produce its effect; until at length strong men -fell on the earth on all sides like children, shrieking and groaning in -their agony—some struggling to free themselves from the grasp of those -who endeavoured to restrain them, and others trembling in all their -limbs, and sobbing out their anguish like infants. - -I never witnessed such a scene; nor should I have conceived it possible -for human beings to have gratuitously subjected themselves to the agony -which these misguided wretches visibly endured. The chanting ceased -suddenly at given intervals, but not so the groans; for the speed with -which they were uttered, and the violence of motion by which they were -accompanied, became finally so great, that several seconds frequently -elapsed before the miserable beings could check either the one or the -other, and many of them fell into convulsions with the effort. - -The more I write on the subject of this extraordinary and disgusting -exhibition, the more I feel the utter impossibility of conveying by -words a correct idea of it; from a long sustained groan, and a slow, -heaving, wave-like motion, it grew into a hoarse sobbing, and a quick -jerk, which I can compare to nothing that it more resembles than the -rapid action of a pair of bellows; the cheeks and foreheads of the -actors became pale, their eyes dim, and white foam gathered about their -mouths—in short, the scene resembled rather the orgies of a band of -demons than an offering of worship to a GOD of peace and love! - -At this period of the ceremony, the muffled flutes used by the Turning -Dervishes were heard, accompanied by the low sound of the small Arabian -drums; and a majestic-looking man, clad entirely in white, with a black -girdle, rose, at a signal from his chief, and commenced his evolutions. -His example was speedily followed by two more of the fraternity; the -chanting ceased, but the circle of Howling Dervishes continued their -short groans to the accompaniment of the music, and the spectacle thus -produced was most extraordinary. Such an occurrence had not taken place -for an immense time, and arose from the anxiety of each sect to impress -our party in their favour, which they were desirous of doing when they -had once been induced to admit us. - -To this exhibition succeeded one as striking of its kind; the -tambourines and drums were divided among the fraternity; the latter were -all beat by youths, who formed a second, or inner circle, and in the -midst of whom stood the High Priest, striking a pair of cymbals. Groans, -howls, and yells, such as may haunt the ear of the midnight traveller in -the wilderness, filled up the diapason; while the struggles of the -convulsion-smitten, and their wild shrieks, completed the horror of the -scene. It was impossible to bear it longer; and we hurried from the -latticed apartment just as three more tottering wretches were falling to -the earth, howling out the sacred name of Allah, in tones better suited -to a Satanic invocation! - -On the morrow we visited the elegant chapel of the Turning Dervishes, -where a carpet was politely spread for us by order of the High Priest; -and we once more witnessed their service, which was far more picturesque -at Broussa than at Pera, owing to the beauty of the building and the -numbers of the fraternity. However extraordinary and unmeaning their -ceremonies may appear to strangers, they have this great advantage over -the other sect, that they are neither ridiculous nor disgusting. The -most perfect order, the most touching solemnity, and the most beautiful -cleanliness, are their leading characteristics; and it is impossible for -any unprejudiced person to quit their Tekiè, without feeling at least as -much respect as pity for the Turning Dervishes. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - - Loquacious Barber—Unthrifty Travellers—Mount Olympus—Early - Rising—Aspect of the Country at Dawn—Peasants and - Travellers—Fine View—Peculiarity of Oriental Cities—Stunted - Minarets—Plains and Precipices—Halting-Place—Difficulty of - Ascending the Mountain—Change of Scenery—Repast in the - Desart—Civil Guide—Appearance of the Mount—Snows and - Sunshine—Fatiguing Pilgrimage—Dense Mists—Intense - Cold—Flitting Landscape—The Chibouk—The Giant’s Grave—The - Roofless Hut—Lake of Appollonia—The Wilderness—Dangerous - Descent—Philosophic Guide—Storm among the Mountains—The - Guide at Fault—Happy Discovery—Tempest. - - -I remember to have heard an anecdote of a facetious barber, who, while -operating upon the chin of a customer, commenced catechising his victim -on the subject of his foreign travel. - -“You are an army gentleman, I believe, Sir; pray were you in Egypt?” -“Yes.” “Really! then perhaps you saw the Pyramids?” “Yes.” “Travelled a -little in Greece, perhaps, Sir?” “A little.” “Pleasant place, Greece, -I’ve been told; Athens, and all that. I dare say you fought in the -Peninsula?” “Once or twice.” “Charming country, Spain, I’ve heard, Sir; -indeed I’ve read Gil Blas, which gives one a very pretty notion of it. -Plenty of oranges in Portugal, Sir?” “Plenty.” “Vastly nice, indeed, -quite a favourite fruit of mine. Did you ever serve in the East or West -Indies, Sir?” “In both.” “Really! why you’re quite a traveller. Of -course, Sir, you’ve seen Paris?” “Never.” “Never seen Paris, Sir!” -exclaimed the man of suds and small-talk: “never visited the French -metropolis! why, dear me, Sir, you have seen nothing!” - -In like manner, he who travels to the East—who feasts with Pashas in -Europe, and eats pillauf with Beys in Asia—who peeps into -palaces—glides in his swift caïque along the channel of the -Bosphorus—overruns all Turkey, and half Egypt, and returns home without -smoking a pipe on the summit of Mount Olympus, has, according to the -declaration of the natives, “seen nothing.” - -Of course it was out of the question that I should add to the number of -these unthrifty travellers; and accordingly on the morning of the 11th -of June (at least two months too soon), the horses were at the door at -four o’clock; and, shaking off my sleepiness as well as I could, I set -forward, accompanied by a Greek gentleman, with whose charming family we -had formed a friendship, and who was himself well calculated by his -scientific acquirements to enhance the enjoyment of the expedition, our -servant, and a guide, for the dwelling of the Gods. - -The morning was yet gray; the mists were hanging in wreaths about the -mountains, and draping them in ermine; the dew was lying heavily on the -dense vegetation; a few straggling peasants passed us on the outskirts -of the sleeping city, some bearing scythes upon their shoulders, affixed -to straight poles about eight feet in length—or carrying round spades -of wood—or driving before them the animals who were to return laden -with mulberry branches for the nurture of the silk-worms which are -reared in millions at Broussa. The number of individuals constantly -employed in providing food for these insects must be very great, as we -have counted upwards of two hundred horses, mules, and donkeys, bearing -closely-packed loads of boughs, passing in one day beneath our windows -from the same gate of the city; and, as the immense plain is covered -with trees, which are each year cut closely down to the trunk, the -consumption may be imagined. - -A little beyond the city we passed a mule-litter, closely covered with -scarlet cloth, guided by two men, and followed by three Turkish -gentlemen on horseback, attended by their servants, bound on some -mountain pilgrimage; but we had not proceeded above half a league, ere, -with the exception of a string of mules laden with timber, which -occasionally crossed our path, we had the wilderness to ourselves. - -The ascent commences, immediately on leaving the city, which on this -side is bounded by a deep ditch or fosse, into which two mountain -torrents, boiling and bellowing down from the neighbouring heights, pour -their flashing waters. A narrow pathway, so narrow that two -saddle-horses cannot pass in it, traverses a dense wood of dwarf oak and -hazel, clothing the hill-side, above whose stunted summits we looked -down upon the plain, and the minarets of Broussa. - -A sudden turn in the road conducted us rapidly upwards, freed us from -the hazel wood, and plunged us among masses of rock, over which our -horses slid and stumbled, until we reached the foot of the next range of -heights. Here the landscape began to grow in beauty; behind us was the -city fenced with mountains, mapped out in all its extent, and as -remarkable as that of Constantinople for the extraordinary and beautiful -admixture of buildings and foliage, which I never remember to have seen -elsewhere. - -Every habitation possessing, if not its garden, at least its one tall -tree, beneath whose boughs the family congregate during the warm hours, -the appearance of an Eastern city, as you look down upon it from any -neighbouring height, is entirely devoid of that monotony which renders -the roofs and chimneys of an European town so utterly uninteresting. It -looks as though the houses had grown up gradually in the midst of a -thick grove, and the eye lingers without weariness on the scene, where -the glittering casements, touched by the sunlight, flash through the -clustering leaves, and the wind heaves aside the more flexile branches -to reveal a stately portal, or a graceful kiosk. From the spot on which -we now stood, we saw Broussa to great advantage. The most striking -object was the spacious mosque of Oulou-Jamè piercing through the -morning mists in spectral whiteness—the stunted minarets, looking like -caricatures of those light, slender, fairy-moulded creations which shoot -so loftily into the blue heaven at Stamboul; minarets that have -sacrificed their grace to the south wind, which blows so violently at -Broussa as frequently to unroof the more lofty buildings; and whose -ill-proportioned cupolas of lead complete the pictorial ruin, and give -them the appearance of bulky wax candles, surmounted by metal -extinguishers. A small space beyond ran the gleaming river, sparkling -along its bed of white pebbles—the wilderness of mulberry trees -spreading over the green carpet of the plain—and away, afar off, the -range of mountains purpling in the distance, and crowned with clouds! - -Beside us, not half a foot from our horse’s hoof, we had a sheer -precipice clothed with dwarf-oak and spruce, and we heard, although we -could not see, the tumbling waters of a torrent which roared and rushed -along the bottom of the gulph. Beyond the precipice, towered a lordly -mountain, upon whose crest were pillowed dense masses of fleecy vapour; -while stately fir trees draped it with a thousand tints. Before us rose -masses of rock, through which we had to make our way: and from every -crevice sprang a forest tree, whose gnarled and knotted roots were -washed by a rushing stream, which was flung up like spray as our horses -splashed through it. We next reached a patch of soft fresh turf; maple -and ash trees overshadowed it; wild artichokes and violets were strown -in every direction; the rich ruby-coloured arum hung its long dank -leaves over the narrow channel, through which glided a pigmy stream -almost hidden by the rank vegetation; the little yellow hearts’-ease was -dotted over the banks; the ringdoves were cooing amid the leaves; and -the grasshopper, as green and almost as bright as an emerald, was -springing from flower to flower. It is a place of pause for the -traveller, and it deserves to be so. There can scarcely be a lovelier in -the world! One or two fragments of cold grey rock pierced through the -rich grass, as if to enhance its beauty, and afforded a resting-place, -whence we looked round upon the masses of mountain scenery by which we -were surrounded; and few, I should imagine, would fail to profit by this -opportunity of temporary rest, when they contemplated the far extent of -wild and difficult country through which they were to travel. - -Let none venture the ascent of Mount Olympus who have not the head and -the hand equally steady; who are incapable not only of standing upon the -“giddy brink,” but also of riding along it when the road is scarcely a -foot in width, and the precipice some hundreds in depth; and where the -only path is a torrent-chafed channel, or a line of rock piled in -ledges, and slippery with water; for assuredly, to all such, _le jeu ne -vaudra pas la chandelle_, as it is impossible to imagine ways less -calculated to calm the nerves, or to re-assure the timid. You urge your -horse up a flat stone, as high and as large as a billiard table, and -splash he descends on the other side up to his girths in mud: now you -ride up a bank to escape collision with a string of timber-laden mules, -and in descending you are stumbling and scrambling among the roots of -trees, which twirl and twist among the vegetation like huge snakes; at -one moment you are almost knocked off your saddle by a forest-bough that -you have not room to avoid, and the next you are up to your knees in a -torrent which he refuses to leap. Assuredly the Gods never wished to -receive company. - -As the ascent became more difficult, the whole face of the landscape -changed: lofty firs shot upwards against the clear sky, while rocks -fantastically piled, and looking like the ruins of a lordly city, were -scattered over a plain which we skirted in turning the elbow of the -next range of heights. Here and there, a tree that had been smitten by -the thunder reared aloft its white and leafless branches, while its -shivered trunk looked like a mass of charcoal. Eagles and vultures -soared above our heads; innumerable cuckoos called to each other among -the rocks: at intervals the low growl of a bear was heard in the -distance; and altogether, a more savage scene can scarcely be imagined. - -A fine fir-wood succeeded, which terminated in a small plain intersected -by a sparkling trout-stream, whose waters formed a thousand pigmy -cascades as they tumbled over the rocky fragments that choked their -channel. Here we spread our morning meal, cooling our delicate Greek -wine in the waters of Mount Olympus, and seating ourselves upon the -fresh turf which was enamelled with violets and wild hyacinths. At this -spot travellers usually leave their horses, and proceed to the summit of -the mountain on foot; but our good cheer, our soft words, and, above -all, the promise of an increased _backshish_, so won upon our guide, -that he consented to let his horses’ knees and our necks share the same -risk, and to proceed as much further as might be practicable for the -animals. - -What a breakfast we made! My intelligent Greek friend already talking of -his mineralogical expectations; I decorating my riding-habit with -lovely wild flowers; the portly Turk paying marked attention to the hard -eggs and _caviare_, and the servant passing to and fro the stream with -glasses of cool wine, sparkling like liquid topaz. - -Before us towered the mountain, whose every creek and crevice was heaped -with snow, while one dense mass of vapour hung upon its brow like a -knightly plume. From the summit of the mount the snow had disappeared, -but the white slate-stone of which it is composed gleamed out beneath -the sunshine with a glare that was almost dazzling. The sides of the -rock are clothed with juniper, which, from the continual pressure of the -snow, is dwarfed and stunted, and rather crawls along the earth than -springs from it; and whose berries produce a singular and beautiful -effect on the masses beneath which they are concealed, by giving to them -a pink tinge that has almost the effect of art. Yet, nevertheless, I -could not forbear casting a glance of anxiety at the towering height, -which all its majesty and magnificence failed to dispel. I had been told -that in the month of June it would be impossible for a female to ascend -to the summit—I had already left behind me six long leagues of the -wilderness—two more of perpetual and difficult ascent were before -me—but I remembered my prowess in the Desart of the Chartreux, and I -resolved to persevere. - -Our hamper was repacked, our bridles were re-adjusted, and, fording the -little stream, we once more set forward upon our “high emprize;” and -after scrambling through acres of juniper, sliding over ledges of rock, -and riding through nine torrents, we at length found ourselves at the -foot of the almost perpendicular mountain. - -It was a magnificent spectacle! The mid-day sun was shining upon the -eternal snows, which, yielding partially and reluctantly to its beams, -were melting into a thousand pigmy streams that glittered and glided -among the juniper bushes; the highest peak of the mount, crowned by its -diadem of vapour, rose proudly against the blue sky; the ragged ridges -of the chain, tempest-riven and bare, hung over the snow-filled gulphs, -into which the grasp of centuries had hurled portions of their own -stupendous mass; and not a sound was audible save the brawling of the -torrents in the lower lands, or the wind sweeping at intervals round the -rocky point. - -When I dismounted, and flung my bridle to the guide, I felt as though I -had gained another year of life! - -Never shall I forget the fatigue of that ascent!—a weary league over -the gnarled roots of the juniper plants, and loose stones which -treacherously failed beneath our feet, and frequently lost us six steps -for the one that we thought to gain. But at length we stood upon the -edge of the rock; we had clomb the ascent, and were looking down upon -the mountains that we had traversed in the morning;, as though into a -valley; but our task was not yet ended: the loftiest peak, the seat of -Jupiter, yet towered above us, and seemed to mock our efforts. Between -that peak, and the spot on which we stood, there was a deep hollow, to -be descended on our side, and again mounted on the other: the rock was -edged with snow many feet in depth; our feet sank among the loose -stones; the cold was piercing; and to add to our discomfort, the vapours -were rising from the valley beyond the mountain in one dense mass which -resembled the concentrated smoke of a burning world. - -The effect was sublimely awful! Fold upon fold—shade darkening over -shade—nothing was to be seen but the cold, gray, clinging vapour which -hung against the mountain, as if to curtain the space beyond. It was -frightful to stand upon the edge of the precipice, and to mark the -working of that mysterious cloud—fancy ran riot in looking on it—its -superhuman extent—its unearthly, impalpable texture—its everchanging -form—its deep, dense tint—my brain reeled with watching its shifting -wonders; and had not my companion withdrawn me from the brink, I should -have sunk down from sheer mental exhaustion. - -We had been warned not to linger when on the mountain, and after the -lapse of a few moments we again toiled on. At intervals the vapour -rolled back, and gave us glimpses of hills, and valleys, and woods, and -streams, far below us; but it was like the production of a fairy-wand, -for while we yet looked upon them they were lost: another heavy fold of -mist rose from the chasm, and again all was chaos. - -At length the chibouk was lighted. We stood upon the Grave of the Giant; -upon the highest point of Mount Olympus—beside the roofless hut, built -for the shelter of the storm-overtaken traveller, and so ingeniously -sunk beneath the surface as to form a well, in which such a shower of -rain as commonly falls in the neighbourhood of the mountain, would go -nigh to drown the hapless wanderer who might trust to the treacherous -asylum. - -Behind us all was vapour: before us stretched away the mountain-chain -across which we had travelled: while far, far in the distance, and -almost blent with the horizon, we distinguished the blue Lake of -Apollonia. While we yet looked, we saw the mists gathering about our own -path; curling up from the swampy patches between the hills; rolling -along the rocky channel of the torrents: draping the broad branches of -the dark firs; clinging to the mountain sides—we had no time to lose. -We were not travellers on a highway; we had neither finger-posts nor -landmarks—all is so nearly alike in the wilderness: one pile of cold -gray rock looms out from amid the mists shaped so like its neighbour; -one rushing torrent brawls over its stony bed so like another: one -stretch of forest darkens the mountain side with a gloom so similar to -that which shadows the opposite height, that we thought it well to avoid -the gathering of the vapours, if we did not wish to sleep in the desart. - -To return by the way that we had ascended was out of the question; for -we had walked upwards of a league along the summit of the mountain, -after having gained the height. The other face of the rock presented a -much shorter road, but, as it was extremely dangerous, we held a council -to decide on which we should venture—the fatigue and loss of time, or -the possibility of accident. We were already travel-worn and foot-sore, -but not caring to confess even to each other that it was the exertion -from which we shrank, we both talked very sagely of the danger of delay, -with the mists gathering so rapidly about us; and decided, as a matter -of prudence, on descending the precipice. - -I have already mentioned the mountain-ridge that projected over the -gulph, and whose jagged and storm-riven outline bore testimony to the -ravages of time and tempest; while the huge fragments of fallen rock -which heaved up their dark masses from among the accumulated snows -beneath, broke the smooth surface, and betrayed the depth of the -precipice. - -This was the point on which we fixed for our descent: my companion, who -was an accomplished sportsman, and accustomed to the dizzy mountains of -the East, led the way; and, as he assured me that nothing but nerve was -required to ensure success, I followed without hesitation. Seating -ourselves, therefore, upon the summit of the mountain, we slid gently -down to a narrow ledge of rock, just sufficiently wide to afford us -footing; and clinging to the stones which jutted out from the natural -wall on the one side, and carefully avoiding to look towards the -precipice on the other, we slowly made our way to a second descent -similar to the first. This hazardous exploit, thrice repeated, carried -us through the most difficult portion of our undertaking, as the rock -then projected sufficiently towards the base to enable us to step from -stone to stone, until we arrived at the edge of the snow. - -As we could form no calculation of its depth, we did not venture to -traverse it, which would have shortened the distance very considerably; -but skirting the gulph, where it was not more than mid-way to our knees, -we at length arrived in a patch of swampy land, inundated by the melting -of the mountain snows, and scattered over with rocks, many of them -split asunder, as though they had suffered from the wrath of Vulcan in -one of his stormy moods. Our wet and weary feet next carried us up a -slight ascent, to a stretch of land as brilliant and as sweet as a -flower-garden. Were I to enumerate all the blossoms that I saw growing -wild on this spot, the next page of my book would resemble a -floricultural catalogue; and tired as I was, I could not pass them by -without gathering a bouquet which would have done no disgrace to an -English parterre. - -In half an hour more we entered the grassy nook where we had left our -horses; and the recompense of our prowess from the guide when we pointed -out to him the spot whence we had descended was a look of contemptuous -pity, accompanied by the remark that we were “two mad Franks!” - -We had scarcely taken a hasty glass of wine, and mounted our horses, -when two loud claps of thunder, following close upon each other, rattled -along the mountain-tops, and enforced on us the necessity of speed. But, -alas! there was no possibility of travelling at more than a foot’s-pace -between Mount Olympus and Broussa; all that we could do, therefore, was -to commence our homeward journey without a moment’s delay, and trust to -our lucky stars, both for finding our way, and for getting home dry. On -we pressed accordingly, “over bank, bush, and scaur;” but in half an -hour we were so completely enveloped in mist that we could not see each -other. The guide still moved steadily on, however, like a man who is -sure of his path; and I felt no misgivings until, on arriving in the dry -bed of a torrent from which the stream had been diverted by some -convulsion of nature, he suddenly ceased the wild monotonous melody with -which he had favoured us for a considerable time, and, turning round in -his saddle, remarked quietly: “We are lost.” - -For an instant no one replied. We had each anticipated the probability -of such an occurrence, but it was not the less disagreeable when it came -to pass. What was to be done? First, the guide was convinced that he had -borne too much to the right, and accordingly we all turned our horses in -the other direction; when being close upon a wall of rock that loomed -out from the vapour like some bristling fortress, he admitted that this -could not be the way, and that consequently he must have inclined too -much to the left. We performed a fresh evolution with equal success: the -man was fairly bewildered; and meanwhile the vapour was spreading -thicker and faster about us. - -At length my companion suggested the expediency of shouting aloud, that -in the event of any shepherd or goatherd being in the neighbourhood, we -might procure assistance and information. Shout, accordingly, we did, at -the very pitch of our lungs; but the mists were so dense that they -stifled the voice, and we were ourselves conscious that we could not be -heard at any great distance. After the suspense of a long, weary -half-hour, we had just abandoned all hope of help, when a huge dog came -bounding out of the vapour, barking furiously, but to us his voice was -music, as it assured us of the vicinity of some mountaineer; at the same -moment the mists broke partially away, and the guide, uttering an -exclamation of joy, suddenly descended a steep bank, and we found -ourselves on the skirts of the fir wood, and in the mule-track which we -had followed in the morning. - -We had scarcely congratulated each other on the termination of our -dilemma, and the partial dispersion of the vapours, when a jagged line -of serpent-like lightning ran shimmering through the broad flash that -lit up for a second the whole wild scene amid which we were moving; and -at the same instant, the loudest and the longest peal broke from the sky -to which I ever listened; rock after rock caught up the sound, and flung -it back, until the wizard thunder rattled in fainter echoes down into -the plain. - -It was an awful moment! The terrified animals stood suddenly still, and -trembled with affright; but we had no time to waste upon alarm, for, as -if conjured by that awful crash, and the wild light by which it was -accompanied, down came the imprisoned waters from the mass of vapour -that hung above us. I can scarcely call it rain; it was as though a -sluice had been let loose upon us, and in an instant we were drenched. -Every mountain stream grew suddenly into a torrent—every wayside -fountain, (and there were many in the forest formed of the hollow trunks -of trees,) overflowed its basin—the branches against which we brushed -in our passage, scattered the huge drops from their leaves—large stones -fell rattling down the sides of the mountain—in short it was as wild a -storm as ever inspired the pencil of Salvator Rosa; and its solemnity -was deepened by the twilight gloom of the clinging and changeful -vapours. - -We arrived at Broussa both wet and weary, having been thirteen hours on -the road; but, despite all that I suffered, I would not have lost the -sublime spectacle on which I gazed from the summit of Mount Olympus, for -the enjoyment of a month of luxurious ease. Well might Howitt exclaim, -in the gushing out of his pious and poetical nature:— - - “Praise be to GOD for the mountains!” - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - - The Armenian Quarter of Broussa—Catholics and - Schismatics—Armenian Church—Ugly Saints—Burial Place of the - Bishops—Cloisters—Public School—Mode of Rearing the Silk - Worms—Difference between the European and the Asiatic - Systems—Colour and Quantity of the Produce—Appearance of the - Mulberry Woods. - - -It is a singular fact, that although the Armenian quarter of Broussa -contains upwards of a thousand houses which are all inhabited, the -number of Catholic families does not amount to fifty; their place of -worship is consequently small, and unworthy of description, being merely -the chapel attached to a private house, while the Schismatic Church is -proportionably handsome. The difference of faith between the two sects -hangs upon a single point—the Schismatics deny the double nature of -Christ, and are accordingly denounced as heretics by their more orthodox -brethren; although they worship the same profusion of Saints—weep over -the wounds of the same blessed martyrs—and build altars to the same -Virgin under all her multitudinous designations. - -The Armenian Church of Broussa is very elegant. The altar, which extends -along its whole width, is of white marble, highly polished, and divided -into three compartments, merely separated from the aisles by a simple -railing, and is arranged with considerable taste; the sacerdotal plate -being interspersed with vases of white lilies. The roof is supported by -ten fine columns, and the floor covered, like that of a mosque, with -rich carpets. - -The Saints, whose portraits adorn the walls, (which are covered with -Dutch tiles to the height of the latticed gallery,) have been most -cruelly treated. I never beheld “the human face divine” so caricatured! -A tale is somewhere told of a susceptible young Italian, who became -enamoured of the Madonna that adorned his oratory; he might kneel before -the whole saintly community of the Armenian Church of Broussa, without a -quickening pulse—they would haunt the dreams of an artist like the -nightmare! At the base of the pictures, crosses of white marble are -incrusted in the masonry, curiously inlaid with coloured stones; and a -portable altar, whose plate was enriched with fine turquoises, stood in -the centre of the aisle, surmounted by a hideous St. Joseph, glaring out -in his ugliness from beneath a drapery of silver muslin. - -The church is surrounded on three sides by a noble covered cloister, -lined with marble, partially carpeted, and furnished with an altar at -each extremity. That on the right hand is the burial place of the -Bishops, who lie beneath slabs of marble, elaborately carved; the left -hand cloister, into which flows a noble fountain, serves as a sacristy; -and the third, situated at the extreme end of the church, is decorated -with a dingy Virgin, and a congregation of Saints in very tattered -condition, to whom their votaries offer the tribute of lighted tapers, -whose numerous remains were scattered about in their immediate vicinity. -The women’s gallery is handsome and spacious, and is partially -overlooked by the windows of the Bishop’s Palace; a fine building -erected a year ago at an immense expence. - -From the church we passed into the public school, where three hundred -boys were conning their tasks under the superintendence of a single -master. Though we were perfectly unexpected, we did not hear a whisper; -every boy was in his place; and the venerable Dominie, with a beard as -white as snow, and a head which would have been a study for a painter, -rose as we entered, and courteously invited us to take our seats upon -the comfortable sofa that occupied the upper end of the hall. The most -beautiful cleanliness pervaded the whole establishment; and the boarded -floor was rubbed as bright by the constant friction of six hundred -little naked feet, as though it had been waxed. - -The number of Turkish children now receiving their education in Broussa -we could not ascertain, as they are divided among the different mosques; -but the Greek Rector, who, in the absence of the Archbishop, interested -himself in our comfort and amusement, told me that they had but fifty in -their school, although the Greek population of Broussa is tolerably -numerous. There is, however, a second description of free-school or -college, attached to the Greek and Armenian Churches, wherein the pupils -advance a step in their studies, and prepare themselves for the -Priesthood, and for commercial pursuits. - -Our next object of inquiry was the mode of feeding the silk-worms, which -produce in the neighbourhood of Broussa an extraordinary quantity of -silk. We accordingly visited the establishment of a Frenchman, who -exports the raw material to Europe. I was struck by the colour of the -silk, which was of a dingy white; and learnt that, despite all the -efforts of the feeders, they seldom succeeded in producing any other -tint, although the worms are themselves of different qualities and -colours, varying from a dead white to a dark brown, and are fed with the -leaves of both the red and the white mulberry indiscriminately. The most -experienced feeders, however, give a decided preference to the wild -white mulberry, of which most of the plantations about Broussa are -formed. The silk, when first spun, is of a clear, silvery, brilliant -tint; but submersion in the highly mineralized water of the -neighbourhood robs it of its gleam, and reduces it to the dead, dingy -colour I have mentioned; and I was assured that in some hundreds of -pounds weight of silk, not more than two or three could be met with of -yellow. - -The Asiatic method of rearing the worm is totally different from that of -Europe, and, according to the account given to me, much more profitable -in its results, as well as simple in its process. The insect has a -natural dislike to being handled, which is inevitable where it is fed -day by day, and the withered leaves of the previous morning cleared -away; the discomfort produced by the touch rendering the worm lethargic, -and retarding its growth. The Asiatics never approach it with the hand: -when it is hatched, the floor of the apartment is covered with layers of -mulberry branches to about three or four inches in depth; and upon these -the insects are laid, and suffered to feed undisturbed until their first -sleep, when they are covered by a fresh supply of boughs similar to the -first, through which they eat their way, and upon which they subsist -until their next change. This operation is repeated four times, always -at the period when the worm casts its skin; and on the first appearance -of an inclination to spin, boughs of oak, of about four feet in length, -stripped of their lower leaves, and planted, if I may so express it, in -close ranks in the bed of mulberry branches, form a pigmy forest in -which the insects establish themselves, and wherein they produce their -silk. Every crevice of the apartment is carefully stopped to prevent the -admission of air, and a fire of charcoal ashes is kept up constantly -throughout the day and night. - -Whether the mode of feeding operates on the colour of the silk, I could -not ascertain, though it struck me that the experiment would be worth -trying; but meanwhile it appears to be certain that it greatly increases -its quantity, and diminishes the labour of the feeders. There is -scarcely a house in the neighbourhood of Broussa which does not contain -several apartments filled with silk worms, whose produce is disposed of -to the spinners, of whom there are a considerable number in the city; -and the far-spreading mulberry woods assume in the height of summer the -appearance of stretches of locust-blighted landscape, every tree being -left a branchless trunk without a sign of foliage. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - - The Cadi’s Wife—Singular Custom—Haïsè Hanoum—The - Odalique—The Cadi—Noisy Enjoyment—Lying in - State—Cachemires—Costume—Unbounded Hospitality of the - Wealthy Turks—The Dancing Girl—Saïryn Hanoum—Contrast. - - -The wife of the Cadi of Tzèkerghè having given birth to her first-born -son, I received an invitation to visit her the same evening, which I -accepted, although not without some surprise; and, on expressing my -astonishment at her subjecting herself to the intrusion of guests at -such a period, I learnt that it is universally the custom, among the -wives of the wealthy Turks, to receive company during seven days after -the birth of the first son, until midnight; on which occasion they -display the most valuable portions of their _trousseau_. - -Haïsè Hanoum was a young creature of sixteen, very pretty, and very -stupid, who, individually, created no great interest; but she had a -rival in the harem, a sweet girl of twelve years of age, with the face -of an angel, and the grace of a sylph; who, if the gossipry of the -neighbourhood may be relied upon, was no especial favourite with her -companion, whose dullness yet left her discrimination enough to be -jealous of the superior attractions of the gazel-eyed Odalique. The Cadi -himself had reached his eightieth year, and his silver beard would -rather have distinguished him as the grandsire than as the husband of -these two beautiful young creatures. - -I entered the house at eight o’clock in the evening; and, having -traversed the marble court, whose fountain poured forth its limpid -waters beneath the shade of a venerable fig tree, I passed along the -latticed terrace of the harem, to the Hanoum’s apartment. Long before I -reached it, I was deafened with the noise which issued from its open -door; the voices of the singing-women—the rattle of the -tambourines—the laughter of the guests—the shouts of the attendant -slaves—the clatter of the coffee and sherbet cups—I could scarcely -believe that I was about to be ushered into a sick-chamber! At length, -the three attendants who had lighted me upstairs, made way for me -through the crowd of women who thronged the entrance of the apartment, -and one of the most extraordinary scenes presented itself upon which it -has ever been my fate to look. - -Directly opposite to the door stood the bed of the Hanoum; the curtains -had been withdrawn, and a temporary canopy formed of cachemire shawls -arranged in festoons, and linked together with bathing scarfs of gold -and silver tissue: and, as the lady was possessed of fifty, which could -not all be arranged with proper effect in so limited a space, a silk -cord had been stretched along the ceiling to the opposite extremity of -the apartment, over which the costly drapery was continued. Fastened to -the shawls were head-dresses of coloured gauze, flowered or striped with -gold and silver, whence depended oranges, lemons, and candied fruits. -Two coverlets of wadded pink satin were folded at the bed’s foot; and a -sheet of striped crape hung to the floor, where it terminated in a deep -fringe of gold. - -The infant lay upon a cushion of white satin, richly embroidered with -coloured silks, and trimmed like the sheet; and was itself a mass of -gold brocade and diamonds. But the young mother principally attracted my -attention. As I entered, she was flinging over her child a small -coverlet of crimson velvet, most gorgeously wrought with gold; and as -the sleeves of her striped silk antery and gauze chemisette fell back to -the elbow, her white and dimpled arms circled by bracelets of -brilliants, and her small hand glittering with jewelled rings, were -revealed in all their beauty. Her dark hair was braided in twenty or -thirty small plaits, that fell far below her waist, as she leant -against a cushion similar to that on which she had pillowed her infant. -Her throat was encircled by several rows of immense pearls, whence -depended a diamond star, resting upon her bosom; her chemisette was -delicately edged by a gold beading, and met at the bottom of her bust, -where her vest was confined by a costly shawl. Her head-dress, of blue -gauze worked with silver, was studded with diamond sprays, and -ornamented with a fringe of large gold coins, which fell upon her -shoulders, and almost concealed her brilliant earrings. Her satin antery -was of the most lively colours, and her salva were of pale pink silk, -sprinkled with silver spots. A glass vase of white lilies rested against -her pillow, and a fan of peacocks’ feathers, and a painted handkerchief, -lay beside her. Previously to her confinement, she had plucked out the -whole of her eyebrows, and had replaced them by two stripes of black -dye, raised about an inch higher upon the forehead. This is a common -habit with the Turkish women on great occasions; and they no where -display more coquetry or more decided bad taste than in the arrangement -of their eyebrows, which they paint in all kinds of fantastic shapes; -sometimes making them meet across the nose, and sometimes raising them -at the outer point to the temples! I have seen many a pretty woman -destroyed by this whim. - -I was conducted with great ceremony to the sofa, when I had saluted the -Hanoum, and uttered my “Mashallah” as I leant over the infant; which, -poor little thing! was almost smothered in finery; and, having taken my -seat, I had time to contemplate the singular scene around me. - -I have alluded elsewhere to the facility with which the working classes -of Turkey obtain access into the houses of the wealthy. On every -occasion of rejoicing, the door is open to all; it is the sofa only -which is sacred; but the poor share in all the enjoyments of the -festival; the coffee and sherbet is served to them, if not with the same -ceremony, at least with the same welcome, as to the prouder guests; they -listen to the music—they mingle in the conversation—they join in the -gaiety—and they are never made to feel that their lot is cast in a more -lowly rank than that of their entertainer. - -On the present occasion the floor was thronged. Mothers were there with -their infants at their breasts, for whose entire costume you would not -have given fifty piastres; and whose sunburnt arms and naked feet bore -testimony to a life of toil. A group of children were huddled together -at the bed’s foot; a throng of singing women occupied the extreme end of -the apartment; the mother of the young wife sat beside the pillow of her -child, dressed in a vest and trowsers of white, with a large -handkerchief of painted muslin flung loosely over her turban; the lovely -little Odalique, totally unheeded, squatted on the ground at my feet; -half a dozen stately Hanoums were seated on the crimson velvet sofa, -leaning against its gorgeous cushions, and some of them engaged with the -chibouk. But the most attractive object in the apartment was the -dancing-girl, who occupied the centre of the floor. - -I have rarely beheld any thing more beautiful; and, with the exception -of the daughter of the Scodra Pasha, I had seen no woman in the country -who could be compared with her. On my entrance she had been beating the -tambourine; and as, out of respect for the Frank visitor, the music was -momentarily suspended, she remained in the attitude she had assumed when -she first caught sight of me. Her arms were raised above her head, and -her open sleeves fell back almost to her shoulder; her delicate little -feet were bare, and only partially revealed beneath the large loose -trowsers of dark silk; a chemisette of gauze, richly fringed, relieved -the sombre tint of her tightly-fitting antery, and a shawl of the most -glowing colours bound her slender waist; her head-dress was nearly -similar to that worn in the Imperial Seraïs—a painted handkerchief was -folded round her forehead, whose deep fringe fell low upon her cheeks; -part of her long hair was dishevelled, and spread wide upon the summit -of her head, and the rest, formed into innumerable little plaits, was -looped about her shoulders. A large bunch of white lilies drooped -gracefully above her right ear, and her figure was bent slightly -backward, in the easiest attitude in the world. - -She was assuredly very lovely; but it was not genuine oriental beauty. -Her large, full eyes were as blue and bright as a summer sky, when the -heavens are full of sunshine; her nose was _à la Roxalane_; and she had -a pretty pout about her little cherry-coloured lips, worth half a dozen -smiles. - -I could not help expressing my surprise at the style of her _coïffure_, -as I had never before seen it so worn, except in the Imperial Palaces; -when I was informed that the Sultan, having accidentally seen her -mother, who far exceeded the daughter in beauty, became so enthralled by -her extreme loveliness as to make her an inmate of his harem, where she -still remains. - -When I had seated myself, the dancer suddenly suffered her arms to fall -by her side, and flinging the tambourine to one of the singing women, -she clapped her hands, and a couple of slaves entered with coffee. One -bore a large silver salver, from which depended a napkin of gold tissue, -richly fringed, with the tiny cups of glittering porcelain, and the -silver coffee-holders neatly arranged upon its surface; and the other -carried a weighty sherbet-vase of wrought silver, shaped as classically -as that of Hebe herself. - -I never saw any woman so light or so graceful as that lovely -dancing-girl. She had the spring of a sylph, and the foot of a fawn. As -she presented the coffee, she laid her hand first upon her lips and then -upon her head, with an elegance which I have seldom seen equalled; and -then bounding back into her place, she twirled the tambourine in the air -with the playfulness of a child; and, having denoted the measure, -returned it to one of the women, who immediately commenced a wild chant, -half song and half recitative, which was at times caught up in chorus by -the others, and at times wailed out by the dancer only, as she regulated -the movements of her willow-like figure to the modulations of the music. -The Turkish women dance very little with the feet; it is the grace and -art displayed in the carriage of the body and arms which form the -perfection of their dancing; the rapid snapping of the fingers, -meanwhile, producing the effect of castanets. - -Even at the risk of making a portrait gallery of my chapter, I must -mention the magnificent Saïryn Hanoum, who shortly afterwards entered -the apartment. She was in the autumn of her beauty, for she must have -been eight or nine and twenty, at which period the women of the East -begin to decline. But what an autumn! Could you only have clipped the -wings of Time for the future, you would not have wished her to be a day -younger. She was dark, very dark: almost a Bohemian in complexion; but -you saw the rich blood coursing along her veins, through the clear skin; -her eyes were like the storm-cloud, from which the lightning flashes at -intervals; her hair was as black as midnight; her teeth were dazzling: -and her brow—it was a brow which should have been circled by a diadem, -for it was already stamped with Nature’s own regality. She was tall, -even stately; and the dignity of her step accorded well with the fire of -her dark eye, and the proud expression that sat upon her lip, and -dilated her thin delicate nostril. Her costume was as striking as her -person; and, had she studied during a century how best to enhance her -beauty, she could never have more perfectly succeeded. Her vest and -trowsers were of the most snowy muslin; she wore neither diamond nor -pearl; but the handkerchief was fastened about her head with a chain of -large gold coins, which being threaded upon a silken cord, formed a -fringe that rested upon her forehead; and a necklace of the same -material fell low upon her bosom. The Turkish women of rank have -universally very sweet voices—her’s was music. - -On glancing back upon what I have written, I fear that much of it may -be condemned as hyperbole, or at best as exaggeration. I only wish that -they who are sceptical could look for an instant upon Saïryn -Hanoum—they would confess that I have done her less than justice. - -_En révanche_, the floor was crowded with withered old women and stupid -children: the atmosphere was impregnated with onions, tobacco, and -garlic; and the noise was deafening! The singing women shouted at -intervals at the very pitch of their voices; the infants cried with -weariness and fright; the impatient guests demanded coffee and sherbet -as unceremoniously as though they had been at a public kiosk, and much -more rapidly than they could be supplied; and the ringing rattle of the -tambourine kept up a running accompaniment of discord. - -Altogether the scene was a most extraordinary one; and I compelled -myself to remain a couple of hours the guest of Haïsè Hanoum in order to -contemplate it at my leisure. The same ceremonies, the same amusements, -and the same noise, continued until midnight, during the whole of the -seven days; when the harem doors were once more shut against such -general intrusion, and the young mother left to enjoy the repose which -she required. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - - Tzèkerghè—Bustling Departure—Turkish _Patois_—Waiting Maids - and Serving Men—Characteristic Cavalcade—Chapter of - Accidents—Train of Camels—Halt of the Caravan—Violent - Storm—Archbishop of Broussa—The Old - Palace—Reception-Room—Priestly Humility—Greek - Priests—Worldly and Monastic Clergy—Morals of the - Papas—Asiatic Pebbles—Moudania—Idleness of the - Inhabitants—Decay of the Town—Policy of the Turkish - Government—Departure for Constantinople. - - -When we had exhausted the “lions” of Broussa, we removed to Tzèkerghè -for the benefit of the Baths; and, after having enjoyed for a few weeks -all the luxury of sulphuric vapour, we prepared for our return to the -capital. - -The confusion incident on our departure from the village was most -amusing; and, as our party was a numerous one, we were all on foot by -three o’clock in the morning. Serudjhes were shouting and quarrelling -about missing bridles, and ill-poised paniers: Greek servants, supreme -in their knowledge of the Asiatic Turkish, which is a species of -_patois_ almost unintelligible even to Constantinopolitan Turks, were -hectoring and finding fault; waiting-maids were screaming in defence of -bandboxes and dressing-cases; and all the inhabitants of the hamlet were -looking on, and favouring us with their comments. The morning -salutations were drowsy enough, for there are few things more dreary -than a daybreak dialogue; the perfumed coffee was swallowed almost in -silence; and at length the procession set forth. - -Nothing could be more characteristic than the appearance of our caravan, -as we wound down the mountain path—bullock cars laden with luggage -creaked and rattled over the rocky road; led horses carrying bedding and -provisions were scattered along the wayside; and thirteen mounted -individuals, as ill-assorted to the eye as can well be imagined, -completed the party. Two Greek ladies, mounted _en cavalier_, one -wearing an ample white turban, and both having their feet enveloped in -shawls: three men servants perched on the top of great coats and cloaks, -and armed with chibouks and umbrellas; two Greek _femmes de chambre_, -mounted like their mistresses; my father, myself, and three gentlemen, -with our English, Viennese, and Tartar saddles; altogether formed a -spectacle which would not have passed unobserved in the West. - -My own horse, a powerful animal, that went like the wind, was almost -blinded by crimson and gold tassels; a Turkish inhabitant of Tzèkerghè -having insisted on replacing the ill-conditioned bridle provided by the -post-master with the elaborate head gear of his own animal; while my -saddle was girt over a flaming horse-cloth of blue and scarlet. Some of -the party were less fortunate, both as regarded their horses and -accoutrements; but, once upon the road, our spirits rose with the bright -sun which was beginning to light up the glorious scene around us; and, -when we had descended into the plain, and passed the romantic fountain -of Adzem Tzèsmèssi, the most energetic among us were soon galloping -right and left among the trees, gathering the wild hollyhocks, and -scattering, as we passed, the yellow blossoms of the barberry bushes. - -Our enjoyment was not uninterrupted, however, for the whole journey was -a chapter of accidents; one servant lost her turban; another her -umbrella; a third rode a lazy hack, that lay down with her three times -during the day; while, to complete the list of misfortunes, a young -Austrian gentleman, resolving that our departure from Broussa should be -signalized by some _éclat_, with a want of reflection which he -afterwards bitterly repented, threw a rocket among the burning tobacco -that he flung from his chibouk by the wayside, which exploded with a -violence that unhorsed one lady of the party, and left us for some time -in doubt whether she had not paid the penalty of his folly with her -life. - -There was a general halt as soon as it could be effected, for several of -the animals were almost unmanageable from fright; when all those -domestic remedies were applied which could be commanded at such a -moment, in order to recover the sufferer from the deadly faint into -which she had fallen; and, after the delay of about half an hour, when -the serudjhe had duly emptied a bottle of water on the spot where the -accident had taken place, in order to prevent its recurrence, the -unfortunate lady was with considerable difficulty lifted once more upon -her horse; and, with an attendant at her bridle-rein, resumed her -journey. - -Nor did our misadventures end here; for, just before we entered the town -of Moudania, a gentleman, who was riding along with my father and -myself, fell back a few paces to discharge his travelling pistols, when -one of them burst in his hand nearly the whole length of the barrel, but -fortunately without doing him any injury. - -During our journey across the principal plain, we came in contact with a -caravan, which had made a temporary halt by the wayside. It consisted -of between forty and fifty camels, attended by their drivers, and -accompanied by half a dozen formidable-looking dogs. I never -encountered anything more picturesque. Some of the animals were browsing -on the young shoots of the dwarf oak; others were standing lazily with -their long necks bent downwards, and their eyes closed; while the more -weary among them were lying on the earth, as though sinking under the -weight of their burthens. Their drivers, a wild, ferocious-looking -horde, were resting beneath the shade of some cloaks which they had -stretched across the bushes, and smoking their chibouks; leaving the -care of the drove to their watchful dogs. We uttered the brief but -earnest salutation of the wilderness as we passed; and, then urging on -our horses, the halt of the caravan was soon a distant object in the -landscape. - -A violent storm had been slowly gathering throughout the day; and we had -scarcely taken possession of the house which had been secured for us at -Moudania, when it burst over the town. The mountains of the opposite -coast were covered with dense vapours, the sea beat violently against -the houses that fringed the shore, the thunder rattled in long continued -peals among the heights, the lightning danced along the foam-crested -billows, and the narrow street became the channel of a torrent. - -The rain had only partially abated when a priest was announced, who bore -to my father and myself an invitation from the Archbishop, to whom our -arrival had been already made known; and, weary as we were, we resolved -to avail ourselves of it, accompanied by a gentleman and lady of the -party, who were kind enough to offer themselves as interpreters. - -The old palace, with its noble flights of marble stairs, and paintings -in arabesque, delighted me; and there was a solemn twilight throughout -the whole suite of apartments along which we passed, lined with -serious-looking papas in attendance on His Holiness, that pleased me far -better, travel-worn and weary as I was, than the gaud and glitter so -usual in the residences of high personages in the East. - -The Archbishop himself met us at the head of the last staircase; and, -when we had kissed his hand, he led us forward to his reception-room; a -vast sombre-looking apartment, richly painted and carved; surrounded on -three sides by a divan of purple cloth, and provided with a second and -lower sofa, for the convenience of those among the clergy to whom he -gave audience. The expression of his countenance was intellectual rather -than handsome, and he was singularly graceful in his movements; his -flowing beard was beginning to show traces of age; but his clear quick -eye and his placid brow almost belied the inference. He seemed eager to -obtain political information; and was much interested in the insight -which we were enabled to give him of the institutions and manufactures -of England. His library was extremely limited, and entirely theological; -and his knowledge was evidently rather the result of his shrewd sense -and great natural talents than the effect of education. I never -regretted more sincerely than on this occasion my ignorance of the Greek -language; for the necessity of an interpreter deadens the wit and -destroys the interest of a dialogue like that in which we were soon -engaged; and many a remark or sentiment, that would pass current in -common conversation, becomes mere impertinence and folly, when twice -expressed. - -Nothing could exceed the courtesy of our reception; and even the sweet, -weak, milkless tea which was served to us, was kindly meant, as it was -supposed to be in the English style; although individually I suffered -severely from the mistake. But I was considerably amused by observing -that the chibouks of the gentlemen, and the tea of the ladies, were both -handed round by the young priests of the Archbishop’s household; who -obeyed the clapping of his hands as instantaneously, and much more -meekly, than an English footman answers the bell of his mistress. - -Devoted from their birth to the service of the Church, the Greek Priests -are educated in obedience and humility, and have all learnt to obey ere -they are placed in a situation to command. Having taken orders, they -are in some degree the masters of their actions, from the fact that -there are two distinct classes of clergy, and that they are at liberty -to make their own selection. The first, called the monastic clergy, -cannot marry, but, entirely devoted to the duties of their profession, -are eligible to fill its highest dignities; while the second, or worldly -clergy, who are fettered by no restriction of the kind, cannot rise -beyond the rank of rectors or parish priests. These latter are -distinguished by the black handkerchief bound about their caps, which is -never worn by the monastic order. - -It will be easily understood that the number of married priests is very -limited. Few men sacrifice their ambition to their affections, -particularly among the Greeks, who are all essentially ambitious; and to -many of whom the road to advancement is so frequently made straight by -intrigue and cabal. Added to this consideration, the ideas and practice -of morality among the Greek clergy being notoriously more lax than -altogether accords with the holiness of their profession, they prefer -the equivocal liberty of celibacy; while, in the few instances wherein -they make their fortunes subservient to their domestic comfort, they -universally select the most beautiful women of their nation; as there -scarcely exists a family who would refuse their daughter to a priest, -should he demand her for his wife. - -After having passed two pleasant hours with the amiable Prelate, and -reluctantly declined his polite invitation to avail ourselves of his -table during our detention at Moudania, we returned home, only to -witness the renewed gathering of the storm-clouds, and to listen to the -dash of the billows against the foundations of the house. - -One little incident alone served to divert us for a time from our ennui. -The waiting maid of the lady whom I have mentioned as having been thrown -from her horse during the journey to the coast, had profited by our -arrival at Moudania to get herself exorcised by a priest; so terrified -had she been at the accident of her mistress, which she attributed -entirely to the influence of the Evil Eye. Secure in the impunity that -she had thus purchased for a few piastres, she was pursuing her -avocations somewhat more vivaciously than her wont, when she fell from -the top of the stairs to the bottom, with a force which shook the frail -wooden tenement to its foundations. Merriment succeeded to our alarm, -however, when, on raising herself from the floor, she began to exclaim -vehemently against the inefficacy of the ceremony that she had so lately -undergone; nor was our amusement diminished when, in reply to our -raillery, she declared that, even if she _had_ thrown away her money, -she was in no worse plight than her lady, who had paid much more dearly -for the same privilege before she left Broussa, though it had availed -her still less. Shouts of laughter followed the announcement of this -hitherto carefully-guarded secret; and I do not think that I shall ever -hear of an Exorcist again, without having before my eyes the portly -person of Madame ——, extended on the earth; and a party of routed -equestrians galloping hither and thither over the vast plain of Broussa, -wherever their affrighted horses were for the first few minutes disposed -to carry them. - -The following day was less unfavourable, but the wind was so high and -the sky so wild that no boat could put to sea. In this dilemma, we -amused ourselves by wandering along the beach, and collecting jaspers, -agates, and pebbles: and in making a tour of the town, which is -miserable enough, and stamped with all the marks of premature decay. - -The inhabitants of Moudania are celebrated for their slothfulness. The -town is seated on the edge of a gulf, which would alone suffice to the -sustenance of the whole of its population; and they are the worst -fishermen in Turkey. The surrounding country is fertile and rich: Nature -has been lavish in her gifts, and yet their agriculture is conducted in -the most slovenly and inefficient manner. It is a continual struggle -between the luxuriance of the soil, and the idleness of the husbandman; -and, fortunately for the latter, Nature, after all, has the best of it, -for the lofty hills are feathered to their very summits with vegetation: -olive trees and vines clothe the valleys; sparkling streams descend from -the mountains; rich pasturages afford sustenance to the numerous flocks; -and goodly forest trees provide fuel for their owners. But Moudania and -its environs instantly reminded me of Cowper’s expressive line:— - - “God made the country, but man made the town,” - -for man, left to himself, never more fully displayed his insufficiency -than here. The commerce in oil is very considerable, not less than a -hundred and fifty thousand okes being produced yearly—silk-worms are -reared in almost every house in the place—wine is plentiful—and there -is a continual intercourse with the European coast—and yet, -notwithstanding all these advantages, Moudania is falling to decay. In -vain has the Turkish Government, with a consideration and good policy by -which it is not usually distinguished, lightened, and indeed almost -entirely removed, all the local imposts; the same slowly progressing -ruin still wears its way. On every side the houses are perishing for -want of repair, the streets are encumbered with filth, the shops are -almost empty, and the whole town is in a state of stagnation. The -departure of half a dozen caïques for Constantinople suffices to bring -all the inhabitants to their windows, or to the beach; and, had you not -already received proof to the contrary, you would then imagine by the -shouting, running, and confusion, that the population of Moudania was -one of the most energetic under heaven; but when once the sails are set -and the boats departed, the crowd separates lazily, the noise dies away, -and the genius of desolation once more broods over the perishing little -town. - -In this miserable place we were detained three days; and on the morning -of the fourth, our party embarked on board three of their beautiful -boats, and bade adieu, probably for ever, to the shores of Moudania. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - - Death in the Revel—Marriage of the Princess Mihirmàh—The - Imperial Victim—The First Lover—Court Cabal—Policy of the - Seraskier—The Second Suitor—The Miniature—The Last - Gift—Interview between the Sultan and Mustapha Pasha. - - -It is strange how often events, which to the crowd appear redolent of -joy and happiness, are to the principal actors replete with heartburning -and misery—how what is a pageant to the many may be a penance to the -few—and how the triumphant acclaim of the multitude may be hollowly -echoed back in bitterness from the depths of a bereaved and stricken -spirit. The price of greatness must be paid, even although it should be -in the coinage of despair, wrung slowly, through a long life, like -blood-drops from the heart; and it is well for the shouting, -holyday-seeking crowd, that the gaunt spectre of reality is not -permitted, like the skeleton of the Egyptian banquets, to take its seat -at the feast, and startle them into a knowledge of the heavy price paid -for the “funeral-baked meats” of their empoisoned revel! - -Only a few weeks had elapsed since Constantinople had held a general -holyday; since her joy had been written in characters of fire; and her -tens of thousands had collected together like one vast family, to -celebrate the same happy event. Who that looked around and about him -during the marriage festivities of the Imperial Bride of Saïd Pasha—the -young, the fair, the high-born maiden, descended from a long-line of -Emperors, “born in the purple,” and on whom no sunbeam had been suffered -to rest, lest it should mar the brightness of her beauty—Who could have -guessed, amid the flashing of jewels, the echo of compliments, and the -lavish congratulation by which he was surrounded, that the idol to whom -all this incense was offered up was already lying shivered at the foot -of the altar on which it had been reared?—That the roses of the bridal -wreath had fallen leaf by leaf, withered by the burning of the brow they -cinctured?—and that the victim of an Empire’s holyday was seated -heart-stricken and despairing in her latticed apartment, weeping hot -tears over her compulsatory sacrifice? - -And yet thus it was:—even I myself, when the rumour reached me, that -had the Princess been free to chuse from among the many who sighed for, -without venturing to aspire to her hand, she would have made another -selection—even I, remembering only that she was an Oriental, and -forgetting that she was also a woman, never doubted for an instant that -she would resign herself to her fate with true Turkish philosophy, and -find consolation for a passing disappointment in the gaud and glitter of -her new state. But it was not so: the arrow had been driven home, and -the wound was mortal! - -Two long years had elapsed since the Sultan had announced to her his -intention of bestowing her hand on Mustapha Pasha of Adrianople; and she -had received with indifference the intimation of a resolve which made -the heart of the Sultana-Mother throb with maternal pride. But ere long -the fair Princess herself learnt to believe that her constellation had -been a happy one; and to listen with smiling attention to the flattering -accounts which the ladies of the Imperial Harem failed not to pour into -her willing ears of the Pasha’s wealth, influence, and great personal -beauty. The singing-women improvised in his honour, with all the -gorgeous hyperbole of the East—the massaldjhes[1] told tales of his -wisdom and valour that brought a brighter light to the dark eyes of -their listener—and ultimately the Sultan forwarded to his daughter a -miniature likeness of her intended bridegroom. - -Then it was that the Princess became convinced that the personal -qualifications of the Pasha had been by no means exaggerated even by -his most partial chroniclers; and the young beauty sat for hours amid -her embroidered cushions, silently gazing on the portrait which she held -in her hand, and marvelling whether she should look as fair in the eyes -of her destined lord as he already seemed in her own. She was not long -to remain in doubt; for the Pasha, to whom his good fortune had been -communicated by his Imperial Master, obeyed the summons that called him -to the capital, and forwarded to his high-born mistress his first costly -offering. - -The heart of the Princess beat high. He was in Stamboul! The wife of the -meanest _camal_[2] might look on him as his shadow fell upon her in the -streets of the city; while she, his affianced bride, could only picture -him to her fancy by gazing on the cold inanimate ivory. She turned from -the diamonds that her slaves had officiously displayed upon the sofa on -which she sat; they came from him, it was true, but they told no tale of -love—they were the offering of ceremony—the tribute of the honoured -Pasha to his honouring bride—they had pleased her fancy, but they had -not touched her heart. - -Night spread her sable robe upon the waters—the channel lay hushed, -for the soft wind failed to disturb the ripple over which it lightly -skimmed—the Sultana-mother and the affianced Princess were dwelling -in the gilded saloons of the Asiatic Harem—in the fairy palace of -Beglierbey, and the slaves had long been hushed in sleep—and it was -at this still hour that the dark-eyed daughter of the Sultan, who -had been leaning against the lattices of an open window, listening -to the nightingales, and weaving sweet fancies into a graceful web -of thought, turned from the casement to seek the rest which she had -hitherto neglected to secure; when as she moved away, a sound of distant -oars fell on her ear, and with a vague feeling of curiosity she paused -and listened. - -A solitary caïque neared the palace, and stopped beneath the terrace of -the Harem: there was no moon; and the clear stars, which were dropped in -silver over the purple mantle of the sky, did not betray the secret of -the bold midnight visiter. The Princess bent her ear eagerly against the -lattice: her brow flushed, and her breath came quick—her heart had not -deceived her—it was indeed the Pasha; and soon a soft strain of music -swelled upon the air; and words of passion blending with the melody, -taught her that this was his first spirit-offering to his bright young -love. - -Oh! how, as she stood beside the casement, did she sigh for moonlight, -when, despite the envious lattices, she might have looked upon her -princely lover, and written his image on her heart! But the song -ceased, and the caïque slowly dropped down with the current, and she -scarcely knew, when she at length withdrew to the innermost recesses of -her chamber, whether all had not been a dream. - -Time passed on, and the wish of the fair Princess was accomplished. She -had looked upon the Pasha, as his gilded boat passed lingeringly beneath -the Imperial terrace—she had seen him as his proud steed curvetted -gracefully under the palace windows—she had beheld him by the light of -a bright moon when no eye save her’s was on him, and his low, soft -accents came sweetly to her ear on the evening wind—and she had learnt -to love him with all the fervour of a first affection. Now, indeed, she -valued every gift which came to her from him, not because he made the -world pay tribute to charm her fancy, but because he had first seen and -approved the offering. - -And the Pasha learned that he was loved—the rose withering in the hot -sun amid the lattice-work of the Princess’s window—the long lock of -dark hair waving in the wind beside it—the little flower which -sometimes fell into the water beside the caïque during his midnight and -solitary visit, told him the tale that he most wished to hear. It is -even said that on one occasion he actually beheld by accident the face -of his betrothed wife: be this as it may, however, it is certain that -Mustapha Pasha returned to his Pashalik at Adrianople with his mind and -thoughts full of the Princess Mihirmàh, and with little taste for the -delay which was yet to take place ere his marriage. - -The departure of the Pasha was the signal for court intrigue and court -cabal, for the determination of the Sultan had spread dismay among the -most influential of the nobles, who could ill brook the prospect of so -dangerous a rival near the throne as the powerful and popular Mustapha -Pasha. At the head of this party was the Seraskier, whose influence over -the Sultan had long been unbounded, whose wealth had purchased friends, -and whose favour had silenced enemies. He it was who first taught the -light of Imperial favour to shine on Halil Pasha, who had originally -been a groom in his own stables; and who ultimately determined Mahmoud -to receive his _protégé_ as the husband of his eldest daughter; a subtle -stroke of policy which secured to him a firm adherent, knit to his cause -by every bond of self-interest and gratitude; for the husband of the -Princess Salihè was the adopted son of the Seraskier, the object of his -munificence, and the sharer in his fortunes. - -Thus, in lieu of a rival, whom his connexion with the Imperial family -might have rendered dangerous, the old and wily courtier secured a new -and influential ally, prompt to adopt his views and to further his -ambition. The proposed marriage of the younger Princess involved the -same risks, and demanded the same precautions; and it was consequently -not without emotion that the Seraskier learnt from the lips of the -Sultan that Mustapha Pasha was to be the new bridegroom. - -He smiled as he heard it, and uttered the usual empty and meaningless -compliment of congratulation; but his heart obeyed not the prompting of -his words; and, as he left the Presence, he vowed a voiceless vow, that -with the help of Allah, the Governor of Adrianople should never be the -husband of the Princess Mihirmàh; for the more he reflected on the -subject, the more he felt the necessity of exerting all his energies to -prevent the domestication of Mustapha Pasha at court. - -Young and handsome, he would be all powerful with his Imperial bride. -Wealthy and high-spirited, he would neither from necessity nor -inclination be amenable to his own dictation. Proverbially amiable, and -chivalrously generous, he was already the idol of his province, and -would soon become that of the capital; while his grasp of intellect and -soundness of judgment, would render it equally impossible to degrade him -into a dupe, or to use him as a tool. - -Thus, then, the experienced courtier, whose career has been perhaps -without parallel in Turkish history—whose beard has grown grey under -the shadow of the Imperial throne—who has seen a hundred favourites -rise into greatness, flourish for a brief season, and finally leave -their dishonoured heads to bleach beneath a fierce sun, impaled above -the fatal Orta Kapoussi, or Middle Gate of the Seraglio, or niched in -gory grandeur beside the gilded entrance of the Sublime Porte; who -throughout his long career has never failed in any important undertaking -—the experienced courtier at once decided that Mustapha Pasha must not -be permitted to fill a station, which would invest him with the -privelege of thwarting his own plans, or of opposing his own party.[3] - -Every Bey of the Imperial Household was in the interest of the -Seraskier. It could not well be otherwise; for, during the long years of -unchecked prosperity and unfailing favour which I have described, it -will be readily conceived that there was not an individual among them -who was not indebted to him for some benefit, which could be repaid only -by devotion to his wishes. - -Nor were there wanting many among the Pashas themselves who were easily -taught to look with distrust and suspicion on the threatened rivalry of -the young and high-spirited Mustapha; and who readily enlisted in the -adverse party. Suffice it that the intrigue prospered: the Sultan first -insisted—then wavered—and finally, driven, despite himself, to a -compromise with the nobles in immediate contact with his person, -ultimately proposed the extraordinary expedient to which I have already -alluded; and with a weakness of purpose for which it were difficult to -account in a despotic monarch, determined to cast the obloquy of -irresolution from his own shoulders by leaving the fortunes of his -daughter in the hands of Fate—that blind divinity in whom the Turks put -such implicit trust, and on whom they philosophically fling the odium of -every untoward circumstance. - -One stipulation he, however, made; that the name of Mustapha Pasha -should be among the seven chosen ones from whom the _felech_ of the -Princess was to select her a husband; and, having thus quieted his -Imperial conscience, he made his _namaz_ with all proper solemnity, ere -he calmly drew from beneath his prayer-carpet the name of Mohammed Saïd -Pasha! - -But the affections cannot change so lightly as the will; and when it was -announced to the young Princess that she was to receive a new suitor, -and to banish all memory of him whom she had so long learnt to love, she -sank beneath the tidings; and rejected the consolations which were -officiously poured forth by her attendants. The Sultana-mother wept and -entreated; but for the first time her tears and her entreaties were -alike vain: the Princess only turned aside in despairing silence, or -bade them leave her to die alone, since death was all that remained to -her. Hours passed away; hours of dull, aching anguish that wrung and -withered her young heart; and they brought her food, but she put it -aside with loathing—and darkness came; but it yielded no rest to her; -and on the morrow her dim eyes and haggard cheek so terrified the -Sultana that she at once decided on communicating to her Imperial -partner the effect of his decision. - -The Sultan came, and used every blandishment that could win, and every -threat that could terrify; but he failed to wrench the young fond heart -from its allegiance. The same trite commonplaces which rise -instinctively to the lips of all domestic despots, be they Christians or -Islamites, were duly set forth; but love spurns at argument; and the -Princess only replied by falling senseless into the arms of her slaves. -Days of suffering followed, during which she lay like a blighted flower -upon her cushions; hoping one moment against reason; and the next -resigning herself without a struggle to the deepest anguish of despair. - -Time wore on, and at length she learnt that her destined husband had -arrived in the capital! Then came the gifts of the new suitor, and the -ceremonies of the betrothal; and she knew and felt that there was indeed -no longer any hope. The conviction was too much for her young strength; -and the courtiers were pouring forth their offerings, and the Pashas of -the provinces were pressing forward with their congratulations, while -the victim of state policy was lying on a sick bed, surrounded by tears -and lamentations. - -And thus they decked her for the bridal, and carried her forth in her -gilded carriage to her new home; and she submitted passively, for she -knew that it was in vain to oppose her destiny. But when the proud and -happy Saïd Pasha had borne her in his arms to the state saloon of the -harem, preceded by dancing-girls, and fair slaves glittering with -jewels, and swinging censers of costly incense upon her path, and had -seated her on the brocaded divan only to throw himself at her feet, and -to vow himself to an existence of fond and grateful obedience to her -every wish; then did the woman-heart of the Princess flash forth as she -sternly commanded him to leave her. The Pasha obeyed not; he believed -this coldness to be only a caprice of his Imperial bride, and he lost -himself in all the lover-like hyperbole which he doubted not would be -expected from him. - -But the young bridegroom was not long suffered to be deluded by so -flattering a deceit, for the reply of the Princess to his protestations -was too direct and convincing, to admit of his indulging the faintest -doubt of his misfortune. Around her neck she wore a slight chain, -wrought in dark silk, similar to those to which the Turkish ladies -commonly attach an amulet; and for all answer she withdrew this chain, -and revealed to the heart-stricken Pasha the portrait of her first -suitor. - -“It was the Sultan’s gift;” she said firmly, “I was told that he was to -be my husband, and they taught me to love him—I loved him ere I knew -that such a being as Saïd Pasha lived—I shall love him so long as this -heart has power to beat against his likeness. I will not deceive you; I -can look on you only with loathing: my fate is sealed; I shall soon lie -in the tomb of my fathers. Inshallàh—I trust in God—life is not -eternal, and the broken heart ceases at last to suffer.” - -Saïd Pasha had triumphed: he had won an Imperial bride; but he was a -blighted man. He had seen Mustapha Pasha ride in the marriage train -which did honour to his own nuptials; but a few hours only had elapsed -ere he envied his discomfited rival the comparative happiness of -freedom. - -That rival was, however, far from being reconciled to his fate, -irrevocable as it was. He forgot that he had lost a proud bride in the -memory of her youth, her beauty, and her affection. He lingered near her -regal dwelling at midnight to catch the reflection of a taper through -the lattices of one of its many windows, trusting that he might chance -to look upon the light which beamed on her. His marriage gift was the -most costly of all that glittered in her _trousseau_—and he saw the -different Pashas who had been called to court to swell the pageant, -depart to their provinces, without possessing the courage to follow -their example. - -Many wondered why Mustapha Pasha, who was supreme at Adrianople, -remained in comparative subserviency at Stamboul; and all whispered -mysteriously of the change which had come over his nature. He was still -urbane and courteous, with a gracious word and a ready smile for all; -but the words came less freely, and the smiles were fainter, and even -wore at times a tinge of bitterness. - -It was about three weeks subsequent to the Imperial marriage that an -Armenian jeweller completed one of the most costly brilliant ornaments -which had ever been seen, even in the Bezenstein of Constantinople. A -mass of immense diamonds were clustered together in its centre in the -form of a taper, at whose extremity a flame was burning brightly; and -this device was surrounded by a wreath of ivy leaves, amid which a moth -was nestled, mounted upon an elastic spring, that at the slightest -motion threw the insect upon the flame. - -This noble jewel was, immediately on its completion, carried to the -palace of Mustapha Pasha, whence it was transported to the harem of the -Princess by a trusty messenger. No written Word accompanied the gift—it -told its own tale—and four-and-twenty hours had not elapsed from the -time in which the “mourning bride” clasped it in her turban, ere it was -intimated to Mustapha Pasha that he had the permission of his Sublime -Highness to return to his Pashalik with all convenient speed. - -On the morrow he requested his parting audience of the Sultan, when -Mahmoud, probably regretting, as he looked upon the noble-minded -Mustapha, the wrong which he had been compelled to do him, prevented him -as he was in the act of kissing his foot, and, extending towards him his -Imperial hand, said blandly:—“Forget the past—it was not the will of -Allah that my intention in your favour should be fulfilled; but bear -with you my assurance that the esteem which I have long felt for you is -undiminished. Your presence is required at Adrianople—I am perfectly -content with your government—and two years hence I shall recall you to -Stamboul, to bestow on you the hand of my youngest daughter.” - -The Pasha relinquished his hold of the Imperial fingers: the blood -mounted to his brow, and settled there, and the tone was proud, even to -haughtiness, with which he answered: “I obey the orders of your -Highness: by tomorrow’s dawn I shall be on my way to my Pashalik; while -I have life I will do my duty to my Sultan and to my province; but I -shall never again aspire to make the happiness of an Imperial -Princess—were I ten times more worthy than I am, still should I be no -meet husband for a Sultan’s daughter. May the blessing of Allah rest on -the representative of the Prophet; and may the hour not be far distant -when Mustapha Pasha may lay down in the service of his sovereign a life -which has now become valueless!” - -The high-hearted noble departed from the court, bearing with him the -memory of his passion and of his wrong. The Seraskier sought to console -the disappointed bridegroom by heaping upon him the most munificent -gifts; and the Princess, in the solitude of her harem, yet wastes her -hours in tears, gazing upon the portrait of her lost lover, and -imploring of the Prophet an early deliverance from the anguish of a -breaking heart. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - - Yenekeui—The Festival of Fire—Commemorative - Observance—Fondness of the Orientals for - Illumination—Frequency of Fires in Constantinople—Dangerous - Customs—Fire Guard—The Seraskier’s Tower—Disagreeable - Alarum—Namik Pasha—The Festival - Localized—Veronica—Bonfires—Therapia and Buyukdèrè—Singular - Effect of Light—The Armenian Heroine—A Wild Dream. - - -Shortly after our return from Broussa, we took possession of a house -which we had rented for the summer at Yenekeui, and we had only been -established there a few days when we had an opportunity of witnessing -one of the most ancient of the Greek commemorative usages,—the -“Festival of Fire”—instituted in memory of the second capture of -Constantinople by the Cæsars. - -Some years ago the Greek quarter of the city was illuminated on this -anniversary, as well as the villages occupied principally by their -nation: but the Turks no longer permit this demonstration of rejoicing, -as well from jealousy of its subject, as from the danger attendant on -all such manifestations in a city where fires are so frequent, and the -nature of the buildings so unfortunately calculated to encourage the -evil. - -For my own part, after having passed a few nights in Constantinople, -both in Turkish and Greek houses, I was only surprised that the -frightful conflagrations which so frequently occur do not take place -every week instead of ten or twelve times a-year. Like the husbandman -who plants his vines, and sows his grain at the base of a volcano, -apparently unconscious or careless that the next eruption may lay waste -his lands, and negative his labour, the inhabitants of Stamboul appear -never to reflect that fire is one of their deadliest enemies, but wander -over their wooden dwellings with their lighted chibouks, or their -unsnuffed candles; as heedlessly as though both were innoxious: while -their attendants traverse carpeted and curtained apartments, carrying -fragments of live coal between their iron pincers to supply the pipes. - -Nor is this all. The Tandour is a fire-conductor of the first class: the -wooden frame that covers the charcoal ashes is frequently very slight, -and the silken draperies which veil it are generally lined with cotton, -and not infrequently wadded with the same inflammable material. The -effect of the Tandour is highly soporific; and it consequently occurs -that persons who fall asleep under its influence, by some sudden -movement overturn the frame-work, when their own clothes as well as the -coverings of the Tandour come in contact with the hidden fire: the -chintz-covered sofas are ready to feed the flame, and the natural -consequence ensues. - -Still more dangerous is the system of drying linen during the winter, -which is universal throughout the city. A frame, formed of wooden laths, -about three feet high, and shaped like a beehive, is placed above a -small brazier, filled with heated charcoal; and the linen is flung over -this frame, one garment above another, where it gradually dries. But -should the laundress omit to remove the lower portions of it directly -that they are free from damp, they ignite, and the whole becomes one -burning mass. - -That in a country where fires are so frequent, such reckless usages -should be persisted in by individuals, or permitted by the authorities, -appears incredible; while they account if not satisfactorily, at least -fully, for the constant recurrence of the evil. Nor can you, even should -you desire to do so, remain in ignorance of the calamity whenever it -occurs; for you are constantly awakened in the night by the heavy -strokes of an iron-pointed pike upon the rough pavement of the streets, -and you hear the deep voice of the fire-guard announce the quarter -where the flames have broken out. - -As there is a regular sentinel, relieved every second hour, on the -look-out for fires in the upper gallery of the Seraskier’s Tower, which -is like a glass lantern, having windows on all sides; every -conflagration, however unimportant, is instantly announced by the -patroles appointed to the different quarters of the city; and thus a -week rarely passes in which you are not startled by the boding cry of -the guard—“Fire at Scutari—a—” “Fire at Galata—a”—Up go all the -windows of the neighbourhood; and, when the locality of the accident is -ascertained, those who have property or connexions in the quarter hasten -to the scene of action: while those who have no individual interest in -the misfortune, close their casements, and creep back to bed, rejoicing -that they have escaped for the present the dreaded catastrophe. - -All the Pashas resident in the Capital or its immediate neighbourhood -are obliged to attend every fire that occurs, and to assist in its -extinction; so that they frequently have a very busy time of it; and -Namik Pasha—the fêted and favoured Namik Pasha—probably from personal -experience of the dangers attendant on the employment, has, since his -return to Turkey, cited, as his two most admirable memories of England, -her Pantomimes and her Fire-men! - -The Greek “Festival of Fire” has now, in consequence of the prohibition -to which I have alluded, become local in its celebration: and the -villages of Buyukdèrè, Therapia, and Yenekeui, have the exclusive honour -of commemorating the conquest of the Cæsars. - -We embarked on board our caïque at dusk, and having with some difficulty -made our way through the floating crowd that thronged the stream, we -landed, and proceeded to the house of Veronica, the heroine of Mac -Farlane’s Novel of the “Armenians.” From the windows, which commanded -the little bay where the rejoicings were to take place, we had a full -view of the whole ceremony, and a most extraordinary exhibition it was. - -Two artificial islands had been formed in the bay, and heaped with dried -wood, and other inflammable materials, and on that which was furthest -from the shore, the pile was surmounted by a caïque: another line of -fires was prepared for a considerable distance along the coast; and in -every direction men were flitting about with paper lanterns, conducting -the different parties of visiters from their boats to the residences of -their friends. Therapia was concealed behind a point of land; but -Buyukdèrè was visible in the distance, like a line of fire hemming in -the glittering waters which reflected afar off the unusual brilliancy. -The flames, as they rose and fell, flashed and faded upon the casements -of the houses that skirted the shore, with an effect quite magical: -while the sombre coast of Asia, without one glimmering light to relieve -its stately outline, cut in dusky magnificence along the cloudless sky. - -At a sudden signal the fires were ignited: and the condemned caïque was -soon one graceful mass of flame. But the most extraordinary portion of -the spectacle was the crowd of men, dressed only in wide cotton drawers, -their partially shaven heads bare, and their arms tossed high in the -air, who were wading up to their necks in the sea, and feeding the fires -with shrieks and yells worthy of a chorus of demons. At intervals, they -all rushed out of the water, and sprang across the flames of the huge -fires which were burning along the coast, looking like infernal spirits -celebrating their unholy orgies; and then, plunging once more into the -stream, they danced round the lesser island in a circle, to the wild -chanting of the spectators on the shore. - -The effect of the whole scene was thrilling. The bright-barrelled -firelock of the Turkish sentinel, who was posted at the battery above -the village, flashed as he trod his beat, in the fierce light which fell -upon it. The line of heights behind the houses was covered with -spectators: the women seated on mats and cushions, and the men standing -in groups among them, all as distinctly visible as beneath a noon-day -sun; while, in the opposite direction, the ripple of the Bosphorus ran -shimmering along like liquid gold, and the caïques, wedged together as -closely as though they had been one compact body, gleamed out gaily with -their crimson rugs and gilded ornaments. - -The same wild sports continued for two hours, gradually decreasing in -violence, as the fatigue of the fierce and unremitted exertions of the -actors made itself felt; when the Wallachian band, and an immense fire -kindled beneath the windows of the house in which we were passing the -evening, and which was formed of wicker baskets wedged one within the -other, with a tall tree planted in the midst, that produced a very -singular effect, gradually withdrew the crowd from the expiring glories -of the coast; and as the last note of the Sultan’s March died away, the -throng dispersed, and we were left to the undisturbed society of our -friends. - -Veronica could never have been handsome; the expression of her -countenance is sweet and agreeable, but her features are neither regular -nor fine; nor does she possess the low soft voice which is so great a -charm in the Turkish women, and to which the coarse language of the -Armenian nation does not lend itself. She is rather under the middle -size, calm in her manner, and graceful in her carriage; and her sable -dress and melancholy history invest her with an interest that mere -beauty would fail to excite. As I conversed with the widowed wife, and -saw her shrink beneath the night air like a withered flower, and fold -her furred pelisse closer about her with her thin wasted hand, I could -have wept over her faded youth and blighted feelings. It is painfully -evident that the memory of her error and of her wrongs sits heavily upon -her, and that it is a poisoned chain whose fetters can be flung off only -in the grave. Even Time, the great physician of all moral ills, has no -power over a grief like her’s. - -Before we returned home, we rowed slowly towards Therapia; which, etched -in fire, and loud with music, threw its bright shadow far along the -waves. Caïques glided past us every instant with lights at their stern, -whence the sounds of laughter or of song swept cheerily over the ripple; -and more than once we narrowly escaped collision with a mirth-laden -bark, whose conductors were pressing forward in all the heedless -eagerness of hilarity. - -It was near midnight ere we withdrew from the busy scene: and when I -fell asleep, I dreamt that Veronica was the wife of one of the Cæsars; -and that a young and dark-eyed Greek prince was leaping over the burning -city of Constantinople, while a portly Armenian, who had been of the -evening party, was filling his unwieldy calpac with water, as he stood -breast-high in the Bosphorus, and handing it to a set of wild Indians -who were howling and dancing amid the flames. - -Truly my sleeping visions produced a second “Festival of Fire.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - - A Chapter on Caïques—The Sultan’s Barge—Princes and - Pashas—The Pasha’s Wife—The Admiralty Barge—The Fruit - Caïque—The Embassy Barge—The Omnibus Caïque—Turkish - Boatmen—The Caïque of Azmè Bey—Pleasant Memories—The - Chevalier Hassuna de Ghies—Natural Politeness of the - Turks—Turkey and Russia—Sultan Mahmoud—Confusion of - Tongues—Arif Bey—Imperial Present—The Fruit of - Constantinople—The Two Banners—The Harem—Azimè Hanoum. - - -Should I ever have time, I murmured to myself as we darted down the -Bosphorus in the caïque of Azmè Bey, with whom we were engaged to dine, -and who had obligingly sent his boat and his Dragoman to facilitate our -arrival at Dolma Batchè:—Should I ever have time, I will write a -chapter on caïques. - -A more graceful subject could scarcely be selected. From the gilded -barges of the Sultan, to the common passage-boat that plies within the -port, the caïques are all beauty; and, as they fly past you, their long -and lofty prows dipping downward towards the current at every stroke of -the oars, you are involuntarily reminded of some aquatic bird, -moistening the plumage of its glistening breast in the clear ripple. - -That bright mass of gilding and glitter which is flying over the water, -shaped like a marine monster, and gleaming in the sunshine, is one of -the Imperial barges. Mahmoud is returning from the mosque. Hark! to the -booming of the loud cannon, which announces his departure from the coast -of Europe, for his delicious summer-palace of Beglierbey; the most -lovely (for that is the correct term)—the most lovely object on the -Bosphorus—rising like the creation of a twilight dream beneath the -shadow of an Asian mountain—a fanciful edifice, looking as though its -model had been cut out of gold paper in an hour of luxurious indolence, -and carried into execution during a fit of elegant caprice. - -The long, dark, crescent-shaped caïque immediately in the wake of the -Sultan, with its three gauze-clad rowers, and its flashing ornaments, -carries a Pasha of the Imperial suite. He is hidden beneath the red -umbrella which the attendant, who is squatted upon the raised stern of -the boat, is holding carefully over him. - -You may see a third bark, just creeping along under the land; a light, -buoyant, glittering thing, with a crimson drapery fringed with gold -flung over its side, and almost dipping into the water; a negress is -seated behind her mistress, with a collection of yellow slippers strown -about her; and at the bottom of the boat, reclining against a pile of -cushions, and attended by two young slaves, you may distinguish the -closely-veiled Fatma or Leyla, whose dark eyes are seen flashing out -beneath her pure white yashmac, and whose small, fair, delicately -rounded, and gloveless hand draws yet closer together the heavy folds of -her feridjhe as she remarks the approach of another caïque to her own. -She is the wife of some Pasha—the favourite wife, it may be—musing as -she darts along the water, with what new toy her next smile shall be -bought. And now her light boat is lost to view, for it has shot beneath -the arched entrance of the court of yonder stately harem; and you can -only follow the fair Turk in thought to the cool, shady, spacious -saloons of her prison-palace, where the envious yashmac is withdrawn in -deference to the yet more jealous lattice; and where the heavy feridjhe -is flung off to reveal the graceful antery, the gold-embroidered vest, -and the hanging sleeves. - -But what is this which is advancing towards us with a heavy plash, and -flinging its long broad shadow far before it? It is the Admiralty Barge, -manned with fourteen rowers, and freighted with His Excellency Achmet -Pasha, bound on some mission to the fleet. The red caps and white -jackets of the crew form a cheerful contrast from the dark mass at the -stern of the barge, where the High Admiral, _pro tempore_, is seated, -surrounded by a group of inferior officers. His chibouk-bearer is -screening him from the sun; while his secretary, with a sheet of paper -resting upon his knee, is writing from the dictation of the Minister. -There is a great deal of business transacted on the Bosphorus; the Turks -never require a table on which to write, and they are consequently but -little inconvenienced by locality, when a necessity exists for profiting -by the passing hour. - -And this slowly-moving bark, rather dropping down with the current, than -impelled by the efforts of its two Greek rowers, and which looks so cool -and so pretty with all that pile of green leaves heaped upon its stern, -is one of the fruit caïques for the supply of the houses overhanging the -Bosphorus. The wild shrill cry of the fruiterers announcing the nature -of their merchandize, swells upon the air; and, as you pass close beside -the boat, the wind sporting among the fresh branches that are strewn -over the baskets, blows aside the leaves, and the tempting fruit is -revealed to you in all its cool ripe beauty. - -And yonder flies the Union Jack of England! It is the splendid barge of -the British Embassy, which is darting along with its seven rowers: the -Ambassador is engaged with a newspaper: you may know him by his purple -_fèz_, as well as by an aristocracy of bearing and demeanour which -distinguishes him from all the foreign ministers at the Ottoman Court; -and which the Turks both feel and appreciate. - -Very different both in form and freight is the dark, slow, people-laden -passage-caïque, just coming round the point, and which is one of several -that ply between Constantinople and Buyukdèrè; and carry passengers the -whole length of the Bosphorus at the moderate charge of thirty paras a -head, a sum scarcely equivalent to twopence English. These Omnibus-boats -have their outside as well as their inside passengers: and the -individuals who sit upon the gunwale, with their legs hanging over the -side, and their feet resting upon the spar which is lashed on to it for -their especial convenience, effect, by the occupation of this amphibious -seat, the saving of ten paras upon a voyage of about four hours. - -The Caïquejhes are, generally speaking, a very fine race of men. The -Greeks are esteemed the best boatmen on the Bosphorus: but all the -private caïques travel with a speed that it fatigues the eye to follow. -Some of these men utter a disagreeable grunt as they ply their oars, -which would induce a stranger to imagine that they suffered from the -exertion; but the habit is induced by their having worked too hard in -their youth, and thus injured their lungs; and it is considered so great -an objection to them, that no individual who retains caïquejhes in his -pay will willingly hire a man labouring under this infirmity. - -But enough—or I shall be betrayed into really writing the chapter of -which I dreamed in my delicious idleness, as the handsome caïque of the -Bey shot along, while the dragoman named to us the owner of each painted -palace near which we passed. What a confusion of Pashas and Beys—of -Excellencies and Effendis! It was impossible to remember one half of -them; and I have already dwelt so frequently upon the sea-washed palaces -of the Bosphorus, that, instead of repeating an admiration which rather -grew upon me than became weakened by frequent indulgence; an admiration -which it is impossible not to feel, and equally impossible to excite by -mere description; I will e’en run the caïque beside the little pier near -the Imperial residence of Dolma Batchè, and follow the steps of the -dragoman to the hospitable home of his master. - -Few things afforded us more gratification, during our residence in the -East, than the manner in which Azmè Bey spoke of, and felt towards, -England. Sincerity is decidedly not a national characteristic of the -Turks; but there are nevertheless many individuals among them who may -fairly lay claim to this great social virtue; and I unhesitatingly rank -Azmè Bey as one of these. His gracious and grateful memories of those -who professed a friendship for him during his European sojourn; his -eagerness to repay by every exertion in his power the attention which is -shewn to him; and his frank, unostentatious politeness, lent a charm to -his manner, and a value to his kindness, which enhanced them tenfold; -and I do not hesitate to affirm, that did all such of his countrymen as -have resided in England, feel and act towards the English as Azmè Bey -has done since his return, the sentiments of the Turkish people would be -greatly changed with regard to them, both individually and as a nation. - -We found the Bey at the head of the stairs waiting to receive us; and -the first person whom I remarked in the saloon of the Salemliek was M. -Hassuna de Ghies, whom I had known in London, and with whom I was -delighted to renew my acquaintance. This talented and amiable man is now -the editor of the Constantinopolitan Journal; and his acquirements and -knowledge are justly appreciated by his Imperial master; who, besides -other marks of his favour, has, since his return from Europe, been -pleased, as an especial token of his regard, to change his name, which -he considered to be too difficult of pronunciation, into Hussein Madzhar -Effendi;[4] an alteration by no means calculated to diminish its -difficulty to European lips. He was seated on the divan, smoking his -chibouk, which he relinquished on our entrance; and, ere long, he was -busily engaged in conversing with my father in English; while I was -undergoing the ceremony of presentation to a Greek lady, who, with a -delicacy which did him honour, Azmè Bey had invited, in order to -relieve me from the restraint and _désagrément_ of finding myself the -only female of the party. - -I mention the circumstance in order to prove to those who are inclined -to treat the Turks as barbarians, and to speak of them as such, that -there are many among them who may be both wronged and wounded by such an -opinion, and who are capable of convincing them by their actions that it -is unfounded. The Turks require only time, example, and a perfect -confidence in their European allies, to become a polished as well as a -civilized nation; they possess all the elements of civilization, but -they are flung back by events—they are blinded by subtlety—they are -hoodwinked by deception. Were they suffered to act upon their own -untrammelled impressions, they would not long remain even in their -present state of partial inertness: but Turkey is now in the position of -a child, to whom its nurse, in order to cajole it into quiet, presents a -mirror, which, viewed in one direction, widens the object that it -reflects; and it has been taught that this magnified mass represents -its own strength and beauty; and when it has been suffered to sate -itself with the false image that has thus been placed before it, the -glass is reversed by its wily Mentor, and the shrunken, wasted, and -almost shapeless thing that succeeds is made object of wonder and of -pity, as the narrow and despicable policy which would fain persuade the -Turks that they have need of counsel and of help. The more enlightened -among them do not believe this; they are even convinced to the contrary: -but the argument produces its effect upon the mass, and the arm of power -is weakened and paralyzed by the weight of public opinion. - -Turkey is like a stately forest-tree which has been cankered at the -core, but which has shot forth young and vigorous branches after it had -been condemned as on the eve of perishing. A weighty pressure has fallen -upon the fresh green shoots; but let it only be removed, and once more -the branches will stretch broadly and boldly forth, and cast their long -shadows far across the earth. - -Sultan Mahmoud would fain be the regenerator of his country; but he -cannot resist, single-handed, an enemy more powerful, and, above all, -more subtle than himself. The Turks are bad politicians—they do not -hold the keys of their own citadel; and their game is overlooked on all -sides. Had they sincere assistance, all Europe would soon be convinced -of that to which she now appears blind—the great moral power of the -Turkish people, and the incalculable advantages of their alliance. - -I scarcely know how I have suffered myself to be deluded into this -digression; and my only apology for its indulgence is the earnest -interest which I have learnt to feel in the existence of a great and -magnificent Empire, bowed beneath the smiling sophistries of its most -dangerous enemy. - -The shady saloon of Azmè Bey, with its many windows, all opening upon a -delicious garden overhung with fruit trees, and forming a leafy screen -amid which we caught here and there a blue bright glimpse of the -Bosphorus, was half filled with guests, to whom we were presented with -the ease and politeness of intuitive good breeding; and in a few minutes -we were all engaged in an animated conversation, or rather set of -conversations. The Greek lady was discussing the merits of the divan, in -Italian, with a gentleman near her; M. de Ghies was still talking -English with my father; and the Bey and myself were busy with Von -Hammer’s work on the East, and communicating our opinions in French: nor -was this all—for a party of the guests were murmuring out their soft, -harmonious Turkish at the other extremity of the apartment; while the -voices of the Arabs in the outer room came to us at intervals, as they -passed and repassed the door of the saloon in which we sat. - -The announcement of a new visitor at length summoned the Bey from the -room; and he shortly afterwards returned, and presented to me Arif Bey, -the Paymaster General of the Imperial Forces, who had done me the honour -to desire my acquaintance; and, hearing that I was the guest of his -friend, had taken this opportunity of making it. He was rather a -heavy-looking young man, of about seven-and-twenty; with very small -black eyes, as round and bright as jet beads, an extremely pale -complexion, and who, as he did not speak a word of French, kept the -dragoman in constant, and frequently very unprofitable employment, in -translating nearly every sentence I uttered. He was very carefully -dressed; and, in addition to the gold sword-belt about his waist, he -wore white gloves and a black silk stock; articles of apparel which are -generally dispensed with altogether by the Turks. He had just commenced -studying French, under the auspices of Azmè Bey; and, meanwhile, he -smoked with a perseverance which was perfectly amusing. The Sultan has -lately done him the honour of selecting a wife for him; a boon which he, -of course, received with all becoming gratitude at the Imperial hand; -and he is now building a very handsome residence on the border of the -Bosphorus, near the Palace of Beshiktash. - -The dinner was served in the European style, and the table was -remarkably well appointed. French wines were in abundance, and champagne -and Edinburgh ale were not wanting; but the dessert was the charm of the -repast. The fruit of Constantinople has a perfume that I never met with -elsewhere; and, did the natives suffer it to ripen fully, which from -their excessive fondness for it they very rarely do, much of it would -probably be unrivalled for the delicacy of its flavour. Pyramids of this -delicious fruit occupied the angles of the table, the most delicate -pastry was ranged beside it, and the centre was occupied by a -castellated tower, formed of sweetmeats, and surmounted by the British -and Ottoman banners linked together. From this dish alone the Bey -declined to serve his guests, lest he should disturb the union of the -two flags, even symbolically; and many gracious things were said on the -subject both by himself and his friends; nor had he neglected to turn -the Banner of the Crescent towards the head of the table, at which he -had requested me to preside; while the Union Jack of England floated -over his own plate. - -When we withdrew from table, I went, accompanied by the Greek lady whom -I have already named, to pay a visit to the harem of the Bey. A door -opened from the hall of the Salemliek into a second, or inner garden, to -which we descended by a flight of steps; and after having traversed a -covered walk, we found ourselves at the entrance of the harem, where a -black slave, with extremely long hair, plaited in numerous braids which -were looped about her shoulders, preceded us to the gallery opening into -the women’s apartments; but, ere we had ascended the whole stair, we -were met by the young wife of the Bey, who, taking my hand with the -sweetest smile in the world, led me forward to her cool, pretty, -English-looking parlour, where I found myself in the midst of chairs, -sofas, and tables; and opposite to one of the loveliest women whom I had -seen in the country. - -The Bey followed us in the space of a few moments, and I could not -refrain from expressing to him my admiration of his wife. She scarcely -looked like an oriental woman, for her large black eyes, in lieu of the -sleepy, dreamlike expression so general in the East, were full of -brightness and intelligence; and her dark hair, instead of being -concealed beneath the painted handkerchief, or cut straight across her -forehead, hung in graceful curls about her fair young brow, which was as -pure and smooth as marble. - -She was just eighteen, and neither dye nor paint had ever sullied the -purity of her complexion; while the faint tinge of red that relieved the -snowy whiteness of her cheek, looked as though it nestled there almost -unconsciously; and at times, as she conversed, it deepened into a blush -that heightened the effect of her glowing beauty. Her dress, although of -Turkish form, was partly of European arrangement; her purple silk vest -was folded closely about her waist, and met beneath her long and -graceful throat; her figure was beautiful; and the little foot that -peeped out from under the black satin pantaloon, was covered by a -stocking of snowy white. Her antery was of English bombazine, sprinkled -with coloured flowers; she wore no henna on her hands; and when she had -fastened the carnations which I presented to her, among her rich, -dark hair, she was the very creature who would have inspired the gifted -pencil of Pickersgill—so fair, so young, so exquisitely graceful, and -so beautifully oriental. - -I learnt without surprise that she belonged to one of the first families -of Constantinople, and that she had received (for a Turkish female) an -excellent education. She looked it all; and the books that were strown -about her apartment, and the little inkstand that stood upon the table -beside the chair on which she sat, appeared by no means displaced, even -although I saw them in a Turkish harem. - -The party was shortly augmented by the entrance of the Bey’s mother, who -led by the hand a sweet little girl of ten or eleven years of age, his -daughter by a former marriage, whose mother died previously to his -residence in England; and they were followed by his aunt and his young -sister, a child of about the same age as his own. - -I lingered for upwards of two hours in the harem, where coffee was -served by the fair wife of the Bey, with a smiling graciousness that -convinced me of my welcome; and when, on my departure, she accompanied -me to the foot of the stairs, and assured me, according to the oriental -custom, that the house and all that it contained were at my disposal, -she coupled the ceremony with a request that I would come and see her -again; and so earnestly was it expressed, that I did not hesitate to -assure her of the pleasure which I should derive from a repetition of my -visit. - -How I longed to take her by the hand, and lead her forth from her pretty -prison, to “witch the world” with her young beauty—but alas! the door -of the Salemliek closed behind me; and as the Bey came forward to -conduct me into the saloon where my father was waiting for me to take -our leave, I lost sight of the fair and graceful Azimè Hanoum. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - - The Bosphorus in Summer—The Tower of Galata—Mosque of - Topphannè—Summer Palace of the Grand Vizier—Seraï of the - Princess Salihè—Seraïs and Salemliks—Palace of Azmè - Sultane—Turkish Music—Token Flowers—Palace of the Princess - Mihirmàh—The Hill of the Thousand Nightingales—Turkish, - Greek, and Armenian Houses—Cleanliness of the Orientals—The - Armenians—Cemetery of Isari—The Castle of Europe—Mahomet and - the Greeks—Village of Mirgheun—The Haunted Chapel of St. - Nicholas—Palace of Prince Calimachi—Imperial Jealousy—Death - of Calimachi—The Bosphorus by Moonlight—Love of the Orientals - for Flowers—Depth of the Channel—An Imperial Brig—Turkish - Justice—Fortunes of the Turkish Fleet—Sudden - Transitions—Influence of Russian Sophistry—The Sultan’s - Physicians—Naval Appointments—Rigid Discipline—The Penalty - of Disobedience—The Death-Banquet—Tahir Pasha—Radical - Remedy—Vice of the Turkish System of Government—Unkiar - Skelessi—A Mill and a Manufactory—Pic Nics—Arabian - Encampment—Bedouin Beauty—Poetical Locality. - - -Nothing can be richer nor more various than the shores of the Bosphorus -on a sunshiny day in summer; and many a delightful hour have I spent, in -company with my father, in the contemplation of the glorious succession -of pictures which they offer to the lover of the beautiful in nature. -One delicious morning, when not a flitting cloud marred the clear lustre -of the sky, when a gentle breeze murmured over the ripple, and the song -of the birds swelled cheerily upon the wind, we resolved to enjoy them -to their fullest extent; and, as our caïque darted along the European -coast, a thousand interesting objects presented themselves. - -[Illustration: Miss Pardoe del. - -Day & Haghe Lith^{rs}. to the King. - -THE SERAGLIO POINT, from the HEIGHT of PERA - -_Henry Colburn, 13 G^t. Marlborough S^t. 1837._] - -The tower of Galata, rife with memories of the days when the dreaded -Janissaries ruled the destinies of the Empire, crowned the height, -which, clothed with houses and with verdure, swept downward to the port. -The spiral minarets of the Imperial mosque of Topphannè were flaunting -their golden glories in the light; the sounds of busy life were on the -wind; and the port once past, the wide artillery-ground, and the stately -barrack were succeeded by the summer palace of the Grand Vèzir, standing -proudly against the current, as though, like the Emperor of old, it -dared the wave to overwhelm it. The wide sweep of hilly country, -gradually closing, and becoming more lofty in the rear of the buildings -that fringe the stream, was clothed with trees of every tint; from among -which the many-coloured houses peeped forth in the most picturesque -irregularity. Here and there a gleaming minaret shot upwards into the -clear Heaven from amid a cluster of plum-coloured Judas trees laden with -blossom, or a clump of limes filling the air with perfume; and leaving -the dark spiral cypresses far beneath it; as the spirit, soaring above -the earth, outtravels the gloom and care from which it frees itself. - -What a line of palaces stretched along the coast! And what a wilderness -of gardens, climbing the steeps behind them, made the background of the -picture no inapt representation of fairy-land; while at intervals a -little bay formed a delicious nook occupied by country-houses, and -terraced-coffee-shops, where the luxurious Osmanli smoked his pipe, and -inhaled his tiny cup of mocha, amid sights and sounds to which the world -can probably produce no parallel. - -The stately serail of the Princess Salihè, and the modest palace of her -less high-born husband, which is attached like an excrescence to the -far-spreading edifice occupied by the harem of his Imperial partner, -stands upon a spot where the stream widens, as if to reflect more -perfectly the golden shores that hem it in. - -There is something amusing enough to a foreigner in the one-sided -dwellings of the Sultan’s sons-in-law. Without the palace as well as -within, they are constantly reminded of the superiority of their -Imperial spouses. As they glide along in their gilded caïques, they pass -the harem, with its tall doors of bronze, and golden lattices; its -far-stretching terraces, and guarded avenues; and they arrive before the -small landing-place which gives ingress to their own diminutive -salemliek, with its single entrance, and its window draperies of white -cotton. - -You cannot pass the Palace of Azmè Sultane, the elder sister of the -Sultan, without being saluted by the sounds of music. The ladies of her -harem are many of them consummate musicians, according to Turkish ideas -of harmony; and the tinkle of the zebec, the long notes of the violin, -the ringing rattle of the tambourine, and a chorus of female voices, are -so constantly sweeping over the water through the closed lattices, that -your boatmen universally slacken their pace as they reach the Seraïl. -Oriental music requires distance to mellow it: and when it floats along -the water, as though it rose from the ocean caves; and you suffer your -imagination to dwell upon the white arms which are tossed in air as the -silver wheels of the elastic tambourine ring out; and the delicate -fingers that press the strings, and the rich red lips and large dark -eyes that lend new grace to the wild and bounding melodies of the -country—you are almost ready to fancy for the moment, that Apollo must -have first swept his lyre in a Turkish harem. - -While you look fixedly towards the lattices, as though to search for the -embodiment of your romantic fancies, you may discover proofs that the -community is not one vowed to the rosary, though it may wear the veil. -Here it is an orange attached by a lock of hair to the outer frame of -the small centre window of the trellice-work; there it is a marigold -suspended by a red ribbon; while, partially concealed, and twined amid -the minute squares of the jealous screen, you may perhaps discover a -small cluster of roses. - -This is the very land of practical romance! - -An arrow’s flight beyond the Palace of the elder Sultana, stands that of -the Imperial bride of Saïd Pasha; a long, irregular, rose-coloured pile, -pleasantly situated at the mouth of a lovely bay, whose shores are -bright with groves and many-tinted villas; while in the distance, where -the channel again narrows, the castles of Europe and Asia may be seen -looming out against the pure blue of the sky. We loitered at this sweet -spot for a brief space, and then, darting once more forward, soon -arrived under the “Hill of the Thousand Nightingales.” Rightly is it -named, for the mid-day air was vocal with their melody, and the dense -foliage of the forest trees quivered with their song; while, as the -melancholy music came to us along the water, its sadness was deepened by -the aspect of a few scattered tombs gleaming out amid the rank -underwood. The variety of timber which clothed the eminence formed such -varying shades of green; from the bright soft tint of the water-willow, -whose flexile branches swayed in the breeze like silken streamers, to -the tall, dark, silent cypresses, that it was a study for a landscape -painter. - -Beyond this lovely hill, the shore is edged with Greek, Armenian, and -Turkish houses; and here commences the _moral_ interest of the locality. -The dwellings of the raïahs are, when of any extent, almost universally -painted of two different colours on the outside, in order to give them -the appearance of separate tenements, and thus deceive the passers-by; -while those of the Turks themselves are perfectly illustrative of the -momentary condition of their owners. - -The Osmanli is the creature of the present; he never falls back upon the -past; he has no glorious memories to wile him from himself; every page -of his history is shadowed over by some gloomy recollection—nor dare he -dwell upon the future, for he is the subject of a despotic government: -the proud Pasha of to-day may be headless, or at best houseless -to-morrow; and hence, the premature decay of three-fourths of the -Turkish dwellings. - -When an individual becomes possessed of power, he buys or builds a -residence suited to his brightened fortunes: he lavishes his -revenue—why should he hoard it? it can only excite the cupidity of the -Sultan, and accelerate his disgrace; or awaken the jealousy of his -rivals, and insure his ruin. He makes his house gay without, and -convenient within; but all its accessories are ephemeral—the paint -which he spreads over the surface remains fresh for a year, and that -suffices him. Perchance it may outlast his favour; should it not do so, -it is no unpleasant task to renew it; and if it should, he contents -himself with the weather-stained walls of a more golden season. Once in -disgrace, he repairs only just sufficiently to defy the weather, and -troubles himself no further. And thus, after you have been a few months -in the country, and have studied in some degree the nature and habits of -the people, you may give a shrewd guess as you ride along, at the past -and present position of the owner of every edifice that fringes the -Bosphorus. - -The courtier has raised a pile which looks as though it had been -finished only yesterday; the walls are so bright, and the lattices are -so perfect—the blue ripple chafes against the marble steps that lead to -the columned portico; and the feathery acacias nestle among their -blossoming boughs, gilded kiosks, and lordly terraces. - -The slighted favourite has still servants lounging about his door, and a -stately landing-place beside which his caïque dances on the wave; but a -shade has past over the picture: the summer sun and the winter wind have -deadened the bright blue or the soft olive of the edifice, and here and -there a slender bar is rent away from the discoloured lattices. The -fair forest trees still wave along the covered terrace, but the steps -are grass-grown, and the flower-vases are overthrown—they might be -replaced; but it is better policy to let them suffer with their master. - -The dwelling of the exile is still more distinguishable. The shutters -are hanging loose and beating in the wind; the broken casements no -longer exclude the weather; the lattices are wrenched away; the -terrace-wall is falling inch by inch into the wave; the rank grass is -forcing its way through the crevices of the marble floor; the garden -kiosks are roofless; and the green fresh boughs are flaunting in the -sunshine, mocking the desolation which they dominate. - -Fathers do not, in Turkey, build, or plant, or purchase for their -sons—their fathers did it not for them—it would entail the probable -loss of both principle and interest. - -The Armenian houses are peculiarly remarkable for their cleanliness. All -the inhabitants of Constantinople in decent circumstances are -scrupulously nice on this point, but the Armenians exceed all others: -every respectable dwelling being scoured throughout once a week with -soap and water. I have already, in speaking of this people, alluded to -their utter deficiency in sentiment and ambition: their lives are -frittered away in inconsequent details; and hence the attention and -interest are bestowed on comparatively insignificant objects, which -render them remarkable to strangers. - -Another striking object on the coast is the romantic and beautiful -little cemetery of Isari, situated immediately beneath the Castle of -Europe, by which it is dominated as by the eagle-eïrie of some feudal -Baron. Rocks, rudely flung together, and in their perpendicular ascent -impervious to vegetation, sustain the foundations of the fortress; while -around and among them snatches of kindlier earth are covered with dense -rich underwood, from amid which tall graceful trees spring up, and -overshadow the gilded marble of many a columned grave-stone. - -The Castle of Europe, standing immediately opposite to the valley -occupied by the castle on the other coast, is built after a singular -fancy. Tradition tells that Mahomet, from his Asiatic mountains, -contemplated with envy the lovely shores of Europe; and that, unable to -restrain his desire of possessing at least a speck of the fair -landscape, he entreated permission of the Greeks to be allowed to build -a small fortress as a landing-place, on their territory. The favour was -granted, the materials collected, and the present Castle of Europe -completed in six days; the ground-plan forming the characters of the -Prophet’s name. - -Near the edge of the channel, a small arched door is pointed out to the -curious, whence the Janissaries who had become obnoxious to the reigning -Sultan, and whose especial prison it was, were ejected from the fortress -after they had been bow-strung, in order to be flung into the Bosphorus; -while, at the instant that the waters closed over them, a gun was fired -from one of the towers, to intimate to the Imperial despot that justice -had been done on his enemies. - -This Castle, like the Fortresses of the Dardanelles, has been suffered -to fall into partial decay, but an order was lately issued for their -simultaneous restoration, and workmen are now busily employed in -repairing the united ravages of time and neglect. - -The little village of Mirgheun, about a mile higher up the channel, is -one of the prettiest things on the Bosphorus. A long street, terminating -at the water’s edge, stretches far into the distance, its centre being -occupied by a Moorish fountain of white marble, overshadowed by limes -and acacias, beneath which are coffee terraces; constantly thronged with -Turks, sitting gravely in groups upon low stools not more than half a -foot from the ground, and occupied with their chibouks and mocha. - -A short distance beyond Mirgheun the channel widens into a little bay, -one of whose extremities is occupied by a ruined house, standing in the -midst of a garden. This house, which was formerly a chapel dedicated to -St. Nicholas, is now the property of a Turk, but is never inhabited in -consequence of a superstition so wild, and withal so fully credited by -both Greeks and Musselmauns, that I must not pass it by unnoticed. - -The chapel was desecrated during the Greek revolution; and taken -possession of, under the Imperial sanction, by a Turk, who, hurling the -effigy of the saint from the niche above the altar, converted the holy -shrine into a dwelling-place for himself and his family; but on the very -night on which he removed thither he was destined to pay the price of -his sacrilege, for he was found in the morning dead in his bed; an event -which so appalled his relatives that they immediately disposed of the -house to a neighbour, whose only child fell a victim, in the same -mysterious manner, to the vengeance of the outraged saint—a third -purchaser lost his wife by the like means; and the spot became from that -day the dread and horror of every True Believer; while it is an -extraordinary fact that its Infidel owner sent for a Greek Papas to -exorcise the evil spirit, or to conciliate the saint; and that a solemn -sprinkling of holy water and chanting of hymns took place; but it is -impossible to say with what success, as no tenant has subsequently been -found for the dwelling, which is rapidly crumbling to decay. - -As you approach Therapia, you come upon a long stretch of wall, pierced -in one regular line with small square windows, and looking exactly like -an ill-kept manufactory; while the fine stone terrace that runs along -its whole façade, and the thickly-planted shrubberies which clothe the -hill behind it, have something so lordly and imposing in their aspect, -that your attention is irresistibly attracted, and your curiosity -awakened. Should your caïquejhes be Greeks, they will scarcely answer -your inquiry without muttering an imprecation through their clenched -teeth. It is the sorry remain of the palace of Prince Calimachi, seized -by the Sultan in a fit of despotic jealousy, and converted into a stable -for the Imperial stud, but so entirely disproportioned to its new office -as to be perfectly useless—the extent being immense, and the number of -the Sultan’s horses extremely limited; it has consequently been -abandoned to premature decay, and a noble object is thus blotted from -the landscape, and degraded into a deformity. - -The son of the Prince was Dragoman to the Porte when the seizure was -made; but being a Greek, his court interest availed him nothing; his -ideas were too magnificent, and he paid the forfeit of his luxury. - -But the misfortunes of Prince Calimachi did not end here. Exiled to -Broussa, he endeavoured in the bosom of his family to lose the memory of -his departed splendour; when he was one day invited to the palace of the -Pasha to encounter him at chess, of which game both were passionately -fond. Calimachi accepted the defiance with alacrity, for he knew not how -dearly he was to pay the gratification. While he was deliberating on a -move, the Pasha waved his hand, and in an instant the fatal cord was -about the throat of his victim. The bereaved wife was next summoned; and -though the dark ring of extravasated blood betrayed the deed which had -been done, she was told that the Prince had expired from an attack of -paralysis; nor did she dare to gainsay the falsehood; and thus she bore -away the body of her murdered husband in the silence of despair. - -The Sultan has a kiosk on the one hand, and a summer palace on the -other, of this melancholy memorial of despotic power; but I was in no -mood to admire either with such an object before me. - -To be seen in all its beauty, the Bosphorus should be looked upon by -moonlight. Then it is that the occupants of the spacious mansions which -are mirrored in its waters, enjoy to the fullest perfection the -magnificence of the scene around them. The glare of noon-day reveals too -broadly the features of the locality; while the deep, blue, star-studded -sky, the pure moonlight, and the holy quiet of evening, lend to it, on -the contrary, a mysterious indistinctness which doubles its attraction. -The inhabitants of the capital are conscious of this fact; and during -the summer months, when they occupy their marine mansions, one of their -greatest recreations is to seat themselves upon the seaward terraces, to -watch the sparkling of the ripple, and to listen to the evening hymn of -the seamen on board the Greek and Italian vessels; amused at intervals -by a huge shoal of porpoises rolling past, gambolling in the moonlight, -and plunging amid the waves with a sound like thunder: while afar off -are the dark mountains of Asia casting their long dusky shadows far -across the water, and the quivering summits of the tall trees on the -edge of the channel sparkling like silver, and lending the last touch of -loveliness to a landscape perhaps unparalleled in the world. - -Shakspeare must have had a vision of the Bosphorus, when he wrote the -garden scene in Romeo and Juliet! - -All the Orientals idolize flowers. Every good house upon the border of -the channel has a parterre, terraced off from the sea, of which you -obtain glimpses through the latticed windows; and where the rose trees -are trained into a thousand shapes of beauty—sometimes a line of arches -rises all bloom and freshness above a favourite walk—sometimes the -plants are stretched round vases of red clay of the most classical -formation, of which they preserve the shape—ranges of carnations, -clumps of acacias, and bosquets of seringa, are common; and the effect -of these fair flowers, half shielded from observation, and overhung with -forest trees, which are in profusion in every garden, is extremely -agreeable. - -Another peculiarity of the Bosphorus is the great depth of the water to -the very edges of the channel. The terraces that hem it in are -frequently injured by their contact with the shipping which, in a sudden -lull of wind, or by some inadvertence on the part of the helmsman, “run -foul” (to use a nautical expression) of the shore; nor is it the -terraces alone that suffer, for the houses whose upper stories project -over the stream, which is almost universally the case where they are of -any extent, are constantly sustaining injury from the same cause. - -We had occupied our summer residence only two days, when an Imperial -Brig in the Turkish service, in attempting a tack, thrust its bowsprit -through the centre window of the magnificent saloon of an Armenian -banker, with whose family we were acquainted. The master of the house, -exasperated at the evident carelessness in which the accident had -originated, rushed out upon the terrace to remonstrate, but his -remonstrances were unheeded; and he had scarcely re-entered the house -when the Turkish captain, who was intoxicated, landed, and without -ceremony passed into the outer court, accompanied by some of his crew; -and, seizing the brother of the gentleman, and several of his servants, -gave them a severe beating, and then quietly returned on board. The -vessel was extricated after a time, carrying away with it nearly the -whole front of the saloon, and a large portion of the roof; after which, -the gallant commander again entered the house, and insisted upon -conveying its master to Constantinople, there to expiate the sin of -insolence to a Turkish officer. The Saraf, however, having business in -the city, had already departed, and consequently escaped the -inconvenience and insult destined for him. - -Were I the Admiral of a Fleet charged with the conquest of a channel -like that of the Bosphorus, I would employ none but Turkish sailors, who -are never so much at home as when aground, or hung on to some building; -they would literally carry the thing by assault. Their mighty ships of -war do as they like, for they are constantly “touching,” when they are -supposed to be cruizing; and “aground” when the authorities at home -believe them to be at sea. - -Where did you meet the Admiral’s schooner as you came from Malta? On -shore off Tenedos. Where did you speak the frigate on your way here? -Aground at Gallipoli? These were the answers to two questions put by -myself; and had I ventured twenty more I should probably have received -similar replies. - -Englishmen will probably, at the first glance, wonder why it should be -thus; but it would be greater subject for astonishment were it -otherwise. When a Field Marshal, by kissing the Sublime Toe, is -translated at once into a Lord High Admiral; and the Colonel of a -Cavalry regiment becomes by an equally simple process a manufacturer of -Macaroni; and when each is called upon to teach that which he never -learnt, and to command ere he has been taught how to obey; the effects -of the system may be readily foreseen. Nevertheless, were the Turks -permitted to employ even subordinate European officers in their army and -navy, much of the evil might be obviated. But Russia is opposed to a -measure which would give them a correct idea of their own physical -strength—by weakening the _morale_, she enervates the whole system; -while, by her happy art of consopiation, and her finished tact at -glossing over effects, and inventing causes, she has taught them to -believe themselves independent of extraneous aid, Heaven-inspired, and -all-sufficient. - -It signifies not how irrelevant the duties of any situation may be to -his previous habits and talent, no Turk would hesitate to accept it on -that account, should the occasion of self-aggrandizement present itself; -and he has two satisfactory reasons for acting thus—he must at least be -as capable of fulfilling them as his predecessor, who was equally -ill-fitted for the trust—and, should he refuse one good offer, he would -probably never have a second. Thus reason the Osmanlis, and upon this -conviction they act. Nor is Sultan Mahmoud one whit more difficult or -quick-sighted on this point than his subjects; or more scrupulous as to -the efficiency of those to whom he gives important appointments, than -they are in accepting them; and a ludicrous example of this -uncalculating facility occurred very lately, so perfectly in point that -I cannot forbear to mention it. - -His Highness had a favourite physician, to whom he had entrusted the -superintendence of a public establishment, and who died suddenly at -Scutari. When informed of his death, the Sultan was visibly affected: -and in the first moment of regret he inquired anxiously if the deceased -had left any family. He was answered that he had an only son, a clerk in -the Greek Chancellery, whose situation was far from a lucrative one; and -he immediately desired that the youth, who had not yet attained his -twentieth year, should be appointed on the instant to his father’s -vacancy, and receive the same salary which had been enjoyed by his -parent. He was obeyed; and the spruce clerk at once became -metamorphosed into the solemn physician, or something as near like it as -he could accomplish. - -By an arrangement not altogether so satisfactory, surgeons are supplied -to the ships of war. When a medical man is required on board some vessel -of the line, individuals appointed for the purpose walk into the first -chemist’s shop they may happen to pass, seize the master, carry him off, -hurry him first into a caïque, and thence to the ship; appoint him -surgeon, enter him on the books, acquaint him with the amount of his -pay; and, should he venture to remonstrate, give him a sound flogging. - -Nor are “the powers that be” at all more particular in their bearing -towards the officers of the ships, whom they flog (the captains -inclusive) whenever they chance to consider the operation desirable. On -a late occasion, two of the frigates ran foul of each other in the -Channel, upon which Tahir Pasha, the High Admiral, bestowed the -bastinado so unsparingly upon their commanders, that the blood -penetrated their garments; and they were subsequently flung into some -den in the hold, and there left during three days, not only without -attendance, but literally without food! - -It may be asked what punishment can be inflicted on the crews, if such -unceremonious measures are pursued with the officers; and as one fact -is better than a score of assertions, I will reply by relating another -very recent occurrence, described to me by a Greek gentleman who was -present during the whole transaction. The Capitan Pasha had a party of -friends to dine with him on board his ship, who were about to seat -themselves at table, when it was reported to him that one of the crew, -in defiance of the order which forbade any individual to go on shore, -had surreptitiously left the vessel. - -“Let me know when he returns on board;” was the cold and careless -rejoinder of the High Admiral, who had scarcely uttered the words, when -the re-appearance of the delinquent was announced, after an absence of -about ten minutes. He was ordered below to account for his conduct to -the Pasha, whose very name is a terror to the whole fleet, when he -stated that the following day being Friday (the Turkish Sabbath), he had -ventured on shore to procure some clean linen, fearing the anger of the -Admiral should he appear dirty. - -“And was it for this trifle that you disobeyed my orders?” asked the -Pasha; “I must take measures to prevent any future instance of the same -misconduct—” and grasping an iron bar that served to secure one of the -cabin windows, and which stood near him—without the pause of a -moment—surrounded by his guestsstanding beside a table spread for a -banquet and with his victim crouching at his feet—he struck the -quailing wretch upon the head, and murdered him with a blow. The body -fell heavily on the earth in the death-spasm; and the Admiral, -addressing himself to an attendant, quietly ordered that the corpse -should be removed, and the dinner served: but several of the party -declined remaining after what they had witnessed, declaring their -inability to partake of food at such a moment; these were, of course, -Turks; for the Greek guests, although equally disgusted and heart-sick, -were not at liberty to withdraw without danger; and the dead man was -borne away, and the living feasted, with his death-groan still ringing -in their ears, and his last fierce agony yet grappling at their hearts! - -Tahir Pasha is a perfect embodiment of the vulgar idea of Turkish -character which was so lately prevalent in Europe. He is the slave of -his passions, and apparently without human affections or human -sympathies. He lost his only son by his own violence, having beaten him -so severely for quitting the house without his permission, that the -unhappy young man died a day or two subsequently, in consequence of the -injuries which he had sustained; and, instead of profiting by this awful -occurrence, he afterwards murdered a nephew in the same manner. - -And yet I have heard men, carried away by party-spirit, and hoodwinked -by prejudice, maintain that this fiend in human shape was not cruel; and -bolster their opinions with a sophistry that made me shudder. - -I inquired of an _attaché_ of the Porte whether the Sultan was aware of -the waste of life in his fleet, where a week seldom passes in which some -luckless wretch does not fall a victim to the wrath of the High Admiral; -and the coolness of the answer was inimitable: “What has His Highness to -do with it?” “How!” I rejoined in my turn, “are they not his subjects?” -“Of course; but Tahir Pasha commands the fleet; and, while he does so, -he has a right to enforce its discipline as he thinks best. Why should -the Sultan interfere?” “But such wholesale cruelty is so revolting.” -“Perhaps so; yet how can it be remedied?” “Were I the Sultan,” I -answered unhesitatingly, “I would decapitate the High Admiral; it would -be a saving of human blood.” The Turk laughed at my earnestness as he -replied; “Mashallah! you have hit upon a radical remedy. But how would -you secure the fleet against a second Tahir Pasha?” - -He was right. The evil exists rather in the system than in the -individual; but it is, nevertheless, a blessing for Turkey, that the -equal of her High Admiral, for ruthlessness and cruelty, is probably not -to be found in the country. And yet, to look at him, you would imagine -that no thought of violence, no impulse of revenge, had ever stirred -his spirit; he has the head of an anchorite, and the brow of a saint. I -never beheld a more benevolent countenance—Lavater would have been at -fault with him. - -One of the most pleasant excursions that can be made to the opposite -coast, is to Unkiar Skelessi, or the Sultan’s Pier; a sweet valley, -under the shadow of the Giant’s Mountain, in which the famous treaty was -signed with Russia. It is profusely shaded with majestic trees, the -largest in the neighbourhood, and is entirely covered with rich grass. -The spot on which the ceremony took place is overhung with maples, and -washed by a running stream: behind it rises a range of hills; and on its -left stands an extensive manufactory of cloth, and a paper-mill, erected -at an immense expense, and furnished with their elaborate machinery by -the present Sultan, who caused an elegant kiosk to be erected upon the -height for his own use, when he went to superintend the works, which -were, however, abandoned as soon as the novelty had worn off. They are -now falling rapidly to ruin; and the noble run of water which was forced -from its channel to turn the wheels of the mill, is wasting itself in an -useless course across the valley, ere it is finally lost in the -Bosphorus. - -This lovely spot is much frequented on festival days by all classes of -the population, who form pic-nic parties, and spend hours under the -shade of the tall trees, sipping their coffee and sherbet; or occupying -the different terraces which overlook the Bosphorus, with regular -pleasure-parties, whose servants come well provided with provisions, and -who linger throughout the whole day, enjoying the cool breezes from the -sea, and the long shadows of the boughs beneath which they sit. - -Higher up the valley, you generally meet with an encampment of Bedouin -Arabs, where you are almost certain to see two or three faces of dark -flashing beauty, which repay you for the annoyance that you experience -from the importunity of the troop of children who assail you directly -you approach the tents; little, ragged, merry-looking, vociferous -urchins, of whom you cannot rid yourself either by bribes or menaces. -These dark, proud beauties—for they are proud-looking, even amid their -tatters, with their large, wild, black eyes, and their long raven hair -plaited in many braids, which fall upon their shoulders, and hang below -their waists; their round, smooth arms bare to the elbow, whence the -large, hanging sleeves fall back; and their well-turned little feet -peeping out from beneath their ample trowsers; these dark, proud -beauties greet you with a smile, and a “Mashallah!” that introduce you -to teeth like pearls, and voices like music; and as they sit, weaving -their baskets for the market of Constantinople, they extend towards you -their slender, henna-tipped fingers, and ask your piastres, without -taking the trouble to rise, rather as a tribute to their loveliness, -than as an offering to their necessities. - -To escape from the importunities of the children, whom the sight of the -tempting metal renders only more importunate, you have but to plunge -deeper into the valley, and lose yourself among the majestic plane trees -with which it abounds. The nightingale alone disturbs the deep silence -of the solitude, save when at intervals the lowing of the cattle on the -mountain sweeps along upon the wind. - -It was here that De Lille wrote his “Pleasures of Imagination.”—It was -here that De la Martine improvised to the memory of his daughter; the -soil is poetic. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - - Facts and Fictions—Female Execution at Constantinople—Crime - of the Condemned—Tale of the Merchant’s Wife—The Call to - Prayer—The Discovery—The Mother and Son—The - Hiding-Place—The Capture—The Trial—A Night Scene in the - Harem—The Morrow—Mercifulness of the Turks towards their - Women. - - -A vast deal of very romantic and affecting sentiment has been from time -to time committed to paper, on the subject of the Turkish females -drowned in the Bosphorus; and some tale-writers have even gone so far as -to describe, in the character of witnesses, the extreme beauty and the -heart-rending tears of the victims. - -The subject is assuredly one which lends itself to florid phrases and -highly wrought periods; but it is unfortunate that in this case, as in -many others, the imagination far outruns the fact. I say unfortunate, -because those readers who love to “sup full of horrors,” when they have -wept over the affecting image of beauty struggling against the grasp of -the executioner, and dark eyes looking reproach upon their murderer from -amid the deep waters which are so soon to quench their light for ever, -do not like to descend to the sober assurance that none of these things -can be; and that the veracious chroniclers who have excited their -sensibilities, and misled their reason, have only built up a pathetic -sketch upon inference, and in reality know nothing at all about the -matter. - -There is no romance in one of these frightful executions—all is harsh -unmitigated horror! The victim may, or may not, be young and beautiful; -her executioners have no opportunity of judging. She may be the -impersonation of grace, and they must remain equally ignorant of the -fact; for she has neither power nor opportunity to excite sympathy, were -she the loveliest houri who ever escaped from the paradise of Mahomet. - -I have a friend, a man in place and power, who, during the time of the -Janissaries, and but a few months previous to the annihilation of their -body, had been detained in the Palace of one of the Ministers until -three hours past midnight; and who, on passing across the deep bay near -the Castle of Europe, was startled by perceiving two caïques bearing -lights, lying upon their oars in the centre of the stream. His curiosity -being excited, he desired his boatmen to pull towards them, when at the -instant that he came alongside, he discovered that they were filled by -police officers; and at the same moment, a female closely shrouded in a -yashmac, and with the mouth of a sack, into which her whole body had -been thrust, tied about her throat, was lifted in the arms of two men -from the bottom of the furthest caïque, and flung into the deep waters -of the bay. As no weight had been appended to the sack, the miserable -woman almost instantly re-appeared upon the surface, when she was beaten -down by the oars of the boatmen; and this ruthless and revolting -ceremony was repeated several times ere the body finally sank. - -My friend, heart-sick at the spectacle to which he had so unexpectedly -become a witness, demanded of the principal officer, by whom he had been -instantly recognized, the crime of the wretched victim who had just -perished; and learnt that she was the wife of a Janissary whom the -Sultan had caused to be strangled some weeks previously; and who, in her -anguish at the fate of her husband, had since rashly permitted herself -to speak in terms of hatred and disgust of the government by whose -agency she had been widowed. - -On that fatal morning she had paid the price of her indiscretion. - -The ministers of death lingered yet awhile to convince themselves that -the body would not reappear; and my friend lingered also from a feeling -which he could not explain even to himself. The dawn was just breaking -in the sky, and streaks of faint yellow were traced above the crests of -the dark mountains of the Asian coast. One long ray of light touched the -summits of the tall cypresses above the grave-yard of Isari, and -revealed the castellated outline of the topmost tower of the -Janissaries’ prison: there was not a breath of wind to scatter the -ripple; and all around looked so calm and peaceful, that he could -scarcely persuade himself that he had just looked on death, when the -deep voices of the men in the caïques beside him, as they once more -plunged their oars into the stream, and prepared to depart, aroused him -from his reverie; and, motioning to his boatmen to proceed, he found -himself ere long on the terrace of his own palace. - -While I am on the subject of executions, I may as well relate “an o’er -true tale,” communicated to me by the same individual. Nearly four years -have elapsed since the occurrence took place, but it is so -characteristic of Turkish manners, that it will not be misplaced here. - -An eminent merchant of Stamboul, extremely wealthy, and considerably -past the middle age, became the husband of a very young and lovely -woman. As Turkish females never see the individuals whom they marry -previously to the ceremony, but are chosen by some matronly relation of -the person who finds it expedient to bestow himself on a wife, and who, -having seen and approved the lady, arranges all preliminaries with her -parents; so it may well be imagined that the bride is frequently far -from congratulating herself on her change of position; and such, as it -would appear from the result, was the case with the young wife to whom I -have just referred, and who was destined to become the heroine of a -frightful tragedy. - -Two years passed over Fatma Hanoum, and she became the mother of a son; -but her heart was not with its father, and, unhappily for the weak -victim of passion and disappointment, it had found a resting-place -elsewhere. - -The merchant’s house was situated near a mosque, from the gallery of -whose minaret all the windows of the harem were overlooked. The sun was -setting on a glorious summer evening, when the Imaum ascended to this -gallery, to utter the shrill cry of the muezzin which summons the -faithful to prayer. Ere he commenced the invocation, he chanced to -glance downwards, and he started as he beheld a man, clinging to a shawl -which had been flung from above, and making his way into the harem of -the merchant through an open window. Nor was this all, for the quick and -jealous eye of the Imaum at once assured him that the delinquent was a -Greek—that the wife of a Musselmaun had stooped to accept the love of a -Christian—and he well knew that, in such a case, there was no mercy -for the culprit. - -The Imaum was a stern man; for one moment only he wavered; and during -that moment he raised the ample turban from his brow, and suffered the -cool evening breeze to breathe lovingly upon his temples: in the next, -he bent over the gallery and spat upon the earth, as he murmured to -himself, “The dog of an Infidel,”—May his father’s grave be -defiled!—May his mother eat dirt!”—and having so testified his -contempt and abhorrence of the ill-fated lover, he lifted his gaze to -the clear sky, and the ringing cry pealed out:— - -“La Allah, illa Allah! Muhammed Resoul Allah!” - -His duty done, the Imaum descended the dark and narrow stair of the -minaret, and left the mosque; and in another instant he had put off his -slippers at the entrance of the salemliek, and stood before the sofa, at -the upper end of which sat the merchant smoking his chibouk of jasmine -wood, and attended by two slaves. - -The Turks are not fond husbands, but they are jealous ones. They are -watchful of their women, not because they love them, but because they -are anxious for their own honour; and no instance can be adduced in -which an Osmanli is wilfully blind to the errors of his wife. - -Here “the offence was rank, it smelt to Heaven.” The young and -beautiful Fatma Hanoum had wronged him with a Greek! The gray-bearded -merchant, trembling between rage and grief, rose from his seat and -rushed into the harem—The tale was true—for one moment the aged and -outraged husband looked upon the young and handsome lover; and in the -next the agile Greek had flung up the lattice, and sprung from the open -window. Ere long the house was filled with the relatives of the wife, -and its spacious apartments were loud with anguish and invective; but -Fatma Hanoum answered neither to the sobbing of grief, nor to the -reproach of scorn; she sat doubled up upon her cushions, with her eyes -riveted on the casement by which her lover had escaped. - -The merchant, stung to the heart by the stain that had been cast upon -his honour; embittered in spirit by the knowledge that it was a -Christian by whom he had been wronged; and not altogether forgetful, it -may be, of the grace and beauty of the mother of his child, sat moodily -apart; and all the reasonings and beseechings of his wife’s anxious -family only wrung from him the cold and unyielding answer that he would -never see her more. - -And the heretic lover, where was he? - -Like an arrow shot by a strong arm, he had sped to the home of his -widowed mother, and had hurriedly imparted to her the fearful jeopardy -in which he stood. There was not a moment to be lost; and, hastily -snatching up some food that had been prepared for his evening meal, he -flung himself upon the neck of his weeping parent; and then, disengaging -himself from her clinging arms, rushed from the house, no one knew -whither. - -But the Imaum, meanwhile, was not idle. He had aroused the -neighbourhood—he had raised the cry of sacrilege—he had bruited abroad -the dishonour of the Moslem—and ere long a Turkish guard was on the -track of the young Greek. But no trace of him could be discovered; and -the fair and frail Hanoum was removed to the harem of one of her -husband’s relatives, where her every look and action were subjected to -the most rigorous observance, before the faintest hope had been -entertained of securing her miserable lover. - -Three wretched days were past, and on the morning of the fourth the -pangs of hunger became too mighty for the youth to support. He stole -from his concealment, he looked around him, and he was alone! He -ventured a few paces forward; rich fruits were pendent from the branches -of the tall trees beneath which he moved, and he seized them with -avidity; but, as he raised; his hand a second time to the laden boughs, -he heard near him the deep breathing of one who wept—He glared towards -the spot whence the sound came, and his heart melted within him—it was -his mother—the guardian of his youth—the friend of his manhood—the -mourner over his blighted hopes. He rushed towards her—he murmured her -name—and for a moment the parent and the child forgot all save each -other! It was the watchful love of the mother which first awoke to fear: -and in a few seconds the secret of her son was confided to her, and she -was comparatively happy. She could steal to his hiding-place at -midnight; she could ensure him against hunger; she could hear his voice, -and convince herself that he yet lived; and with this conviction she -hurried from his side, and bade him wait patiently yet a few hours, when -she would bring him food. - -The young Greek stole back to his hiding-place, and slept—The sleep of -the wretched is heavy—slow to come, and weighed down with wild and -bitter dreams; and thus slumbered the criminal. The night was yet dark -when he awoke, and heard footsteps, and then he doubted not that his -watchful parent was indeed come to solace the moments of his trembling -solitude. Had he paused an instant, and afforded time for the perfect -waking of all his senses, he would have discovered at once that the -sounds of many feet were on the earth; but he had already passed several -days without cause of alarm, and his past safety betrayed him into a -false feeling of security. - -The unhappy youth had not wandered beyond the spacious gardens of his -home, which, rising the height behind the house, were divided into -terraces, along whose whole extent had been placed avenues of orange and -lemon trees, planted in immense vases of red clay. Several of these, in -which the plants had failed or perished, had been reversed to protect -them from the weather; and one of them, dragged in the first paroxysm of -terror to the mouth of an exhausted well, had served to screen the -culprit from the gaze of his pursuers. But on this night, when by some -extraordinary fatality, he forgot for an instant the caution which had -hitherto been his protection, he clambered to the mouth of the pit as he -heard the coming footsteps, and, pushing aside the vase, sprang out upon -the path. - -The moonlight fell on him as he emerged from his concealment, pale, and -haggard; his dark locks dank with the heavy atmosphere of his -hiding-place, and his frame weakened by exhaustion. As he gained his -feet and looked around him, his arms fell listlessly at his sides, and -his head drooped upon his breast—He had no longer either strength or -energy to wrestle with his fate; and he put his hands into the grasp of -the armed men among whom he stood, and suffered himself to be led away -from the home of his boyhood, and the clasp of his shrieking mother, -with the docility of a child. - -The trial followed close upon the discovery of the lover. There was no -hope for the wretched pair! Against them appeared the Imaum, stern, -uncompromising, and circumstantial—the outraged husband, wrought to -madness by the memory of his dishonour; and callous as marble—the faith -which had been disgraced—society which had been scandalized. For them -there were none to plead, save the grey-haired and widowed mother who -wept and knelt to save her only son; but who asked his life in mercy, -and not in justice. Did their youth sue for them? Did the soft -loveliness of the guilty wife, or the manly beauty of the lover, raise -them up advocates? Alas! these were their direst condemnation; and thus -it only remained for them to die! - -It was at this period that my friend, the ——, first became connected -with the affair. The family of the condemned woman, knowing his -influence with the government, flung themselves at his feet, and -implored his interference. They expatiated on the beauty of the -misguided Fatma—on the personal qualifications of him by whose love she -had fallen—they left no theme untouched; and he became deeply -interested in her fate, and resolved that while a hope remained he would -not abandon her cause. But he was fated to plead in vain; the crime had -increased in the country; every Turkish breast heaved high with -indignation; my friend urged, supplicated, and besought unheeded; and at -length found himself unable to adduce another argument in her behalf. - -When reluctantly convinced of the fact, he discovered that through his -exertions to save her life, his feelings had become so deeply enthralled -by the idea of the miserable woman, that he resolved to endeavour to see -her ere she died; and he was startled by the ready acquiescence that -followed his request, as well as by the terms in which it was couched. -“We shall visit her at midnight, to acquaint her officially with the -result of the trial;” was the answer; “and should you think proper you -may accompany us; for you will have no future opportunity of indulging -your curiosity.” - -Under these circumstances he did not hesitate; and a few minutes before -midnight he was at the door of the harem in which she had resided since -her removal from her husband’s house. The officers of justice followed -almost immediately: and it struck him as they passed the threshold, that -they were in greater number than so simple an errand appeared to exact; -but as he instantly remembered that others might feel the same curiosity -as himself, and profit by the same means of gratifying it, he did not -dwell upon the circumstance. - -All was hushed in the harem; and the fall of their unslippered feet -awoke no echo on the matted floors. One solitary slave awaited them at -the head of the stairs, and he moved slowly before the party with a -small lamp in his hand, to the apartment of the condemned woman. - -She was sleeping when they entered—Her cheek was pillowed upon her arm; -and a quantity of rich dark hair which had escaped from beneath the -painted handkerchief that was twisted about her head, lay scattered over -the pillow. She was deadly pale, but her eyebrows and the long silken -lashes which fringed her closed eyes were intensely black, and relieved -the pallor of her complexion; while her fine and delicate features -completed as lovely a face as ever the gaze of man had lingered on. At -times a shuddering spasm contracted for an instant the muscles of her -countenance—the terrors of the day had tinged her midnight dreams: and -at times she smiled a fleeting smile, which was succeeded by a sigh, as -if, even in sleep, the memory of past happiness was clouded by a pang. - -But her slumber was not destined to be of long continuance; for the -principal individual of the party, suddenly bending over her, grasped -her arm, and exclaimed, “Wake, Fatma, wake; we have tidings for you!” - -The unhappy woman started, and looked up; and then hurriedly concealing -her face in the coverlets, she gasped out, “Mashallah! What means this? -What would you with me that you steal thus upon me in the night? Am I -not a Turkish woman? And am I not uncovered?” - -“Fear nothing, Hanoum;” pursued the official; “we have tidings for you -which we would not delay.” - -“God is great!” shrieked the guilty one, raising herself upon her -pillows. “You have pardoned him—” - -But the generous, self-forgetting prophecy was false. In the energy of -her sudden hope she had sprang into a sitting posture; and ere the words -had left her lips, the fatal bowstring was about her throat. - -It was the horror of a moment—Two of the executioners flung themselves -upon her, and held her down—a couple more grasped her hands—a heavy -knee pressed down her heaving chest—there was a low gurgling sound, -hushed as soon as it was heard—a frightful spasm which almost hurled -the strong men from above the convulsed frame—and all was over! - -At day-dawn on the morrow, the young Greek was led from his prison. For -several days he had refused food, and he was scarcely able to drag his -fainting limbs along the uneven streets. Two men supported him, and at -length he reached the termination of his painful pilgrimage. For a -moment he stood rooted to the earth; he gasped for breath—he tore away -his turban—and clenched his hands until the blood sprang beneath the -nails. She whom he had loved was before him—her once fair face was -swollen and livid, and exposed to the profane gaze of a countless -multitude. She was before him—and the handkerchief from which she was -suspended, beside the spot marked out for himself, was one which he had -given her in an hour of passion, when they looked not to perish thus! - -I have pursued the tale until I am heart-sick, and can follow it up no -further. Yet, revolting as it is, it nevertheless affords a proof of -that which I have already adduced elsewhere; that even in their severity -the Turks are merciful to their women; and carefully shield them from -the shame, even when they cannot exempt them from the suffering, of -their own vices. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - - Political Position of the Turks—Religion of the - Osmanlis—Absence of Vice among the Lower Orders—Defect of - Turkish Character—European Supineness—Policy of - Russia—England and France—A Turkish Comment on England—The - Government and the People—Common Virtue—Great Men—Turks of - the Provinces—European Misconceptions. - - -The more I see of the Turks, the more I am led to regret their -melancholy political position. Enabled, by the introductions which I had -secured, to look more closely into their actual condition from the -commencement of my sojourn among them, than falls to the lot of most -travellers, I have been compelled from day to day to admit the justice -of their indignation against those European powers, which, after -deluding them with promises that they have failed to fulfil, and pledges -that they have falsified, have reduced them to anchor their hopes, and -to fasten their trust, upon a government whose interests can be served -only by the ruin of the Ottoman Empire, and the subjugation of its -liberties. Take them for all in all, there probably exist no people -upon earth more worthy of national prosperity than the great mass of the -Turkish population; nor better qualified, alike by nature and by social -feeling, to earn it for themselves. - -The Osmanli is unostentatiously religious. He makes the great principles -of his belief the rule of his conduct, and refers every thing to a -higher power than that of man. I am aware that it is the fashion to -decry the creed of the Turk, and to place it almost on a level with -paganism: but surely this is an error unworthy of the nineteenth -century, and of the liberality of Englishmen. The practice of a religion -which enforces the necessity of prayer and charity—which is tolerant of -all opposing modes of worship—and which enjoins universal brotherhood, -can scarcely be contemptible. And while the Christian, enlightened on -the great truths that are hidden from the Mahomeddan, is compelled to -pity the darkness of a faith which admits not the light of the Gospel, -he must nevertheless admire the votary who, acting according to his -ideas of duty, follows up the injunctions of his religion with a devout -zeal, and an unwearied observance that influence all his social -relations; and this is a merit which even their enemies have never, I -believe, denied to the Turks. - -From this great first principle emanates the philosophy both of feeling -and action that distinguishes the Osmanli from the native of all other -countries; and this philosophy renders him comparatively inaccessible to -those petty, but myriad excitements of selfishness and political bigotry -which keep the more active and ambitious spirit of European society for -ever on the _qui vive_. I am by no means prepared to deny, that from -this very quality arises the extreme intellectual and moral inertness -which induces the Turks to rely more on extraneous assistance than on -their own efforts, in all cases of emergency: I am merely endeavouring -to prove that they possess within themselves the necessary elements of -social order, and national prosperity. - -The absence of all glaring vices, even among the lowest ranks of the -community; save indeed such as they have inherited from their more -civilized allies, and appropriated with the same awkwardness as they -have done their costume, speaks volumes for the Turkish people. A Turk -never games, never fights, never blasphemes; is guiltless of murder; is -innocent of theft; and has yet to learn that poverty is a crime, or even -a reproach; or that the rich man can shut his doors against the -mendicant who asks to share his meal. - -Were I desired to point out the most glaring defect of the Turkish -character, I should unhesitatingly specify the want of sincerity and -good faith. I am obliged to concede that the Turk is habitually -false—that he sacrifices his truth to fine phrases, and to set -terms—that he is profuse of promises, and magnificent in words. But it -is nevertheless certain that he himself looks upon all these splendid -pledges as mere compliment; and scarcely appears to reflect that a Frank -may be induced to lend to them a more weighty meaning. I had not been -long in the country ere I learnt to estimate all this hyperbole at its -just value; and once having done so, I found reason to feel grateful for -many unexpected and unsought courtesies. Profit by the first kindly -impulses of a Turk, and you will be his debtor; but trust nothing to his -memory, for he will fail you. - -Let not individual bad faith, however, be too harshly blamed in a people -who have suffered so severely as the Turks from the same vice, in their -best and dearest interests; on the part, not only of individuals, but of -nations—of those civilized and enlightened nations, to which they -looked alike for precept and example; and which they have found wanting. - -Naturally haughty and self-centered, the Osmanli placed his honour and -his liberty in the hands of his European allies. They were pledged to -preserve both—and it was not until the Banner of the Crescent was -trailing in the dust; and a half-barbarous power bearding the Sultan in -his very halls of state, that the unwelcome truth burst upon him that -his trust had been misplaced. The discovery was made too late—made when -he had no alternative—the supineness of the Turk was no match for the -subtlety of the Russian; it was a combat unequal in all its bearings; -and dangerous to the Osmanli in all its relations. The natural result -followed: Turkey was bowed beneath a force too mighty for her to resist; -the partial civilization of the North produced its effect on the -comparative barbarism of the East; and the Turk, dazzled and deluded, -bewildered by the speciousness of a policy that he could not fathom, and -consequently did not suspect; abandoned by the European powers on whose -assistance he had relied; and unable singly either to resist the covert -threats, or to reject the proffered friendship of this voluntary ally, -fell into the snare which had been laid for him, and betrayed his want -of internal strength to his most dangerous enemy. - -The policy of Russia has been as steady and consistent as it is -ambitious. What a prophet was the Empress Catherine! How perfectly she -foretold the fate of Turkey. While all the other nations have suffered -their interest in the Ottoman Empire to evaporate in words, and have -flaunted their oratory in the eye of day, Russia has never betrayed -herself by studied phrases to the crowd; but like the giant in the -fable, she has drawn on her seven-league boots, and strode silently -over land and sea to her object. She has set all her engines to work; -and they have wrought well. She has spared neither gold nor flattery. -She has enlisted in her favour all the social feelings of the Turks. And -the little presents of the Empress to the children of certain popular -Pashas; and the embroidery said to have been wrought by her own Imperial -hand, and sent to the ladies of their harems, are as efficacious in -their way as the diamonds, the horses, and the carriages presented to -the Sultan; or the pensions paid to half a dozen influential individuals -of the court. - -Alas for Turkey! Her relative position with her specious ally resembles -that of a huge animal in the coil of a Boa Constrictor, which must be -smoothed down gently and gradually, ere it can be safely gorged. Its -fate is but protracted; the moment of ingurgitation will come at last; -and when the serpent-folds are uncoiled, and the sated monster lies -luxuriously down to digest its prey, those who have looked on, and -pledged themselves to the impossibility of the feat, will find too late -that it is not only perfectly practicable, but actually accomplished. - -And yet France has her countless soldiery—and England her unrivalled -navy—both eager to earn new glory. England and France, on whom the -Osmanlis leaned with a perfect faith, and by both of whom they have -been abandoned—Where is the chivalry of the one, and the philanthropy -of the other? - -A Turk of high rank and considerable abilities; who had an understanding -to observe, and a heart to feel the position of his country, was one day -conversing with me on her foreign political relations, when he exclaimed -with a sudden burst of unaffected energy:—“France has failed us, it is -true; but France has been at least comparatively honest in her -supineness. She has never affected a wish to become the foster-mother of -the world—But England—England, Madam, which has boasted of her -universal philanthropy—which has knocked away the fetters of millions -of the blacks—England, not contented while among her Nobles, in her -House of Commons, and even at the very meetings of her lower classes, -she was making a vaunt of her all-embracing love, and of her sympathy -with the oppressed—not contented with seeing Poland weep tears of -blood, and only cease to exist when the last nerves of her heart had -been wrung asunder—Your own happy England; secure in her prosperity and -in her power, is now standing tamely by, while the vast Ottoman -Empire—the gorgeous East, which seems to have been made for glory and -for greatness—is trampled by a power like Russia! She might have saved -us—She might save us yet—Where is her gallant navy? Where are her -floating fortresses? But, above all, where is the heart which has so -many hands to work its will?—Is it the expence of a war from which she -shrinks? Surely her policy is not so shallow; for she cannot require to -be told how deeply her commercial interests must be compromised by the -success of Russia.—But I will not pursue so painful a subject.—As -individuals we respect the English; but their political character is -lost in the East—we have no longer faith in England.” - -These were not, at all events, the arguments of a “barbarian:” and the -more closely and unprejudicedly that Europeans permit themselves to -examine the Turkish character, the more they will find that justice has -never yet been done to it; and that Turkey merits their support as fully -by her moral attributes, as by her geographical position. - -It is not by her Nobles, by her Ministers, nor by her Government, that -she should be judged—Her court and her people are as distinct as though -they were of two different nations. They have, however, one common -virtue, which is carried to an extent that must be witnessed by the -natives of the West, ere it can be understood. Every one who has visited -Turkey will perceive at once that I allude to their unbounded -hospitality. The table of the greatest man in Constantinople is open to -the poorest, whenever he chooses to avail himself of it. As he salutes -the master of the house on entering, he is received with the simple word -_Bouroum_—You are welcome,—and he takes his place without further -ceremony. In the villages the same beautiful principle remains -unaltered; and it signifies not how little an individual may have to -give, he always gives it cheerfully, and as a matter of course; without -appearing conscious that he is exercising a virtue, practised scantily -and reservedly in more civilized countries. - -If a Turk wishes to shew a courtesy to his guest, or to a stranger with -whom he may have accidentally come in contact, he does so in a manner -which revolts the more refined ideas of a Frank; but which is -nevertheless induced by this same feeling of brotherhood and fellowship. -His chibouk is his greatest luxury; and when he is not engaged in an -employment that renders the indulgence difficult or impossible, it is -for ever between his lips: and his first act of friendliness is to -withdraw it thence, and offer it to his companion.—He estimates its -enjoyment, and he immediately wishes to communicate it. These are -perhaps slight traits—details that appear unimportant—but human -character is composed of details—fine shades, which however faint in -themselves, are nevertheless necessary to the perfect effect of the -whole. It is easy to seize a prominent object. Glaring vices and -striking virtues force themselves upon the notice; and are consequently -ever the ready subject of comment. And it is from this fact that the -Turks have suffered in European estimation. They are singularly -unobtrusive in their social relations: they do not seek to exhibit their -moral attributes; and they practice daily those domestic virtues which -grow out of the tolerance and kindliness of their nature without -troubling themselves to consider whether they do so at moments when they -may become subject of comment. Thus it is that they have never been -supposed to feel, or feeling to encourage, those minute but -multitudinous social courtesies, which, if each amount not in itself to -a positive virtue, at least is part and parcel of one, and lends itself -to the completion of an aggregate that well deserves the name. - -Those who have only made an acquaintance with the Turkish character in -the persons of the great men of the Capital, have not possessed the -means of witnessing the daily practice of these endearing qualities. It -is not among the haughty, the selfish, and the ambitious of any nation, -that the bland and beautiful features of human nature can be -contemplated. Nothing atrophises the heart like luxury—nothing deadens -the feelings like the strife and struggle for power:—and in the East, -where a man’s fortune is ever built up upon the ruin of his neighbour, -and where he springs into his seat with his foot upon the neck of a -worsted rival, it were worse than folly to expect that the social -virtues can be encouraged and exhibited among the great. But the Turk of -the provinces is a being of a different order: a creature of calm -temperament, and philosophic content; who labours in his vocation with a -placid brow and a quiet heart; who honours his mother, protects his -wife, and idolizes his children; is just in his dealings, sober in his -habits, and unpretendingly pious; and whose board and hearth are alike -free to those who desire to share them. - -Such, if I have read them aright, (and, above all, if I may rely on the -judgment of unbiassed and impartial individuals, more competent than -myself to form a correct estimate of their general character) are the -great mass of the Turkish people. Their defective government is the -incubus that weighs them down; while the luxurious habits of their -nobles induce extortion which withers their exertions, and in a great -degree negatives the benefit of their industry. But these are evils -which are not beyond remedy; “the schoolmaster” who has been so long -abroad in Europe, has already given hints of travelling to the far East; -and there are now several individuals connected with the Ottoman -Government who comprehend the vice of the system, and are anxious to -eradicate the mischief. The outcry of corruption and venality has been -raised, and the correctness of the implication has been admitted; while -few have discovered that attempts are already making to overcome the -long-standing reproach; and all must acknowledge that this Sisyphus-like -task will require time and patience, and moreover opportunity and -encouragement, to secure its completion. - -It is not, I repeat, by the members of a government, driven to unworthy -acts on the one hand, and deceived by smiling sophistries on the other, -that the people of Turkey should be estimated; and it is comparatively -unfortunate for them as a nation, that it is precisely upon these -persons that the attention is first fixed. The natural consequence -ensues, that, where Europeans, rather glancing at the country than -seeing it, possess neither time, opportunity, nor it may be even -inclination, to look deeper; they carry away with them an erroneous -impression of the mass, as unjust as it is unfortunate; an impression -which they propagate at home, and in which they become strengthened by -the very repetition of their own assertions; nor is it difficult to -account in this way for the very erroneous, contradictory, and absurd -notions, entertained in Europe on the subject of the Turks. Individuals -have been cited as examples of a body, with which they probably -possessed not one common feature, save that of country; and the vices -that were seared into the spirit of one degenerate Osmanli have, by the -heedless chroniclers who may have suffered from his delinquencies, been -branded on the brow of a whole nation; as though the stream which had -polluted itself for an instant by its passage over some impure -substance, had power to taint the source from whence it flowed. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - - Death in a Princely Harem—The Fair Georgian—Distinction of - Circassian and Georgian Beauty—The Saloon—Sentiment of the - Harem—Courteous Reception—Domestic Economy of the - Establishment—The Young Circassian—Emin Bey—Singular Custom - of the Turks—The Buyuk Hanoum—The Female Dwarf—_Naïveté_ of - the Turkish Ladies—The Forbidden Door—The Sultan’s - Chamber—The Female Renegade—Penalty of Apostacy—Musical - Ceremony—Frank Ladies and True Believers—A Turkish - Luncheon—Devlehäi Hanoum—Old Wives _versus_ Young Ones—The - Parting Gift—The Araba—The Public Walk—Fondness of the - Orientals for Fine Scenery—The Oak Wood. - - -The illness and subsequent death of the Buyuk Hanoum had long delayed -the visit which I had been requested to make to the harem of the Reiss -Effendi, or Minister for Foreign Affairs; and it may be remembered that -this was the lady to whom I alluded in a former portion of my work, as -having failed to find favour in the eyes of the Sultan on the occasion -of the Princess Salihè’s marriage; and whom he had been graciously -pleased to excuse from all further attendance at court, in favour of a -fair Georgian, whom he had himself provided as her successor. The aged -Minister had received with all proper gratitude the gift of his Imperial -master; and had not failed to make the lovely slave his wife with all -possible speed. And the anticipation of seeing this far-famed beauty -added no little to the desire which I felt to avail myself of the very -kind and flattering invitation of the family. - -Having, therefore, suffered a sufficient time to elapse after the death -of the Buyuk Hanoum to testify my sympathy for her loss, I prepared for -this long-promised visit, and made it in company with some Greek ladies, -friends of my own, and well known in the harem of the Minister. On -passing the Salemliek I was much disappointed by the discovery that the -Reiss Effendi himself was from home; but on reaching the harem we were -more fortunate, and having delivered our cloaks, veils, and shoes to a -group of slaves who received us in the marble entrance-hall, we followed -one who led the way up a noble flight of stairs to a vast saloon; and in -the next instant I found myself standing beside Devlehäi Hanoum, the -beautiful Georgian. - -And she _was_ beautiful—magnificent!—Tall, and dark, and queenly in -her proud loveliness; with such a form as is not looked on above half a -dozen times during a long life. - -The character of Georgian beauty is perfectly dissimilar from that of -Circassia; it is more stately and dazzling; the whole of its attributes -are different. With the Circassian, you find the clearest and fairest -skin, the most delicatelyrounded limbs, the softest, sleepiest -expression—the lowest voice—and the most indolently-graceful -movements. There is no soul in a Circassian beauty; and as she pillows -her pure, pale cheek upon her small dimpled hand, you feel no -inclination to arouse her into exertion—you are contented to look upon -her, and to contemplate her loveliness. But the Georgian is a creature -of another stamp: with eyes like meteors, and teeth almost as dazzling -as her eyes. Her mouth does not wear the sweet and unceasing smile of -her less vivacious rival, but the proud expression that sits upon her -finely arched lips accords so well with her stately form, and her high, -calm brow, that you do not seek to change its character. - -There is a revelation of intellect, an air of majesty, about the -Georgian women, which seems so utterly at variance with their condition, -that you involuntarily ask yourself if they can indeed ever be slaves; -and you have some difficulty in admitting the fact, even to your own -reason. - -Nearly all the ladies of the Princess Azmè’s household are Georgians: -and I have already had occasion to remark that her harem is celebrated -for the beauty of its fair inhabitants. - -But Devlehäi Hanoum left every individual of the Imperial Seraï of -Ortakeuÿ immeasurably behind her. And as she welcomed us without rising -from her sofa, I felt, woman though I was, as though I could have knelt -in homage to such surpassing loveliness! - -The sofa on which she was seated, occupied the deep bay of a window -overlooking the Bosphorus, at the upper end of a saloon which terminated -in a flight of steps leading upwards to a second apartment, that, in its -turn, afforded similar access to a third: and this long perspective was -bounded by the distant view of a vine-o’ercanopied kiosk, beneath which -a fine fountain of white marble was flinging its cool waters on the air, -from the midst of clustering vases, filled with rare and beautiful -flowering plants. - -Groups of slaves were standing about the sofa; and gilded cages, filled -with birds, were arranged in its immediate vicinity. I was much amused -by a superb parrot, evidently the favourite of the harem, which had -become so imbued with its high-bred tranquillity, as to speak almost in -a whisper: and which kept up a perpetual murmur of such phrases as the -following: “My heart!—My life!—My Sultan, the light of my eyes!—Am I -pretty?—Do you love to look upon me?” and similar sentimentalities. - -Devlehäi Hanoum was dressed in an antery of white silk, embroidered all -over with groups of flowers in pale green; her salva, or trowsers, were -of satin of the Stuart tartan, and her jacket light blue; the gauze -that composed her chemisette was almost impalpable, and the cachemire -about her waist was of a rich crimson. Her hair, of which several -tresses had been allowed to escape from beneath the embroidered -handkerchief, was as black as the plumage of a raven; and her complexion -was a clear, transparent brown. But the great charm of the beautiful -Georgian was her figure. I never beheld any thing more lovely; to the -smoothly-moulded graces of eighteen she joined the majesty and -stateliness of middle life; and you forgot as you looked upon her, that -she had ever been bought at a price, to remember only that she was the -wife of one of the great officers of the Empire. - -Nothing could exceed the courtesy of her welcome, except, perhaps, its -gracefulness; and the charming smile with which she told me how anxious -were the Buyuk Hanoum, herself, and Conjefèm Hanoum, to testify by every -means in their power, the delight they felt in having me for a guest. -For a moment I was bewildered; I had made no inquiries relatively to the -domestic economy of the harem previous to my visit, and had imagined -that, as a matter of course, the lovely Georgian had become Buyuk Hanoum -by the death of the children’s mother. But this was far from being the -case; the Pasha having married in early life a Constantinopolitan lady -of high family, who had retained her supremacy in the harem, although -the affections of the Reiss Effendi had been transferred to the parent -of his sons. The fair Georgian proving also childless, the fortunate -mother had never forfeited her hold upon his heart, and had continued -until the hour of her death to be the first object of his favour. But my -astonishment did not end even here; for, when all this had been -explained to me, another question yet remained to be answered:—Who was -Conjefèm Hanoum? - -Conjefèm Hanoum, who was in the bath when we arrived, was a beautiful -young Circassian, who had been purchased twelve months previously by the -Minister, in the excess of his disappointment that the Georgian did not -make him a father; and whom, in the first rush of his delight on -discovering that she was likely to become a mother, he had also married. -Unfortunately for her, the child died in the hour of its birth, and once -more the anxious husband found himself disappointed in his hopes. - -These domestic details, which were given with a _sang froid_ and -composure evincing how little the heart of Devlehäi Hanoum was -interested in the recital, were succeeded by coffee, which was served -with great ceremony by about a dozen slaves; the salver being overlaid -with gold tissue, as on occasions of state. A stroll in the garden -followed, where we wandered up and down the shady walks, among the -flowers and fountains; and where we encountered the three sons of the -Minister. - -Emin Bey, the elder of the brothers, was barely eleven years of age; and -had I not seen him, I should never have been able to picture to myself -any thing at all like the object on which I then looked. So -extraordinary and unwieldy a being as this unhappy boy I never before -met with: and I am moderate in declaring that he must have measured at -least two yards round the body. His jacket of Broussa silk striped with -gold, lay in large folds about his shoulders and waist; his head -appeared to have been attached to his chest without the intervention of -a throat; his hands, his feet, all were proportionably bulky; and when I -looked at the unfortunate child, I could not help thinking how much he -was to be pitied, despite the rank and riches which surrounded him. The -younger boys were fine, noble-looking youths, without the slightest -tendency to corpulency; but Emin Bey is the favourite of the Minister, -who gratifies his every whim; and from the extreme amiability of his -disposition, he is generally popular in the harem. - -The sons of Turkish families always inhabit the women’s apartments until -they marry; when, however young they may be, they are immediately shut -out; but, by an extraordinary and apparently inexplicable arrangement, -they are not permitted, as soon as they have ceased to be children, to -intrude themselves on the Buyuk Hanoum without her express permission, -although they have free access to every other apartment in the harem. -Thus Emin Bey, unless summoned by her express desire, could not visit -the elder wife of his father, a venerable old person of at least seventy -years of age, although he was constantly in the society of the two -younger and lovelier ladies; while the other boys, yet mere children, -came and went as they listed, unchidden and almost unnoticed. - -As soon as the Buyuk Hanoum had left the bath, we were invited to her -apartment; and as I looked from the withered and feeble woman who lay -stretched on the sofa before me, propped with cushions, glittering with -diamonds, and busied with her chibouk, to the stately and gorgeous -Georgian in all the glow of her proud youth, I had difficulty in -believing that they could indeed be the wives of one man! - -When I had returned her salutation, and seated myself beside her, I had -time to look round upon the arrangement of her apartment. On a cushion -near her sofa crouched a frightful female dwarf, old, and wrinkled, and -mis-shapen, with a Sycorax expression of face that made me shudder; and -immediately beside her sat Devlehäi Hanoum, in a high-backed chair of -crimson velvet and gilding, looking like the haughty mother of Vathek -with one of her attendant spirits grovelling at her feet. A line of -female slaves extended from the sofa to the door, and several others -were grouped at the lower end of the saloon, which was most -magnificently fitted up. - -The never-failing hospitality of the East prompted the first question of -the venerable hostess. She inquired if I had been satisfied with my -reception; and assured me of the gratification she derived from seeing -me in the Palace of her husband: she then thanked me for the careful -toilette which I had made to visit her, and in the most courtly manner -admired every thing that I wore. The usual extraordinary queries -ensued:—Was I married? Had I ever been affianced? Did I intend to -marry? Could I embroider? How old was I? Which was the prettiest, -Stamboul or London?—and many others of the like kind; but they were all -put so good-humouredly, and so perfectly as a matter of course, that it -was impossible not to be amused, although I had answered them a dozen -times before. - -There is a great charm in the graceful _naïveté_ of a well-born Turkish -lady. She tells you directly what she thinks of you, without harbouring -an idea that even truth may sometimes prove unpalatable. If you do not -please her, you are never left in doubt upon the subject; while if, on -the contrary, she considers you well-looking or agreeable, she lavishes -on you the most endearing epithets, and always terminates her address by -imploring you to love her. From the moment that you find yourself -beneath her roof, you are as completely unfettered as though you were in -your own house. Are you hungry? In five minutes, by merely desiring the -first slave with whom you come in contact to bring you food, you may -seat yourself at table. Are you weary? Select the sofa you prefer, -surround yourself with cushions, and should you wish to remain -undisturbed, close the door of the apartment; and when you are -refreshed, you will be greeted on your re-appearance with a second smile -of welcome. If you are restless, you may wander over the whole house; -there is neither indiscretion nor impertinence in so doing. In short, -from the first instant of your domestication in a Turkish family, it is -your own fault if you are not as much at your ease as your hostess -herself. - -On quitting the apartment of the Buyuk Hanoum, which was oppressive from -its closed windows and the extreme heat of the weather, we strolled all -over the Palace, which is very extensive, and splendid in its -arrangements. One room only was closed against us. It was that in which -the mother of the Pasha’s children had breathed her last; and into -which he had desired every article, however trifling, of her personal -property, to be removed and locked up, until he causes them to be -disposed of by public sale, and the proceeds secured to her sons. - -Turning away from this forbidden door, we proceeded to an apartment in -which the Sultan passed a night about three years ago, and which has -only just been re-opened, at his express desire, for the use of the -family. The Imperial bedstead yet remains, but the golden hangings have -been removed, and have probably since figured in anterys and salvas on -the fair forms of the ladies of the harem. The room is now appropriated -to the master of the house; and on a sofa-cushion lay his watch, his -hand-mirror, and a small agate box containing opium pills. - -Having understood that there was a young Greek girl on the -establishment, who had been induced, by the representations of -interested and treacherous advisers, to embrace Mohameddanism, I -expressed a wish to see her, when she was immediately summoned; but made -her appearance with great reluctance, being evidently most heartily -ashamed of her apostacy. - -She told us that she was very unhappy; for, although she was treated -with great kindness, she could not reconcile herself to the sin which -she had committed; and that, had she been left to her own free will, she -never should have thought of taking such a step. A few weeks only had -elapsed since she had become a Turk, but she already felt that, although -no taunt was uttered by her companions, they never lost sight of the -fact of her being a renegade; and, had she not known the penalty which -must be paid, she declared that she should at once have uttered her -second recantation. - -Well might she pause as she remembered it; for that penalty is death! -When once a Christian female has been induced to utter the simple prayer -which is the only necessary ceremony—the few brief words which declare -that “There is but ONE GOD, and Mahomet is the Prophet of GOD”—she is a -Mahomeddan; and, should she afterwards repent her apostacy, and resolve -on returning to the bosom of the Christian Church, and her determination -become suspected before she has time or opportunity to escape from the -power of the Turks, the waters of the Bosphorus terminate at once her -project and her life. - -Nor is a male renegade placed in a more secure position. The Mahomeddans -tolerate no off-falling from their faith. They are bound by their law -twice during their lives to _invite_ a Christian to embrace the religion -of the Prophet; but they never outrun the spirit of their instructions: -they simply suggest the conversion, and use no endeavour to enforce it; -while, on the other hand, they permit no apostacy—death is the instant -penalty for the bare idea. Few Missionaries, however talented, or -however zealous, ever made a Turkish convert—and no renegade Christian, -unless by some rare chance he succeeded in escaping at the critical -moment ere his resolution became suspected, ever survived the intention. - -As the Buyuk Hanoum had been particular in her injunctions that every -attention should be paid to me; all the musical clocks and watches -throughout the Palace (and they were not few,) were put into -requisition, and the orchestra, completed by a very harsh barrel-organ, -awoke into discord by the fair hands of Devlehäi Hanoum. This confusion -of sweet sounds is one of the highest courtesies which can be exhibited -in the Harem: and it was quite laughable to stroll through the long -galleries, and to escape from the Sultan’s March on the left hand, to -find yourself in the midst of the Barcarole in Massaniello on the right; -and, leaving both behind you, to catch a fine cadence of _Di Piacer_, as -you were beginning to imagine that all was over. - -Having at length reached a spacious saloon, whose cool-looking white -sofas occupied recesses in each of which a window afforded the hope of a -little air, I not only threw up the sash but the jalousies also, to the -great terror of a couple of slaves who were looking on. Seeing their -alarm, I explained to them that they were not compelled to approach the -forbidden opening, but they still continued in such a state of anxiety -that I begged them to explain what troubled them: whereupon the elder of -the two, a plain, clumsy-looking woman of five or six and thirty, and as -unattractive a person as can well be imagined, told me that, as the -Buyuk Hanoum loved me so much, she could not bear to see me commit so -heinous a sin. I requested to know in what my transgression consisted, -when she exclaimed with great energy:—“Suppose a Turk passing under the -window should look up, and love you, would you become a Musselmaun, and -marry him?” - -“Certainly not.” - -“Imagine then the sin for which you will be accountable, if you continue -seated in front of that open casement. Some unhappy True Believer will -look upon you—he will desire to have you for his wife—and when you -continue deaf to his passion, he will grow sick, keep his bed, and -probably die; and how will you be able to appear in Paradise with such a -sin upon your soul?” - -I have related this little anecdote, because it proves two distinct -facts; first, that the Turkish women thoroughly believe that a happy -immortality awaits them, if they do not forfeit it by their own -misdeeds; and that they are moreover tolerant enough to consider it sure -that even the Giaours, who have no share in the mysteries of Mahomet, -have nevertheless the same hope. - -I put an end to the generous fears of the woman by telling her that such -an occurrence could not take place with the Frank females, who did not -possess sufficient attraction to peril the peace of a True Believer, and -that this was the reason they walked about unveiled; while the great -beauty of the fair Turks had rendered it incumbent on the Prophet to -make them cover their faces, in order to prevent such misfortunes to his -followers as that to which she had just alluded; and she was so well -satisfied with my explanation that she suffered me to remain peacefully -in my corner, breathed upon by the cool air which swept over the -Bosphorus, only taking extreme care to remain at such a distance from -the window herself, as to ensure the heart-ease of every worthy and -susceptible Musselmaun who might chance to pass that way. - -From this pleasant position we were summoned to an apartment in which -refreshments had been provided for us; and as we had expressed no -inclination to eat, these consisted only of fruits, conserves, and -similar trifles. Pyramids of pears and grapes; saucers of olives and -cream-cheese; vases of preserves; and dishes of cucumber neatly -arranged, and cut into minute portions, formed the staple of the repast; -and were interspersed with goblets of rose-scented sherbet. To myself -alone another luxury was added, in the shape of a small cake of -extremely delicate bread, made for the exclusive use of the Minister. - -The fair Georgian could by no means be persuaded to seat herself at -table; and although the apartment was filled with attendants, she -persisted in waiting upon me herself; and during a considerable time -found amusement in decorating my hair with bunches of small pears, which -had been gathered with great care, in order to preserve the leaves that -grew about them. - -While we were thus agreeably employed, Conjefèm Hanoum entered from the -bath. She was a fair, languishing beauty of sixteen, exquisitely -dressed, and extremely fascinating; with a slight expression of -melancholy about her, that seemed as much the effect of a quiet coquetry -as the result of her natural temperament. - -When our primitive repast was concluded, the beautiful Georgian inquired -of my friends whether they could suggest any thing likely to give me -pleasure which it was in her power to offer. As the day was lovely, and -the sun beginning to decline, we availed ourselves of her politeness, -and decided on a drive, when the carriage was immediately ordered, amid -the regrets of the two younger ladies that they could not accompany us, -which from their not having previously obtained the permission of the -Pasha, it was impossible for them to do. Had the Buyuk Hanoum desired to -be of the party, she would have been at perfect liberty to indulge the -inclination, as from her advanced age no cause for jealousy could -possibly exist on the part of the husband; but the other wives were too -young and too pretty to be trusted to their own discretion by a worthy -old gentleman of nearly four score; and they were consequently -compelled, much to their annoyance, to see us depart alone. - -When we had taken leave of the Buyuk Hanoum in her apartment, where she -still lay pillowed upon her cushions; and that I had promised to avail -myself of her earnest invitation that I would repeat my visit; we -returned to the great centre saloon where the other ladies awaited us, -surrounded by a crowd of slaves, one of whom carried upon a salver a -pile of embroidered handkerchiefs, worked by the fair fingers of the two -younger Hanoums, with gold thread and coloured silks. This gift, which -had been prepared for me, was accompanied by a thousand kindly comments. -I was desired to examine one piece of needlework, and to remark that I -carried away with me the heart of the donor—upon another I was told -that I should find a bouquet of flowers, and discover that they had -presented me with the portrait which they should retain of me in their -own memories; and I at length bade them farewell, amid a thousand -admonitions neither to forget nor to neglect the promise that I had made -to renew my visit. - -The araba awaited us in the court of the palace, and ere long we were -all comfortably established in a roomy and commodious waggon, (for that -is the correct name of the carriage) drawn by two oxen blazing with gilt -foil and spangles; upon a mattress of crimson shag, embroidered and -fringed with gold, amid cushions of similar material, and beneath a -canopy of purple decorated in the same rich style. Two attendants, in -the livery of the Minister, ran beside the carriage; and, although our -progress, from the nature of the animals who drew us, was not so rapid -as many travellers might desire, we nevertheless contrived to spend a -couple of delicious hours in driving up and down a public walk, -overshadowed with fine old oaks, beneath whose gnarled and far-spreading -boughs parties of shade-loving individuals had spread their mats, and -were smoking their pipes, or eating their pic-nic dinners, within reach -of a fine fountain and a commodious coffee-kiosk; and in the full -enjoyment of as glorious a view as ever taught the eye of man to linger -lovingly on the fair face of nature. - -Assuredly no race of men ever enjoyed a beautiful country more -thoroughly than the Orientals. Every pretty spot is sure to be -discovered, and appropriated on each occasion of festival. Those who can -possess themselves of commanding points, and who have the means of doing -so, build kiosks, and plant vineyards about them, amid which they spend -the long summer day; while the poorer classes carry their mats and their -pipes to their favourite nooks; and enjoy, if not as exclusively, at -least as heartily, as their more fortunate neighbours, the bright -prospect and the balmy air. - -The Turk, especially, finds his happiness in this most simple and most -natural of all pleasures. Hour after hour he will sit with his chibouk -between his lips, gazing about him unweariedly, and communing with his -own thoughts in all the peacefulness and luxury engendered by the beauty -of the locality; and the exterior appearance of his dwelling is never -considered, if he can contrive an angle, or throw out a bay, which will -enable him to command a striking feature in the landscape, or a longer -stretch of the lake-like Bosphorus. - -On the present occasion the oak-wood was dotted all over with little -groups of holyday-makers. Children ran in and out among the trees, -making the breeze glad with laughter; the oxen which had been unyoked -from the different carriages, were browsing on the young leaves; merry -voices called to each other from amid the underwood; the fountain was -surrounded by servants; the coffee-kiosk thronged with guests; and the -scene was altogether so lively, so cool, and so delightful, that it was -not without regret that we ultimately drove down to the shore, where our -caïque awaited us, and found ourselves once more gliding smoothly and -swiftly over the sunny waters of the channel. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - - Military Festival—Turkish Ladies—Female Curiosity—Eastern - Coquetry—A Few Words on the Turkish _Fèz_—The Imperial - Horse-Guards—Disaffection of the Imperial Guard—False - Alarms—The Procession—The Troops at Pera—Imitative Talent of - the Turks—Disappointment. - - -Having accidentally rowed down to Pera in order to visit some friends, a -week or two after the presentation of the Sultan’s portrait to the -Imperial Guard at Scutari, we were startled on arriving at Dolma Batchè -to see the shore lined with the caïques and barges of the Pashas, and -the principal Officers of the Fleet; and the heights covered with -military. Such being the case, we landed at the pier below the palace, -and I addressed myself to a group of Turkish ladies who had established -themselves very comfortably under the shade of a fine plane tree, to -ascertain the cause of so much unusual parade. - -Women assuredly have some freemasonry by which they contrive to be -intelligible to each other, for it is certain that, with barely half a -dozen sentences of the language, I have frequently kept up something -that bordered upon a conversation; and on the present occasion, by a -judicious use of my very limited knowledge, and considerable -gesticulation, I made the persons to whom I put the question perfectly -comprehend its import. The reply commenced by an invitation to avail -myself of part of their carpet, which, as it was easy to see both by -their appearance and attendance, that they were highly respectable, I -did not hesitate to do; and they then informed me that the Sultan was to -pass in an hour, in state, to present his portrait to the Artillery, at -their barracks in the Great Cemetery. - -In five minutes my new acquaintance had confided to me that they were -sisters, and that a sweet little girl who sat between them was the only -child of the younger one, and would be immensely rich; and had, in turn, -inquired my country, and my relationship to my father, who stood aloof, -lest he should annoy them; but whom they forthwith invited into the -shade by the usual title given to all Franks:—“Gel, Capitan, Gel—Come, -Captain, come”—while the daughter of the eldest lady, a pale, slight, -dark-eyed houri, who was perfectly conscious of her extreme beauty, -played off a thousand little coquettish airs to attract his attention. -First she let the lower portion of her yashmac fall, to discover the -prettiest mouth in the world; with, what is very unusual among the -Turkish females, a fine set of teeth, which she displayed in a laugh of -affected embarrassment at her awkwardness; and then, in her great haste -to remedy the misfortune, she contrived to throw back her feridjhe, and -disclose a throat and arms as dazzling as mountain snow; and a pair of -delicate little hands, of which the nails were deeply stained with -henna. I had seen several yashmacs adjusted in the harem, but I had -never yet met with one which required so much arranging as this; and the -young Hanoum was so persevering, and kept up such a soft little murmur -of Turkish ejaculations, that I had time to take an excellent lesson in -the difficult art of veiling. - -And all this within ten paces of one of the sentinels, who stood leaning -cross-legged against the stock of his musket, according to the most -approved system of Turkish discipline; and who did not interfere to -remove the Frank strangers from the vicinity of the women, although a -couple of years ago it would have perhaps subjected my father to -temporary imprisonment, and certainly to insult. - -As we had already had sufficient experience of the slight attention -which His Sublime Highness ever paid to time on public occasions, we -felt no inclination to spend half the morning under a tree on the edge -of a dusty road; and, having ascertained by the line of sentinels, that -the procession would pass the Military College; we accordingly made a -parting salutation to our new friends, and plunged once more into the -hot sunshine. - -As we ascended the hill we came upon a squadron of the Imperial Guard, -who were to form a portion of the shew, and who were lying comfortably -in the dust, some asleep, and others nearly so; while the horses were -huddled together in groups in the centre of the road? This was a portion -of the corps which I mentioned in my account of the marriage festivities -of the Princess Mihirmàh, and they certainly were considerably more like -soldiers at a distance, than when seen thus on our very path. - -Nothing requires more management than a _fèz_. It may be so arranged as -to form even a becoming head-dress; but wo betide the unlucky wight who -pulls it on until he is _fèzed_ over head and ears! As worn by the -Turkish soldiers, it were impossible to conceive any thing more hideous; -generally nearly black, and always more or less greasy; some fling it -down into their necks, where it forms a deep fold, others drag it over -their eyebrows, and others again bury their whole heads in it, till it -takes the form of the skull, and looks like a red clay basin. I need not -expatiate on the appearance of their white overalls, even on such an -occasion as the present, because I have already stated that the wearers -were lying about in the dust; and it were equally supererogatory to do -more than allude to the effect of a lancer jacket of coarse cloth, -braided with yellow cord, nine times out of ten a misfit. - -The horses were in excellent keeping with their riders, and presented a -beautiful independence of accoutrement. Some had blue saddlecloths, and -some had brown ones; some scarlet, and some white; some had European -saddles, and some Tartar—some had holsters, (many of them, by the by, -to my great amusement, charged with cucumbers, of which the Turks are -extremely fond) and some were without. Their lances looked as though -they had dropped down among them by mistake, their points were so -glittering, and their crimson pennons so fresh and bright, for a Turkish -soldier is always careful of his arms. They do not carry these graceful -weapons like our own Lancers, although they are similarly provided with -slings, but grasp the pole in the Russian fashion. - -We were curious to witness the bearing of the Sultan on this occasion, -as on the presentation of his portrait at Scutari, a portion of the -Imperial Guard had murmured openly against so glaring an infringement of -their law, which forbids literally the likeness of any human being to be -taken; whereas this had, moreover, been carried with great pomp, and -saluted after the same fashion as would have been the august personage -whom it represented. “We are be coming Giaours—Infidels,”—was the -complaint—“The Franks are turning the head of the Sultan, and he will -soon be as they are.” - -The first intimation of this disaffection on the part of the troops -which reached the inhabitants of the capital, was the appearance of -bodies floating in the Bosphorus; and the fact that a Greek captain, who -had moored his vessel in the current, found it clogged in an -incomprehensible manner; and, on employing half a dozen men to remove -the evil, discovered that it was choaked with corpses! - -After so decided a manifestation of the sentiments of the soldiery, it -was a courageous act of the Sultan to venture thus immediately on a -repetition of the offence; and the rather that a portion of the troops -are composed of the sons of the Janissaries, who cannot be supposed to -entertain the most favourable feelings towards the destroyer of their -fathers; and who would naturally embrace so favourable an opportunity of -spreading their own hate, as that which permitted them to enforce their -expressions of disgust with the name of the Prophet, and the authority -of their religion. - -As it was uncertain whether His Highness might not descend at the -College, as he had done on a previous occasion, three temporary steps -covered with scarlet cloth had been prepared for him to descend from -his horse; and a carpet laid down from thence to the apartment of Azmè -Bey, where a handsomely-embroidered, and elaborately-cushioned sofa had -been arranged for his reception. In this room we took up our position, -near a window that commanded the long stretch of road, by which the -procession was to advance; and we had calculated justly on the -procrastination of the Sultan, for we waited nearly four hours ere the -_cortège_ was actually in motion. “The cry was still ‘they come!’” and -during all that time they came not. There were two or three false -alarms. The drums beat off at the Palace, and were answered by those on -the heights, and at the College; the gallant cavalry gathered themselves -up out of the dust, and mounted their horses: the Bey turned out his -guard, and all in vain. There was a mistake somewhere; and consequently -the cavalry dismounted, and lay down again to finish their sleep; and -the young Colonel turned in the guard; and we drank another glass of -sherbet, and tried to think that we were not at all out of patience; in -which attempt, I, at least, was very unsuccessful. - -At length the moment came, and the distant sounds of a military band -announced the approach of the procession. The unfortunate Guardsmen -sprang to their saddles for the fourth time, and formed in double file; -in which order they moved forward at a foot’s pace. They were succeeded -by the Military Staff of the Army, and the Field Officers of the -different regiments; the Majors rode first, and were followed by the -superior ranks in regular succession, until the gorgeous train of Pashas -brought up the rear. The Pashas were succeeded by about thirty -musicians: and then followed a detachment of Infantry marching in double -files, between whose ranks moved the open carriage of the Sultan, drawn -by four fine grey horses, each led by a groom; and bearing the portrait -of His Highness carefully enveloped in green baize. Saïd Pasha, the -Sultan’s son-in-law, preceded the carriage, dressed in a Hussar uniform, -and mounted on a noble Arabian; and it was followed by the Seraskier and -Halil Pasha riding abreast; succeeded by a squadron of cavalry. - -But where, then, was the Sultan? - -Alas! for our high-flown expectations—He had reviewed five thousand men -in the course of the morning on the heights above the Palace, after -which he had started off for the Valley of Kahaitchana, in an open -carriage and four; leaving his portrait to the care of the Pashas. - -We reached Pera amid the firing of cannon, the pealing of musketry, and -the beating of drums; and just in time to see the whole of the troops -march through to their respective barracks; which they did six deep, and -in very tolerable style—a circumstance rendered the more astonishing -by the fact that many of them had their shoes literally tied upon their -feet! - -It was impossible not to be struck by a conviction of the perseverance -and adoptive powers of the Turks, on seeing this body of men; who, -although labouring under all the disadvantages of slovenly dress and -defective instruction, had, nevertheless, in a few years succeeded in -presenting an appearance of European discipline. Self-taught—for the -Turks have been deterred from exerting that which their own good sense -led them to feel would be the most efficient mean of speedily attaining -the perfection at which they aimed; that is, of profiting by the -instructions of foreigners; they have, amid all the difficulties of -their position, succeeded in proving that their imitative talents are -very considerable; and the jealous policy of Russia has only tended to -demonstrate to those who have had an opportunity of comparing the -present state of the Turkish army with that in which it was but three -years ago, that the Osmanlis have every inclination to avail themselves -of the opportunities that are afforded to them of studying the -institutions of other nations; where their efforts are not frustrated by -political considerations. - -Recent events have, in some degree, weakened the Muscovite influence at -the Sublime Porte; and European Officers have lately arrived in -Constantinople who, should they be permitted to act, will probably soon -convert the “material” of the Turkish Army into available troops, -calculated to do honour alike to their country, to their instructors, -and to their Emperor. The docility of the Turkish soldier is admirable; -and his desire of improvement so unwearying that it is a common -occurrence for him to spend his hours of relaxation in perfecting -himself, as far as his own knowledge enables him to do so, in the -management of his firelock; while the care and time which he bestows -upon the arm itself, is visible at once from the lustre of its bright -barrel, and the cleanliness of its whole appearance. - -But to return to the troops at Pera. The officers were only -distinguishable by their arms, being as heavily laden as the men, with a -knapsack, a mess tin, a cloak, and a prayer-carpet; and the different -corps were attended by numerous water-carriers, with small leathern -cisterns under their arms, and clay drinking-bowls suspended from a -strap about their waists. - -After traversing Pera, the several regiments filed off in different -directions; and the faubourg resumed its accustomed tranquillity. The -interest of the pageant had however been greatly lessened by the absence -of the Sultan, who should have been its “head and front;” and I only -reconciled myself to the disappointment by engaging to join a party who -were to spend the following Friday at the Asiatic Sweet Waters, where -preparations were making to receive the Sovereign of one of the most -gorgeous Empires of the earth—the Monarch of a million designations! - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - - Turkish Ladies “At Home”—The Asiatic Sweet Waters—Holy - Ground—The Glen of the Valley—Hand Mirrors—Holyday - Groups—Courtesy of the Oriental Females to Strangers—The - Beautiful Devotee—The Pasha’s Wife—A Guard of Honour—Change - of Scene—The Fortress of Mahomet—Amiability of the Turkish - Character. - - -The traveller who desires to see the Turkish women really “at home,” -should visit the beautiful valley of Guiuk-Suy, the Sweet Waters of -Asia, on a Friday during the hot months. This lovely spot, shut in on -three sides by lofty hills covered with vegetation, is open to the -Bosphorus immediately opposite to the Castle of Europe, the prison of -the Janissaries, where the branch-embowered river which gives its name -to the locality, (literally “chest-water”) runs rippling into the -sunlighted channel. - -The transition is delicious, as, shooting round an abrupt point of land, -gay with its painted palace and leafy garden, you glide into the deep -shadows of the little river, whose fringe of trees throws a twilight -softness over the water, and mirrors itself in the calm ripple. Beneath -the boughs rise, as is usual on every spot of peace and beauty, the -columned head-stones of many a departed Mussulmaun; while the birds, -screened from the noon-day heats, are ever pouring forth their glad song -in all the gushing joyousness of conscious security. - -Your boatmen, refreshed by the grateful coolness of the locality, -speedily bring you to an open bridge; which, spanning the river at its -narrowest point, unites the secluded valley, in which the -holyday-keeping crowd are wont to assemble during the noon-tide -sunshine, with the more open space on which they congregate towards the -evening, to profit by the waters of a superb fountain of white marble, -richly adorned with arabesques; and to inhale the fresh breeze that -sweeps over the Bosphorus. - -The stretch of turf on which the ladies spread their carpets, drive -their arabas, and spend the long summer morning, is screened from the -river by a small space thickly wooded, and appropriated to the men; who -smoke their chibouks, and enjoy their sherbet and water-melons, far from -the gossipry of their more voluble helpmeets. Passing through this “holy -ground,” you come at once upon the lovely nook, which, surrounded on all -sides by trees, and thronged with company, affords one of the prettiest -_coup-d’œils_ in the world. - -[Illustration: PART OF THE VALLEY OF GUIUK-SUY.] - -Here the Sultanas move slowly along over the smooth turf, the vizors of -their oxen flashing with foil and plate glass, and the deep golden edges -of their araba-awnings glittering in the sunshine; while they lean on -their silken cushions, with their yashmacs less carefully arranged than -on ordinary occasions. Here the gilded carriage of the Pasha’s Harem, -with its gaily tasselled draperies, and its gaudily caparisoned horses, -rolls rapidly over the yielding verdure; while the veiled beauty within -screens her pure, pale loveliness with a fan of feathers, which serves -at once to amuse her idleness, and to display the fairy-like hand that -grasps its ivory handle, with the priceless gems which glitter on the -slender fingers, and the taper wrist. Here, the wives of the Bey, the -Effendi, and the Emir spread their Persian carpets, and their crimson -rugs; and, while the elder ladies remove the fold of muslin which veils -the lower portion of their faces, and indulge themselves in the luxury -of the _kadeun-chibouk_, or woman’s pipe; the younger of the party find -amusement no less engrossing, in the re-arrangement of their -head-dresses with the assistance of a hand-mirror, (the constant -travelling companion of a Turkish female), which is held by a slave who -kneels at the edge of the carpet. - -These hand-mirrors are the prettiest toys imaginable; and the taste -displayed in their decoration, as well as the expensive materials of -which they are frequently composed, prove their great importance in the -eyes of an Oriental beauty. One of these indispensable playthings is -constantly beside her in the harem; every latticed araba has four of -them panelled into the gilding of its interior, in which she may see her -charms reflected during her drive; and no Turkish lady would ever -undertake the three hours’ voyage from Buyukdèrè to Stamboul, without -carrying along with her the beloved _ainali_. - -Some of these mirrors, which are universally of a circular form, and -generally provided with a handle of the same material as the setting, -and similarly ornamented; are mounted in a frame of richly chased gold -or silver, studded with precious stones; but these, as I need scarcely -remark, are to be seen only in the Imperial Seraïs, or in the palaces of -the most wealthy among the nobles. Others are of coloured velvets, -wrought with seed-pearls in the most delicate patterns, or worked with -gold, which the Turks do to perfection. Nor are the meaner classes -without their _ainalis_, framed in wood, gaudily painted, and frequently -most minute in size. - -The Valley of Guiuk-Suy, thronged as I have attempted to describe it, -presents a scene essentially Oriental in its character. The -crimson-covered carriages moving along beneath the trees—the -white-veiled groups scattered over the fresh turf—the constant motion -of the attendant slaves—the quaintly-dressed venders of _mohalibè_ and -_sèkèl_ (or sweetmeats) moving rapidly from point to point with their -plateaux upon their heads, furnished with a raised shelf, on which the -crystal or china plates destined to serve for the one, and the pink and -yellow glories of the other, are temptingly displayed—the -_yahourt_-merchant, with his yoke upon his shoulder, and his swinging -trays covered with little brown clay basins, showing forth the creamy -whiteness of his merchandize—the vagrant exhibitors of dancing bears -and grinning monkeys—the sunburnt Greek, with his large, flapping hat -of Leghorn straw, and Frank costume, hurrying along from group to group -with his pails of ice; and recommending his delicate and perishable -luxury in as many languages as he is likely to earn piastres—the -never-failing water-carrier, with his large turban, his graceful jar of -red earth, and his crystal goblet—the negroes of the higher harems, -laden with carpets, chibouks, and refreshments for their mistresses—the -fruit-venders, with their ruddy peaches, their clusters of purple grapes -from Smyrna, their pyramidically piled filberts, and their rich plums, -clothed in bloom, and gathered with their fresh leaves about them—the -melon merchants sitting among their upheaped riches; the _pasteks_ with -their emerald-coloured rinds, and the musk-melons, looking like golden -balls, and scenting the breeze as it sweeps over them; the variety of -costume exhibited by the natives, always most striking on the Asiatic -shore—the ringing rattle of the tambourine, and the sharp wiry sound of -the Turkish Zebec, accompanied by the shrill voices of half a dozen -Greeks, seated in a semicircle in front of a beauty-laden araba—all -combine to complete a picture so perfect of its kind, that, were an -European to be transported to Guiuk-Suy, without any intermediate -preparation, he would believe himself to be under the spell of an -Enchanter, and beholding the realization of what he had hitherto -considered as the mere extravagance of some Eastern story-teller. - -The Valley, or at least that portion of it which I am now describing, is -further embellished by a magnificent beech, called the Sultan’s Tree, -beneath which the Imperial carpet is spread for His Highness when he -visits Guiuk-Suy. And a little beyond this rises a platform shaded with -willows, and occupied at one of its extremities by a handsome -head-stone. I could not learn what favoured dust had been deposited on -this sweet spot. - -When we had selected a pleasant nook, and had spread our carpet, -arranged our cushions, and provided ourselves with fruit, one of the -party started on a shooting expedition among the hills; and my friend -Madame S—— and myself strolled round the magic circle, which became -each moment more thronged. We received many a gracious salutation as we -moved along, in return for our glances of involuntary admiration; and at -length were fairly stopped by a smiling entreaty that we would inform a -party of ladies, who had been too aristocratic in their ideas, or too -indolent in their habits, to descend from their araba, who we were, -whence we came, and to answer a score more of those simple questions, -which make a claim only upon your patience. Not one among them was -pretty, but they were all polite and good-natured; and, if they did ask -us many things which concerned them not in any possible way, they at -least communicated to us, in their turn, a variety of circumstances -relating to themselves, which regarded us quite as little. - -Nothing can exceed the courtesy of the Turkish ladies to strangers. They -always appear delighted to converse with an European female who seems -disposed to meet them half way; and they do so with a frankness and ease -which at once destroy every feeling of _gène_ on the part of the -stranger. In five minutes every thing they have is at your service; the -fruit of which they are partaking, and the scented sherbet that they -have prepared with their own hands. To make acquaintance with them, you -require only to be cheerful, willing to indulge their harmless -curiosity, and ready to return their civility in as far as you are -enabled to do so. There is none of that withering indifference, or that -supercilious scrutiny which obtains so much in Europe, to be dreaded -from a Turkish gentlewoman; but there is, on the contrary, an earnest -urbanity about her which is delightful, and which emanates from the -intuitive politeness so universal among the natives; coupled with a -simplicity of feeling, and a sincerity of good-nature that lend a double -charm to the courtesies of life. Nor is the eye less satisfied than the -heart, in these moments of agreeable, although brief, communion; for the -graceful bearing of an Oriental female greatly enhances the charm of her -ready kindness; and her self-possession, and dignity of manner, render -her superior to the paltry affectation of assumed coldness; while they -convince you that she would be as prompt to resent impertinence, as she -had been ready to proffer courtesy. - -When we bowed our adieu to the party in the araba, and prepared to -continue our stroll, the elder lady presented to us four large -cucumbers, a vegetable highly relished by the Orientals, and eaten by -them in the same manner as fruit. Of course we accepted the offering in -the spirit in which it was made, although we declined indulging in the -unwholesome luxury; and I merely mention the circumstance, trivial as it -is, to prove the truth of my position. The ladies had been regaling -themselves with this primitive fare when we joined them, and shared it -with us from precisely the same feeling of courtesy, as an English -gentlewoman would have tendered to a stranger the sandwich and champaign -of her carriage luncheon. - -A short distance beyond the araba, we came upon a beautiful young -female, who had alighted from her carriage, and was kneeling upon a -costly Persian prayer-carpet, on whose eastern edge was placed a vase of -wrought silver. Three slaves stood, with folded arms, immediately -behind her; and she was so completely absorbed in her devotions, that -not even the apparition of a couple of European females, always objects -of curiosity to a Turkish lady, caused her to lift her eyes. She was -strikingly handsome, and her attitude was most graceful, as, with her -small hands clasped together, she bowed her head to the earth in the -deep, voiceless, prayer, which is the heart’s offering, and requires not -to shape itself into words. Had she been otherwise engaged, I could have -lingered for an hour, for the mere pleasure of looking upon one of the -loveliest faces in the world; but I felt that it would be indelicate to -intrude upon her devotions, and once more I moved forward. - -No occupation, whether of business or pleasure, is permitted to -interfere with the religious duties of a Turkish female, however -distinguished her rank; nor has locality or circumstance any influence -in deterring her from their observance. It is a common occurrence to see -the sister of the Sultan alight from her araba at Kahaitchana, or any -other public place in which she may chance to find herself when her -accustomed hour of prayer arrives; and, when her slaves have spread her -prayer-carpet, kneel down within sight and sound of the crowds that -throng the walk, as calmly and collectedly as though she were shut -within one of the gilded chambers of her own Seraï. It were idle to -comment upon such a fact. - -What a glad scene it was as we wandered on under the leafy branches of -the tall trees, over the fresh turf, breathed upon by the cool breeze -that swept down into the valley from the encircling hills, giving and -receiving a thousand salutations! The Sultan was momentarily expected; -and many a dark eye was turned at intervals towards the entrance of the -glen, and the noble beech tree to which I have already made allusion; -but they were turned thither in vain, for, greatly to our -disappointment, he did not appear. - -During our progress we came upon an araba which instantly attracted our -attention. The painted oxen[5] had been withdrawn, and were grazing a -few paces off; a line of female slaves, reaching the whole length of the -carriage, were ranged side by side; and two negroes were stationed -immediately in front. All these indications of rank induced us to -slacken our pace as we approached, and to glance with more than ordinary -attention towards the occupants of the vehicle. They were two in number; -a serious-looking elderly person, earnestly engaged with her chibouk; -and a fair young creature, so buried among her richly embroidered -cushions, that she was scarcely visible. - -I have called her _fair_, but that is not the correct expression, for, -as she raised herself at our approach, and removed from before her face -a hand mirror, curiously set in a frame composed of ostrich feathers, I -never beheld any thing living with such a complexion. She was so deadly -white, that no difference was perceptible between the folds of her -yashmac, and the brow on which they rested! She looked as though she had -been the partial prey of a vampyre; who, sated with some previous -victim, had left his unholy repast only half completed—But such eyes! -so dark—so sad—veiled by lashes as black as night, resting upon the -pallid cheek like sable fringes—I never saw such eyes, save in a -dream!—Her nose was thin, and finely-shaped; and the perfect oval of -her face, was revealed by the tightly-adjusted yashmac—It was the most -spectral beauty I ever beheld, but beauty of a most rare description. -She was pillowed on satin, and her hands and brow were bright with gems, -but I am sure she was unhappy—there was a languid hopelessness in the -expression of her pale face, and a listlessness in her manner, that told -of a bursting heart. I would have given much to have learnt her history. - -There must have been some telltale indication of my involuntary -conviction, in the long and earnest gaze that I turned upon her; for -ere I removed my eyes, she smiled a sad, sweet smile, and pressed her -hand upon her heart as though she thanked me for the melancholy feeling -with which I had looked upon her beauty. The elder dame, meanwhile, -smoked on in silence, as calmly as if she had been seated beside a more -light-hearted companion; and the silver fringes of the costly araba -glittered in the sunshine; and the embroidered cushions looked like a -parterre of flowers; and all within that gorgeous vehicle was gay and -gladsome save its drooping mistress. I made a thousand inquiries, but -failed to ascertain who she was. One individual alone was able to assure -me that she was the favourite wife of a Pasha; but the name of the said -Pasha had escaped the memory of my informant, and I was fain to content -myself with this very unsatisfactory fragment of intelligence. - -Having completed our tour of the glen, we took possession of our -cushions, and regaled ourselves with the delicious water-melons that we -had provided to refresh us after our walk; and a small party of Turkish -ladies shortly afterwards followed, and established themselves under the -shade of the same tree, whom we initiated into the mysteries of -_papillotes_, a secret science which has just become highly interesting -to them from their adoption of ringlets. We amused ourselves with these -follies for half an hour very pleasantly; and, having shared our fruit -and sweetmeats with our new acquaintance, and perceiving that the -company were rapidly departing for the sea-side, I established myself -under a fine beech-tree to take a sketch of the locality. But although -comparatively few persons remained in the glen, I soon discovered that -enough yet lingered to form a dense crowd about me, which effectually -prevented my obtaining a view of any object more picturesque than a -yashmac or a feridjhe; and I was about to give up the attempt in -despair, when a Turkish Officer approached, and requested me to favour -him with a sight of my sketch-book. - -I complied at once, and was rewarded for my ready acquiescence in the -most agreeable way in the world; for, perceiving by its contents that it -was not persons but places which I was transferring to my little volume, -he explained to the ladies who had gathered about me, that I was -prevented from prosecuting my design by the fact of their having -entirely shut out the view I was most anxious to secure; and at the -first hint they moved aside to the right and left with all the good -humour imaginable; one succeeding the other in leaning over me, to -examine my work; and all rewarding my forbearance with exclamations of -“_Mashallàh_,” and “_Pek Guzel_.” - -At length the little sketch was completed; and, putting up my pencils, I -thanked the Officer who had remained on guard over me and my -undertaking, very sincerely for his politeness; and we followed the -crowd along a lovely green lane on the opposite side of the bridge, to -the shore of the Bosphorus. - -It was indeed a change of scene. The Castle of Europe, cold, and white, -and bare, cut sharply against the blue sky on the opposite coast; and, -as the channel is unusually narrow at this point, I was enabled to trace -more accurately than I had ever done hitherto, the architectural cypher -of the Prophet. - -[Illustration: CASTLE OF MAHOMET.] - -Within the walls are clustered about a dozen houses; and their -inhabitants are bound by an ancient law not to suffer their descendants -to marry without the precincts of the fortress; they are consequently -all closely related, and no instance has ever been known of their having -slighted the injunction. - -Immediately before me, on the seaward edge of the fine stretch of turf -in which the lane terminated, all the throng of company that had crowded -the glen of the Valley during the earlier part of the day, were now -collected together under the long shadow of a double avenue of fine -trees fringing the border of the channel, and terminating at the elegant -fountain to which I have already made allusion. On one side rose the -painted kiosk of the Sultan; and near it stood the little mosque, with -its slender minaret shooting heavenward, and almost hidden by the leafy -branches of the surrounding trees. On the other a cluster of arabas, -with their crimson and purple awnings, and fringes of gold and -silver—while, in the midst, groups of women were dotted over the -greensward, and gaily-dressed children gambolled in their young -gracefulness, making the elastic air buoyant with mirth. - -It was a heart-inspiring spectacle! and it was beautiful to remark the -kindness and good feeling which pervaded the whole assemblage. I cannot -understand how any European who has once contemplated a scene of this -description, can carry away with him an unfavourable impression of the -Turkish character. I have remarked elsewhere on the happy freedom from -_morgue_ which pervades the wealthier classes of the capital. Neither -superciliousness nor assumption on the part of their more fortunate -neighbours, withers the enjoyment of the humble and the laborious; the -day of rest and recreation levels all ranks, and suspends all -distinctions; and thus each is secure to find the pleasure which he -seeks; for that pleasure is in itself of so natural and simple a -description that it requires no combination of causes to produce it—a -bright sky—a balmy atmosphere—a lovely landscape—are all that is -necessary to its enjoyment; and they are ever within the reach of the -humblest during the long summer season—And when to these are superadded -the kindly smile and the ready greeting which are never withheld in -Turkey from those who seek them, it must at once be acknowledged that -the Osmanlis have made a wise selection, in preferring to the strife and -struggle for precedence, and the uncertainty of ultimate success, which -clog the more refined and “exclusive” pleasures of Europe, the simple, -kindly, and ever-enduring enjoyment of nature and universal good-will. - -But I am committing an error in thus applying the word “refined.”—Are -not such pleasures as those of Turkey infinitely more refined than the -elaborated dissipations of the West? Is not the holiness of nature a -loftier contemplation than the gilded saloons of the great?—The power -to feel and to appreciate the noble gifts of the Creator, eminently more -glorious than the talent to discover the finite perfections of the -creature? Is not the breeze which sweeps over the heathy hill, or -through the blossom-scented valley, more redolent of real sweetness than -the perfume-laden halls of luxury? - -If these be “barbarous” pleasures, then are the Turks the most barbarous -people upon earth, for in these consist their highest enjoyments—In -them the Minister finds his ready solace for the cares of office, and -the labourer for the toils of weary days—But if they be indeed those -which should be the best calculated to impart their charm to cultivated -minds and unsullied hearts; then, as I have already ventured to suggest, -the Turks have “chosen the better part,” and are authorised to smile, as -they ever do, in quiet pity at the coil and care with which we of -“civilized” Europe, cheat ourselves into the belief that we have far -outstripped them in enjoyment, as well as science; and toil throughout a -long life in pursuit of a phantom which flits before us like a beckoning -spirit, but is ever beyond our grasp. - -I was never more struck with this truth than at Guiuk-Suy, I never saw -the women of Turkey under a more favourable aspect.—Every heart -appeared to be holding holyday; and when, as evening closed, we returned -to our caïque, and bade adieu to the valley of the Asian Sweet Waters, I -felt that I knew them better—that I understood more correctly their -social character, than I had hitherto done; and it is an important fact, -and one which is well worthy of remark, that the more an European, -resolved to cast aside prejudice, and to study the national habits and -impulses, comes in contact with the inhabitants of the East, the more he -is led to admire the consistency of thought, feeling, and action which -influence them; and the high-minded generosity with which they tolerate -the jarring and discordant habits and prejudices of their foreign -visitors. - -I am obliged to concede that no assemblage of European gentlewomen would -have welcomed among them two female strangers, as the Turkish ladies, -during the day which we spent at Guiuk-Suy, received my friend and -myself. The wandering Giaours were every where greeted with smiles, -urged to linger, invited to partake of every rural collation: treated, -in short, as friends, rather than persons seen for the first, and, -probably, the only time. And such a welcome as this might be secured by -every Frank lady, did she consider it worth her while to conciliate the -Turkish females; who are always sufficiently rewarded for their -courtesy and kindness, by a gay smile and a ready acceptance of their -proffered civility; and yet it is a singular fact, that the European -ladies resident in Constantinople are scarcely acquainted with one -Osmanli family, and I have been asked more than once if I was not -frightened of the Turkish women! - -It were needless to comment either on the illiberality of the prejudice, -or the effects which it is so unfortunately calculated to -produce—Effects which are painfully visible; and whose cause is -anything but creditable to European generosity or penetration. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - - - The Reiss Effendi—Devlehaï Hanoum—The Fair Circassian—The - Pasha—Ceremonious Observances of the Harem—An - Interview—Namik Pasha _versus_ Nourri Effendi—Imperial - Decorations—The Diploma—Turkish Gallantry—The Chibouks—The - Salemliek—The Garden—Holy Horror—The Kiosk—The Breakfast—A - Party in the Harem—Nèsibè Hanoum—The Yashmac—The - Masquerade—Turkish Compliments—The Slave and the Fruit - Merchant—Departure from the Palace. - - -As I was contemplating a second visit to the Palace of the Reiss -Effendi, an invitation reached me from the Minister himself, who -requested me to meet him at six o’clock the following morning in his -harem, previously to his departure for the Sublime Porte. I started -accordingly, accompanied by a young Greek lady who officiated as my -interpreter; and at the hour appointed we landed on the marble terrace, -and were instantly admitted. - -I have elsewhere remarked on the early habits of the Turkish ladies, and -on the present occasion they were already astir, and the slaves hurrying -in every direction with sweetmeats and coffee. Devlehäi Hanoum was shut -into her chamber at prayers, and the door was guarded by a little slave -not more than six years of age; one of seven children recently purchased -from a slave-ship, so meagre and miserable, that the poor little -innocents had evidently been half-starved on their passage from -Circassia. One of them had been stolen from the very bosom of its -mother, and on its arrival in the harem was immediately provided with a -nurse. - -On the conclusion of her prayer, the beautiful Georgian entered the -saloon in which we were awaiting her; and welcomed us most cordially. -Early as it was, the Minister was already, she told us, engaged with an -Ambassadorial Dragoman; and meanwhile sweetmeats, water, and coffee were -offered to me, of all which I gladly partook, and afterwards strolled -into the garden among the sweet-scented lemon trees, to await my summons -to the Pasha. - -I had taken but two turns in the orangery, when the soft-eyed Conjefèm -Hanoum advanced smilingly towards me; and taking me by the hand (a great -mark of distinction from a Turkish lady) led me up stairs to the -apartment to which I have already alluded as having been honoured by the -temporary occupation of the Sultan. When we reached the door, she -released my hand, and fell back a few paces, in order that I should -approach the Minister alone. - -As the room was very spacious, I had an excellent opportunity of -obtaining a good view of His Excellency, previously to our entering -into conversation; and the first glimpse which I had of him prepossessed -me in his favour. He occupied the upper end of the sofa, and was almost -buried amid piles of cushions, near an open window looking upon the -garden of the harem, whose myriad blossoms filled the apartment with -perfume. - -Had I not known to the contrary, I never should have supposed him to -have been more than sixty years of age; his eye is still so bright, and -his brow so smooth. He wore the _fèz_ rather flung back; and his robe -was of flesh-coloured silk, lined with ermine. - -When I entered, he was busily engaged with his chibouk, which was of the -most costly description, the large amber mouthpiece being of the -faintest yellow, and divided at mid-depth by a band of turquoise studded -with brilliants. He suffered me to advance nearly to the centre of the -apartment before he looked up; but he did so at length with a smile of -such kindness that I at once forgave him for his etiquettical -punctiliousness. - -Devlehäi Hanoum was standing about twenty paces from the sofa with her -arms folded before her; and the fair Circassian, having, in obedience to -a signal from the Minister, placed an armchair for me close to his own -seat, immediately took up her position beside her. The Greek lady by -whom I was accompanied was not, to my great annoyance, included in the -courtesy extended to me; and during the two hours that I spent with the -Pasha, she consequently remained standing, or leaning on the back of my -seat. - -After thanking me for the favour I had done him, and assuring me that he -had long wished to make my acquaintance, he desired to know if I would -smoke a chibouk; and was much amused when I told him that if he desired -I should return to my own country, to prove my gratitude to the Turks -for all the kindness and courtesy which they had shewn to me, he must -exempt me from the peril of such an encounter with “the scented weed.” -He accepted the apology at once, assuring me that he was desirous only -to give me pleasure; although, as I was the first Frank lady to whom he -had ever spoken, he might probably not succeed in proving his sincerity. -Sweetmeats were then handed to me by a slave; and subsequently coffee by -the fair hands of Conjefèm Hanoum, but my poor young friend was still -excluded from the courtesy. Water is never offered in the presence of a -great personage. - -I had not been half an hour with the Minister ere I was convinced that -he was rather a good than a great man. There was a gentleness and -benevolence about him that were delightful; and as he stroked down his -white beard, and looked towards me with a smile of mingled amusement and -curiosity, I thought that I had never seen a more “green old age;” but -although he touched on a variety of subjects, and asked a variety of -questions, they were of the most commonplace description; and he -appeared infinitely more gratified by the admiration which I expressed -of the magnificent marriage festivities of the Princess, than by the -compliments that I paid to the rapid progress of civilization and -improvement among the people. - -The only subject in which he took a marked interest, was the degree of -popularity enjoyed by the present Turkish Ambassador in London. - -He asked if I had known Nourri Effendi, and I answered affirmatively: -upon which he immediately inquired if he were popular in London. - -I replied candidly that since he did me the honour to ask my opinion, I -should say, judging from what had fallen under my own observation, -decidedly not. That I believed Nourri Effendi to be a very good man; but -that he was extremely ill-calculated to make his way in England; or to -give so favourable an impression of the nation which he represented, as, -since I had resided among the Turkish people, I felt anxious should be -produced on the minds of my own countrymen. That he could not speak any -European language, had forbidding manners, and made no attempt to -identify himself with the feelings and habits of the people among whom -he resided. - -He next mentioned Namik Pasha, and said laughingly: “I know that the -ladies of England preferred him; and I have heard that the ladies are -very influential in your country—Yes, yes—the Pasha was young, -well-looking, and gallant; and spoke French fluently. Nourri Effendi -will never make his way among you as his predecessor did, but he is, -nevertheless, a good man; and perhaps they were not aware in England -that he was Secretary to the Porte.” - -I observed that Namik Pasha lent himself willingly to European customs, -and made himself acceptable to every society into which he entered; and -that, in so far, he was consequently infinitely better fitted than his -successor for the post of Ambassador at a foreign Court. The Minister -looked steadily at me for a moment, and then said playfully; “You are -half a diplomatist yourself. I had heard as much before—this is the -first time in my life that I ever conversed with a Frank female; and -since we have fallen upon this subject, I should like to ask you one -more question before we abandon it. You have now been many months in the -country; and were you at liberty to select the next Turkish Ambassador -to England, tell me frankly whom should you choose?” - -I could not forbear smiling in my turn: but I replied without -hesitation; “Reschid Bey—the present Minister at Paris.—It is such -individuals as Reschid Bey who prove to Europe what the Turks already -are, and what they are capable of becoming—Men of fine mind and -gentlemanlike manners, as well as of sound judgment and high -character.—Had the Sublime Porte sent Reschid Bey to London, a year or -two ago, the English would have had a more exalted opinion of its -diplomacy than they now have.” - -Little did I imagine when I thus undisguisedly gave my opinion of the -Turkish Minister to Youssouf Pasha, that the Firman would be so soon -despatched which contained his transfer to the Court of England; and I -was not a little amused when I was told some time afterwards that the -Reiss Effendi, in giving the information of Reschid Bey’s arrival in -London to a friend of mine, added with a quiet smile: “You may as well -tell your Frank friend that the new _Ilchí_ is in England before her. -She will perhaps be glad to hear that he is the individual whom she -would have herself selected.” - -From the Turkish Ambassador he digressed to the King of England, and -assured me that there was no European Monarch for whom the Grand -Seignior entertained a more affectionate regard. Indeed, he talked so -long and so fondly, not only of our good Sovereign, but of his people -also, that had I not previously known him to be deeply in the Russian -interest, I should have believed him to be as sincere an Anglo-Turk as -any individual throughout the Sultan’s dominions. - -An apology for having received me in his morning dress, rather than keep -me waiting, led us to the subject of costume generally; for I could not -offer a better reply to his politeness than by expressing my admiration -of that which he wore, and declaring how much I considered it preferable -to the European frock-coat. He appeared gratified by the assurance, and -took this opportunity of desiring Conjefèm Hanoum to bring out his -decorations, in order that I might judge of the taste and magnificence -of the Sultan; and truly I never beheld anything more costly. - -The first, which had been delivered to him with his diploma of Vèzir, -was an elaborately mounted medal of gold, inscribed with the cipher of -the Sultan, and the rank of the wearer, splendidly framed with -brilliants. But the diploma itself interested me much more; it was -enclosed in a wrapper of white satin, fastened with a cord and tassels -of gold, and occupied an immense sheet of stout paper; the name of Allah -stood at the head of the page, and immediately beneath it, but in much -larger characters, figured the cipher of the Sultan; these were written -in gold, as were also the name of the Vèzir himself which occurred in -the body of the document, and the word Stamboul at the foot of the page -on the left hand. The remainder of the contents were simply traced in -ink, but the characters were beautifully formed; and at the back of the -sheet were the signatures of Nourri Effendi who had drawn up the -document, as a voucher for its accuracy, and that of the Pasha himself, -as an acknowledgment of the duties to which it pledged him. - -Having replaced the diploma, the Minister next put into my hands a -miniature portrait of the Sultan, surrounded by a wreath, of which the -flowers were diamonds, and the leaves wrought in enamel; enclosed within -a second frame-work of the same precious gems, formed into emblematical -devices, and dazzlingly brilliant. This magnificent decoration was -appended to a chain of fine gold, and secured by a diamond clasp. - -When I had sufficiently admired it, the gallant old man begged me to -wear it for an instant in order that it might acquire an additional -value in his eyes; and the gentle Conjefèm Hanoum flung it over my head, -and entangled the chain in my ringlets, to the great delight of the -Vèzir, who watched the progress of its release with genuine enjoyment, -and told me that he had never before seen his decoration to so much -advantage. - -The only drawback to these costly ornaments exists in the fact that they -are insecure possessions; as in case of death, or dismission from -office, they are returned to the Sultan. It was consequently with even -more pride, that the Minister exhibited to me a smaller, and perhaps -more elegant order, bestowed upon him by his Sovereign as an -acknowledgment of his faithful services to the Porte; accompanied by an -intimation that on his decease it was to be transferred to his eldest -son, in order that it might serve to record the regard and gratitude of -his master for the exemplary manner in which he had ever done his duty -to his country. - -I was not a little amused at the epicurean manner in which the Vèzir -smoked. Every ten minutes his chibouk was changed by one or other of his -wives, by which means he merely imbibed the aroma of the tobacco, while -he had an opportunity of displaying the variety and costliness of his -pipes, without being guilty of any apparent ostentation; but, handsome -as several of them undoubtedly were, that of which he was making use -when I entered was infinitely the most beautiful. - -When I rose to take my leave, my courteous entertainer begged that I -would remain as long as I found any amusement in the Palace, assuring me -that every effort should be made to render my visit agreeable; and that -the Salemliek should be as free for me as the harem, if I desired to -see it. Of course I accepted the offer; and, on leaving the Pasha, I -found Emin Bey and a negro waiting to conduct my friend and myself -through the mysterious passages which connect the two portions of the -establishment. In the Salemliek itself there was nothing remarkable. It -was a handsome house, well fitted up, and exquisitely clean; the -greatest charm to me existed in its open windows, which, after the -closely-latticed and stifling apartments of the women, were truly -agreeable; nor was the feeling of enjoyment lessened by the sight of a -crowd of birds, that, entering through the wide casements, with the -sunshine glittering on their wings, and the song of liberty gushing from -their throats, sailed to and fro the vast apartments, as though they -could appreciate their magnificent comfort. - -But the garden was a little paradise, with its fountains of white -marble, its avenues of orange trees, its beds of roses, and verbena, and -geraniums, formed into a thousand fanciful devices! And before I could -make up my mind to leave it, the young Bey had so loaded me with the -fairest flowers he could select, that I breathed nothing but perfume. - -We were greatly amused, on passing one of the marble bridges which are -flung over the street to connect the grounds, at the astonishment of a -party of worthy Musselmauns who chanced to look up as we were crossing, -attracted by the unwonted sounds of female voices; and the “Mashallàhs!” -with which they greeted our apparition. “Who can they be?” asked one: -“And how came they there?” “She with the fair hair is a Frank as well as -a Giaour;” was the reply of a second: “I would swear it on the Prophet’s -beard.—The infidels are making way among us indeed when their women are -thus at liberty to shew their unveiled faces in the Salemliek of one of -our great Pashas—but it is no affair of mine—Mashallàh—I trust in -God!” - -The Kiosk of the Reiss Effendi was by far the most beautiful that I had -yet seen—A painted dome, representing the shores of the channel, -occupied the centre of the roof; and beneath it a graceful _jet d’eau_ -threw up its sparkling waters, which fell back into a capacious bason. -The walls were washed by the Bosphorus on the one side, and covered with -parasites on the other; and it was floored with marble of the most -dazzling whiteness. Here were collected the younger sons of the -Minister, and three or four other children, amusing themselves by -running barefooted round the basin, and suffering the glittering dew of -the fountain to fall upon them in its descent; while each was laughing -out in his young joyousness as he marked the dripping condition of his -companions, and forgot that he was himself in the same predicament. - -On our return to the harem we found the breakfast served; and sat down, -attended by Conjefèm Hanoum and ten female slaves, to partake of a -repast, of which the dishes had been sent from the table of the -Minister, who was also about to make his morning meal. Confectionary, -pillauf, and stewed meats, were succeeded by some delicious fruits; and -when these had been removed, and I had emptied a goblet of sherbet the -colour of amber, we joined the party in the great saloon. - -And a numerous party it was! About a dozen Hanoums, all splendidly -dressed, and with their turbans sparkling with diamonds, were squatted -in a group upon the sofa; and in an instant I took my place in the very -midst of them, with my feet doubled under me, to watch the departure of -the Pasha, whose barge, manned by ten rowers, and covered with Persian -carpets, was waiting to convey him to the Sublime Porte. - -Away he went at last in fine style, attended by his secretary, his -chiboukjhe, three officers of his household, and two soldiers; and as -soon as he was fairly out of sight, the curiosity of all the party -centered upon me. They ran their hands along the satin of my pelisse, -asked me if the brooch that confined my collar was gold, whether I made -my own gloves, and if I would teach them to curl their hair. Having -satisfied them on all these points, I looked round the circle in my -turn, and made an acquaintance with the young and bright-eyed Nèsibè -Hanoum, the sister-in-law of the Minister, and her lovely infant. - -As the supreme high breeding of the harem is no longer its perpetual -idleness, several of the ladies were engaged in needlework, principally -in embroidering handkerchiefs, and knitting a coarse kind of lace for -trimming the bosoms of their chemisettes; and when each had settled -herself to her employment, Conjefèm Hanoum proposed giving me a lesson -in the art of arranging a yashmac, an achievement sufficiently -difficult. - -A slave was accordingly despatched into her chamber in search of the -long scarf of muslin necessary to the operation; and in five minutes I -had undergone so perfect a metamorphose that I could scarcely recognize -myself when I glanced into the mirror. The delight of the whole party -was unbounded; and nothing would satisfy them but my adding a feridjhe -to my veil, and presenting myself to the Buyuk Hanoum. The voluminous -cloak of dark cloth was accordingly thrown over me, and with -considerable difficulty I was taught to manage it with some degree of -grace; after which the laughing girl dragged me towards the apartment -of the venerable lady; and entering before me, announced that a -_mussafir_, or guest, desired to be admitted. - -On the invitation of its occupant, I advanced, making the _temina_[6] -with all the ceremony necessary to continue the deceit; and it was -not until I had kissed the hand of the Buyuk Hanoum, and stood -upright before her, that she detected the masquerade; but when she -did so, I was overwhelmed with exclamations and intreaties—I was -beautiful—resistless—I should turn the head of every True Believer in -Stamboul—Why did I desire to return to England, when there was not a -Pasha in Constantinople who would not consider me ‘the Light of the -Harem’—Would I become a Turk?—and a thousand other ejaculations of -like import. - -When the sensation had partially subsided, I returned to the saloon; and -as the yashmac had previously been arranged in the manner in which it is -worn by the ladies of the Seraï, I took a second lesson, to enable me to -put it on in the more general fashion; and I then amused myself for five -minutes in watching the manœuvres of a slave who was purchasing some -water-melons from a fruit-caïque. Nothing could be more ludicrous: the -great gate of the harem was ajar, and one of the caïquejhes stood on -the terrace, and took the fruit from his companion; after which he -advanced towards the entrance, and rolled it through the open space on -to the marble floor beyond: the slave running after each as it appeared, -and grasping it with both hands, as she held it to her ear, to ascertain -if it would give out the splashing sound without which it is of no -value—laying aside those that she approved, and rolling back the others -with a velocity that gave her the appearance of being engaged at a game -of bowls with the Greeks on the terrace; talking, moreover, all the time -with an earnestness worthy of the occasion. - -I loitered away another hour with my amiable hostesses, and then, -looking at my watch, I urged a previous engagement, in order to overcome -their kindly entreaties that I would spend the remainder of the day with -them; and having bade adieu to the Buyuk Hanoum and her numerous guests, -and promised to pay her another visit before I left Constantinople, I -once more quitted the hospitable halls of the Reiss Effendi; carrying -away with me the liveliest feeling of gratitude for all the attentions -which I had experienced from every member of his family. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - - - Imperial Gratitude—The Freed Woman—A Female Cœlebs—Hussein - the Watchmaker—Golden Dreams—Arabas and Arabajhes—Maternal - Regrets—A Matrimonial Excursion—Difficult Position—The - _Sèkèljhes_—A Young Husband—The Emir—The Officer of the - Guard—The Emir’s Daughter—First Love—Ballad Singing—A - Salutation—Moonlight—Rejected Addresses—Ruse de Guerre—The - Arrest—A Lover’s Defence—Munificence of the Seraskier Pasha. - - -The Sultan occasionally recompenses the faithful services of the slaves -of the Imperial Seraï by giving them their liberty, accompanied by a -donation sufficiently liberal to enable them to establish themselves in -an eligible manner. On a late occasion, he emancipated an elderly woman, -who had secured his favour by her unremitted attentions to one of his -wives during a protracted illness; and, being light of heart at the -moment, and perhaps curious to learn how she would act on such an -emergency, he desired her to put on her yashmac, and to take a boat to -Stamboul, where she was to hire an araba, and drive slowly about the -city, until she saw an individual whom she desired for a husband; when, -if he could be identified, she should be his wife within the week. - -His Imperial Highness was obeyed on the instant. One of the Palace -caïques rowed to the door of the harem; and the freed slave, accompanied -by an aged companion, stepped in, and was rapidly conveyed to Stamboul. -On landing at “the Gate of the Garden,” she walked into the house of -Hussein the watchmaker, with whose wife she was acquainted; and while -the stripling son of the worthy Musselmaun was despatched for an araba, -she took her place upon the sofa, and partook of the grape-jelly and -coffee which were handed to her by her officious hostess. These were -succeeded by the _kadeun-chibouk_, or woman’s pipe; and she had not -flung out half a dozen volumes of smoke from her nostrils, ere all the -harem of Hussein the watchmaker knew that she was free, and about to -chuse a helpmeet from among the tradesmen of the city. - -At every “Mashallàh!” uttered by her auditors, the self-gratulation of -the visitor increased; and she, who a day previously had not wasted a -thought on matrimony, smoked on in silence, absorbed in dreams of -tenderness and ambition. - -The araba was, of course, a full hour ere it appeared, for the arabajhe -had to smoke his _narghïlè_, or water-pipe; and the arabajhe’s assistant -had to repair the damages which the last day’s journey had done to the -harness, and to wash away the mud that yet clung about the wheels; and -after that there were comments to be made upon the horses, as they were -slowly attached to the vehicle; and on the unusual circumstance of a -Turkish woman hiring a carriage, without previously bargaining with the -owner for the sum to be paid. - -But Yusuf, the son of Hussein, who found more amusement in watching the -slow motions of the arabajhe than in keeping guard over his father’s -chronometers, put an end to the astonishment of the party by informing -them that the person who had engaged the vehicle was a slave of the -Imperial Seraï; a piece of information which tended considerably to -expedite the preparations of the coachman, and to excite the curiosity -of his companions. - -The female Cœlebs, meanwhile, had emptied three chibouks; and as the -ashes of each was deposited in the little brass dish that rested on the -carpet, brighter, and fairer visions rose before her; and on each -occasion that she drew from amid the folds of the shawl which bound her -waist, the cachemire purse that contained her tobacco, and replenished -her pipe, she indulged in a more flattering augury of her day’s -speculation. - -To render the circumstance more intelligible to the European reader, it -may be as well to state that there are few tradesmen in Stamboul who -would hesitate to marry an Imperial slave, whatever might be her age or -personal infirmities, as she is sure to bring with her a golden apology -for all her defects: and thus it was not astonishing that the wife of -Hussein sighed as she remembered that her son Yusuf was yet a child, and -that, consequently, she could not offer his hand to her visiter; and the -more sincerely that the worthy watchmaker did not stand high in the -favour of fortune; the “accursed Giaours,” as the angry Hanoum did not -hesitate to declare, selling for the same price demanded by the Turkish -artisan for his inferior ware, watches that were as true as the muezzin, -and as enduring as the Koràn. - -At length the araba drew up beneath the latticed windows; and the two -friends, resuming their slippers, shuffled across the matted floor of -the harem, followed by the compliments and _teminas_ of their hostess; -mattresses and cushions were arranged in the vehicle by the hands of -Hussein himself; and their yashmacs having been re-arranged, they were -ere long jolting over the rough pavement of the city of Constantine. - -They first bent their course to the Charshees; and the confidant pointed -out many a grave-looking, middle-aged Mussulmaun to the admiration of -her companion; but the freed-woman only shrugged her shoulders, uttered -a contemptuous “Mashallàh!” and turned away her eyes. - -The stream of life flowed on beside their path. Turbans of green, of -white, and of yellow passed along; but none of the wearers found favour -in the sight of the husband-seeking fair one. Hours were wasted in vain; -she was as far removed from a decision as when she stepped into the -caïque at Beglierbey; and the patience of her companion was worn -threadbare; she became silent, sullen, and sleepy—and still the araba -groaned and drawled along the narrow streets—Human nature could endure -no more; and after having been jolted out of a quiet slumber three -several times, the confidant digressed from weariness to expostulation. - -“May the Prophet receive me into paradise! Is there not a True Believer -in Stamboul worthy to become the husband of a woman whose hair is gray; -and who has long ceased to pour out the scented sherbet in the garden of -roses? Had it been my _kismet_[7] to come hunting through the -thoroughfares of the city on the same errand, I should have chosen long -ago.” - -The freed-woman only replied by desiring the arabajhe to drive to the -quarter inhabited by the _sèkèljhes_, or sweetmeat-makers; the finest -race of men in Constantinople. When they entered it, she began to look -about her with more earnestness than she had hitherto exhibited; but -even here she was in no haste to come to a decision; and although she -passed many a stately Musselmaun whom she would not have refused in the -brightest days of her youth, she “made no sign” until she arrived -opposite to the shop of a manufacturer of _alva_, a sweet composition -much esteemed in the East; where half a dozen youths, bare-legged, and -with their shirt sleeves rolled up to their shoulders, were employed in -kneading the paste, previously to its being put into the oven. - -“_Inshallàh_—I trust in God! He is here—” said the lady, as she -stopped the carriage; “See you not that tall stripling, with arms like -the blossom of the seringa, and eyes as black as the dye of Khorasan?” - -“He who is looking towards us?” exclaimed her companion in astonishment; -“The Prophet have pity on him! Why, he is young enough to be your son.” - -The answer of the freed-woman was an angry pull at her yashmac, as she -drew more closely together the folds of her feridjhe. The young and -handsome sèkèljhe was summoned to the side of the araba, and found to -improve upon acquaintance; upon which he was informed of the happiness -that awaited him, and received the tidings with true Turkish philosophy; -and in a few days the bride removed into a comfortable harem, of which -the ground-floor was a handsome shop, fitted up with a select stock of -sweetmeats at the expence of the Sultan; and those who desire to see -one of the principal actors in this little comedy, need only enter the -gaily-painted establishment at the left-hand corner of the principal -street leading into the Atmeidan, to form an acquaintance with Suleiman -the sèkèljhe. - -Another occurrence, equally authentic, and still more recent, is -deserving of record, as being peculiarly characteristic of the rapid -progress of enlightenment and liberality. An Emir of the city, -celebrated for his sanctity and rigid observance of all the laws of -Mahomet, had a fair daughter who sometimes indulged, in the solitude of -the harem, in softer dreams than those of her austere father. -Unfortunately for the stately priest, a guard-house, tenanted by a dozen -armed men, under the command of an officer whose personal merits -exceeded his years, was established not a hundred yards from his house; -and, as the youthful commander paced slowly to and fro the street to -dispel his ennui, it so chanced that he generally terminated his walk -beneath the windows of the Emir’s harem. - -The first time that the pretty Yasumi[8] Hanoum peeped through her -lattice at the handsome soldier, the blood rushed to her brow, and her -heart beat quick, though she knew not wherefore. The young beauty -led a lonely life, for she was motherless, and her father was a stern -man, who had no sympathy with womanly tastes; and, satisfied with -providing for her daily necessities, never troubled himself further. -It was by no means extraordinary, therefore, that she amused her -idleness with watching the motions of the stranger; nor that, by -dint of observing him, she ere long discovered that he was rapidly -becoming an object of interest to her heart. - -Then followed all the manœuvres of an Eastern beauty, who has no means -of communication with the other sex, save those which her woman-wit -enables her to invent. A shower of lavender buds, flung from the narrow -opening of the lattice upon his head, first attracted the attention of -the gallant Moslem to the Emir’s harem; nor was it diminished by a -glimpse of one of the whitest little hands in the world, which, ere it -closed the aperture, waved a graceful salutation that could be meant -only for himself. - -But the youth knew that he was playing a dangerous game, and he -consequently moved away without making any answering gesture; and -resolved to stroll in the other direction, rather than encourage the -advances which had been made to him. Once or twice, he accordingly -walked as far as the slipper-stall of a Jew merchant; but this -uninteresting individual squinted hideously, and smoked tobacco of so -odious a quality that it half suffocated the more fastidious Osmanli. Of -course there was no persevering in such an encounter, and he was -consequently compelled to resume his original line of march; being the -more readily induced to do so by importunate memories of the little -white hand which had showered down upon him the sweet-scented lavender -buds; although he did not suffer himself to suspect that such was the -case; and lest he should be addressed from the dangerous lattice, and -thus become more deeply involved in the adventure, he amused himself by -singing one of Sultan Mahmoud’s ballads in his best style. - -But, unfortunately for the success of this laudable intention, the -Imperial poet has written none but love-ditties; and the young soldier -chanced inadvertently to fix upon one in which an anxious suitor calls -upon his mistress to reveal to him the beauty that he has hitherto -beheld only in his dreams—he invokes the moon from behind the clouds -that veil it—the hidden leaf from the heart of the rose where it is -folded—and loses himself in hyperbole on the subject of the concealed -loveliness on which he longs to look. - -No wonder that the imprisoned Yasumi Hanoum listened until she believed -that the Prophet’s paradise was opening about her—No wonder that on -the morrow a lock of hair as black as midnight fell at the feet of the -minstrel, as he paced his accustomed beat;—and still less wonder that -the white hand and the dark tress began to trouble the dreams of the -gallant Moslem, and to bewilder his imagination. - -He was smoking his evening chibouk seated on a low wicker stool at the -door of the guard-room, when chancing to look up, he perceived a female -rapidly approaching from the direction of the Emir’s house. There was -nothing remarkable in such a circumstance, for the street was a great -thoroughfare, and many women had traversed it during the day; and yet -his attention was irresistibly attracted to the stranger; and as she -reached his side, their eyes met:—“_Shekiur Allah!_—Praise be to God! -I may speak to you at last;” murmured a low soft voice; “Perhaps I -should not tell you that I love you, but who can war against fate?” - -The deep dark eyes were averted—the light figure moved away—He had -looked upon the Emir’s Daughter! - -Prudence was at an end; and many a midnight hour did the young soldier -spend beneath the latticed casement of the enamoured beauty. At length -her adventurous hand raised the envious jalousie; and as the moonlight -fell bright upon her, the lover looked upon the fair face which was -destined never more to be forgotten; and from that moment he vowed that -death alone should make him relinquish his suit. - -But, alas! what hope could be indulged that a saintly Emir would bestow -his daughter upon a soldier—upon an individual doubly obnoxious both -from his profession, and from the fact that it had grown to power upon -the ruin of the Janissaries? The youth asked, supplicated, and was -answered with contempt and loathing. - -But the tears of the fair girl when she learnt from his own lips the -failure of his suit, only strengthened him in his determination of -success; and having confided his adventure to a friend who was devoted -to his interests, he resolved either to compel the consent of the Emir, -or to incur the penalty of exile, rather than exist near the woman whom -he loved without a hope that she could be his. Accordingly, having -summoned half a dozen of his men, he informed them that he had a quarrel -with the Emir which he was determined to decide; and instructed them to -loiter about the house of the Priest, and should they hear any -disturbance, to enter as if by accident; and, in the event of the Emir -desiring them to seize their officer, and carry them before the -Seraskier, to obey without hesitation. - -This arrangement made, the lover once more intruded on the seclusion of -the Priest, and with all the eloquence inspired by sincere affection, -besought him to revoke his resolution, and to give him his daughter. But -the haughty Emir only added insult to refusal; and the enraged suitor, -casting back the injuries which were addressed to him, sprang towards -the door that communicated with the harem, and vowed that he would force -his way, and carry off his bride despite every Priest in Stamboul. The -affrighted father, shrieking forth sacrilege and murder, clapped his -hands, and a couple of stout slaves entered, to whom he issued orders to -seize the madman, and put him forth; but the suitor was young and -vigorous, and he had already beaten down one of his antagonists, when -the soldiers, perceiving from the clamour that was going on above, that -the critical moment had arrived, rushed up stairs, and demanded the -occasion of the outcry. - -The Emir, breathless with terror, and trembling with rage, only pointed -to the lover, as he exclaimed; “To the Seraskier! To the Seraskier! -_Inshallàh!_ I will have justice.” - -He was instantly obeyed. The soldiers surrounded their commander, and -hurried him off, followed by the panting Priest; and in ten minutes more -the whole party stood before the Seraskier. - -The fateful moment had arrived; and the heart of the young man beat high -with a thousand conflicting feelings as the Emir told his tale, and -implored vengeance on the miscreant who had dared to beard him beneath -his own roof, and to attempt a violation of his harem; but he was -re-assured by the tone of the Pasha, as he turned towards him, when the -angry father had ceased speaking, and bade him explain his motives for -such unheard-of violence. - -“Noble Pasha,” said the lover, “may your days be many!—I will hide -nothing from you. I love this old man’s daughter; and I have asked her -of him for a wife. I have won her heart, no matter where nor how; but -may my hours be numbered if I pollute your ears with falsehood. He has -spurned me with insult because I am a soldier—He has declared the -uniform of the glorious Sultan (May his shadow ever lie long upon the -earth!) to be the brand of obloquy and disgrace; and had I not loved the -girl more than perhaps it is altogether seemly for a True Believer to -love a woman, I should have given him back scorn for scorn. But I could -not do this without regret; and it is through my own agency that I now -stand before your Excellency, to plead my cause, and to teach this hoary -Priest that the soldier of the Sultan is not to be taunted to his teeth, -even by a white-turbaned Emir. I could not force myself into your -presence, noble Pasha, to talk to you of a woman; and thus I played the -part of a madman in order that I might be dragged hither as a culprit, -and learn from your own lips whether the crescent upon my breast is to -make me an outcast from society.” - -“Did he indeed demand your daughter for his wife?” asked the Seraskier, -as he removed the chibouk from his lips, and glanced towards the Priest. -He was answered doggedly in the affirmative. - -“Take heed, then, Emir”—pursued the Pasha, “This looks like -disaffection to his Highness: (May his end be glorious!) See that the -girl become the wife of this young man ere many days roll over your -head, or the holy turban that you wear shall not protect you. What? is -it for you, and such as you, to sow divisions among the subjects of the -most gracious Sultan? Look to this ere it be too late.” - -And as the baffled Emir turned away, the Seraskier bade one of his -officers take steps to secure to the victorious suitor the rank of -Captain; and to pay to him five thousand piastres from his (the Pasha’s) -own purse, as a marriage present. - -The step was a bold one, for it was the first instance in which an -Emir’s daughter had ever been permitted to become the wife of a soldier. -A thousand long-existing prejudices had hitherto rendered such an -alliance impossible; and it was a great stroke of policy to break down -the strong barrier of habit and fanaticism, and to create a bond of -union between two jarring and jealous portions of the population. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - - - Turkish Madhouses—Surveillance of Sultan Mahmoud—Self-Elected - Saints—Lunatic Establishment of Solimaniè—The Mad Father—The - Apostate—The Sultan’s Juggler—The Slave Market—Charshee. - - -No traveller who can string his nerves to the trial; or rather who will -not suffer himself to be scared by the idea of a Turkish madhouse, -should fail while at Constantinople, to visit the Timerhazè, or Lunatic -Establishment, dependent on the mosque of Solimaniè. He will encounter -nothing to disgust, and comparatively little to distress him; for all is -cleanly, quiet, and almost cheerful. For myself, morbidly sensitive on -such occasions, I shrank from the task which I was nevertheless resolved -to achieve, until the eleventh hour; and my only feeling when I looked -around me - - “Where laughter is not mirth, nor thought the mind, - Nor words a language, nor even men mankind,” - -in the Madhouse of Solimaniè, was one of intense relief, on finding that -my own diseased fancy had so far outrun the reality. - -It is, however, to the universal surveillance of Sultan Mahmoud that the -unfortunates who tenant the building are indebted for the only comforts -which they are still capable of enjoying; for but a few years ago they -were unapproachable to the stranger, from the filthy and neglected state -of both their cells and their persons. By an Imperial order, cleanliness -and care have been secured to them; and the calm, and in many instances, -affectionate manner, in which they conversed with their keepers, was a -convincing proof that they were kindly treated. The Turks have, -moreover, a superstitious reverence for the insane. They believe that -the spirit has been recalled by its GOD, and the hallucinated being is -regarded as almost saintly; a beatification, however, of which filth -appears to be almost a concomitant part in the East; for whenever you -encounter in the streets a wild-looking wretch, half Dervish, and half -mendicant; so wretchedly filthy, that you dare not suffer him to come in -contact with you as you pass him—with a beard matted with dirt, and -elf-locks hanging about his shoulders, of which the colour is -undistinguishable; ragged, swarming with vermin, and apparently half -stupified with opium; should you, amid your disgust, make any inquiry as -to his identity, you are told that he is a saint! - -This extraordinary race of men (for there are numbers of them about the -streets of Constantinople) are self-elected in their holiness; and take -up the trade as less ambitious individuals establish themselves in -commerce. They affect absence of thought, concentration of mind, and -having progressed gradually to a certain point, they finish with partial -aberration of intellect; and this last may, in truth, be often real, for -the years of unwashed and uncombed misery to which they condemn -themselves are enough to produce madness. Ragged and wretched as I have -described them, these miserable men are, nevertheless, objects of great -veneration to the mass of the people; and the poorest _calmac_, or -porter, will seldom refuse his _para_ to one of these saintly -mendicants. - -The Lunatic Establishment of Solimaniè occupies an inner court of the -mosque, whose centre is overshadowed by several magnificent plane trees, -planted round a spacious fountain. Three sides of the court are -furnished with arches, through which the apartments of the lunatics are -entered, while each is ventilated by a couple or more of large grated -windows; the number of patients in each cell never exceeding that of the -windows. The most painful object connected with the scene, was the heavy -chain and collar of iron worn by each of the lunatics, which kept up a -perpetual clanking as the unfortunate moved in his restlessness from -place to place within his narrow limits. The bedding was cleanly, -comfortable, and profuse; and many of the tenants of the cells were -eating melons, or smoking their chibouks, as tranquilly and as -methodically as though they had been under a very different roof. - -Among the whole number there was not one furiously mad, as is so -frequently the case in Europe; and I was assured that such patients were -extremely rare. Melancholy appeared to be the prevailing symptom of the -disease among these hallucinated Osmanlis; a deep, but by no means -sullen, melancholy; for very few of them refused to reply to an -expression of interest or commiseration; and the feeling of social -courtesy, so strong among the Turks, had in no one instance been -destroyed, even by the total aberration of intellect which had -prostrated every other bond of union between them and their fellow-men. - -I have mentioned elsewhere the surpassing love of the Turks for their -children; and I never saw a more beautiful illustration of parental -affection than was exhibited by the first unfortunate before whose cell -we paused. Several Greek ladies accompanied us; and the madman, whose -head was pillowed upon his knees as we approached him, turned his dim, -stony eyes upon each with a cold unconsciousness that was thrilling, -until he met the soft, tearful gaze of a pale, delicate girl who was -leaning upon my arm. When he caught sight of her he started from his -recumbent posture, and almost shrieked out his gladness as he -exclaimed—“My child! my child! they told me that you had abandoned me, -but I let them say on without a murmur, for I knew that you only -tarried; and you are come at last—Why do you weep? I see you, and I am -happy. I have not been alone—look here—” and he thrust his hand into -his breast, and drew forth a dove which was nestling there; “I have held -this upon my heart, and, as I slept, I dreamt that it was you.” - -After a moment’s silence he resumed: “I would give you this trembling -bird, for you are my child, and I love you; but it will not abandon me. -It is my friend, my playfellow, my child when you are away. It will not -leave me, though I am mad—And yet, why do they tell you that I am mad? -It is not so—Do I not know you? Am I not your father? Is it because I -am sorrowful that they have told you this?” And again the pale face was -bowed down; and one heavy sob which seemed to rise from the very depths -of a crushed spirit terminated the sentence. We hurried on—it was -profanation to make a spectacle of such an agony—mindless though it -was. - -Nor was the next individual with whom we came in contact less painfully -interesting. Strikingly handsome, and not above five-and-thirty, he had -already passed four miserable years in the Madhouse of Solimaniè. An -Armenian by birth, and a Catholic by faith, he had been induced to -embrace Mahomeddanism, but he had paid with his reason the price of his -apostacy; and this one memory haunted him in his wretched lunacy. As we -paused before the grating of his cell, he bowed his head upon his -breast, and murmured out; “_In Nomine Patri, et Filius, et Spiritus -Sanctus, Amen._” - -His look was fastened upon my father, and some faint and long-effaced -image seemed to rise before him, for he smiled sadly, and extended -towards him his white and wasted hand; nor could any other of the party -succeed in diverting his attention. Twice, thrice, the same words were -uttered, and always in an accent of the most thrilling anguish. Surely -his sin will be expiated on earth, and forgiven at the last day! - -Some were merry, and exhausted themselves in song and jest; and some, -with a latent leaven of worldliness, asked alms, and laughed out their -soulless joy as the coins which we flung to them rang on the stone-work -of the window. The Juggler of Sultan Selim—He who had taught the great -ones of the land to believe him gifted with a power more than human—He -who had raised the laughter of amusement, and the exclamation of -wonder—whose very presence had awakened mirth and merriment—He, too, -was here—caged, and chained—the mad prisoner of three-and-thirty -weary years!—the palest, the saddest, and the most silent of the whole -miserable company. His beard fell to his girdle—his matted locks half -concealed his haggard countenance—his hands were clasped upon his -breast—and he did not turn his head as we approached him. - -From the madhouse we proceeded to the slave-market; a square court, -three of whose sides are built round with low stone rooms, or cells, -beyond which projects a wooden peristyle. There is always a painful -association connected with the idea of slavery, and an insurmountable -disgust excited by the spectacle of money given in exchange for human -beings; but, beyond this, (and assuredly this is enough!) there is -nothing either to distress or to disgust in the slave-market of -Constantinople. No wanton cruelty, no idle insult is permitted: the -slaves, in many instances, select their own purchaser from among the -bidders; and they know that when once received into a Turkish family -they become members of it in every sense of the word, and are almost -universally sure to rise in the world if they conduct themselves -worthily. The Negroes only remain in the open court, where they are -squatted in groups, until summoned to shew themselves to a purchaser; -while the Circassians and Georgians, generally brought there by their -parents at their own request, occupy the closed apartments, in order -that they may not be exposed to the gaze of the idlers who throng the -court. The utmost order, decency, and quiet prevail; and a military -guard is stationed at the entrance to enforce them, should the necessity -for interference occur, which is, however, very rarely the case. - -I expected to have had much to write on the subject of the slave-market, -but I left it only with an increased conviction of the great moral -beauty of the Turkish character. I am aware that this declaration will -startle many of my readers; but I make it from a principle of justice. I -knew that the establishment existed—I never thought of it without a -shudder, nor shall I ever remember it without a pang; but I am, -nevertheless, compelled to declare that I did not witness there any of -the horrors for which I had prepared myself. The Turks never make either -a sport or a jest of human suffering, or human degradation. Not a word, -not a glance escaped them, calculated to wound the wretched beings who -were crouching on the ground under the hot sunshine—They made their -odious bargain seriously and quietly; and left the market, followed by -the slaves whom they had purchased, without one act of wanton cruelty, -or unnecessary interference. - -I felt glad when, escaping from this painful scene, bitter and -revolting even under the most favourable aspect, we found ourselves in -the Charshee, surrounded by all the glittering temptations of the East, -and deep in the mysteries of tissues and trinkets. The morning had been -a trying one, and I rejoiced to be enabled to divert my thoughts from -the scenes through which we had passed. A thousand brilliant baubles -were spread out before us—a thousand harangues replete with hyperbole -were exhausted on us—all was bustle and excitement; and I forgot for a -while the weeping father and the spirit-stricken apostate of Solimaniè. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - - - The Castle of Europe—The Traitor’s Gate—The Officer of the - Guard—Military Scruples—The State Prison—The Tower of - Blood—The Janissaries’ Tower—_Cachots - Forcès_—Guard-room—The Bow-string—Frightful Death—The - Signal Gun—The Grand Armoury—Flourishing State of the - Establishment—A Dialogue—The Barracks of the Imperial - Guard—The Persian Kiosk—Courts and Cloisters—The - Kitchen—The Regimental School—A Coming Storm—The - Tempest—Dangerous Passage—Turkish Terror—Kind-hearted - Caïquejhe—Fortunate Escape. - - -Having obtained an order of admission from one of the Ministers, my -father and myself started early one morning to visit the Fortress of -Mahomet, commonly called by the Franks the Castle of Europe. - -I have already stated elsewhere that this was the first _pied-à-terre_ -of the Prophet on the European coast; and that the entire pile, forming -the characters of his name, was erected in six days. The strength of the -fortress is much greater than its peculiar construction would lead you -to believe when seen from the sea; and it is altogether an object of -extreme interest. - -When our caïque touched the landing-place opposite the Traitor’s Gate, -our dragoman landed to obtain the authority of the officer on guard, -who was sitting on his low wicker stool at the door of the guard-house, -which is built upon the shore of the Bosphorus at the foot of the -exterior wall of the fortress; and his surprise on ascertaining our -errand was so great, that he scarcely removed the chibouk from his lips, -as he declared the impossibility of his admitting us into a stronghold, -within which no Frank had hitherto set his foot—The first European -Fortress of the Prophet—The prison of the Janissaries—The——I know -not what else he might have added, for, in the midst of his harangue, he -suddenly remembered that one of the two applicants for admission on the -present occasion was not only a Frank, but, worse still, a woman; and he -was just beginning to reason upon the fact, when our dragoman stepped in -with the announcement of our order. - -His scruples were silenced at once, and he immediately very civilly sent -a corporal and a soldier of the garrison to point out to us the -different localities; and two most intelligent men they proved to be, -who, having been two years on the castle guard, were perfectly competent -to do the melancholy honours of the place. - -The Traitor’s Gate is the only seaward entrance to the fortress; and, -when we had stooped to pass its low, wide arch, we found ourselves in a -large court, having on our right hand one of the four principal towers; -and precisely that which has hitherto served as a state prison for -persons of distinction. - -In the lower cell of this tower, which contains several ranges of -dungeons, (none of them, however, subterranean), is a stone tunnel, -descending deep into the sea; and beside its mouth is placed a block of -marble, against which the victim knelt to receive the fatal stroke; when -the severed head, and the gory stream that accompanied it, fell into the -tunnel, and were carried by the current far beyond the walls of the -fortress; the body, thus rendered irrecognisable, being afterwards -thrown into the channel. A deep ditch passes near the entrance of this -tower, which opens into an inner court; and, as we ascended a steep -acclivity, and passed beside a ruined mosque, we traced the moat to the -foundation of a second and lower tower, square in form, and castellated -on the summit; distinguished by the fearful appellation of the “Tower of -Blood!” The ditch opens immediately beneath a low archway, excavated in -the foundation of the tower; and its use is similar to that of the -tunnel in the lower prison, being intended to convey away to the sea -all, save the bodies of the criminals executed within its walls, who -were invariably the Aghas, or chiefs of the Janissaries, whom it would -not have been safe to have dishonoured in the eyes of that formidable -body, as it was customary to insult the remains of the less -distinguished of their comrades. - -In this ditch one of the soldiers informed us that near four hundred -cases of ammunition had been discovered buried beneath the soil, for the -private use of the Janissaries, in the event of their requiring such an -auxiliary during any popular commotion; and it was singular enough that -the deposit was revealed by the very individual who informed us of it, -and who pointed out the spot where his pickaxe struck against the cover -of one of the chests, when employed with a fatigue party to cleanse the -moat from its accumulated filth. - -Hence we ascended to the Janissaries’ Tower, the principal object of our -curiosity. Built on the highest point of land within the walls, even -from the base of this tower you command one of the noblest views in the -world; having on one hand the whole stretch of the channel, to the -opening of the Sea of Marmora; and on the other, the entrance to the -Black Sea; the most sublime coup d’œil in the Bosphorus. - -Here two additional attendants with lights were added to the party; and, -having first visited a recess, or cell, in the masonry of the tower, -which we entered by a low, narrow archway, that had been lately -discovered, we stood within the secret magazine of the Janissaries, -where they had built in upwards of six hundred cases of powder: and we -then commenced our survey of the dungeons. - -Throughout the whole Tower, which is of great height, and contains seven -ranges of cells, all of them tolerably lofty, there were but two -_cachots forcés_, or dark dungeons; every apartment being furnished with -a narrow, grated aperture for the admission of air and light, and a -small marble cistern for containing water. I wished to explore one of -the two, but was withheld by the soldiers, who assured me that, since -the destruction of the Janissaries, no one had ventured to enter them, -and that they might be, and probably were, _oubliettes_, where one false -step would plunge me headlong to destruction. - -Thus warned, I desisted reluctantly from my purpose; and, sooth to say, -we were sufficiently surrounded by horrors, to be enabled to dispense -with one more or less. Our next point was the guard-room; an extensive -apartment, with a floor boarded transversely with narrow planks, forming -a lattice-work, through which the guard could both see and hear the -prisoner beneath; and roofed in the same manner. Having traced the tower -nearly to its summit, we descended, and passing onward a few paces at -its base, we found ourselves in a compartment of the covered way that -connects the towers throughout the fortress; and which was furnished -with large arched doorways on either side. Here, within a recess, hung -an old Roman bow of such strength that no modern arm can bend it; and to -this, as we were informed, the cord was attached used in strangling the -condemned Janissaries. I confess that I thrilled less at the sight of -this instrument of torture, than at the idea of the refinement of -cruelty, which, in a locality replete with gloom, had selected such a -spot for the work of death. - -Hither was the victim dragged from his twilight cell. Here, where the -fresh breeze of Heaven came lovingly to his forehead, quivering among -the broad leaves of the wild fig-trees; and dancing on the sunlighted -waters. Hither, where the bright day-beam shed over the world a light -which to him was mockery! What had he to do with the fresh breeze and -the genial beam? His knee was upon the earth, and the cord was about his -neck. One gaze, one long, wild, withering gaze, while his executioners -were busied with the fatal noose; one sigh, the deep concentrated -inspiration of despair; a shriek, a struggle; the last grappling of the -strong man with his murderers, and all was over; the cord was -transferred from the throat to the feet of the victim; and they who were -lately his comrades and his friends, seized the extremity of the fatal -rope, and, dragging after them the yet quivering body, it was thus -hurried ignominiously down the rough and steep stone stair which -traverses the fortress, ere it arrived at the Traitor’s Gate. - -But I will pursue the revolting image no further. As the mangled body -was hurled into the sea, the long gun which occupies an embrasure near -the entrance of the fortress was fired, to announce to the authorities -at Constantinople that justice had been done upon the guilty. - -Early morning and noon were the periods usually selected for these -executions; and few are the individuals who have been long resident in -Turkey, who can fail to remember the dismal report of the solitary gun -as it came booming over the Bosphorus! - -The few houses built within the walls of the fortress are surrounded by -cheerful gardens, and are kept in tolerable repair. As we left the -castle, we were politely accosted by the officer on guard, who inquired -whether we desired to visit the fortress on the opposite coast, which -was formerly used as a prison for the Bostangis, or Imperial Body Guard; -the order with which we were furnished sufficing for both. But I had -become so heart-sick among the dungeons of the Janissaries, that I -prevailed on my father to decline the proposal; and we accordingly -reembarked, and proceeded to the Grand Armoury at Dolma Batchè. - -Here again we were obliged to avail ourselves of our order, no female -ever having been hitherto admitted within the gates of the -establishment; but it was merely the delay of a moment, and, having -passed the entrance, we stood within a spacious court forming the centre -of the quadrangle, surrounded by the entrances of the several workshops, -and furnished with an immense marble reservoir containing water for the -supply of the artificers. - -The greatest activity and order prevails throughout the whole -establishment. Fifteen hundred men are constantly employed within the -walls; and their wages vary from one to two shillings a day, according -to the difficulty of the work, and their ability to execute it -creditably. No distinction either of creed or nation operates against -the reception of an artificer; Turks, Greeks, Armenians, Bulgarians, and -Jews are alike eligible, if capable of performing their allotted duties; -but the most difficult and finished branches of the different -departments are almost universally confided to Armenian workmen, who are -the best artificers of the East. - -The nominal head of the establishment is a Turk, but he does not -interfere beyond making a weekly survey to ascertain that all is -progressing satisfactorily; while his deputy, who is an Armenian, enters -into the detail of the labour, makes the contracts for timber and metal, -pays the workmen, and performs every other responsible duty. The number -of firelocks completed daily, and sent across each evening to the -Armoury within the walls of the Seraï Bournou, was stated to us to -average seventy; but this was probably an exaggeration. - -The musket-barrels are at present bored by hand-machinery, and between -forty and fifty men are constantly employed at this labour alone; but a -substantial and handsome stone edifice is now constructing in the -immediate neighbourhood, under the superintendence, and according to the -design, of an English architect, to which this branch of the -establishment is to be transferred, and where the work is to be done by -steam; by which means a great ultimate saving will be effected. - -One of the muskets furnished with a spring bayonet was shown to us, -which, although not equal in finish, and more heavy in form than those -of Europe, was, nevertheless, very creditable to an establishment, that -is yet comparatively in its infancy. I was much amused by the -astonishment of a respectable old Turk who was superintendent of the -finishing department, when he saw me engaged with my father in examining -this musket. “What pleasure can a Frank woman find in looking at -fire-arms?” he asked the Dragoman; “One of our females would be afraid -to touch such a thing. Where does she come from? and how came they to -let her in here?” The reply of the interpreter surprised him still more. - -“Mashallàh!” he exclaimed, approaching me with a look of comic -earnestness. “Did the Pasha send her? Why, she is but a girl. How should -she know how to write books better than our women who never do so?” - -“Because your women are shut up”—replied the Dragoman. - -The Turk nodded assent; “True enough, true enough; they cannot learn of -the walls. The Franks see and hear, and travel over land and sea; and -that is why they know more than we who remain at home, and ask no -questions.” - -I give this little dialogue, because it strikes me as being very -characteristic. How often have I been reminded by the Turkish women that -if I had learnt many things of which they were ignorant, I had taken a -great deal of trouble to acquire them, while they had remained -comfortably at home without care or fatigue. - -From the Armoury we crossed over to the barracks of the Imperial Guard -at Scutari, where my appearance created as much astonishment among the -troops as though I had come to take the command of the garrison; and -once more I was stopped by the officer on guard; but, as Achmet Pacha -had prepared the Commandant for our visit, he was immediately summoned -by the Dragoman, and received us with the greatest politeness. - -This magnificent barrack is nearly quadrangular, the centre of the -fourth side being occupied by low workshops, and a noble gateway opening -upon an exercise ground, at whose extremity on the edge of the rock -overhanging the sea stands the Persian Kiosk of the Sultan. Nothing can -be conceived more grand than the view from this graceful summer pavilion -whence you command the port, the channel, the city of Constantinople, -Pera, Galata, and every object of interest and beauty in the -neighbourhood of the capital; the picturesque Seraï Bournou; and far, -far away, the Sea of Marmora, and the dark mountains of Asia. The -prevalence of northerly winds had prevented any vessel from entering the -Golden Horn during the three preceding weeks, and a little fleet of -about thirty merchant-men were lying at anchor under the very windows of -the Kiosk, giving the last touch of loveliness to the scene spread out -before us. - -The whole interior extent of the barrack is furnished with arched -cloisters along each story of the building; by which means a sufficient -space is ensured for the purposes of drill and exercise during inclement -weather. The cleanliness of the rooms was beautiful; and here, as -elsewhere, we had occasion to remark the extremely orderly conduct of -the troops. We were standing in the yard of a barrack containing five -thousand men, and there was not sufficient noise to have annoyed an -invalid. The barrack was constructed to accommodate fifteen thousand, -but it is at present garrisoned only by four regiments, and a brigade of -artillery, whose stabling is situated under the lower range of -cloisters. The kitchen is fitted up with steam; and the steam-tables are -of white marble, with which material the vegetable store is entirely -lined. Meat and pillauf are furnished daily to the troops in ample -quantities; and all their clothing is supplied by the government, while -the sum allowed as pay, for the purchase of coffee, fruit, and similar -luxuries, is greater than that given to Russian soldiers, who are -moreover obliged to furnish themselves with several articles of -clothing. The workshops were thronged; that of the shoemakers contained -a hundred and sixty individuals, who were making shoes of every -description, from the coarse slipper of the private, to the -neatly-finished boot of the Pasha. Every member of the Imperial Guard is -furnished from these workshops, and five hundred men are instructed in -each trade, who relieve one another in the event of duty or sickness. - -The Regimental School was a model of neatness and order, and the number -of pupils very considerable; all the children of the Imperial Guard -being expected to attend it, whatever may be the rank of their fathers. -Many of the sergeants and corporals were studying geography; and on a -table in the centre of a second and smaller apartment, stood a handsome -set of Newton’s globes. Of the imitative talent of the Turks I have -already spoken; and on this occasion we were shown a map of Iceland, -etched by a corporal of the guard, in as good style as any pen and ink -drawing that I ever saw from the college at Sandhurst. - -The arms, as I have already remarked to be universal with the Turkish -troops, were in the most admirable order, and the stores containing -clothing were well filled, and very neatly arranged. We declined -visiting the Hospital, as three recent cases of Plague had occurred -there; added to which we discovered certain threatenings in the sky -which denoted a coming storm; and, as the passage from Scutari to -Topphannè is, though comparatively short, extremely dangerous in the -event of a sudden tempest, we spent half an hour with the Commandant in -his apartment, where we partook of some exquisite sherbet, made from the -juice of the green lemon; and hurried thence to the pier, laden with a -basket of the delicious grapes and melons of Asia. But we had already -lingered too long: the wind was blowing briskly from the Black Sea; and -the distant shores were veiled in dense and heavy vapour. - -We had just reached the Maiden’s Tower when the gust caught us. Of all -the environs of the Bosphorus this is the most dangerous, for the -current runs madly out into the Sea of Marmora; and the wind, released -from the Asian mountains which hem it in to the point of Scutari, is -suddenly set free in all its violence. Hence it arises that, in the -immediate neighbourhood of the Maiden’s Tower, more caïques are wrecked -during the year than in the whole of the channel; and there we were, -every wave dashing angrily against the side of the frail boat, and -pouring over us its foaming waters; the wind driving us down the -current, and the Turkish boatmen scarcely able to ejaculate their -“Mashallàhs!” and “Inshallàhs!” from the terror which made their teeth -chatter in their heads. - -It was a frightful moment. At one instant we made way; at the next we -were carried back by the force of the current; we could not guess how -the affair would terminate; but meanwhile the venerable old caïquejhe -who pulled the after-oars, amid all his alarm sought to comfort me: -“Tell her,” he said perpetually to the dragoman, “tell her that there is -no danger; she is a woman, and the fear may kill her. My heart is sick -and I can scarcely pull, for my hand trembles, and my breath fails; but -console her—tell her that we shall soon be across the channel—that I -will put her ashore somewhere—anywhere—tell her what you will, for she -is a woman, and I pity her.” - -But, grateful as I was for his consideration, I did not require comfort; -I had already escaped from so many dangers at sea, that I never for a -moment contemplated drowning on the present occasion; and I took some -credit to myself for upholding the honour of my sex for courage in the -eyes of the kind-hearted old Turkish caïquejhe. With considerable -difficulty we at length made the pier at Topphannè, and, a voyage -homeward being perfectly out of the question, we ascended the steep hill -to Pera, wet and weary as we were; and passed the night under the roof -of a worthy and hospitable Greek friend, listening to the wild gusts -which swept down the channel, and congratulating ourselves on our escape -from a danger as unexpected as it was imminent. - -CHAPTER XXII. - - - The Plague—Spread of the Pestilence—The Greek - Victim—Self-Devotion—Death of the Plague Smitten—The Widow’s - Walk—Plague Encampments—The Infected Family—The Greek Girl - and her - Lover—Non-Conductors—Plague—Perpetuators—Vultures—Melancholy - Concomitants of the Pestilence—Carelessness of the Turks—The - Pasha of Broussa—Rashness of the Poorer Classes—Universality - of the Disease in the Capital. - - -Every one who has even heard of Constantinople is aware that it is a -city of Plague and Fires. Of the latter I have already spoken, although -slightly; for it is a singular fact that, although several extensive -conflagrations occurred during our residence in the East, not only in -the Capital but in its environs, it never was our fortune to witness -one. - -Of the still more frightful visitation of the Plague, I could not -perhaps make mention at a more fitting moment than the present (the -commencement of September) when, contrary to the prognostics of the -_soi-disant_ conversant in such matters, it has broken out with renewed -violence in every direction. The Imperial Palace of Beglierbey is -deserted in consequence of its having been visited by the -Pestilence—The “Seven Towers” have become a Plague-Hospital for the -Greeks. We presented ourselves with an order for admittance at the -celebrated Seraglio at the Point, and found that here the scourge had -preceded us, and that the gates were closed—Even Therapia, seated on -the edge of the shore, and open to the healthful breezes from the Black -Sea, is adding daily to the list of victims; and we were received by a -friend at the extreme opposite end of the sofa on our return thence, -(and even that reluctantly,) from a dread that we might prove to be -Plague-conductors, and infect her family. - -To the honour of our common nature it may be stated that even this -direful visitation tends at times to bring out some of the noblest -qualities of which frail humanity is susceptible. If man may be pardoned -a feeling of absorbing selfishness, it is surely in the hour when he has -before him the prospect of one of the most frightful of all deaths; but, -even in the short month which has elapsed since the disease deepened, -examples have not been wanting of that utter absence of -selfishness—that self-sacrifice for the security of others—which gives -to the fate of the victim almost the character of martyrdom. - -Only a day or two since, a poor Greek inhabitant of Therapia was -suddenly attacked with sickness, and, thinking that he recognised the -symptoms of the malady, he immediately proceeded to his cottage; and, -stopping ere he touched the threshold, called to his wife, who, -astonished on seeing him at so unwonted an hour, and struck by the -change in his appearance, was about to approach him, when he desired her -to stand back; and then, calmly telling her that he was unwell, though -he knew not from what cause, and that he was unwilling during a time of -Plague to run the risk of infecting his family, or of compromising his -house, he desired her to throw him his furred pelisse. “If it be a mere -passing sickness,” he added, as he prepared to depart, “it will only -cost me a night in the open air—If it be the Plague, you will at least -save our few articles of clothing, and the few comforts of the -cottage—Recommend me to the Virgin and St. Roch.” - -And thus he left his home; and wandered, weak and heart-sick, to the -mountains. He felt that the brand was on him; and he went to die alone, -he knew not how—whether as a wild and frantic maniac, gathering -strength from the fever which would turn his blood to fire, and howling -out his anguish to the winds of midnight, without one kind voice to -comfort, or one fond hand to guide him, until at length he dropped down -to die upon the damp earth—or, as a shivering and palsied wretch, -fainting from thirst, and quivering with sickness, to gaze hour after -hour from his bed of withered leaves, or parched-up turf, upon the blue -bright sky, and the myriad stars, until they went out one by one as his -sight failed, and his pulse ebbed—— - -On the morrow the wife hastened to the mountains with food, in search of -her husband. She had not taught herself to believe that the Plague had -touched him, and she feared that he might suffer from hunger. She led -one of her children by the hand—his favourite child—and they were long -before they found him—for although the young clear voice of the boy -shouting out his name was borne far away upon the elastic air of the -mountain, there was no answer to the call—alas! there could be -none—the father lay cold and stiff in a gully of the rock,-the -Plague-smitten had ceased to suffer! - -The anguish of the unfortunate woman may be conceived—In her first -agony she sprang towards the body, but the shriek of her child recalled -her to a sense of her peril, and the fate that she would entail upon her -little ones. The struggle was long and bitter; and at length she turned -away with the weeping boy, and returned into the village to proclaim her -widowhood. - -I have already mentioned the fact of my having on one occasion -inadvertently ridden into the midst of a Plague-encampment. Such -occurrences are, however, rare; as, in the event of several families -being compromised and sent to the mountains, there is generally a -military guard stationed at every avenue leading to their temporary -dwellings, to prevent the approach of strangers, and to form their -medium of subsistence. - -A melancholy tale was related to me by a lady at Therapia, who had -watched from day to day the proceedings of one of these little mountain -colonies through a telescope. It consisted of a miserable family; the -father gray-haired and feeble, and the mother bent and palsied—The -children died first, one by one, for the disease drank their young blood -more eagerly than the chill stream which moved sluggishly through the -veins of the aged parents; and at length the old couple were left alone. - -They used to sit side by side for hours under a tree facing their -village—the birth-place of their dead ones, whom they had put into the -earth with their own hands—but within a week the childless mother -sickened in her turn and the gray old man dragged a wretched mattress to -the foot of the tree from beneath which his stricken wife had no longer -power to move; and he held the water to her lips, and he put the bread -into her grasp; but all his care availed her nothing—and with his lean -and trembling hands he scratched her a grave under the shadows of the -tree that she had loved in life; and, when the earth had hidden her from -his sight, he lay down across the narrow mound to die in his turn. His -worldly toils were ended! - -Scarcely less affecting was the devotion of a young Greek girl, whose -lover, smitten with plague, was conveyed to the temporary hospital at -the Seven Towers. No sooner had she ascertained whither they had carried -him, than without saying a word to her parents, who would, as she well -knew, have opposed her design, she left her home, and presented herself -at the portal of the infected fortress as the nurse of the young Greek -caïquejhe who had been received there on the previous day. In vain did -the governor, imagining from her youth, and the calm and collected -manner in which she offered herself up an almost certain victim to the -pestilence, that she was not aware of her danger, endeavour to dissuade -her from her project. She was immoveable; and was ultimately permitted -to approach the bedside of the dying sufferer. - -Not a tear, not a murmur escaped her, as she took her place beside his -pillow, and entered upon her desperate office. In the paroxysms of his -madness, as the poison was feeding upon his strength, and grappling at -his brain, he spoke of her fondly—he talked to her—he stretched forth -his arms to clasp her—and then he thrust her from him as he yelled out -his agony, and his limbs writhed beneath the torture of the passing -spasm. - -And she bore it all unshrinkingly; and even amid her misery she felt a -thrill of joy as she discovered that pain and madness had alike failed -to blot her image from his memory. But there were moments less cruel -than these, in which reason resumed her temporary sway, and the devoted -girl was pressed to the fevered bosom of her fated lover; and in these, -brief as they were, she felt that she was over-paid for all. - -But the struggle even of youth and strength against the most baneful of -all diseases could not last for ever—The patient expired in the arms of -his devoted mistress; and as he breathed his last, bequeathed to her at -once his dying smile, and the foul poison which was coursing through his -veins. She saw him laid in his narrow grave; and then she turned away -with the conviction that she, too, was plague-smitten! - -She did not return to her home: but she stood a few paces from one of -the companions of her youth, and bade her bear to her aged parents her -blessing and her prayers: and this done she fled to the mountains, and -sought out a solitary spot wherein to die—None knew how long she -lingered, for she was never seen again in life; but her body was found a -few days afterwards beneath a ledge of earth, in a doubled-up position, -as though the last spasm had been a bitter one. - -She who had sacrificed herself to smooth the last hours of him whom she -had loved, perished alone, miserably, in the wild solitude of the Asian -hills; and her almost Roman virtue has met with no other record than -the brief one in which I have here attempted to perpetuate the memory of -her devotion and her fate. - -It seems as though men apprehended contagion in the very name of the -plague, for they have adopted terms that render its repetition needless. -Should you inquire for a family which has become compromised, you are -told that “they are gone to the mountains,” and you understand at once -that they are infected; and when numbers are daily dying about you, in -reply to your desire to learn the amount of the evil, you are answered -that there are so many, or so many “accidents.” - -Every respectable house, and every public establishment, has in its -court, or its outer hall, a small wooden erection, precisely like a -sentry box raised on rollers, into which you are obliged to enter during -a period of plague, before you are admitted into the interior of the -building; and where you stand upon a latticed flooring, while aromatic -herbs are burnt beneath, whose dense and heavy vapour soon envelops you -in a thick smoke, which is said to prevent contagion. - -Every competent authority declares the disease to be propagated by -contact; and it is singular to see the care with which every individual -passing along the public streets avoids all collision with his -fellow-passengers. The lower order of Turks are the greatest sufferers -from the plague, in consequence of the filthy personal habits of the men -employed as street-porters and labourers; their law only requiring them -to wash their hands and feet before entering their mosques, or repeating -their prayers; while I have good authority for stating that this class -of individuals purchase an inner garment of dark and coarse material, -which they retain day and night without removing it, until it falls to -pieces. - -If filth be a plague-conductor, it is not, consequently, surprising, -that great numbers of these persons are invariably carried off during -the year; and the same cause doubtlessly accounts for the excessive -mortality among the Jews; who frequently increase the spread of the evil -by possessing themselves of the garments of the plague-victims, which -they buy secretly from the relatives; reckless, in the event of a good -bargain, of the fatal consequences which may ensue alike to themselves -and to others. - -This may appear to be an excess of madness almost incredible; but it is, -nevertheless, an incontrovertible fact. - -I know not whether it be a common occurrence for vultures to haunt the -environs of the city during the prevalence of plague, but it is certain -that we never saw one until its commencement; and that before we left -they were to be met with in numbers, in the very centre of the -shipping, preying upon the offal that had been flung into the port, or -winging their heavy flight along the mountains, as though scenting their -revolting banquet. - -There is, to me, something frightful in the terror with which, in a -season of virulent pestilence, each individual avoids all human contact, -and looks upon his best friends as vehicles of destruction.—In the -shrinking of relatives from each other, and the unwonted selfishness of -usually free and generous spirits. Nor is the sensation a comfortable -one, with which you remember that you are yourself considered as -infected, and treated with distrust accordingly; and in moments of -depression find yourself speculating in your own mind the probability of -the fear being well-grounded. Does your head ache?—It is a symptom of -plague—Are you sick and faint from heat?—It is even thus that the -pestilence frequently declares itself in the first instance—If you take -cold upon the Bosphorus, you have laid the corner-stone of the -malady—and over-fatigue may induce the exhaustion which lends strength -to the incipient evil. It is impossible to describe the effect of this -continual necessity for caution: but even this is trifling beside the -constant dread of contact with infection. It is vain to affect a mad -courage leading you to set at defiance these accumulated dangers; there -are moments when an unconquerable dread will creep over the heart, and -sicken the spirit. - -There are many who do not fear death; but they are habituated to -associate it in their minds with an accustomed home, and watching -friends, and anxious tenderness; all accessories tending to soften the -pang of disease, and to smooth the path of dissolution—Few are they who -could contemplate calmly the death-hour of the plague-smitten—the -hunted from his home—haunting the hills in his polluted solitude; and -contaminating the pure air of Heaven by the fetid breathings of -pestilence—shrieking out his madness to the mocking moon,—and dying in -his despair on the bare earth; a loathsome thing, to which even a grave -is sometimes denied! - -And yet, terrible as is the picture which I have drawn almost despite -myself, it is surprising how little caution is observed by the Turks to -escape from so direful a visitation. They have an absurd superstition -that all True Believers who die, either by the hand of the Sultan, or by -the visitation of the plague, go straight to Paradise, and to the arms -of the Houri, without the intervention of any purgatorial quarantaine; -and they account very satisfactorily for the infrequency of plague-cases -among the Franks, by declaring that Allah does not love them -sufficiently to grant them so desirable a privilege; without troubling -themselves to remark the precautions taken by Europeans to prevent the -spread of the disease, all of which are utterly neglected by the natives -of the country. It is indeed astonishing how blindly the Orientals run -the greatest risks, in the most unnecessary and apparently wilful -manner. - -The Pasha of Broussa was informed by his family physician that his -_Chiboukjhe_, or pipe-bearer, who had been in his service from his -boyhood, and to whom he was much attached, had discovered symptoms of -plague, which would render it necessary for his Excellency to take such -precautions as might tend to ensure the safety of the other members of -his family; and accordingly he gave immediate orders for the removal of -the harem to a village in the mountains; and ordered all the linen of -the inmates of the salemliek to be washed, and their woollen clothing -carefully aired and fumigated, ere it was transported thither, together -with the male members of his establishment. - -The Chiboukjhe, hearing of the intended removal of the household, begged -to see his master once more ere he left the city; and the Pasha complied -with his request without scruple, as a couple of yards intervening -between the plague-patient and his visitor are sufficient to prevent -contagion. But the kind-hearted Pasha had not calculated upon his own -powers of resistance; and, when the favourite domestic upbraided him -with his cruelty in leaving him to die alone, and recalled to his memory -a score of circumstances in which he had proved his attachment and -devotedness to the welfare of his master; the Pasha, with a recklessness -perfectly incomprehensible, ordered that fresh linen should be put upon -the patient: that his own garments should be destroyed and replaced by -new ones; and that he should be forthwith comfortably placed in an -araba, and conveyed to the village whither all the rest of the -establishment had been previously removed. - -The order was obeyed; and the infected man arrived on the evening of the -second day at the mountain-retreat, bringing with him the deadly disease -which was rapidly sapping his life-blood. Four-and-twenty hours had not -elapsed when the favourite wife of the Pasha, a beautiful girl of -sixteen, expired, in a fit of raging madness, upon her cushions: the -pestilence had wrought so rapidly in her young and delicate frame that -no time had been afforded for precaution or help; the weak blindness of -the Pasha had sacrificed his wife, compromised his house, and endangered -the whole family. He rushed from one apartment to another like a maniac, -but the bolt had fallen; and at midnight his youngest child lay a corpse -on its dead mother’s bosom. - -They were buried hurriedly beneath the tall trees of the garden; and the -earth was but newly scattered over their graves when another of the -Pasha’s wives breathed her last—Suffice it that in the space of ten -days, out of a harem consisting of nineteen persons, there remained only -an aged negress and two infant children; while the salemliek had also -suffered severely, although not in the same proportion. - -I could pile anecdote on anecdote upon the same melancholy theme, but my -heart sickens as I record them; and that which I have just narrated will -sufficiently demonstrate the improbability of this terrific scourge ever -being expelled the country by the precautionary measures of the natives. -On the subject of the plague the Turks appear to possess neither -prudence nor judgment. Their belief in predestination deepens their -natural want of energy; and thus the malady is suffered to run its -deadly course almost unchecked, and to sweep off its thousands yearly, -amid pangs at which humanity shudders. - -Another circumstance which must tend to perpetuate the pestilence in the -East, exists in the fact that, when the local authorities have -ascertained the existence of plague in a dwelling, the house becomes -what is termed “compromised;” and after the family of the smitten has -been ejected, and sent to the mountains, it is painted throughout its -whole interior, cleansed, and fumigated; a process which, owing to the -risk incurred by the individuals employed in the work, and the species -of quarantaine to which they are subjected during its continuance, is -sufficiently expensive to deter the poorer portions of the population -from declaring the presence of the disease in their families; as, -combined with their forty days of exile in the mountains, during which -time they are, of course, unable to earn any thing for the future -support of the survivors, it subjects them to want and misery, which -they seek to evade by running a greater, but, as they fondly hope, less -certain risk. They trust to their _felech_, or constellation, that the -infection will not spread, and are undoubtedly, in many cases, the more -readily induced to do this, that they have at least the melancholy -satisfaction of closing the eyes of their dead, and of seeing them -expire amid their “household gods;” instead of knowing that their last -hour was one of despairing abandonment, as well as of acute agony; and -having to search for their bodies in the desolate spots to which their -wretchedness might have driven them. - -It has been ascertained that atmospherical changes have no influence on -the plague. It rages amid the snow-storm as virulently as beneath the -scorching suns of summer. Diet does not affect it—The street-porter, -living upon black bread, and fruit frequently immature, and the -Effendi, whose tray is spread with culinary delicacies, are alike liable -to be smitten. - -Its origin and its cure are both unknown—It is the hair-suspended sword -ever ready to do its work of death; and none can foretell the moment in -which the blow may come.—It chases the haughty Sultan from his Palace; -and the labourer from his hut—It is in the close and thickly-peopled -streets of the city, and on board the majestic vessels that ride the -blue waves of the Bosphorus—And there is not a sojourner in the East -who can forget the first occasion on which, when he asked the meaning of -the gloom that hung upon men’s brows, and the mysterious murmur that ran -through the crowd on a new outbreak of the malady, he was answered by -some passer-by,—“IT IS THE PLAGUE!” - -There can be no doubt that at the present time,[9] the pestilence has -spread farther and faster than it might otherwise have done from the -extreme scarcity, indeed, I may almost say, want of water in the -Capital. The poorer classes, whose means render them unable to purchase -this necessary of life at an exorbitant price from the individuals who -established an extemporaneous trade, by freighting their caïques with -water at the European villages on the Channel, and vending it in the -city, being necessitated to make use of foul and stagnant pools for the -purpose of preparing their food; and to dispense almost entirely with a -beverage generally taken to excess by both sexes. - -As the wells and tanks of the nearest hamlets failed, the water-sellers -extended their voyages even to Therapia; and their demands became -comparatively extravagant. Men watched the clouds in vain—the sun set -in a blaze of gold and purple; and morning broke in blushes from behind -the Asian mountains—the noon-day sky was blue and bright—not a vapour -passed across its beauty—and no rain fell. Women crowded about the -fountains in the vain hope that each moment the exhausted spring might -well out afresh—Children wept, and asked vainly for their accustomed -draught; the marble basins of the city remained empty, and the bright -sunbeams played upon the smooth surface of the glittering stone. - -On the Asian shore, the waters had not yet failed; and the famous -fountain of Scutari, fed by a mighty volume descending from the dusky -mountain of Bulgurlhu, still poured forth its flashing stream; but, from -some superstition, whose nature I was unable to ascertain, the -authorities did not permit the transfer of water from the Asiatic to the -European shore; and this noble fountain, which would have supplied all -the wants of the city, was suffered to flow on, and waste its stream in -the channel. - -I shall not easily forget the constant succession of busy human beings, -who, from day-dawn to dusk, thronged the mouth of a well not a hundred -paces from our residence at Yenikeuÿ. Every cistern in the lower quarter -of the village had become exhausted; but this solitary well, fed from a -mountain source, still held out; and it was only by the necessity of -lengthening the ropes to which the buckets were affixed, and the -consequent increase of labour required to raise them, that any -diminution of the water could be perceived. - -Children of ten or twelve years of age could no longer, as heretofore, -accomplish this portion of the household toil: nor would they, even had -their strength sufficed to the effort, have been able to make it: for as -the demand for water increased on all sides, the battle was truly to the -strong at the village well. Men who met as friends, and greeted each -other kindly as they approached it, strove and struggled for precedence, -until they at length parted in wrath, and frequently with blows; while -the owners of the neighbouring cottages, to whose exclusive use this -spring had hitherto been considered sacred, murmured in vain at the -intrusion on their privileges, and were fain to strive and struggle like -the strangers. - -The reason adduced by the Greeks for the abundance of water in this -well, was the sanctity conferred on it by the priesthood at the close -of the previous vintage; when they had made a solemn procession to its -mouth, and flung in a handful of small silver coins, contributed for the -purpose by the poorer inhabitants of the village, a small vase of holy -water, and a pinch of consecrated salt! - -While the drought was at its height, a community of Turning Dervishes -made a pilgrimage to the Sweet Waters; where the Barbyses, always a very -inconsiderable stream, had shrunk to half its accustomed volume; and -there, having previously prostrated themselves in prayer, they performed -their evolutions round the principal cistern of the valley; and at a -certain point of the ceremony flung into the air small vessels of red -clay, fresh from the potter’s hands, while, as they fell back, they -besought that every empty tank might overflow, and every goblet be -filled. - -The spectacle was a very striking one; and it was followed by the -observance of another yet more touching. At dusk the village children, -walking two and two, and each carrying a bunch of wild flowers, drew -near the cistern in their turn; and sang, to one of the thrilling -melodies of the country, a hymn of supplication; while at the conclusion -of each stanza, they scattered a portion of the blossoms over the -shattered fragments of the vases flung into the basin by the Dervishes. - -Nothing could be more affecting! Man, shrinking under a consciousness of -his unworthiness, put his prayer into the mouth of innocent infancy; as -though he trusted to the supplication uttered by pure lips and guileless -hearts, when he dared not hope for mercy through his own agency. Every -evening during the drought, that “linked chain” of childhood repaired to -the same spot, and raised the same song of entreaty to an all-powerful -Creator; and the echoes of the Valley flung back the infant voices of -the choir as they swelled upon the wind of evening with a pathos which -affected me to tears. It was only on the day preceding that of our -departure from Constantinople that the prayer was answered; and, as the -light vapoury rain fell upon the parched and yawning earth, my thought -instantly reverted to the infant choristers of the Sweet Waters; whose -artless hymn may be freely translated as follows:— - - - HYMN OF THE TURKISH CHILDREN. - - Allah! Father! hear us; - Our souls are faint and weak: - A cloud is on our mother’s brow, - And a tear upon her cheek. - We fain would chase that cloud away, - And dry that sadd’ning tear; - For this it is to-night we pray— - Allah! Father! hear. - - We seek the cooling fountain, - Alas! we seek in vain; - The cloud that crowns the mountain - Melts not away in rain. - The stream is shrunk which through our plain - Once glided bright and clear; - Oh! ope the secret springs again— - Allah! Father! hear. - - We bring thee flowers, sweet flowers, - All withered in their prime; - No moisture glistens on their leaves, - They sickened ere their time. - And we like them shall pass away - Ere wintry days are near; - Shouldst thou not hearken as we pray— - Allah! Father! hear. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - - - A Greek Marriage—The Day before the Bridal—The Wedding - Garments—Cachemires—Ceremony of Reception—The Golden - Tresses—Early Hours of the Greek Church—Love of the Greek - Women for Finery—The Bridal Procession—The Marriage—The - Nuptial Crowns—Greek Funerals. - - -There are few ceremonies more amusing (for that is really the correct -term) than a Greek marriage. All is glitter and gossipy; and so many -ancient and classical usages are still retained, that it is a curious as -well as an interesting sight to a stranger. - -Having received an invitation to the wedding of a fair neighbor, I -joined a party of friends who were about to visit her, according to -custom, on the previous day; to offer their congratulations, and to give -their opinions with regard to the bridal gear, as well as to assist in -weaving the golden tresses by which a Greek bride is always -distinguishable. - -We found one of the daughters of the family waiting to receive us on the -terrace; and, as she stood smiling and blushing in reply to our -salutations, her bright black eyes dancing with joy, under the shadow -of an overhanging vine, whose clusters of rich purple grapes fell -temptingly through the open trellises, she formed as pretty a picture of -young, gay, light-hearted beauty, as the eye ever lingered on. When we -had exchanged compliments, she led us through the center saloon to an -inner apartment, where we found the bride elect; a fair, dove-eyed girl, -who was sitting upon the sofa with her hand clasped in that of one of -her young companions. - -On one side of the room were displayed the bridal dresses; and on the -other were collected all the smaller articles of her toilette. It was a -confusion of blonde, and gauze, and flowers, and diamonds; satin -slippers, embroidered handkerchiefs, and cachemire shawls; and I really -pitied the owner of all this finery when I remarked how much she was -harassed and oppressed by the commotion which surrounded her, and the -crowd of company that came and went in one endless stream. - -Sweetmeats and coffee having been served, every article of the bridal -costume was exhibited separately to the guests, commented on, and -replaced. The shawls and jewels were examined with the most earnest -attention, for these gauds are the glory of the Greek women, who, in -speaking of a married acquaintance, seldom tell you that she is happy -from being the wife of a man of amiability and high principle; but -invariably reply to your inquiry by the assurance that she is a most -fortunate person, to whom her husband has given six or seven cachemires; -or that she is, poor thing! very much to be pitied, having been thrown -away upon an individual who can only afford to allow her a couple of -shawls! To such a height, indeed, do the Greek ladies carry their love -for this article of dress, and their desire to display it, that they -will suffocate in a cachemire during the hottest day in summer, and even -wear it in a ball-room! - -When all the bridal paraphernalia had been exhibited, the mother of the -bride entered the room, carrying in one hand a fillagreed silver essence -bottle, and in the other a censer of the same material, in which were -burning aloes, myrrh, and perfumed woods. Making the tour of the -apartment, she flung the perfume over each individual, varying her -address according to the circumstances of the guests. To the unmarried -she accompanied the action by saying, “May your own bridal -follow!”—while to the matrons of the party she said, “May you also see -the bridal of your children!” - -When the old lady had withdrawn, all the more youthful of the visitors -formed a group in the center of the floor. One laughing girl held a pair -of diminutive scales; and another was laden with the glittering skeins -of flat gold thread, of which were to be woven the singular head-dress -to which I have already made allusion. The gallantry of the bridegroom -had induced him to send forty drachms of this expensive gewgaw to his -fair mistress, instead of ten; the largest quantity that the laws of the -Greek Church allow to be worn; and the first care of the party was, -consequently, to separate the skeins, and to weigh out the portion -destined for the bride. When this had been accomplished, a score of us -were employed at once. The threads were drawn out singly, in lengths of -about three yards, and were then woven together at the end into a sort -of coronet, whence they fell in a golden shower to the floor. - -When this pretty and amusing occupation was over, we took our leave, -each embracing the bride in turn, who still retained her place upon the -sofa; and every individual, as she passed the bridal gear, flinging over -it a handful of small silver coin. - -I was summoned on the morrow at an early hour; for all the religious -ceremonies of the Greeks are performed at most unseasonable times. Even -their Sunday mass, when the poorer portions of the population, after -having toiled throughout the previous six days, might be excused a -little sluggishness, commences at daybreak; and no one who has spent -four months in a Greek village, as we did, can have failed to be -awakened at dawn by the rattling together of the two cedar sticks, -which are the substitute for a bell; followed by the frightful drawl of -the inferior priest, who traverses the streets, and utters a second -invitation to prayer, half growl and half shriek; infinitely more -calculated to frighten away the pious from his vicinity, than to induce -them to seek it. - -But the call is, nevertheless, answered. Every cottage pours forth its -inhabitants; and even at daybreak the females deck themselves out in all -the finery of which they are possessed. Here it is a red gown, and a -yellow shawl—there a blue turban, and a pair of pink shoes—in short, -there is nothing more laughable than the idea that the poorer class of -Greek women entertain of a becoming toilette. Your maid answers the -clapping of your hands, (for bells there are none in Eastern houses) in -a turban of colored muslin or gauze a yard square, and half a yard high; -or, if she be an elderly woman, in a little red woollen cap with a -purple silk tassel, bound to her head by a painted handkerchief, over -which is twisted a thick plait of hair, generally false—the shortest of -petticoats, the most showy of stockings, the smartest of aprons, and a -pair of earrings frequently hanging to her shoulders; and poor indeed -must be the female servant in a Greek family who is not the happy -possessor of three or four gold rings! - -But I have, meanwhile, forgotten the pretty bride, who was to be -married at the house of an intimate friend of our’s; and who, on my -arrival there, was momentarily expected. The center of the great saloon -was covered by a Turkey carpet, on which stood a reading-desk, overlaid -by a gold-embroidered handkerchief, and supporting a Bible and the two -marriage rings; the whole bright with the profusion of silver money that -had been scattered over them. The lady of the house was to officiate as -“Godmother” to the bride, an office somewhat similar to that of -bride’s-maid; and she was even at that early hour sparkling with jewels. - -At length the sounds of music announced the arrival of the marriage -train; and we hastened to a window to watch for their approach. The -procession was an interesting one. The musicians were succeeded by the -bridegroom elect, walking between his own father and the father of his -bride; the fair girl followed, accompanied by a couple of her young -companions; and the two mothers, attended by “troops of friends,” closed -the train. - -They were met at the threshold by the Archbishop of Nournaudkeüy and a -party of priests, who immediately commenced chanting the marriage -service; and, as they ascended the stairs, showers of money were flung -over them from above. - -In five minutes, the spacious saloon was filled to suffocation; the -young couple were placed upon the edge of the carpet; the nuptial -crowns, formed of flowers, ribbons, and gold-thread, were deposited on -the reading-desk; and the rector of the parish, in a robe of brocaded -yellow satin fringed with silver, began a prayer, that was caught up at -intervals by the choral boys, and repeated in a wild chant. At the -conclusion of this prayer, which was of considerable length, the -attendant priests flung over the Archbishop his gorgeous vestments of -violet satin, embroidered with gold, and girdled with tissue; and he -advanced to the reading-desk, and took thence the two brilliant diamond -rings, with which he made the cross three times, on the forehead, lips, -and breast of the contracting parties; and then placed them in the hand -of the “Godmother,” who, putting one upon the finger of each, continued -to hold them there while the Prelate read a portion of the Gospel: after -which she changed them three times, leaving them ultimately in the -possession of their proper owners. This done, the Archbishop put the -hand of the bride into that of her husband, and went through the same -ceremonies with the nuptial crowns that he had previously enacted with -the rings; they were then placed upon the heads of the young couple; -and, a goblet of wine being presented to the Archbishop, he blessed it, -put it to his lips, handed it to the bride and bridegroom, and thence -delivered it up to the “Godmother.” - -The crowns were next changed three several times from the one head to -the other; and, several wax candles being lighted, as I have described -them to have been during the Easter ceremonies at the Fanar, the whole -party walked in procession round the carpet; and then it was that the -silver shower fell thick and fast about them: the floor was literally -covered. - -When the chanting ceased, the bride raised the hand of her new-made -husband to her lips; after which every relative and friend of either -party approached, and kissed them on the forehead. The Archbishop cast -off his robes; the children scrambled for the scattered money; the band -in the outer hall burst into an enlivening strain; and such of the -company as were of sufficient rank to entitle them to do so, followed -the bride, and the lady of the house to an inner saloon; where a train -of servants were in attendance, bearing trays of preserved fruits and -delicate little biscuits, which were given to each person to carry away. -Liqueurs were then offered, and subsequently coffee; after which each -married lady made a present to the bride of some article of value, -previously to her departure for her home, whither we all accompanied her -in procession; and took our leave at the portal to return to the house -of her friends, and join in the cheerful morning-ball which was about -to commence. - -The effect of the golden tress that I had assisted to weave was very -beautiful, binding as it did the rich dark hair of the bride upon her -fair young brow, and then falling to her feet; and her whole costume -would have been eminently graceful, had she not been sinking under the -heat and weight of the eternal cachemire. The nuptial crowns which I -have mentioned are about a foot in height, and shaped like a beehive; -when they were removed from the heads of the young couple, they were -carefully enveloped in a handkerchief of colored gauze, and borne away -to be hung up in the chapel of the bridegroom’s house; where they will -remain until the death of either of the parties, when the deceased is -crowned for the second and last time, in the open coffin in which he is -borne to the grave. - -The Greeks make almost as much toilette for a funeral as for a marriage. -Where the deceased is young and pretty, she is decked out in her gayest -apparel, and not unfrequently has her eyebrows stained, and a quantity -of rouge spread over her cheeks, to cheat death for a few brief hours of -his lividness; her gloved hands are carefully displayed; she is tricked -out in jewels; and this frightful mockery is rendered still more -revolting by the fact that she is thus paraded through the streets, -followed by her female relatives, who weep, and shriek, and bewail -themselves with a transient violence truly national. At the grave-side -all the finery is stripped from the stiffened corpse: the friends carry -it away; a cover is placed over the coffin; and the poor remains, that -were only a few instants previously so lavishly adorned, are consigned -to the earth of which they are so soon to form a part. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - - - The Fèz Manufactory—Singular Scene—A Turk at Prayers—Pretty - Girls—Progress of Turkish Industry—Mustapha Effendi—Process - of Manufactures—Omer Effendi and the Arabs—Avanis Aga, the - Armenian—The Fraud Discovered—The Imperial - Apartments—Departure for the Seraï-Bournou—The Outer - Court—The Orta Kapoussi—The Pestle and Mortar of the - Ulémas—The Garden of Delight—The Column of - Theodosius—Arrival of the Sultan—Ancient Greek - Inscriptions—Confused Inscription—The Diamond—Memories of - Sultan Selim. - - -No traveller should leave Constantinople without paying a visit to the -Fèz Manufactory of Eyoub, where all the caps for the Sultan’s armies are -now made. The building, which is entirely modern, and admirably adapted -to its purpose, stands in the port, near the palace of Azmè Sultane, on -the site of an ancient Imperial residence. It is under the control of -Omer Lufti Effendi, late Governor of Smyrna, a man of known probity and -talent:[10] and its immediate superintendence has been intrusted to -Mustapha Effendi; whose ready courtesy to strangers enables European -travellers to form an accurate idea of the state and progress of the -establishment. - -After a delightful row from Galata, we landed at the celebrated pier of -Eyoub; and, accompanied by a personal friend of Mustapha Effendi, -proceeded to the manufactory, which we entered by the women’s door. As -we passed the threshold a most curious scene presented itself. About -five hundred females were collected together in a vast hall, awaiting -the delivery of the wool which they were to knit; and a more -extraordinary group could not perhaps be found in the world. - -There was the Turkess with her yashmac folded closely over her face, and -her dark feridjhe falling to the pavement: the Greek woman, with her -large turban, and braided hair, covered loosely with a scarf of white -muslin, her gay-coloured dress, and large shawl: the Armenian, with her -dark bright eyes flashing from under the jealous screen of her -carefully-arranged veil, and her red slipper peeping out under the long -wrapping cloak: the Jewess, muffled in a coarse linen cloth, and -standing a little apart, as though she feared to offend by more -immediate contact; and among the crowd some of the loveliest girls -imaginable. - -At the moment of our arrival, Mustapha Effendi was at prayers; and we -accordingly seated ourselves to await him in an inner apartment, -well-carpeted, and occupied by half a dozen clerks, who were busily -employed in recording the quantity of wool delivered to each applicant: -their seats were divided from the women’s hall by a partition about -breast-high; and I remarked that the prettiest girls were always those -whose accounts were the most tedious. - -On the other side of this spacious office was a wool-store, where a -score of individuals were busily employed in weighing and delivering out -the wool; and all were so active, and so earnest in their occupation, -that the most sceptical European would have been compelled to admit, -when looking on them, that the Turk is no longer the supine and -spiritless individual which he has been so long considered. - -Immediately that his prayer was completed, Mustapha Effendi invited us -to pass into his private room; a pleasant apartment opening to the -water, and most luxuriously cushioned. Here coffee and chibouks were -served; after which a couple of the knitters were introduced, in order -that we might see the different qualities of wool, necessary to the -manufacture of the various kinds of fèz. - -During their performance, Mustapha Effendi asked many questions -relatively to Europe; and particularly how the English government were -now disposed towards the Turks; and expressed his curiosity to learn the -impression which the present state of the people had made upon -ourselves. He appeared to have been piqued by some American travellers -who had visited the establishment; for at the close of the conversation -he said earnestly; “Europe begins to know us better; and the Franks to -judge us more honestly—_Inshallàh_—I trust in God, that the day will -yet come when we shall be able to convince even the Americans, that we -are not wild beasts anxious to devour them.” - -When we had passed an hour with the Superintendent, we proceeded to -inspect the establishment, which is on a very extensive scale, three -thousand workmen being constantly employed. The workshops are spacious, -airy, and well-conducted; the wool, having been spread over a -stone-paved room on the ground-floor, where it undergoes saturation with -oil, is weighed out to the carders, and thence passes into the hands of -the spinners, where it is worked into threads of greater or less size, -according to the quality of fèz for which it is to be made available. -The women then receive it in balls, each containing the quantity -necessary for a cap; and these they take home by half a dozen or a dozen -at a time, to their own houses, and on restoring them receive a shilling -for each of the coarse; and seventeen pence for each of the fine ones. - -The next process is the most inconvenient, although perhaps the most -simple of the whole. As soon as spun, the caps are washed with cold -water and soap; but, there being no rush of water sufficiently strong in -the immediate vicinity of the capital, they are obliged to be sent to -Smit, distant about ten leagues, where they are scoured and dried, and -ultimately returned to Eyoub, in order to be completed. Each fèz then -undergoes three different operations of clipping and pressing; and at -the termination of the third has no longer the slightest appearance of -knitted wool, but all the effect of a fine close cloth. The next process -is that of dyeing the cap a rich deep crimson; and herein existed a -difficulty which has been but lately overcome, and of which I shall give -an account when I have sketched the whole routine of the manufacture. - -Having been immersed during several hours in large coppers constantly -stirred, and kept upon the boil, the caps are flung into a marble trough -filled with running water, where they are trodden by a couple of men; -and afterwards given to the blockers, who stretch them over earthen -moulds to enable them to take a good shape. They are subsequently -removed to the drying-room, where they are kept in a perpetual current -of air until all the damp is removed; and thence delivered up to the -head workmen, who raise the nap of the wool with the head of the -bullrush, and then clip it away with huge shears; precisely as cloth is -dressed in England. Pressing follows, and the fèz is ultimately carried -to the marker, who works into the crown the private cypher of the -manufacture, and affixes the short cord of crimson which is to secure -the _flock_ or tassel of purple silk, with its whimsical appendage of -cut paper. The last operation is that of sewing on the tassels: and -packing the caps into parcels containing half a dozen each, stamped with -the Imperial seal. - -The whole process is admirably conducted. The several branches of the -establishment are perfectly distinct; and the greatest industry appears -to prevail in every department. The manufactory was suggested and -founded by Omer Lufti Effendi, in consequence of the extremely high -price paid by the Sultan to the Tunisians, with whom this fabric -originated, for the head-dress of his troops. Having induced a party of -Arabian workmen from Tunis to accompany him to Constantinople, he -established them in the old palace, which has since been replaced by the -present noble building; and under their direction the knitting and -shaping of the caps acquired some degree of perfection. - -But the dye was a secret beyond their art; and the Turkish government, -anxious to second the views of the energetic Omer Effendi, made a second -importation of Tunisians with no better success, although they were -chosen from among the most efficient workmen of their country. The -caps, while they were equal both in form and texture to those of Tunis, -were dingy and ill-coloured; and the Arabs declared that the failure of -the dye was owing to the water in and about Constantinople, which was -unfavourable to the drugs employed. - -As a last hope, a trial was made at Smit, but with the same result; and -the attempt to localise the manufacture was about to be abandoned, when -Omer Effendi, suspecting the good faith of the Arabian workmen, -disguised a clever Angorian Armenian, named Avanis Aga, as a Turk, whom -he placed as a labourer in the dye-room. Being a good chemist and a -shrewd observer, Avanis Aga, affecting a stupidity that removed all -suspicion, soon made himself master of the secret which it so much -imported his anxious patron to learn; and, abandoning the ignoble besom -that he had wielded as the attendant of the Tunisian dyers, immediately -that he discovered the fraud which, either in obedience to the secret -orders of their Regent, or from an excess of patriotism, they had been -practising ever since their arrival; he set himself to work in secret; -and, with the water of Smit, dyed two caps, which, having dried, he -presented to Omer Effendi, who was unable to distinguish them from those -of Tunis. - -Delighted at the successful issue of his experiment, Omer Effendi -summoned the Arabs to his presence, and shewed them the fèz; when, -instantly suspecting the masquerade that had betrayed them, they -simultaneously turned towards the Armenian, and, throwing their turbans -on the ground, and tearing their hair, they cried out: “Yaccoup! -Yaccoup!” (Jacob! Jacob!) - -The Superintendent having dismissed them, after causing them to be -liberally remunerated for the time which they had spent at -Constantinople, sent them back to Tunis; while Avanis Aga, elected Head -Dyer of the Imperial Manufactory of Eyoub, now enjoys the high honour of -deciding on the exact tint to be worn by Mahmoud the Powerful, the -“Light of the Sun,” and “Shadow of the Universe.” - -Fifteen thousand caps a month are produced at the fabric of Eyoub; and -they are said to equal those of Tunis. The finest Russian and Spanish -wools are employed, and no expense is spared in order to render them -worthy of the distinguished patronage with which the Sultan has honoured -them. The Imperial apartments at the manufactory are elegantly fitted -up, and sufficiently spacious to accommodate a numerous suite; and, as -the building faces the Arsenal, His Highness is a frequent visitor to -the establishment of Omer Effendi, where he sometimes passes several -consecutive hours. - -When we had made the tour of the manufactory, we returned to the -apartment of Mustapha Effendi, where we partook of coffee and sherbet; -and after expressing the sincere gratification we had experienced in our -survey, we took our leave; and once more nestling ourselves into the -bottom of our caïque, we darted off to the Seraï Bournou, where an -officer of the Sultan’s household was waiting to admit us, _en -cachette_; the prevalence of plague having added to the jealousy with -which His Highness ever forbids the ingress of strangers within its -walls. - -The first court of this celebrated seraglio does not convey any idea of -regality to the visitor. It is rather an excrescence than an appendage -to the Palace: containing on the right hand the infirmaries, the -bakehouses, and the wood-stores; and on the left, the Greek church of -St. Irene, now converted into an arsenal. On a line with this desecrated -temple is the Mint, in which are lodged the _Taraf-hanè_, or Inspector, -and the _Chehir Encine_, or Superintendent, of the Public Buildings. - -Passing along beside a high wall, we arrived at the _Orta Kapoussi_, or -Middle Gate, which is flanked by two towers forming a _saillie_; and -close beside it the _Dgillat Odossi_, or Executioner’s Room, was pointed -out to us, where the Viziers who are condemned to death or exile are -generally arrested: hence the expression, “arrested between the two -doors.” - -Above the gateway is a line of spikes, on which the forfeited heads were -exposed, to blacken in the sunshine. And here used formerly to be -exhibited the pestle and mortar with which the Muftis and Ulemas were -destroyed. Having themselves framed the laws by which the country was to -be governed, and fearing to suffer sooner or later by their own agency, -these “second Daniels” decided that their own body could not legally -suffer death either by the bowstring, the sword, the bullet, water, or -famine: thus destroying, as they believed, all power over their lives. -But there were other spirits awake as wily as their own; and the pestle -and mortar of the _Orta Kapoussi_ were adopted, in which the unhappy -wretches, taken in their own toils, were literally pounded to death! -Whether these extraordinary and revolting instruments of torture are -still in existence, I know not; but it is certain that they are no -longer exhibited as objects of curiosity. - -Within the middle gate commences the splendour of the Seraï. Elaborate -gilding and curious arabesques are profusely lavished on its inner side; -whence an avenue of beeches leads to the third door, opening into the -kiosk-crowded “Garden of Delight,” wherein former Sultans were wont to -receive the European Ambassadors. - -Beyond the vast and golden-latticed building formerly appropriated to -this purpose, the eye is bewildered by the confusion of many shaped and -glittering pavilions scattered about on all sides; and I, unfortunately, -had not time to examine them at my leisure; as I was requested -previously to my survey to visit one of the officers of the household, -who possessed the power of introducing me into the harem. Thither we -accordingly went; and found the courteous Effendi smoking his chibouk in -a sort of garden parlour, overlooking the enclosure in which stands the -Column of Theodosius. - -[Illustration: COLUMN OF THEODOSIUS.] - -As soon as we were seated, I requested permission to sketch this -interesting monument, which he at first refused from a dread of being -compromised by my entrance into the Seraï, but after a little reluctance -he complied, and I hastily availed myself of his politeness. Well was it -for me that I did so, for I had scarcely replaced my pencils, when an -attendant, breathless with haste, entered the room, exclaiming, “Hide -the lady! Hide the Franks!—The Sultan has just arrived in the second -court!” - -All was instantly confusion. We made a hasty retreat by another gate; -and, passing along to the water’s edge, traced upon the mouldering walls -several inscriptions in ancient Greek. One ran thus: “Theodosius, King -by the grace of Christ;” another; “The Illustrious Theodosius, the great -King by the Grace of Christ;” while numberless crosses and -half-obliterated sentences still remain, which are beyond solution. - -Altogether I brought away from the Seraï Bournou, a mere confused -impression of gilding and splendour; of domes, and kiosks, and gardens; -of lofty walls and gleaming lattices. On passing under what is called -the Gate of Constantine, the spot was pointed out to me on which a boy, -being a few months ago engaged in play with a party of children of his -own age, had dug up a brilliant, weighing between twenty eight and -thirty carats; since which period that narrow passage has also been -closed against the public. As our caïque darted past the golden gate of -the Imperial harem, I lost myself in reveries of all the guilt, and -suffering, and despair, which had made the celebrated Palace of the -Point the theme of story, and an object of undying interest to the -curious. I seemed to see the quivering body of the unfortunate -Selim—the Sardanapalus of the East—flung from the walls in mockery; -and to hear the taunt of his murderers as they cast him forth—“Traitors -and Rebels! there is your Sultan—Do with him as you will!” - -This was the most recent tragedy of the Seraï Bournou, and perhaps one -of the saddest; and, as I glanced around me, and remembered how many of -his works had outlived him, I forgot my own disappointment in -commiserating the fate of a Sovereign, who, sensual and supine though he -was, yet possessed qualities both of the heart and the head, which -should have arrested the weapons of his assassins, and secured to him -the affections of his adherents. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - - - Social Condition of the Eastern Jews—Parallel between the Jews - of Europe and the Levant—Cruelty of the Turkish Children to - Jews—A Singular Custom—Religious Strictness of the - Jews—National Administration—The House of Naim Zornana of - Galata—Costume of the Jewish Women—Hebrew Hospitality. - - -I never saw the curse denounced against the children of Israel more -fully brought to bear than in the East; where it may be truly said that -“their hand is against every man, and every man’s hand against -them,”—Where they are considered rather as a link between animals and -human beings, than as men possessed of the same attributes, warmed by -the same sun, chilled by the same breeze, subject to the same feelings, -and impulses, and joys, and sorrows, as their fellow mortals. - -There is a subdued and spiritless expression about the Eastern Jew, of -which the comparatively tolerant European can picture to himself no -possible idea until he has looked upon it. The Israelite of Europe has a -peculiar physiognomy; a crouching, self-humbling, constrained manner; -but there is “a lurking devil in his eye,” which at once convinces you -that it is the hope of gain rather than the fear of insult, which -teaches him that over-acted subserviency of carriage. You may detect the -internal chuckle of self-gratulatory success; the stealthy glance of -calculating caution; the sudden flashing out of the spirit’s triumph, as -transitory as it is vivid. But the Jew of Turkey knows not even the poor -enjoyment of these momentary outbreaks of our common nature; “he eats -his bread in bitterness,” and comes forth from beneath his own roof-tree -with fear and trembling, to pursue his calling; and to mingle, even -unequally, in the avocations of his task-masters. - -It is little to be wondered at, therefore, that the bitterness of hatred -is blent with the terror of the Jew, in his commerce with his Moslem -lords; nor that his heart burns as he treads their highways, and wanders -through their cities. But this is a secret and impotent revenge; and, -even while his spirit pours forth “curses not loud, but deep,” he only -crouches the more servilely beneath the power that crushes him, lest the -yoke should be pressed down yet more heavily, and the burthen be -doubled. - -It is impossible to express the contemptuous hatred in which the -Osmanlis hold the Jewish people; and the veriest Turkish urchin who may -encounter one of the fallen nation on his path, has his meed of insult -to add to the degradation of the outcast and wandering race of Israel. -Nor dare the oppressed party revenge himself even upon this puny enemy, -whom his very name suffices to raise up against him. - -I remember, on the occasion of the great festival at Kahaitchana, seeing -a Turkish boy of perhaps ten years of age, approach a group of Jewesses, -and deliberately fixing upon one whose delicate state of health should -have been her protection from insult, give her so violent a blow as to -deprive her of consciousness, and level her to the earth. As I sprang -forward to the assistance of this unfortunate, I was held back by a Turk -of my acquaintance, a man of rank, and I had hitherto believed, divested -of such painful prejudices; who bade me not agitate, or trouble myself -on the occasion, as the woman was _only a Jewess_! And of the numbers of -Turkish females who stood looking on, not one raised a hand to assist -the wretched victim of gratuitous barbarity. - -Very shortly before our departure from Constantinople, my father and -myself were ascending the hill of Topphannè, on our way to Pera, -followed by a Jewish lad of sixteen or seventeen years of age, heavily -laden with linen drapery, which he was hawking for sale. About mid-way -of the rise we passed a house upon whose doorstep a party of Turkish -boys were amusing themselves; but they no sooner saw the Jew, who was -quietly pursuing his way in the centre of the street, than they -simultaneously quitted the sport with which they were engaged, and, -springing upon the poor youth, they commenced beating him, and -endeavouring to drag from his back the merchandize with which he was -laden. - -The terror of the lad was frightful. The street was, as usual, so filthy -as to entail ruin upon every thing that fell to the ground; and, as he -struggled against the pain of the blows that were showered upon him on -all sides, and the efforts which were made to destroy his goods; the big -tears rolled from his eyes. But the contest was soon terminated by my -father, whose cane liberated the unfortunate Jew from his tormentors in -a very short time; and procured for himself a volley of abuse, the most -_piquante_ of which was: “See the Giaour! the Giaour who fights for the -Jew!”—a specimen of wit that appeared to be greatly relished by a -couple of grave-looking old Turks, who had been unmoved spectators of -the whole scene—the poor lad, meanwhile, like an animal which has been -beaten, and rescued by a passer-by, following crouchingly upon our -footsteps until he entered the High Street. - -A common custom with both the Turks and the Greeks when they pass a -caïque on the water laden with Jews, is to raise one hand, and with -outstretched finger to count their number, which is supposed to bring -some heavy misfortune on the last of the party. The Jews, who have firm -faith in the effect of the spell, writhe with agony as they remark the -action, and never fail collectively to yell forth: “May the curse fall -back upon yourself!” After which the caïques dart onward, each upon its -own errand; the one gay with the subdued mirth of the tormentors, and -the other freighted with new and unnecessary bitterness. - -The Jews of the East, like their brethren of Europe, are the people of -the country who spend their sabbath the most strictly; and who are the -most conscientious in the exercise of their religious observances, and -the most obedient to its professors. Even accustomed as they are to -habits of chicane and extortion, the Jews are seldom guilty of wilful -error in their contributions to the National Chest, for relieving the -wants of the poorer portion of their people; which is supplied from a -tax levied on the provisions consumed by each family, thus falling the -most heavily on the wealthiest of their community. - -The Levantine Jews individually live in the hope, and with the -intention, of terminating their lives at Jerusalem; and, as this -speculation is an expensive one, their energies are quickened by the -necessity it entails of making a gradual provision for so extensive an -outlay; and instances have been frequent in which the father of a -family, feeling that from his advanced age and his failing powers, he -was no longer able to benefit his children by his personal exertions, -has resigned to his sons all his worldly wealth, save the sum necessary -to defray the charges of his pilgrimage; and sometimes alone, and, -sometimes accompanied by his wife, has bidden a last adieu to his -children, and departed to die in the chosen city. - -In order not to be ruined by any political convulsion, or beggared by -any stretch of despotic power, the Jews have a law regulating the -division of their property into three equal proportions. One consists of -floating capital; another is secured in jewels; and the third is -retained in the coin of the country; an arrangement which proved highly -beneficial to that portion of their nation that was compelled from -ecclesiastical persecution to evacuate Portugal and Spain, at the -instigation of Torquemada and other influential members of the clergy: -and to establish themselves in Constantinople; where, through the long -series of years which has succeeded, they have retained the language of -the countries whence they were banished, with such tenacity, that most -of their women are altogether ignorant of the Turkish. - -The Constantinopolitan Jews, who wear a dingy-coloured white cap, -surrounded by a cotton shawl of a small brown pattern, are raïahs, or -vassals to the Porte, and are also distinguishable by their dark purple -boots, and black slippers; while those who cover their heads with a -_calpac_, somewhat similar to that of the Greeks, but surmounted by a -scarlet rosette at the summit of the crown, are either under foreign -protection; or subjects of another country trading temporarily in the -Levant, and enjoying all the prerogatives of that portion of the -community whose costume they adopt; these invariably wear yellow boots, -and slippers similar to those of the Turks. The raïahs, as well as the -strangers, are under the jurisdiction of the Grand Rabbin; the -difference of their position acting only on their external relations, -and not being recognised by their own rulers. - -The Levantine Jews formerly visited the infidelity of their women with -death; but the present Sultan has forbidden to them the exercise of so -severe a law, and the crime is now punished by exile. They marry their -sons at fifteen, and their daughters at ten years of age; and if a -father desires to chastise his child, he is obliged to obtain the -concurrence of the seven Deputy Counsellors, charged with the religious -administration of the nation; who refer the matter to the Grand Rabbin; -whose order in its turn must, ere it can be made available, receive the -sanction of the Porte. The same rule is observed with individuals -charged with any crime, save that these are imprisoned during the -deliberation. - -Having expressed to a friend my desire to visit one of the principal -Jewish families, in order to see the costume of their women, of which I -had heard a great deal; he accompanied my father and myself to the house -of Naim Zornana, with whom he had held some commercial relations. -Nothing could be more miserable than the approach to his dwelling; for, -in order to reach it, we were compelled to traverse the entire length of -the Jew’s Quarter at Galata; nor did the appearance of the house itself, -as we crossed a miserable yard into which it opened, tend to give us a -very favourable idea of the establishment. The window-shutters were -swinging in the wind upon their rusty hinges; the wooden balustrade of a -dilapidated terrace, whose latticed roof was overgrown by a magnificent -vine, was mouldering to decay; the path to the house was choaked with -rubbish; and the timber of which it was built was blackened both by time -and fire. - -The first flight of stairs that we ascended, together with the rooms on -the ground-floor, were quite in keeping with the exterior of the -dwelling: but when we reached the foot of the second, we appeared to -have been suddenly acted upon by magic: the steps were neatly matted, -the walls were dazzlingly white, and at the entrance of the vast _salle_ -into which the several apartments opened, lay a handsome Persian carpet. -Here we were met by the females of the family, and greeted with the -lowliest of all Eastern salutations, ere we were conducted to the -scrupulously clean and handsomely arranged saloon appropriated to the -reception of visiters. - -Never, during my residence in the East, had I looked on any costume -which equalled in richness, and, their head-dresses excepted, in -elegance, the dress of these Jewish females. It was a scene of the -Arabian Nights in action; and for a few moments I was lost in -admiration. The mistress of the house stood immediately in front of the -sofa on which we were seated: she was a tall stately woman, who looked -not as though she belonged to a bowed and rejected race; she had the -eagle eye, the prominent nose, and the high pale forehead of her nation, -with a glance as fiery as it was keen. - -Such as I have described her, she was attired in a full dress of white -silk, confined a little above the hips by a broad girdle of wrought -gold, clasped with gems; both the girdle and the clasps being between -five and six inches in width. Above this robe, she wore a pelisse of -dove-coloured cachemire, lined and overlaid with the most costly sables, -and worth several hundred pounds; the sleeves were large and loose, and -fell back, to reveal the magnificent bracelets which encircled her arms, -and the jewelled rings that flashed upon her fingers. Her turban, of the -usual enormous size worn by all Jewish women, was formed of the painted -muslin handkerchief of the country, but so covered with gems that its -pattern was undistinguishable; while, from beneath it, a deep fringe of -pearls, dropped with emeralds of immense size and value, fell over her -brow, down each side of her face, and ultimately upon her shoulders. - -Behind her were grouped her three daughters-in-law, in dresses nearly -similar, save that, not being widows, they did not wear the heavy -pelisse; and that the gold and pearl embroidered sleeves and bosoms of -their silken robes were consequently visible. The prettiest woman of the -party was her own and only daughter, who had been summoned from the -house of her husband on the previous day, to welcome the return of her -younger brother from Europe, where he had passed five years. She was -nearly fourteen, with an expression half pensive and half playful; a -something which seemed to indicate that her nature was too sad for -smiles, and yet too gay for tears; as though the young bright spirit had -been chilled and withered ere it had felt its freshness, and that it -still struggled to free itself from the thrall. - -Her dress was gorgeous; the costly garniture of gold and jewels, which -almost made her boddice appear to be one mass of light, was continued to -the knee of her tunic, where it parted to form a deep hem, that entirely -surrounded the skirt of the garment. The jewelled fringe of her turban -was supported on either temple by a large spray of brilliants, and fell -upon a border of black floss silk that rested on her fair young brow. -Her arms were as white as snow, and seemed almost as dazzling as the -gems which bound them; while her slender waist was compressed by a -golden girdle similar in fashion, but richer in design, than that of her -mother. - -In their girlhood, the Jewish females take great pride in the adornment -of their hair, but from the moment of their marriage it is scrupulously -hidden; so scrupulously, indeed, that they wear a second handkerchief -attached to the turban behind, which falls to the ground, in order to -conceal the roots of the hair that the turban may fail to cover. - -A sweet little girl of about nine years of age, the affianced wife of -one of the brothers, was introduced, in order to show me the difference -of head-dress; and assuredly her _coiffure_ was a most elaborate affair. -She must have worn at least fifty braids, each secured at the end by a -knot of pearls and ribbon; while her little chubby hands were literally -covered with jewelled rings; and her feet, like those of the elder -females, simply thrust into richly embroidered slippers. - -The courtesy and hospitality of the whole family were extreme. They -appeared delighted at the unusual circumstance of receiving Christians, -who appreciated their kindly intentions; and when I promised, in -compliance with their earnest request, that I would repeat my visit, I -had no intention to fail in the pledge. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - - - Hospitality of the Armenians—An Impromptu Visit—The - Bride—Costly Costume—Turkish Taste—Kind Reception—Domestic - Etiquette of the Schismatic Armenians—Armenian Sarafs—The - National Characteristics. - - -I cannot, perhaps, give a better idea of the hospitable feeling of the -Armenians, than by relating a little adventure which happened to a -friend and myself, a few weeks previously to my departure from the East. - -We left home with the intention of paying a visit to the amiable sisters -of Tingler-Oglou, at their residence on the Bosphorus; and, after a -short walk, rang at a great gate which we imagined to be that of their -grounds. The summons was immediately answered; and a lovely girl of -about sixteen having followed the servant to the gate to ascertain the -identity of the visitors, replied to our inquiry for the ladies we -sought, by an invitation to enter. Supposing, from the extreme splendour -of her dress, and the perfect ease of her manner, that she was some -relative of the family whom we had not hitherto met, we at once obeyed -her bidding, and found ourselves on a terrace overshadowed by lime -trees, on which a party of ladies, entirely unknown to us, were whiling -away the time, surrounded by a crowd of attendants. - -Both the place and the persons being strange, we drew back, and -apologised for our unintentional intrusion on the privacy of the family; -when an elderly female, evidently the mistress of the house, motioned us -to seat ourselves on the cushions beside her, telling us that she had -been long desirous of making our acquaintance, and was rejoiced that her -daughter-in-law had possessed wit enough to profit by the opportunity -afforded by our mistake. Of course we availed ourselves of the courtesy; -and the more readily as we immediately discovered that we were in the -grounds of a wealthy Saraf, who was the neighbour of Tingler-Oglou; and -who had lately built the magnificent mansion which lay below the terrace -on the edge of the channel; and married the beautiful girl who stood -beside us, smiling at the success of her harmless deceit. - -She was the bride of a week; and, as I had never before had an -opportunity of seeing the costume of a newly-married Armenian female, I -looked at her with considerable curiosity. Her hair, which was perfectly -black, and extremely luxuriant, hung in a number of glossy braids upon -her shoulders, being bound back from her brow by a handkerchief of gold -gauze, deeply fringed, and thickly covered with diamonds. - -Between her eyebrows was affixed an ornament composed of small -brilliants, and forming the word “bride” in Armenian characters. Her -chemisette was of blue crape, fringed with silver; and her antery of -Broussa silk, worked and edged with gold, bound about her waist with a -costly cachemire. She wore trowsers of figured silk, of a pale blue; -thread stockings, and slippers of pink kid. Her rings and bracelets were -a little fortune in themselves; and, had she known how to adjust her -costume with the intuitive taste of a Turkish woman, she would have been -beautiful; but the Armenian lady is as inferior in elegance to the fair -Osmanli, as the Perote to the European. They wear the same description -of dress, and employ the same materials, but they may, nevertheless, be -distinguished at a glance, from the mere manner of its adjustment. The -one is almost a caricature of the other. I remained long enough in the -East to think the yashmac the most coquettish and becoming of all -head-dresses; but to be either the one or the other it must be arranged -by the fair fingers of a gentle Turk; for when put on as the Armenians -wear it, it is the greatest disfigurement in the world. The same may be -said of the whole of their costume. The inmate of the Turkish harem is -as willow-like and graceful as a swan—the Armenian lady, on the -contrary, overloads herself with shawls and finery; and is, -consequently, fettered in her movements. - -Nothing could be more courteous than our reception by the family with -which we had become so unexpectedly acquainted. The most delicate -sweetmeats and the finest Mocha coffee were served to us by the fair -hands of the bride herself, which were deeply stained with henna; and, -as I have before remarked, blazing with jewels. - -When the refreshments were removed, we made a tour of the grounds; and -were laden by our new friends with tuberoses, orange-blossom, and green -lemons. There was not a courtesy that they did not shew us; not a -flattering epithet which they did not lavish on us; and, as they led us -by the hand from terrace to terrace, they pointed out with intuitive -taste every fine point of view as it opened upon them—lingered beneath -each little garden pavilion wreathed with parasites, where the -passion-flower blossomed beside the creeping rose, and the violet -nestled at the root of the tiger lily—playfully sprinkled us with the -limpid waters of each sparkling fountain, whose marble basin looked like -a glistening lotus in the sunshine—seated us in the painted kiosks -which overhung the water—and selected for us the most tempting produce -of the orangeries. - -When we at length reluctantly took our leave, the pretty bride kissed -our hands with a graceful humility, perfectly charming; and we were -followed to the gate by entreaties that we would renew our visit. To -these I replied by an invitation which was instantly accepted; and on -the morrow my room was a blaze of jewels and gold embroidery. - -The etiquette of a Schismatic Armenian family is infinitely more rigid -than that observed by the Turks. With the latter, the daughter or -daughter-in-law, when in the harem, can seat herself unbidden; although -not, indeed, where she pleases, for her proper place is assigned to her, -and she is not permitted to intrude into those of her elders. But the -young Armenian wife, who may have brought to her husband the dowry of a -million of piastres, and the fair girl who is the heiress of her -father’s house, must remain meekly standing, with folded hands and -patient brow, until the lady-mother gives the gracious signal which -authorises her to occupy a corner of the sofa or the cushion. - -The Armenian Catholics do not enforce so rigorously this domestic -slavery, although they also are fettered by a thousand inconvenient and -inconsequent observances. It is the Schismatics who cling jealously to -all the absurd ceremonials which render their existence as uncomfortable -as they can contrive to make it. The eldest son can smoke before his -father, it is true; but the chibouk is placed in such a position as to -be invisible to the chief of the family, the smoker being obliged to -turn his head backward to press the amber mouthpiece; and, moreover, to -select for this fleeting enjoyment the brief moments when the eyes of -his parent are averted. - -The younger sons dare not produce a chibouk, nor even utter an opinion -before either of these august personages—The mother alone, among the -females of the family, has the privilege of occupying a place on the -sofa, and appropriating a share of the conversation: the younger ladies -only appear before their male relatives when they are summoned, or -compelled to intrude in the performance of some household duty. On all -other occasions they inhabit the harem, which is usually a noble -apartment most luxuriously fitted up, where they knit, embroider, or -idle, as best suits their inclination. Like the Turkish women, they are -passionately fond of flowers, and cultivate them with great assiduity; -their gardens being as remarkable for their neatness, as are the -interior of their dwellings for that extraordinary cleanliness to which -I have borne testimony elsewhere. - -On the arrival of a male visiter, should any of the ladies be wandering -amid the bright blossoms in which they so much delight, the alarm is -instantly given; and they shuffle away to their pretty prison-room as -fast as their heelless slippers will enable them to move. Perhaps the -guest may be a suitor; but if so, the case is not altered one iota. The -lady still runs away, without any attempt to indulge her curiosity by a -peep at her destined lord; while the gentleman, on his side, takes his -seat in the great saloon, and, after smoking a score of pipes, and -making a thousand _teminas_ to the father or brother of his bride elect, -mounts his horse, or resumes his place in his caïque, and departs; in -full possession of all the particulars of the lady’s property; and in -contented ignorance of all that relates to her character or person. - -“Will you take this woman, whether she be halt, or deaf, or humped, or -blind?” asks the priest on the bridal day, as the happy bridegroom -stands opposite to a mummy-like mass of gold threads and cachemire, with -his own monstrous calpac tricked out in the same glittering finery, -until he looks like a male Danaë; and with true stolid Armenian -philosophy he answers: “Even so I will take her.” - -The European young lady associates the idea of marriage with tenderness, -and indulgence, and domestic enjoyment; emancipation from maternal -authority, and comparative personal liberty. She smiles in the stillness -of her own spirit at the fair visions of happiness that rise before her; -and there is no bitterness in the tears with which she quits the home -of her infancy. But the Armenian maiden only exchanges one tyranny for -another—she is transported to the home of a stranger, whom a priest has -told her that she is to love, and whom she has never seen—beneath the -roof-tree of a man whom, henceforward, she is bound to honour, though -her heart may loathe the mockery. To obey is her least difficult duty, -for she has been reared in obedience; but yet she cannot escape the pang -of feeling how much more easy was that blind submission to another’s -will, when it was enforced by the mother who had laid her to sleep upon -her bosom in her infancy, and on whose knee she had sported in her -girlhood; than when she is suddenly called upon to bow meekly beneath -the dictation of a new and strange task-mistress, knit to her by no tie, -save that new and unaccustomed link which has just been riveted by the -church; and by which she has become the slave not only of her husband, -but of his parents also. - -Has she fortune, beauty, rank, they avail her nothing; for two long -years she must not speak before her step-mother, save to reply to some -question that may be put to her; and, should she herself become a -parent, she has yet a sterner and a more difficult task to learn; for -she cannot even fondle her infant before witnesses; but must fly and -hide herself in her own chamber when she would indulge the outpourings -of maternal love. - -How melancholy a contrast does this Armenian barbarism afford to the -beautiful devotedness of every inmate of a Turkish harem to the comfort -and happiness of infancy! There it is difficult to decide which is -really the mother of the rosy, laughing, boisterous baby that is passed -from one to the other; and welcome to the heart and arms of all. The -little plump, spoilt, mischievous urchin, whose life is one long holyday -of fun and frolic; and whose few fleeting tears throw all around him -into commotion. An infant is common property in a Turkish harem—a toy -and a treasure alike to each; whether it be the child of the stately -Hanoum whose will is law, or of the slave whose duty is obedience; and, -it is certain that, if children could really be “killed with kindness,” -the Ottoman Empire, in as far as the Turks themselves are concerned, -would soon be a waste. - -There can, I think, be no doubt that the life of cold, monotonous, -heart-shutting ceremony led by the Armenians among themselves, has been -in a great degree the cause of the stolidity of character with which I -have elsewhere reproached them. It would, perhaps, be difficult to find -a finer race of men in the world, as far as their personal appearance is -concerned: while it is certain that no where could they be exceeded in -mental, or I should rather say, moral inertness. In all affairs of -commerce, where the subject may be reduced by rule, and decided by -calculation, they are competent alike to undertake and to comprehend it: -but once endeavour to while them beyond the charmed circle of their -money-bags; to detach their thoughts for a moment from their piastres; -and they cannot utter three consecutive sentences to which it is not a -waste of time to listen. - -That they are a most valuable portion of the population admits of no -dispute; their steady commercial habits, their unquestioning submission -to “the powers that be;” their plodding, unambitious natures, fit them -admirably for their position in Turkey. Had they more mental energy, -more self-appreciation, and more moral development, they could not -continue to be the tame listless imitators, and idolaters of their -masters that they now are. - -The Armenian holds the same position among the bipeds of the East as the -buffalo among the quadrupeds. He bears his load, and performs his task -with docility, without appearing conscious that he can be capable of any -thing beyond this; and, even the Sarafs, or Bankers to the Pashas, a -class of men in whom I expected to encounter, at least occasionally, an -individual of general acquirements and information, as far as my own -experience went, scarcely formed an exception to the rule. I knew many -among them who were exceedingly amiable, and possessed of great -shrewdness, but it was all professional subtlety; it extended not beyond -the objects on which their personal interests were hinged. Not one in a -score can speak five words of any European language, or be induced to -exhibit the slightest wish to acquire one. In a word, I should say that -the Armenians, as a nation, were worthy, well-meaning, and useful, but -extremely uninteresting members of society; possessing neither the -energy of the Greek, nor the strength of character so conspicuous in the -Osmanli—A money-making, money-loving people, having a proper regard for -the “purple and fine linen” of the world; and quite satisfied to bear -the double yoke of the Sultan and the Priesthood. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - - - Season-Changes at Constantinople—Twilight—The Palace - Garden—Mariaritza, the Athenian—A Love-tale by Moonlight—The - Greek Girl’s Song—The Palace of Beglierbey—Interior - Decorations—The Bath—The Terraces—The Lake of the Swans—The - Air Bath—The Emperor’s Vase—The Gilded Kiosk—A - Disappointment. - - -We had landed at Constantinople amid the snows of winter: we had danced -through the Carnival at the Palaces of Pera: seen the early primroses -spring in the Valley of the Sweet Waters, and the first violets blossom -among the tombs in the Cemetery of Eyoub. We had hailed the brightening -summer as it wrote its approach with flowery fingers amid the bursting -roses of the terrace-gardens, whispered its gentle promises in the low -murmuring breezes which curled lovingly the clear ripple of the -Bosphorus, and made mystic music among the leafy plane-trees. We had -glided over that ripple by moonlight in a fairy-bark, whose golden -glitter flashed back the sweet light that touched it, and whose -broad-bladed oars flung the light spray from them at every stroke, like -mimic stars. - -We had dropped down with the tide under the “hill of the thousand -nightingales,” when they made night vocal with their melody. I shall -never forget that hour! It was in the very heart of summer, and, in the -West the twilight lingers lovingly upon the earth, as though it were -loath to leave a scene of so much beauty: and, in the dim light the -wanderer, who moves slowly among the sights and scents of the most -luxurious of seasons, may see the chalices of the reviving flowers -opening to receive the dew-offering poured forth as if in homage to -their beauty; and the tinted lip of every orient blossom uplifted to the -grateful touch of the tears of night.—It was at the last hour of -daylight; but, in the East, the Giant Darkness overshadows the earth -only for an instant in his approach, ere he lays his sable hand on the -landscape, and effaces its outline. - -I had been passing the day in one of the Palaces that skirt the channel. -It was a season of festivity, and my father and myself had shared, with -about fifty other guests, the princely hospitality of its owner; we had -met early, and, after many hours of excitement and exertion, I felt that -craving for mental repose always the most imperative after a lapse of -time in which the spirit has been more taxed than the physical strength. - -From the supper-room I accordingly strolled into the garden. Daylight -was just looking its last over the waters; and already the shadows of -the Asian hills were looming long upon their surface. I turned -listlessly from the broad path which, overhung with trellised roses, -divided the parterre almost in the centre; and, striking into a screened -way hedged on either side by a deep belt of evergreens and flowering -shrubs, retreated with a rapid step from the immediate neighbourhood of -the illuminated saloons that gave upon the garden; and from whose open -casements the light laughter and mirthful tones of the guests rang -through the evening air. A slight dew was already falling, and the -blossoming trees among which I passed were giving out a cool fresh scent -as the moisture touched them;—an occasional tuft of violets nestling at -their roots flung a rich perfume to the sky; and the faint odour of the -far-off orangery which was already invisible in the fading light, came -occasionally on the breeze like a gush of incense wafted by the hand of -Nature in homage to her God. - -Another breath! and down came the darkness, above and about me. The -stern mountains were faintly pencilled against the horizon—the breeze -sighed through the blossom-laden branches as though it mourned the loss -of the daylight; and conjured, as it seemed, by that soft sound, up -sprang a single star into the Heavens—clear, full, and glittering as -though it had been formed of one pure and perfect diamond; and was -reflected back from the calm bosom of the Bosphorus, in bright but -tempered brilliancy. - -It was a moment of enchantment! And as my eye became accustomed to the -sudden gloom, the whole horizon appeared changed. It was not blackness -that veiled the sky; night wore no sables; but a far-spreading vestment -of deep dense blue, without a vapour to dim its intensity—And slowly, -beautifully, into this empurpled vault, rose the soft moon, whose silver -circle was almost perfect; casting, as she clombe her mysterious path, a -long line of light across the channel which glittered like liquid gems. - -I was still gazing on this glorious spectacle, motionless, and almost -breathless, when I was startled by a deep sigh so near me that I -involuntarily started back a pace or two; but, recovering myself on the -instant, I looked earnestly in the direction whence it had appeared to -come; and, detecting amid the branches the glimmer of a white drapery, I -approached the spot, and found myself standing beside a dark-eyed girl, -who, seated on a broken column under the overarching boughs of a -magnificent cedar tree, was plucking to pieces a branch of -orange-blossom which she had torn from her brow. - -She was dressed in deep mourning, but over her head she had flung the -long loose veil of soft white muslin common to her countrywomen—for -Mariaritza was a Greek—I scarcely know how to describe her, and I quite -despair of making my portrait a likeness, for her’s was not a face that -words can mirror faithfully. I had heard much of her before we met—much -which had excited alike my curiosity and my interest; and, although -since our acquaintance had commenced, that interest had grown almost -into affection, my curiosity still remained ungratified. She must have -been about two and twenty; her stature was low, and her complexion -swarthy; she was limbed like an Antelope; and her coal black hair was -braided smoothly across a brow as haughty as that of an Empress. I am -not quite sure that she had a good feature in her face, except her eyes; -although there have been moments when I have thought her not only -handsome, but even radiantly beautiful—And her eyes—they can be -described like those of no other person—you could not look into them -for a moment without feeling that you were thralled. They were as black -as midnight; long, and peculiarly-shaped, set deeply into the head, and -somewhat closer together than is usual. - -But all this is commonplace. It was not the form and fashion of -Mariaritza’s eyes which made them so singular—it was their -extraordinary and contradictory expression—I have seen them soft and -liquid as those of infancy; and, an instant afterwards, almost fierce in -their blinding brightness. - -As I reached her side she looked up, and the flash of blended ire and -bitterness was in those dark wild eyes, as she exclaimed, without -changing her position: “Ha! Is it indeed you who are cheating yourself -into a belief that you can love the silent night better than the -laughter and the flatteries of yonder empty-hearted fools?” and she -jerked her veiled head impatiently in the direction of the Palace: “You, -the courted, and the caressed; whom they idolise and worship because you -can record them and their’s, and make them subject for song and story in -your own far-off land? Go, go—The night air may chill you—It is not -for such as you to be abroad when the dew is on the earth.” - -I saw that the dark mood was on her. I had known her thus more than -once; and I only answered by drawing a part of her long veil over my own -head, and sitting down on the earth beside her. - -“Nay, if you will really forsake them awhile for _my_ companionship,” -she murmured, while the moonlight that streamed upon her face was not -more soft than the gaze which met mine as I looked up at her: “let us -free ourselves for a while from all risk of intrusion—I have been in -the lime-avenue, but I had well nigh intruded on a love-tale; and when I -would fain have taken refuge in the ruined temple, and found it tenanted -by a Saraf and his pipe-bearer——” - -“And I”—and as I spoke I raised her hand playfully to my lips; “I am to -chace you hence?” - -“You shall, if you so will it;” said Mariaritza: “and if you will trust -yourself with me for a couple of hours——” - -“Any where—everywhere——” - -The young Greek answered only by rising, and moving hastily towards the -house. In a moment I heard the clapping of her small hands; and in five -minutes more her caïque awaited us at the terrace-gate which opened on -the channel. - -“The sternmost caïquejhe is deaf;” whispered Mariaritza; as we -established ourselves on the yielding cushions at the bottom of the -arrow-like boat, and wrapped the furred pelisses with which it was -profusely supplied carefully about us—“we have but to converse in a low -voice, and we shall be safe, even although we should whisper treason of -Mahmoud himself!” - -I answered with a similar jest; and we darted out into the centre of the -channel, and on until we glided beneath the Asian shore. No! I shall -never forget that night—and could I impart to my readers the tale to -which I listened from that passionate Greek girl, in a flood of -moonlight, and to the music of the myriad nightingales, as we crept -along under the shadows of the mighty hills, I might spare the -asseveration. That night I heard all her secret; and from that hour I -loved her! - -Mariaritza was an Athenian; proud of her unsullied descent, and of the -loved land of her birth. She was on a visit to a rich relative at -Constantinople; but she sighed for Greece as the captive sighs for -liberty; and the rather that a wealthy suitor had presented himself, -whom her friends persecuted her to receive. - -“Did they know what is hidden _here_!” she exclaimed, as she alluded to -this new lover, pressing her small hand over her heart while she spoke; -“Could they guess the tale which I have confided to no ear save -your’s—But you are weeping—your tears are bright in the moonlight—GOD -forgive me! but I did not think that you knew how to weep.” - -“Mariaritza!” I whispered reproachfully. - -“Pardon! pardon!” murmured the wayward girl, winding her arm about my -neck; “Our Lady have mercy on me! It is my fate ever to pain those I -love. But I will talk of myself no more—Let us speak of Greece—my own -beautiful Greece!—or, listen—I will sing to you a song that I ought -long to have forgotten, for _he_ wrote it—Did I tell you that he, too, -was an Athenian?” - -And without waiting for a reply, she warbled to a plaintive melody some -Greek stanzas, of which the following is a free translation: - - - THE GREEK GIRL’S SONG. - - My own bright Greece! My sunny land! - Nurse of the brave and free! - How bound the chords beneath my hand - Whene’er I sing of thee— - The myrtle branches wave above my brow, - And glorious memories throng around me now! - - Thy very name was once a spell,— - A watchword in the earth— - With thee the Arts first deigned to dwell— - And o’er thy gentle hearth - The social spirit spread her gleaming wings; - And made it the glad home of pure and lovely things. - - The snowy marble sprang to life - ’Neath thy Promethean touch; - The breeze with sunny song was rife: - (Where now awakens such?) - All that was brightest, best, with thee was found, - And thy sons trod in pride thy classic ground. - - The burning eloquence which dips - Its torch in living fire, - Flowed, like a lava-tide, from lips - That, from the funeral-pyre - Of by-past ages plucked a burning brand, - To shed new light o’er thee, thou bright and glorious land. - - They tell me thou art nothing now— - I spurn the unholy thought! - The beam is yet upon thy brow - Which erst from Heaven it caught— - Let then the baneful, blighting mockery cease! - Still art thou beautiful, my own fair Greece! - - Firm hearts and glowing souls remain - To love thee, glorious one! - And though no hand may clasp again - Thy once celestial zone, - Better to worship at thy ruined shrine, - Than bend the knee at one less proud and pure than thine! - -But the wild-eyed Mariaritza has betrayed me into a digression in which -I thought not to indulge when I commenced this chapter; and I must lead -back my reader to the opening sentences, wherein I was noting the sweet -season-changes that we had witnessed in the East. The summer, with its -luxury of leaves and flowers, had passed away; and we saw the bright -green of the Asian woods grow into gold beneath the touch of autumn. Our -days of pilgrimage were numbered; and Stamboul, with its mosques and its -minarets, its domes and its palaces, was soon to be only a gorgeous -memory. - -Already had we said our farewell to many a fond and valued friend, -never, probably, to be looked upon again in life; and as we wandered -amid scenes and sights to which we had become familiarised, we felt -that indescribable sadness with which an object is ever contemplated for -the last time. The heart may have been wrung, the spirit may have been -pained, during a foreign sojourn; deep shadows may have fallen over the -landscape; but there must ever be sunny spots on which the memory -lingers, and to which the affections cling. - -The freshness had passed away from the Valley of the Sweet Waters, and -the turf had withered beneath a scorching sun; yet to me it was still -beautiful. The sparkling Barbyses was shrunken to a silver thread; but -in my mind’s eye I yet saw it filling its graceful channel, and gliding -like a snake through the silent glen. The cemetery of Eyoub was -glorious! The lordly trees which overhang the tombs were rainbow-like in -their tints; and the gilded head-stones appeared to be over-canopied by -living gems. - -Every hour passed in the solemn Necropolis of Scutari was a distinct -mine of thought—Its deep, dense shadows, its voiceless solitude, its -melancholy sublimity—all remained as I had first felt them—The seasons -effect no change on this City of the Dead—The long dim avenues of -cypress put on no summer livery to flaunt in the garish sunshine—amid -the snows of winter, and the skies of spring, they wear the same dark -hues—the autumnal beams shed no golden tints over their dusky foliage; -nor do the summer heats betray them into blossoming. The grave-tree, -nourished by the mouldering remnants of mortality, dank with the -exhalations of the tombs, and rooted in a soil fed with corruption, -drinks not the dews, and revels not in the day-beam, like the changeful -child of the sunshine, which flings its leafy and light-loving branches -over a painted kiosk, or a marble fountain—It is dark and silent, as -the dead above whom it springs; and the wind moans more sadly among its -boughs, than when it sweeps through the leaves of the summer woods. - -The very streets, narrow, difficult, and even plague-teeming as they -were, acquired a new interest when we remembered that in a few weeks we -should tread them no more. The columns of the Atmeidan—the “Tree of -Groans” beside the mosque of Sultan Achmet—the gorgeous Fountain of -Topphannè—each claimed a longer look than heretofore, as we felt that -it was the last. - -These were our chosen haunts; and the steam-vessel that was to convey us -to the Danube, by which route we had decided on returning to England, -already lay in the port, when an Officer of the Imperial Household bore -to us the gracious permission of the Sultan to visit his palaces; -coupled with the injunction that we were to be unaccompanied by any -other Frank. Not a moment was to be lost! We had not a week to remain -in the country; and we accordingly appointed the morrow for crossing to -the gilded summer Palace of Beglierbey. - -Our caïque was at the pier of Yeni-keuy at ten o’clock; and we shot -athwart the channel which was steeped in sunshine, like wild birds. At -the marble gate we were met by the courteous individual who was to act -as our guide through the saloons of the Sultan; and, having made our bow -to the Kiara, who was also awaiting us, we stepped across the threshold, -followed by the gaze of the astonished guard; and skirting the -rainbow-like garden, we passed along the line of gilt lattices which -veil the seaward boundary of the pleasure-grounds; and entered the hall. - -The first glance of the interior is not imposing. The double staircase, -sweeping crescent-wise through the center of the entrance, contracts its -extent so much as to give it the appearance of being insignificant in -its proportions; an effect which is, moreover, considerably heightened -by the elaborated ornaments of the carved and gilded balustrades and -pillars. But such is far from being the case in reality; as, from this -outer apartment, with its flooring of inlaid woods, arabesqued ceiling, -and numerous casements, open no less than eight spacious saloons, -appropriated to the Imperial Household. - -Above this suite are situated the State Apartments; gorgeous with -gilding, and richly furnished with every luxury peculiar alike to the -East and to the West. The Turkish divans of brocade and embroidered -velvet are relieved by sofas and lounges of European fashion—bijouterie -from Geneva—porcelain from Sèvres—marbles from Italy—gems from -Pompeii—Persian carpets—English hangings—and, in the principal -saloons, six of the most magnificent, if not actually _the_ six _most_ -magnificent, pier glasses in the world; a present to the Sultan from the -Emperor of Russia, after the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi. - -Upwards of twelve feet in height, and about six feet in width, of one -single plate, and enclosed in a deep frame of silver gilt, bearing the -united arms of the two empires; these costly glasses reflect in every -direction the ornaments of the apartment; and produce an effect almost -magical. While the highly elaborated ceiling, richly ornamented with -delicate wreaths of flowers; and the bright-patterned carpet covering -the floor, combine to fling over the vast saloon an atmosphere of light -and gladness, which is increased by the dazzling glories of the parterre -spread out beneath the windows; with its flashing fountain, golden -orangery, and long line of gleaming lattices. - -The Reception-Room is small, and remarkable only for the -comfortably-cushioned divan on which the Sultan receives his visitors; -and the noble view that it commands of the channel, from the Seraglio -Point to the Castle of Mahomet. - -The Banquetting Hall is entirely lined with inlaid woods of rare and -beautiful kinds finely mosaiced; the ceiling and the floor being alike -enriched with a deep garland of grapes and vine-leaves, flung over -groups of pine-apples of exquisite workmanship. - -Hence, a long gallery conducted us to the private apartments of the -Sultan; and on every side were graceful fountains of white marble, whose -flashing waters fell with a musical sound into their sculptured basins. -In one, the stream trickled from a plume of feathers wrought in -alabaster; and so delicately worked that they almost appeared to bend -beneath the weight of the sparkling drops—in another, the stream gushed -forth, overflowing a lotus-flower, upon whose lip sported a group of -Cupids. The private apartments, which separated the harem from the state -wing of the Palace, were the very embodiment of luxurious comfort; two -of them were lined with wicker-work painted cream colour; the prettiest -possible idea, executed in the best possible style. - -The harem was, of course, a sealed book; for, as the ladies of the -Sultan’s household have never been allowed to indulge their curiosity -by a survey of that portion of the Palace appropriated to Mahmoud -himself, it can scarcely be expected that any intruder should be -admitted beyond the jealously-barred door forming their own boundary. - -The Bath was beautiful. As we passed the crimson door with its -crescent-shaped cornice, we entered a small hall in which two swans, the -size of life, and wrought in pure white marble, were pouring forth the -water that supplies the cold stream necessary to the bathers. The -cooling-room was richly hung with embroidered draperies; and the mirror -was surmounted by the Ottoman arms wrought in gold and enamel. The Bath -itself realized a vision of the Arabian Nights, with its soft, dreamy -twilight, its pure and glittering whiteness, and its exquisitely -imagined fountains—and the subdued effect of our voices, dying away in -indistinct murmurs in the distance, served to heighten the illusion. - -Altogether, the Summer Palace of Sultan Mahmoud is as fair within, as -without; and I have already said that it is the most elegant edifice on -the Bosphorus. - -The gardens, which rise to the summit of the steep height immediately -behind the Seraï, are formed into terraces, each being under the -direction of a foreign gardener, and laid out in the fashion of his own -land. Thus there are a Spanish, an Italian, an English, a German, and a -French garden. The deepest terrace is occupied by a fine sheet of water, -called the Lake of the Swans, on which about thirty of these graceful -birds, the Sultan’s peculiar favourites, were disporting themselves in -the clear sunshine. Weeping willows, and other graceful trees, were -mirrored in its calm bosom, and a couple of gaily-painted pleasure-boats -were moored under the shadow of a magnificent magnolia. - -About fifty yards from the water, stands a graceful edifice of white -marble denominated the “Air Bath;” in which his Sublime Highness passes -many a delicious hour during the summer heats. The saloon is paved, -roofed, and lined with marble; and exquisitely imagined fountains fling -their waters from the lotus leaves that are carved on the cornice of the -apartment, through a succession of ocean-shells, fantastically grouped, -and delicately chiselled, which divide the stream into a hundred slender -threads, and ultimately pour their volume into the basins, whence it -escapes to the lake without, keeping up a continual current of cool air, -and murmur of sweet sound, which produce an effect almost magical. In -the centre of this saloon, whence several inferior apartments branch off -on either side, stands a magnificent vase of verd-antique, about eight -feet in height; a present to the Sultan from the Emperor Nicholas. - -The hill is crowned by a gilded kiosk, glittering among cypresses and -plane trees; and the whole establishment is more like a fairy creation, -than the result of human invention and labour. - -On the morrow, we decided on paying another visit to the Seraï Bournou; -as the following day was that fixed for our departure. But alas! when -that morrow came, we had reason to congratulate ourselves on having -already penetrated beyond the “Golden Gate;” for the waves of the -channel were running mountain high, and the opposite coast was lost in a -dense vapour of sleet and rain. The disappointment was extreme; but, as -there was no alternative, we were compelled to submit. For once “our -star was bankrupt;” and we were fain to console ourselves with the -reflection that our last day in Asia had been so worthily spent. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - - - The Bosphorus in Mist—The Ferdinando Primo—Embarkation—Tardy - Passengers—The Black Sea—The Turkish Woman—Varna—Visit to - the Pasha—Rustem Bey—Mustapha Najib Pasha—Turkish - Gallantry—The Lines—Sunset Landscape—Bulgarian - Colonies—Discomforts of a Deck Passage. - - -I never beheld the Bosphorus to less advantage than on the morning of -our departure from Constantinople; for, as if to lessen our regrets on -leaving it, its shores were concealed by mists formed of small light -rain, which effectually veiled their beauty. As cloud after cloud rolled -by, each succeeded by a denser and darker vapour than its predecessor, -we lost sight of every accustomed object; and, though I flung back the -casement, and turned “a last, long, lingering look” along the channel, I -was unable to distinguish even the most prominent points of view. - -The steam vessel _Ferdinando Primo_, in which we had secured our -passage, was to arrive at Yenikeuÿ at mid-day; and we spent the earlier -hours of the morning with some Greek friends whose summer residence -overhung the stream; and from whose windows we had hitherto been enabled -to see the fairy-like Palace of Beglierbey, and the hill-seated Castle -of Mahomet. But, alas! for our parting associations—the gilded glories -of the Imperial Seraï, and the ancient towers of the Prophet’s Fortress, -were alike invisible; despite the glitter of the one, and the whitewash -which had recently been profusely and provokingly lavished on the -time-tinted walls of the other. - -Onward crept the mist as the day advanced; and at length the opposite -shore became veiled by a vapour so dense that even the little village of -Sultanïè, immediately facing the terrace, disappeared; and nothing was -distinguishable through the darkness save the foamy crests of the waves, -as they were driven onward by the force of the current; and the white -gleam of the seagull’s extended wings, as he dipped his bosom for an -instant in the troubled waters, and then rose, with a wild cry, into the -murky atmosphere. - -It was an hour of tears; and I am not quite sure whether at the moment I -repined that no garish sun shone forth to mock them; while I am -nevertheless certain that a more comfortless sensation never oppressed -me, than that with which I contemplated the approach of the vessel -through the turbid waves; her column of sable smoke lending a deeper -tint to the angry clouds; and her prow dashing aside the current in -streaks of foam. As she lay-to in front of the house, we hurried into -the caïque that was already freighted with our luggage; turned a last -look towards the kind ones who thronged the terrace in despite of the -fast-falling rain; and pushed out into the channel. - -When we reached the packet, we were miserably wet, and had to despatch -our cloaks, shawls, and coats to the engine-room to dry; while our -trunks and portmanteaux were lifted dripping upon the deck, giving the -last touch of discomfort to our embarkation for a long and tedious -voyage. In one respect I was, however, fortunate; as, from being the -only lady on board, (and, indeed, the first who had yet undertaken the -passage) I found myself in possession of a commodious and comfortably -arranged cabin; well fitted with every requisite for lessening the -inconvenience of ship-board. - -In twenty minutes we were off Therapia; and in ten more we entered the -Bay of Buyukdèrè. By the time we reached this point, the fog had -deepened so much as to render it uncertain whether we should be enabled -to leave the Bosphorus until the following morning; a resolution to -which the Russian steamer, the Nicholas I., had already come the more -readily, as she had on board the mother and sister of Madame de -Boutinieff, who were not anxious to tempt the perils of the Black Sea -at so unpropitious a moment. Mr. Ellis, our late Ambassador in Persia, -was also among her passengers; and, like the ladies, he was quietly -preparing for a comfortable dinner at the Russian Palace. - -As we lay alongside, these tidings were communicated by the Captain of -the Nicholas, who naturally endeavoured to induce our own to follow his -example, and remain in the bay until daylight; but the Commander of the -Ferdinand had too much energy to yield to the suggestion; and at seven -o’clock in the evening, the weather having somewhat moderated, he -summoned on board one of his passengers who had delayed his embarkation -until the last moment, and set the steam on; when away we went to the -great chagrin of the rival establishment: leaving behind us two or three -of the deck passengers who had failed to pay attention to the signals -which were made to announce to them our instant departure. - -Our party was a pleasant one. We had a Prussian Baron, tall, serious, -and highly-bred; a German noble, gay, voluble, and _tant soit peu -gourmand_; a Colonel of the Coldstream Guards; an Hungarian Cavalier, -holding a distinguished rank in the Austrian service; a Russian-Greek -Artist, bound on a tour of Italy, and full of enthusiasm both for -himself and his art; the Captain of the Levant Steam-boat, on a survey -of the Danube Navigation; my father, and myself. The deck was crowded -with Turks, Greeks, and Jews; and among the rest by some poor old -Turkish women on their way to Varna; and a couple of pretty young Greek -girls bound for Galatz. - -All went on tolerably well until a couple of hours had elapsed, when one -by one all the party began to disappear. The rude billows of the Black -Sea replaced the comparatively smooth channel of the Bosphorus,—the -light-houses of Fanaraki loomed through the fog,—we were fairly “at -sea,”—and the spray began to fall in showers over the paddle-boxes, -inundating all the shivering Orientals who had spread their mats and -mattresses on that part of the deck. - -I never beheld a more perfect picture of wretchedness than one old -Turkish woman, who, having resisted all the kindly attempts of the -Captain to induce her to change her position, and having been fairly -soaked through by a succession of the heavy seas which we were -constantly shipping, at length permitted herself to be removed, and led -aft to the tiller; where she instantly buried herself among the folds of -the wet awning that had been flung there out of the way, and resigned -herself to her misery. - -[Illustration: Miss Pardoe del. - -Day & Haghe Lith^{rs}. to the King. - - NEAR FANARAKI IN ASIA. - -_Henry Colburn, 13 G^t. Marlborough S^t. 1837._] - -What a night we passed! I thought that it would never end; and what -rueful faces I encountered in the morning, when with some difficulty, -and a great deal of assistance I dragged myself on deck! The wind was -directly in our teeth; and as the vessel rolled from side to side, we -continued to suffer direfully from the violence of the motion. It was an -unspeakable relief when, at half past four in the afternoon, we anchored -off Varna, where we were to land three hundred bags of coffee; and where -Colonel H——, Captain F——, my father, and myself accompanied the -Captain of the Ferdinand on shore, to pay a visit to the Pasha. - -The surf was breaking so violently against the pier that we were for a -few moments undecided as to the most eligible spot on which to -land,—nor was it without difficulty that we ultimately effected our -purpose; and almost immediately on entering the main street of the town, -we encountered Rustem Bey, the Commandant, a fine, intelligent young -Italian Officer in the service of the Porte, who speaks several European -languages, as well as the Turkish, most fluently; and who would ere this -have been created a Pasha, could he have been induced to embrace -Islamism. - -The answer that he is reported to have made when the terms of his -promotion were explained to him, is worthy of record; “I feel all the -honour which I refuse; but I am nevertheless compelled to forego it—I -can dispose of my services, but I am not at liberty to sell my -conscience.” - -Under his guidance we traversed the town, and passed the ruined -citadel, on our way to the Palace of Mustapha Najib Pasha, the present -governor; who was removed from his post at Tripoli, in order to take -possession of this important charge. The Palace is a handsome and -somewhat extensive modern building, commanding, from one of its fronts, -an excellent view of the fortifications; and separated only by a high -wall from the barracks, which are capable of accommodating several -thousand men. - -With an extent of courtesy unusual in the East, Najib Pasha received us -standing; and welcomed us with the cordial _Bouroum_, as he motioned us -to the sofa on which he had himself been sitting. He is a remarkably -animated looking man of about five and forty, with a quick eye, and a -most agreeable smile. He was surrounded by papers; and beside the -chibouk that he had been smoking, lay a small model for mounting guns -upon their carriages. - -The most costly pipes were introduced for the gentlemen, and offered to -myself; and the procession of “blue-coated serving men” was quite -amusing, as they entered with the long chibouk in one hand, and in the -other the little brass dish, in which, as they knelt, they deposited the -bowl of the pipe. Coffee succeeded, and was replaced by raisin sherbet; -and as we shortly afterwards expressed our desire to see the -fortifications, we were instantly offered horses to enable us to ride -round the lines. The gentlemen were thus provided for at once; but, as -I was not prepared for such an excursion, I was about to resign myself -to what I considered an inevitable disappointment, when the Pasha -courteously expressed his regret that he could not provide me with an -European saddle; and begged me to accept his carriage as a substitute. I -gladly availed myself of his kindness; and while the equipage was -preparing, listened with as much surprise as interest to the -conversation with which he beguiled the time. Among other things, he -mentioned his extreme disappointment at the non-receipt from Europe of -some able works on fortification that he had been long expecting; and -expressed his earnest desire to possess models of all the new inventions -tending to perfect the works upon which he was engaged. He inquired -whether he could offer to us any thing that would be acceptable on -board; and even enumerated milk, fruits, and sweetmeats, which he -pressed upon us with an earnestness perfectly demonstrative of his -sincerity. - -On our rising to take leave, he said that he should expect us back to -dinner, and that he would cause it to be prepared against our return; -and he appeared much hurt at our assurance of the impossibility of our -availing ourselves of his hospitality. As we were preparing to make our -parting salutation, he left the room, and moved forward to the head of -the stairs; where he saluted us individually as we passed him, in the -kindest and most gracious manner, wishing us a fortunate voyage, and -assuring us of the pleasure that he had derived from our visit. - -A troop of servants followed us to the door; where we found the -_kavashlir_ of the Pasha stationed on either side the entrance to do us -honour. But a still more agreeable object was the German Britscha drawn -by four gray Tatar horses, which was awaiting me at the Palace gate. The -carriage held forth such goodly promise, that Colonel H—— and Rustem -Bey only were firm in their original purpose of riding round the lines; -the rest of the party immediately being of opinion that they should -prefer a drive. Nor had they any reason to repent the arrangement, for -the spirited little Tatars carried us along at a surprising pace over -all the rough and uneven ground, and through all the ditches of the -neighbourhood, as though they had been cantering across a bowling-green. -The fortifications are proceeding rapidly, and most creditably; five -thousand men are constantly employed on the works, and the number is -occasionally doubled. - -As the evening was closing in ere we regained the town, the scene was -extremely singular. The huts of the Bulgarian labourers, built of -branches, and huddled together in clusters, were revealed by the -camp-fires that blazed up among them, and revealed the flitting figures -of those who were engaged in the culinary preparations of the little -colonies to which they belonged; while the appearance of the carriage -drew to the entrances of their primitive dwellings all the unoccupied -inhabitants of the temporary village. - -Upon its outskirts herds of cattle were to be seen, slowly returning -from their mountain pastures to the vicinity of the town; and driven by -ragged urchins, with sheepskin caps and gaiters. The sun, meanwhile, was -setting gloriously; and the outline of the fortifications cut darkly -against a background of orange and crimson clouds, that stretched far -along the west, and were pillowed upon two dark and stately mountains. -Altogether the scene was one of enchantment; and I believe that there -was not an individual of the party who did not regret the necessity of -exchanging it for the “floating prison” that awaited us on the Euxine: -and which we regained under a heavy swell that rendered our passage from -the shore the very reverse of agreeable. - -During our visit, the deck of the Ferdinand had been nearly cleared of -its passengers; and the poor old Turkish woman whom I have already -mentioned, had, with some difficulty, crawled forth from her awning, -shivering with cold, and looking the very picture of wretchedness. I -had endeavoured in vain during the day to induce her to bathe her hands -and feet with brandy; for she no sooner smelt it than she put it from -her, exclaiming, “Sin—sin;” nor could I prevail on her to follow my -advice. The only thing that she would receive was a cup of coffee, and -on that she seized as a famishing man would have clutched food. It was -really a relief to me when I saw her safely embarked on board the boat -which was to land her at Varna. - -On our departure from Buyukdèrè, we had been half amused and half -annoyed by the efforts of a young Turkish officer, to appear unconcerned -at the rough treatment that we were experiencing from the tempest-chafed -waves of the Black Sea. He sang, he shouted, he tossed his arms above -his head, and yelled forth his _Mashallahs_ at every roll of the vessel; -but ere we had been tossing about many hours, the exulting tones died -away in a querulous treble, which announced that his exultation was -destined to be short-lived; and on the morrow I remarked that he walked -the deck with a step as tremulous as that of a lady; and was one of the -first to make his escape on shore. - -The two little Greek girls who were bound for Galatz were still lying -upon the deck, rolled in their fur pelisses: in that state of hopeless -and resigned misery which is the last stage of seanausea; and when we -retired for the night their young brother was sitting beside them, with -a pale cheek and heavy eyes, as though he, too, had not escaped a -portion of their suffering. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - - - The Danube—Cossack Guard—Moldavian - Musquitoes—Tultzin—Galatz—Plague-Conductors—Prussian - Officer—Excursion to Silistria—Amateur Boatmen—Wretched - Hamlet—The Lame Baron—The Salute—Silistrian Peasants—A - Pic-Nic in the Wilds—The Tortoise—Canoes of the Danube—The - Moldavian State-Barge—Picturesque Boatmen—The Water - Party—Painful Politeness—Visit of the Hospodar—Suite of His - Highness—Princely Panic—The Pannonia. - - -At three o’clock on the following day, we entered the Ghiurchevi mouth -of the Danube, which is only two hundred fathoms in width; and extremely -difficult of access for sailing vessels. The shores at this opening are -low, marshy, and treeless, presenting as desolate an appearance as can -well be conceived; and are only relieved at intervals of about a mile, -by the rude mud huts of the _cordon sanitaire_ of Cossacks, placed along -the Moldavian coast to enforce the quarantaine. The appearance of these -reed-roofed hovels was beyond expression wretched; and the long lances -of the guard, stuck into the earth along the front of the tenement, and -the apparition of a mounted Cossack appearing and disappearing among the -tall reeds which were the solitary produce of the land, were almost -requisite to convince us that they could really be the habitations of -human beings. - -Beside many of these hovels an extraordinary erection attracted our -attention; it consisted of four tall wooden stakes driven into the -ground, and supporting, at about the height of eight feet from the -earth, a small platform of wicker-work, thatched in some two feet -higher; which we ascertained were constructed as sleeping-places, -wherein the unhappy dwellers in the Moldavian marshes took refuge -against the clouds of musquitoes that infest the Danube; and which, -being of immense size, inflict a sting that is far from contemptible. -Fortunately for their human victims, these voracious insects fly low, -never trusting themselves to the current of wind that, as it sweeps -along, might overcome their strength of wing; and thus this solitary -medium of escape from their virulence is adopted all along the river. - -At ten o’clock at night, we arrived off Tultzin, where we remained only -an hour; and then profited by the moonlight to pursue our voyage to -Galatz, which we reached at five in the morning, and anchored beside the -Quarantaine ground; a small space railed off for the exclusive use of -the steam company, and separated from the road leading into the town by -a double palisading of wood about breast-high. - -Here commenced our land miseries! We were looked upon as a society of -plague-conductors, and treated accordingly. Parties of the Galatzians -collected along the outer fence to contemplate the infected ones whose -contact they dreaded; and meanwhile we enjoyed the privilege of walking -up and down an avenue formed of coals on the one side, and tallow packed -into skins on the other. - -We were visited at the palisades by the British and Austrian Consuls; -and by a Prussian gentleman, who, on our arrival at Constantinople, had -been in the service of the Sultan, which he had now exchanged for that -of the Hospodar of Moldavia. We had made his acquaintance at the -Military College, and he had been long on the look-out for us at Galatz. - -He appeared perfectly satisfied with his new speculation, and talked -much of his enjoyment of the liberty of this new locality; a liberty in -which we were unfortunately not permitted to share. And such being the -case, we bade adieu to our friends on the town side of the fence; and, -after having ascertained that the Pannonia steamer, which should have -been on the spot ready to receive us, would not reach Galatz until late -at night, we determined on rowing across to the opposite shore of -Silistria, in order to relieve our _ennui_. - -Bread and wine having been provided, we accordingly prepared for our -excursion; the captain’s gig was lowered; and I had the honour of being -rowed across the Danube by the most aristocratic boat’s crew that had -probably ever “caught crabs” in its muddy waters; all the seamen -belonging to the vessel being employed in lading and unlading -merchandize. - -Nothing could exceed the wretchedness of the little hamlet that was -seated along the edge of a creek, into which we passed when we had -gained the Silistrian side of the river. The low hovels, rudely built of -mud, and roofed with reeds, were lighted by windows of oiled lambskin; -the floors were of earth; and nothing more cheerful than twilight could -penetrate into the single apartment which served for “kitchen, and -parlour, and hall.” Not the slightest attempt at a garden was visible, -though the village stood upon the verge of an extensive wild, stretching -away far as the eye could reach, and covered with redundant, although -stunted, vegetation. The ground-ash, the caper-tree, the gum-cistus, the -wild hollyhock, the flag-reed, and the water-willow were abundant; while -patches of white clover and vetches were scattered about in every -direction. - -As the Baron E—— was lame, and unable to undertake a long walk, he -with some difficulty procured a horse that had just been released from a -waggon, the ragged peasant to whom it belonged not being proof against -the sight of a purse, which was shook before him as the most efficient -language that could be employed to enforce the demand: and, when the -laughing German had mounted the packsaddle, armed with his meerschaum -and cane, and grasped the knotted rope that served as a substitute for a -bridle, he was by no means the least picturesque of the party. - -We had not long pursued the path leading to the village whither we were -bound, when we heard the salute fired at mid-day by the Ferdinand, in -honour of His Highness the Hospodar of Moldavia, who chanced to be -residing temporarily at Galatz; and to whom, as he was particularly -solicitous to facilitate by every means in his power the local -arrangements of the steam-company, they were careful to pay all due -honour; and indeed somewhat more, as they gave him a salute of -one-and-twenty guns, that came booming along the wild through which we -were wandering, and echoing over the waters of the little stream that -bordered it; startling the birds by which the river-willows were -tenanted, and dispelling momently the deep silence of the wide solitude. - -When, after a walk of considerable length, we reached the hamlet that -was the object of our excursion, we excited universal attention and -astonishment among the women and children who crowded the cottage doors, -and who were universally clad in coarse white linen; the females -wearing huge silver earrings, round bracelets of coloured glass, and -rings of every dimension. All were barefooted; and the children, who -huddled together in groups to gaze upon the passing strangers, were -wretched-looking little mortals, with their light hair hanging in -elf-locks about their ears, and their rags fluttering in the breeze. The -hovels were universally built of mud, and roofed with reeds and the long -leaves of the Indian-corn; with chimneys of basket-work. In short, I -never beheld a more thorough demonstration of the fact that human -necessities actually exceed but little those of the inferior animals, -and that the thousand wants which grow up around civilization are merely -factitious. These isolated individuals were scantly and coarsely -clothed; fed almost entirely upon vegetables and the black wheaten -bread, of which the grain was grown in their own gardens; Indian corn -that supplied them at once with food, fuel, and bedding; lodged in -hovels better suited to cattle than to human beings: and yet they were -not merely healthful and happy, but, as I have already noticed, they had -their innocent vanities, and indulged in all the glories of coloured -glass trinkets. - -The only men whom we saw in the hamlet were engaged in packing -water-melons into the wicker bullock-cars destined to convey them to -the market at Galatz; and of some of these we immediately possessed -ourselves. A shawl flung over the tall stems of some flag-reeds, and -propped by a rake, was soon converted into an awning for me, and we made -a most primitive and delicious meal, seated on the fresh grass among the -wild flowers. As we sauntered quietly back to the river-side, we -collected some of the shells that had been driven up the creek by the -river tide; and captured a fine tortoise that was sunning itself on the -turf, which we carried on board; where we returned tolerably fatigued -with our ramble in the wilds of Silistria. - -We were amusing ourselves on deck after dinner by watching the passage -of the canoes which the natives impel by a wooden paddle precisely after -the manner of the Indians, when we observed half a dozen men rushing -down upon a little wooden pier immediately under the stern of the -Ferdinand, where we had previously remarked two gaudy-looking boats, -painted in immense stripes of red and blue. Nor were the group who -sprang into the largest of them less remarkable than the boats -themselves; and we had some difficulty in persuading ourselves that they -were the boatmen of the Prince, and not a party of Tyrolean -ballet-dancers. They wore broad flapped hats, bound by a ribbon of red -and blue, hanging in long ends upon their shoulders, and ornamented in -front by a large M, worked in gold: their shirts and trowsers were of -white, with braces and garters of red and blue; while wide scarlet -sashes, fringed at the extremities, completed their costume. The -Moldavian banner was hastily affixed to the stern of the boat; and then -a party of servants thronged the pier, who were succeeded by a couple of -aides-de-camp, and a grave elderly gentleman in an oriental dress; and -lastly arrived the Princess, a middle-aged, plain-looking person, -attended by three ladies, who were duly cloaked and shawled by the -obsequious aides-de-camp. - -During this process the guns of the Ferdinand were once more prepared; -and the fantastically-clad boatmen had not dipped their oars thrice into -the stream, and Her Highness the Hospodar_ess_ was yet under the stern -of the ship, when bang went the first gun, with a flash and a peal that -somewhat discomposed her nerves; and she raised her arm deprecatingly -towards the Captain, who stood bare-headed near the wheel; but the -gesture was unheeded. - -“She wishes you to desist, Captain Everson;” I remarked, as I detected -the action. - -“Can’t help that, Ma’am;” answered the commander of the Ferdinand: -“she’s the Prince’s wife; and she shall have her thirteen guns, whether -she likes them or not.” - -She “had” them accordingly, and they were fired in excellent style; -while the two boats of the Principality flaunted their party-coloured -glories across to the other shore. I do not know whether Her Highness -anticipated the probability of being compelled to “smell powder” on her -return, as well as on her departure; but it is certain that she did not -land near the Ferdinand when she repassed to the Moldavian side of the -river. - -On the following morning, it was announced to us that His Highness the -Hospodar intended to honour the vessel with a visit; and we were -particularly requested to avoid coming in contact with himself or suite, -lest we might bequeath the plague to his Principality in return for his -politeness. Of course we promised compliance; and as the Pannonia had -not yet made her appearance, we were glad of any excitement to relieve -the tedium of our detention. At eleven o’clock the wretched drums and -fifes of the garrison announced that the Prince was approaching. The -guard at the entrance of the quarantaine ground was turned out; -officers, covered with tags, aiguilettes, and embroidery passed and -repassed the palisade; a crowd of idlers lined the road; the Tyrolean -boatmen were once more at their post; the trading vessels in the port, -which were lading with wheat, had their decks clean washed, and their -colours hoisted.—In short, the harbour of Galatz was in the full -enjoyment of “a sensation,” when the gates of the enclosure were thrown -back, and into the infected space walked His Highness, a little -sandy-haired man, with huge whiskers and mustachioes, perfectly matched -in tint to the enormous pair of golden epaulettes that he wore on a -plain blue frock coat.—On his right stood his Russian Dragoman, covered -with a dozen ribbons, clasps, and medals; who never opened his mouth -without lifting his cap, and uttering “Mon Prince” in an accent of the -most fulsome adulation: and on his left walked his physician, a fine -young man of very gentlemanlike manners and appearance. Immediately -behind him came the Moldavian Minister of the Interior, all furs and -wadded silk; and the procession was closed by a score of Aides-de-camp, -Officers of the Household, and hangers-on. - -The party remained a considerable time in the quarantaine-enclosure ere -they came on board; and I suspect that His Highness began to repent that -he had volunteered so perilous a visit; but as it was too late to -recede, he at length ventured to trust “Caesar and his fortunes” to the -temporary keeping of the Plague-ship; and advancing to the stern of the -vessel where our party were standing, he very graciously expressed his -regret that he could not avail himself, as he should have been delighted -to do, of our presence in the Principality, by claiming us as guests -during our stay, owing to the unhappy prevalence of plague in the -country that we had left. After this he talked very solemnly of the -necessity of strictly observing the quarantaine; made two or three more -bows in a peculiarly ungraceful style; declined the champaigne that had -been prepared for him in the great cabin; and made his exit with -infinitely more alacrity than he had made his entry; only pausing in the -enclosure to lift his hat as the first gun was fired, of the salute -which celebrated his visit. - -When His Highness had departed, and that the last scene of this -Moldavian comedy had been enacted, we had nothing left to do but to walk -the deck, and contemplate the muddiest-looking of all rivers. Unlike the -Pasha of Varna, the Hospodar made no inquiry into our wants and wishes, -and no offer of the local milk and honey that might have tended to -increase our comfort on board; although the Captain of the Ferdinand -sent him a bushel basket of magnificent grapes, which, after they had -been subjected to repeated immersion, were declared to be -non-conductors, and were admitted to _pratique_ accordingly. - -It was not until five o’clock in the afternoon of the second day, that -the Pannonia anchored beside us; and, as she had to take her coals on -board, she could not sail until eight and forty hours after her arrival. -The transfer of passengers did not take place until late on the morrow; -for when the inferiority of her accommodations became apparent, we of -the Ferdinand were in no haste to change our quarters. - -We had left Constantinople in a fine, well-kept ship; where a barrier -was erected which preserved the after-deck from the intrusion of the -inferior passengers: and where the cabins were comfortably fitted up, -and supplied in the most liberal manner with every thing that could -contribute to the convenience of their occupants; and, although we were -quite prepared for less space in the Pannonia, from the fact of her -being merely a river boat, we were by no means satisfied on discovering -the confusion that existed on her decks; where groups of dirty Turks, -and noisy Greeks, were squatted from her funnel to her stern; blocking -up the path of the cabin-passengers, and filling their clothes with -vermin, and their atmosphere with the fumes of bad tobacco; nor the -cheerless discomfort below, where not even a washing-stand had been -provided; and we were suddenly thrown upon our own resources for all -those little comforts, that from the arrangement of the vessel in which -we left the port of Constantinople, we were entitled to expect -throughout the voyage. Thus much for the disarray of the Pannonia; and I -mention it in order to prepare future travellers on the Danube not to be -misled, as we ourselves were by the satisfactory aspect of the -Ferdinand, into a belief that such will continue to gladden them on the -river; while on the other hand I am bound in justice to add that the -table is infinitely better served than that of the first vessel; a fact -that may perhaps compensate to many individuals for the absence of those -personal comforts of which our own party so bitterly felt the want. - -Nor must I omit to make honourable mention of the _artiste_ to whom this -department was confided. An Italian by birth, and a wit by nature, as -well as a cook by profession, we were indebted to him and his guitar for -many a pleasant hour that would otherwise have passed heavily enough. As -the dusk grew into darkness, he used to come upon deck with his -instrument, and sing Neapolitan _buffo_ songs, with a spirit and _gusto_ -that almost convulsed us with laughter. And as we stood about him, -listening to his minstrelsy, and looking on the bright moonlight -silvering along the river-tide, where it was not overshadowed by the -tall trees that fringed the bank beside which we were gliding; and -startling with our somewhat noisy merriment the deep silence of those -scantily-peopled shores; the effect upon my mind was most -extraordinary. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - - - Hirsova—Russian Relics—Town of Silistria—Bravery of the - Turks—Village of Turtuki—Group of Pelicans—Glorious - Sunset—Ruschuk—Cheapness of Provisions—The Wallachian - Coast—Bulgaria—Dense Fog—Orava—Roman Bath—Green - Frogs—Widdin—Kalifet—Scala Glavoda—Custom House - Officers—Disembarkation—Wallachian Mountains—A Landscape - Sketch—Costume of the Servian Peasantry—The Village - Belle—Primitive Carriages—The Porte de Fer—The - Crucifix—Magnificent Scenery—Fine Ores. - - -At half past eleven in the morning we were off Hirsova, where we -embarked some more deck-passengers, greatly to our annoyance and -discomfort. The few straggling villages that we had passed since our -departure from Galatz were of the most wretched description; and Hirsova -itself is in a ruined state, having been besieged and taken by the -Russians after a gallant resistance of fifty days. It is situated in a -gorge between two rocks, and on the lower of the two stand the ruins of -the Turkish fortress, of which only a few crumbling walls and a solitary -buttress now remain. This fortress was unfortunately commanded by the -opposite height on which the Russians threw up fortifications, under -whose cover they kept up an incessant fire upon the town and the fort, -and ultimately destroyed both. Scores of balls are still imbedded in -the bank of the river, and along the shore; and, knowing what I do of -the Turks, I have no doubt that it would be impossible to prevail on -them to touch them, even for the purposes of traffic. - -Wherever the boat stopped, crowds of the peasantry flocked to the edge -of the water, and stood gazing at her in admiring wonder; for, as this -was only her twelfth voyage, their curiosity and astonishment had not -yet subsided. From Hirsova the landscape began to improve on the -Bulgarian side. Groups of trees just touched with the first autumnal -tints; and at intervals a glimpse of higher land in the distance, -relieved the eye. - -At two o’clock in the morning we arrived at Silistria, a small town -surrounded by outworks, and celebrated for the brave resistance of its -garrison of twelve thousand men, to an army of fifty thousand Russians. -A resistance so obstinate, or I should rather say, so heroic, as to -endure for nine long months; and to be terminated only by the utter -destruction of the town, and the partial demolition of its defences. -Ruin still cowers among its desolate dwellings, and Silistria is now -peopled only by three thousand inhabitants; but it has earned for itself -a place in the page of history, which could not be more worthily filled -up. - -At half past two in the afternoon we were off Turtuki; a very extensive -village, presenting a most singular appearance; almost every cottage -having a large haystack within the little garden fence, as large as the -dwelling itself; and many of the cottages being hollowed in the rock; -while strings of red capsicums wreathed most of the doorways, and gave a -holyday aspect to the scene. A numerous population thronged the shore -and the streets, who only paused in their several occupations for a -moment as we passed, to watch our progress; and then resumed their -primitive occupation of reed-thatching the cottages, or driving forth -their cattle to the high lands in search of pasturage. - -Such herds of horses, oxen, buffaloes, and pigs; such flocks of goats -and sheep, as are scattered along the whole of the Bulgarian shore, I -never saw in my life! The land in the immediate vicinity of Turtuki was -highly cultivated, and abounded in corn-fields and vineyards; giving -evidence of much greater energy and industry in its peasantry than any -locality that we had yet witnessed. About half a mile above the village -a row of water-mills, six in number, were moored across the current; -each mill was supported on two floating barges of very curious -construction, and as they were all at work they presented a singular -appearance. - -Shortly after we had passed Turtuki, we saw about twenty pelicans -congregated on a bar of sand which projected into the river. And during -the day we remarked several eagles on the wing; and numbers of the -beautiful white aigrette herons, whose gleaming plumage glistened in the -sunshine. - -I never beheld a more glorious sunset than on this evening. We had -passed several wooded islands, fringed with river-willows, and forming -points of view that almost appeared to have been artificially produced; -and we were just sailing past one of these, when the sun disappeared -behind the high land by which it was backed, and shed over the sky tints -so richly and so deeply marked, as to make the river-ripple sparkle like -liquid gems; and to give to the stream the appearance of diluted -amethysts and topaz. At this moment a sudden bend in the Danube brought -us beneath a rock crowned with the crumbling ruins of a Genoese castle, -at whose base a flock of goats were browsing on the green underwood that -clothed its fissures. Nothing more was requisite to complete the beauty -of the picture; and from this moment we all began to entertain hopes of -an improvement in the aspect of the country through which we had yet to -pass. - -The next town we reached was Ruschuk, which is of considerable extent, -walled, and surrounded by a ditch. It contains only three thousand -inhabitants, though it formerly boasted thirty thousand, but exhibits no -symptom of that desolation we had remarked in several other towns on -the river. It possesses nine mosques; and its main street is wider and -more carefully paved than any in Constantinople. Its principal trade is -in salt from Olenitza, sugar, iron, and manufactured goods; its exports -are livestock, grain, wool, and timber; and its industry comprises -sail-making by the women, and boat-building by the men. - -The extreme cheapness of food at Ruschuk struck me so much that I took -some pains to ascertain the price of the most common articles of -consumption; and I subjoin the result of my inquiries as a positive -curiosity. Eggs were two hundred for a shilling—fowls were considered -exorbitant; and the high value which they constantly maintained was -accounted for by the fact that the market of Constantinople was in a -great degree supplied from thence; they were twopence each—ducks and -geese, from the same cause, cost two pence halfpenny; turkeys averaged -tenpence, being a favourite food with the Orientals; beef three -halfpence the oke, of two pounds and three quarters; mutton the same -price—the wine of the country one piastre the quart—grapes a halfpenny -the oke; melons and pasteks of immense size, three farthings each; bread -equally cheap, but bad. - -Shortly after leaving Ruschuk, I was amused for a considerable time in -watching some cormorants that were diving for fish; while every sand in -the shallows of the river was covered with hundreds of blue plover. Wild -ducks and geese also flew past the vessel in clouds; and we purchased -small sturgeon and sword-fish from a boat with which we came in contact. - -The Wallachian coast still continued to present one swampy and -uninteresting flat, save at distant intervals, when a scattered and -treeless village, built upon the slope of a slight rise, broke for an -instant upon its tame monotony. But Bulgaria grew in beauty as we -approached its boundary. Noble hills, well clothed with trees gay in all -the rainbow tints of autumn, and contrasting the deep rich umber hues of -the fading beech, and the bright yellow of the withering walnut, with -the gay red garlands of the wild vine, which flung its ruby-coloured -wreaths from tree to tree, linking them together in one glowing -wreath—Snug little villages, with each its tiny fleet of fishing-boats, -and its sandy shore covered with groups of gazers; the better classes -clad after the Asiatic fashion—the men wearing their turbans large and -gracefully arranged, and the women suffering the yashmac to hang nearly -to their feet above the dark feridjhe; and the poorer among them clad in -shapeless woollen garments, and high caps of black sheep skin—Herds of -horses bounding over the hills in all the graceful hilarity of -freedom—Droves of buffaloes lying in the deep mud of the river, -basking in the sunshine—Vineyards overshadowed by fruit trees; Fields -neatly fenced from the waste, and rich with vegetables and grain, in -turn varied the prospect; nor had we wearied of the scene when, at two -o’clock, P.M., we arrived at Sistoff, a small, but flourishing town; -with the ruin of an old castle perched on a height immediately above it. -Here, greatly to our satisfaction, we landed most of our deck -passengers; and a little after seven in the evening we found ourselves -abreast of Nicopolis; but owing to the darkness we could only trace the -outline of the town as it cut against the horizon, and discovered that -it was tolerably extensive, and surrounded by high bluff lands. - -Having been detained several hours by the fog, which was extremely dense -at daybreak, we did not reach Orava until near mid-day. This town, which -was destroyed by the Russians during the reign of Catherine, appears to -be of considerable extent; but is only partially fortified. It possesses -five or six mosques, some of which are scarcely visible from the river, -owing to the very high land that intervenes between a portion of the -town and the shore. The ruins of an old castle on the summit of a rock, -and of a Roman bath on the water’s edge, give a picturesque effect to -the locality. Some hours later we anchored on the Wallachian side to -take in coals, which were obtained from Hungary, and said to be of very -excellent quality; the little enclosure that contained them was situated -close to one of the sanatory stations, and we were not permitted to -approach within a hundred yards of the white-coated Wallachians. We -revenged ourselves, however, by wandering over the plain, gathering wild -flowers and blackberries; and giving chase to some of the most beautiful -little green frogs that ever were seen—they looked like leaping leaves! -Eight pelicans passed us on the wing during the day. - -Another dense fog prevented our progress after seven in the evening, as -the pilot refused to incur the responsibility of the vessel; and we -accordingly anchored until three o’clock the following morning, when we -started again in a bright flood of moonlight; and in about four hours we -arrived opposite to Widdin, where we anchored. It is a large and -handsome town, strongly fortified with a double line of works of great -importance. The fortifications are in good order, and extend, as we are -told, about twelve hundred yards along the bank of the river; while the -lines on the landward side are kept with equal care, and are of similar -extent. The walls are protected by four strong bastions; and the guns -are all said to be in an efficient state. The Pasha’s Palace, based on -the outer walls, looks as bleak and comfortless as a barrack; but its -windows command a noble view of the river. The minarets of twelve or -fourteen mosques relieve the outline of the picture; and, immediately -opposite, on the Wallachian side, stands the low, flat, rambling town of -Kalefat, whence the country assumes a new and more interesting -character. A graceful curve in the river carried us past the quarantaine -establishment; a group of wretched buildings erected close to the -water’s edge, and enclosed within a rude wooden paling, backed by a -lofty cliff that runs far along the shore, riven into a thousand -fantastic shapes; while here and there we had distant glimpses of -cultivated valleys and wooded hills. - -The aspect of the country improved throughout the whole day; abrupt and -precipitous heights, wooded to the very summits—stretches of corn and -pasture land—multitudinous herds of cattle—and laughing plains, gay -with grass and wild flowers, flitted rapidly by; while the bold -cloud-crested mountains above Orsoru formed a noble background to the -picture. At noon we were abreast of Florentin, the last Bulgarian -village on the bank of the river; and decidedly the most picturesque -locality on the Lower Danube. The hamlet was nestled beneath a rock, -three of whose sides were washed by the river, while the fourth was -protected by a deep ditch; and the tall, bluff, perpendicular rock -itself was crowned by a Gothic castle, whose gray outline, apparently -nearly perfect, cut sharply against the sky; and completed a tableau so -strikingly beautiful as to elicit an universal exclamation of delight. - -We ran past Scala Glavoda in the night, from which circumstance I lost -the opportunity of seeing Trajan’s Bridge, whose arches may be -distinguished beneath the level of the water; and at midnight we -anchored at a straggling village about half a league above it. Here we -took leave of the Pannonia; and, as the river is not navigable for a -considerable distance for any thing but flat-bottomed boats, whose -wearisome course against the current is secured by the assistance of -oxen, who tow them lazily on their way; we were obliged to proceed to -Orsova by land. Custom-house officers came on board to examine the -merchandize with which the vessel was freighted, but they did not -interfere with the luggage of the passengers; and, as soon as -bullock-cars had been secured, we despatched our packages on shore, -whither we shortly followed them. - -On the opposite shore rose the mountains of Wallachia, just touched upon -their summits with the brilliant tints of the newly-risen sun, and -clothed with many-coloured foliage. The hills, beside which we had -passed during the previous day, had closed upon us in the rear; and the -chain which terminates in the _Porte de Fer_, or Iron Door, a bar of -rock that nearly traverses the Danube, and over which its waters toss -and boil in impotent violence, shut in the forward view. - -In the bottom of the gorge ran the river, whence arose the column of -steam escaping from the chimney of the Pannonia; and the Servian shore -was scattered over with the multifarious properties of the passengers. -The village ran along the bank of the river, and consisted of log huts, -most ingeniously constructed, lined with a cement formed of clay, and -thatched, like those in Bulgaria, with reeds, and the straw of the -Indian corn; interspersed with small tenements of wicker-work raised on -poles, and serving as store-houses for fruits and grain. - -The difference of costume between the peasantry of Servia and those of -the adjoining country, was remarkably striking. The men had added a wide -sash of rich scarlet to the dress of the Bulgarians, and wore their -woollen greaves, and the sleeves of their shirts worked with -dark-coloured worsteds; while the women were attired in the most -singular manner that can well be imagined. They universally retained the -wrapping-dress of white linen that we had remarked all along this shore -of the Danube; but above it they had placed a couple of aprons of thick -woollen stuff, striped or checked with dark blue; one of which they wore -before, and the other behind, leaving the linen garment uncovered on -either side to the waist; but their head-gear was yet more -extraordinary, and, at the same time, singularly picturesque. - -The younger among them wore their hair confined by a simple band across -the forehead; to which were attached branches of bright-coloured -flowers, such as marigolds, hollyhocks, and the blossoms of the scarlet -bean; intermixed with strings of small silver coin, in greater or less -quantities. I remarked that even the youngest of the girls, children of -five and six years of age, were thus decorated; some of them not -possessing, however, more than half a dozen little para pieces; and as -each of these girls was twirling her distaff with all the gravity of a -matron, I imagine that, precisely as the Asiatics accumulate strings of -pearl by the slow produce of their industry, so, in like manner, the -female peasantry of Servia increase their ornaments through the medium -of their own individual exertions; and I was the more confirmed in this -opinion, by observing that in every instance save one, the number of -coins worn upon the head appeared to preserve an equal proportion with -the years of the wearer. - -The exception to which I allude was on the person of a young girl of -about seventeen, from whose braided tresses coins of considerable size -fell in every direction nearly to her waist; while her throat was -encircled by a succession of the same ungraceful ornaments, descending -like scale-armour low upon her bosom. There was an elastic spring in her -movements, as her small naked feet pressed the sandy path; and an -expression bordering upon haughtiness in her large dark eyes, which -betrayed the daughter of the village chief. I would peril the value of -every coin she wore that I read her fortune aright! - -The elder women wore linen cloths bound about their heads with a grace -which would have suited the draping of a statue; the long ends of the -scarf being secured behind the ear, and forming deep folds that looked, -at a short distance, as though they were hewn in marble; and above this -drapery, rows of coins were disposed, helmet-wise, in such profusion -that, as the sunlight glanced upon them, they were perfectly dazzling. -Nor did the matrons dispense with the gaudy knots of flowers so general -among their younger countrywomen; and the gay effect of a group of -Servian females may consequently be imagined. Some among them were -tolerably pretty; nearly all had fine bright black eyes, and they were -universally erect and finely made; with a step and carriage at once firm -and graceful. - -Ranged along the road stood the line of bullock-waggons, intended for -the transport of our luggage; and beside them a nondescript carriage of -wicker-work drawn by two gray horses, for the accommodation of such of -the party as preferred driving to walking. We were, however, some time -before we were fairly _en route_; and still longer before any one felt -inclined to forego the pleasure of wandering through the long grass that -bordered the edge of the plain, through which wound the road leading to -Orsova. - -For a brief interval we lost sight of the river, and continued to -advance along the rude path, scaring the wild birds from their -resting-places among the stunted branches of the dwarf oaks and beeches -that clothed it; or thredding along the boundaries of the wide patches -of Indian corn which had been redeemed from the waste. But as the day -advanced, the heat became so great as to render any further progress on -foot too fatiguing to be pleasurable; and four of our party accordingly -taking possession of the carriage, we started at a brisk pace along the -smooth and easy road; and after a precipitous descent, down which the -horses galloped at a pace infinitely more speedy than safe, we found -ourselves once more on the shore of the Danube, where it is separated in -the centre by a long bar of sand, terminating in a small island of rock, -now cumbered with the remnants of a ruined fortress. - -Twenty minutes more brought us to the _Porte de Fer_; which does not, -however, extend all across the river, as there is a sufficient width of -sand left free of all rock, on the Servian side, to render the formation -of a canal sufficiently extensive to ensure the safe passage of -moderately sized vessels extremely easy. Nothing in nature can be more -lovely than the landscape at this point of the river; it is shut in on -all sides by majestic rocks overgrown with forest trees; and tenanted by -the wild boar, the wolf, and the bear. Eagles soar above their -pinnacles; and singing birds make the air vocal at their base; while -beneath them rushes the chafed and angry river, foaming and roaring over -the line of rock that impedes the accustomed onward flow of its waters. - -Another turn in the road, and the Danube is hidden from view by a wooded -strip of land, which has forced a portion of the river from its natural -channel, as if to accompany the traveller upon his way, as he follows -the chain of rock along a road so narrow, that there is not half a foot -of earth between the wheels of the carriage and the edge of the bank -that is washed by the little stream; while delicious glimpses of the -Danube are occasionally visible between the trunks of the tall trees -that fringe the intervening islet. - -About a quarter of a mile onward stands a Crucifix; the first symbol -that we had yet remarked of Christianity; and which we hailed as the -parched desert-wanderer welcomes the spring whereat he slakes his -long-endured and withering thirst. It was erected beneath the shadow of -a fine old beech tree; and immediately beside a crazy bridge flung -across the channel of a mountain torrent. The scene increased in beauty -as we proceeded. The great variety of tint among the forest foliage -heightened the effect of the landscape; and I have rarely, if ever, seen -a more gorgeous locality than that through which we travelled to Orsova. -Nature had poured forth her treasures with an unsparing liberality; and -every mountain-glen was a spot that a painter would have loved to look -upon. - -We passed through one straggling village, built like that at which we -had landed, of timber and mud, where we stopped for a few moments to -procure a glass of water; and I was agreeably impressed by the eager -courtesy with which the request was met. A portion of the road proving -too steep to enable the horses to drag us to the summit of the rise -along which we had to pass, we descended from the carriage, and pursued -our way on foot; when we were much struck by the appearance of the soil, -impregnated as it was so strongly with metallic particles, that it had -the appearance of diamond dust. I collected several specimens of ore -that were truly beautiful; and I have no doubt, even from my own very -slight geological knowledge, that a scientific person might find ample -employment within a couple of miles of Orsova for at least as many -months. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - - - Orsova—Castle of the Pass—Turkish Guard—Quarantaine - Ground—Village of Tekia—Awkward Mistake—Pretty Woman—Gay - Dress—A Visiter—Servian Cottagers—A Discovery—Departure—A - Volunteer—Receiving House—A Forced March—The Grave-Yard—The - Quarantaine—A Welcome to Captivity—A Verbal Coinage—Pleasant - Quarters—M. le Directeur—The Restaurant—Pleasant - Announcement—Paternal Care of the Austrian Authorities—The - Health-Inventory—The Guardsman’s Sword—Medical - Visits—Intellectual Amusements—A Friendly Warning. - - -We reached Orsova after a drive of about three hours; and passed through -the court of the castle that guards the pass on the Servian side, and -which must have been of great strength when in repair. A buttressed -tower, perforated from its base to its summit with loop-holes for -musketry, occupies the side of the hill immediately above the fort; and -the site of this stronghold is so cunningly chosen, that it is invisible -from the Viennese side of the river until you come close upon it, owing -to its being built in a gorge between two boldly-projecting rocks. A -couple of Turks, armed to the teeth, were lounging at the outer gate, -who uttered a courteous “Bouroum” as we passed the archway; while a -man, stationed on the roof of the tower, gave out a wild shrill cry, -evidently intended as a signal. - -The town and fortress of Orsova occupy an island of considerable length, -and have a very picturesque appearance; the gleaming minaret of the -solitary mosque cutting against the party-coloured foliage that clothes -the hills by which it is overshadowed; and the castellated and -buttressed wall of the town reflecting itself in the river-tide. Much of -this wall is now in ruin, although it may still be traced entirely along -the bank. The island was fortified by the Austrians, but was afterwards -ceded to the Turks, together with the fortress of Belgrade by the -Emperor Leopold. - -From this point we could distinguish the Quarantaine establishment, -niched in at the foot of the Banût mountains, and distant from the town -of Alt Orsova about a mile. But we were obliged to overshoot it by -nearly half a league, from the fact of there being no boats for hire -until we reached the village of Tekia, situated by the river side, -whence the embarkations of the “condemned” universally take place. - -As we had considerably out-travelled our companions who had remained -with the luggage-waggons, we resolved to await them here; and, the -gentlemen having discovered what they supposed to be a coffee-kiosk, I -gladly availed myself of the cool, clean apartment to which they -summoned me; and the more readily that I was welcomed on the threshold -by one of the prettiest women imaginable. She must have been about -eighteen; and she had all the bloom of youth, combined with all the -grace of womanhood. - -I have already remarked on the erect carriage of the Servian females; -and our new acquaintance was no exception from the rest of her -countrywomen. Her eyes and hair were dazzlingly dark and bright; and she -had a lovely glow upon her cheek that told a tale of health and -happiness. Her rich tresses were wound about her head above a small -Smyrniote fèz, with a falling tassel of purple silk; and the smooth -braids that pressed her fair young brow were partly shrouded beneath a -painted muslin handkerchief. Her dress of violet silk was made precisely -like those of the Constantinopolitan Jewesses, and girt about the waist -by a girdle of pale yellow; and above it she wore a scarf of pink muslin -embroidered with gold, crossed upon her bosom; and a jacket of wadded -green sarsenet with wide sleeves; stockings she had none, but her feet -were shrouded in purple slippers; and altogether she was as pleasant a -specimen of Servian beauty as the eye could desire to look upon. - -As we were self-deluded into the conviction that we were in a -coffee-kiosk, and as we were suffering severely from heat and thirst, -we unhesitatingly ordered coffee and wine, which were instantly brought; -and to which our pretty hostess added sweetmeats and water, presented by -herself with a blush and a smile that quite verified the sentiment of -the old song, which says: - - “If woman be but fair, - She has the gift to know it.” - -We were shortly joined by an important-looking personage, clad in a -richly-furred and embroidered jacket and greaves of bright scarlet: who -seated himself in the midst of us, called for wine, replenished his -pipe, and made himself so thoroughly at home, that when the pretty -hostess chanced to leave the kiosk, we inquired whether she were his -daughter: expressing at the same time our admiration of her beauty. It -was not without some surprise that we learnt from the plain middle-aged -individual to whom we addressed ourselves, that the young beauty was his -wife; and moreover the adopted daughter of Prince Milosch, who had -bestowed her upon him in marriage, as a mark of his peculiar regard. He -did not appear in the least annoyed by the glances of unequivocal -admiration which the gentlemen, who had so long inhabited a land of -lattices and yashmacs, could not refrain from turning on her as she -moved among them busied in the offices of hospitality; but appeared to -treat her rather as a spoiled child, than as the partner of his -fortunes. - -A tour of the village being proposed by one of the party, we started on -an exploring expedition; but met with nothing particularly interesting. -The peasantry were remarkably respectful and courteous, every one rising -as we approached their cottage door, and saluting us with a smile of -perfect good-humour; while we won the hearts of the mothers by dividing -among the numerous children who were sporting on all sides, a collection -of copper coins made during the journey, of which we knew neither the -names nor the value. They were a plain race, coarsely formed, and -universally disfigured by feet of an unwieldly size; but, nevertheless, -the women all carried themselves like empresses; and their glittering -head-dresses, and large silver earrings, rendered their appearance -almost attractive. - -When the rest of our caravan arrived, we discovered the error into which -we had been betrayed by our ignorance of the locality; being informed by -the agent who had accompanied us from Scala Glavoda, in order to deliver -us up to the quarantaine authorities, that we were the guests of the -chief man of the village; to whom it was utterly impossible that we -could offer any remuneration for all the trouble that we had given in -his house. Such being the case, we could only overwhelm him with -acknowledgements and compliments; with which he was so well satisfied, -that he declared his intention of accompanying us down the river as far -as the station at which we were to land, in order to proceed on foot to -our temporary prison. - -When the large flat-bottomed barge in which we were to be conveyed -thither, was freighted with our packages, and that we were about to push -off, we were detained for an instant by the declaration of the little -Servian beauty that she had determined to be of the party; and on board -she accordingly came, having flung over her house-costume a magnificent -pelisse of grey cloth, edged with sable, and worked with gold. - -In half an hour we reached a long wooden shed, built as a receiving -house for the quarantaine; and here we were detained until our patience -was fairly outworn, and that our hunger had become positively painful. A -double partition of wood parted us from the authorities, who graciously -welcomed us to the horrors of incarceration; and we were obliged to seat -ourselves on the luggage, and await the arrival of the bullock-carriages -that were to convey our travelling-gear to its destination. - -All was at last accomplished; and after taking leave of our pretty -Servian companion, who laughed heartily at my pressing invitation to her -to share our imprisonment; we followed the train of waggons; the rear -of the party being brought up by an Austrian soldier, armed with a -loaded musket, and a fixed bayonet. We were, however, in no mood to -yield to gloomy ideas or feelings. We had a blue sky above us, a fine -turf beneath our feet, and the prospect of another half hour of -comparative liberty; and we were straggling gaily about the plain, -laughing and speculating on our approaching imprisonment, when we were -called to order by the guard; and compelled to keep to the high road, -lest we should contaminate the grass and thistles among which we were -wandering. - -Before we reached the quarantaine-ground, we passed the grave-yard -destined to receive those who die of plague during their incarceration. -It was closely fenced; and rendered still more gloomy by a tall -crucifix, painted red, and supporting a most revolting effigy of Our -Lord. - -On ringing a bell the great gates of the establishment were flung -“hospitably” back, and we were requested to allow the waggons to enter -before us, lest we should contaminate the oxen by our contact; and, -after passing through a couple of walled yards, surrounded by warehouses -for receiving merchandize, we entered a third enclosure wherein we were -met by the governor and surgeon; who, keeping at a respectful distance, -invited us to enter a dark, whitewashed, iron-grated cell, in order to -have our passports examined. - -A wooden lattice separated us from our new hosts; and the peasant who -had conducted us from the river side, stood in front of a small opening -made for the purpose, and held at arm’s length the papers which were -demanded. Much bowing and scraping ensued between M. le Directeur, the -foreign Noblemen, and the Hungarian Chevalier; and we had reason to -congratulate ourselves on their companionship, as it produced a visible -increase of courtesy on the part of the local authorities: a courtesy -which did not, however, exempt us from the “locks, bolts, and bars” of -the Lazaretto. As I was only the second lady who had been unfortunate -enough to come under his keeping, the Governor very politely resolved to -commence his arrangements by providing me with as good a cell as he had -then vacant—not that he called the space into which he was about to -consign me, a _cachot_—by no means—the word “cell” being somewhat -grating, another term has been invented; and the dens of the Lazaretto -of Orsova are designated _colleves_, which signifies—nothing. - -But before we could take possession of our prison, another gate had yet -to be unlocked; which admitted us into a large space enclosed within a -high wall, and containing the _élite_ of the accommodations. The cells, -like those of a madhouse in Turkey, were built round the four sides of a -garden; and each had a small entrance-court, paved with stone. As none -of the buildings were capacious enough to contain our whole party, it -was at length arranged that five of us should take one of them, in which -we might make such arrangements as we preferred; and that the three -others should be accommodated as near to us as possible. Upon which -understanding M. le Directeur, a plump, good-natured-looking little old -man, with a bit of soiled red ribbon displayed in the button-hole of a -threadbare gray frock-coat, a ruffled shirt, and the funniest of all -forage-caps, led the way to cell, or I should rather say _colleve_, No. -2: and when one of his followers had unlocked the yellow and black gate -of the court, he bowed ceremoniously to me, as he pointed to two -melancholy-looking trees, which had contrived to exist amid the rude -paving, and exclaimed with a tone and gesture perfectly dramatic: -“_Soyez la bien-venue, Madame; voyez les beaux arbres que vous avez!_” - -It was extremely fortunate that the day chanced to be one of cloudless -sunshine, and that we consequently saw every thing under its most -favourable aspect; for there was nothing particularly exhilarating in -the interior of the buildings. Windows both barred and grated; walls -whitewashed and weather-stained; chairs, tables, and sofa all of wood, -which is a “nonconductor,” and whitewashed like the walls; were the only -objects that met our eyes. But as we were all both tired and hungry, we -welcomed even these; and only begged to learn where we must address -ourselves, in order to procure some food with as little delay as -possible. - -This brought us to the second feature of our position; for a window -whose shutter was padlocked up, was unfastened; a bell was rung, and at -a casement grated like our own appeared the Restaurateur of the -Lazaretto to receive his instructions. Dinner was instantly ordered; -bread and wine were speedily procured; and we were waited upon by a very -gaily-dressed, conceited individual, who announced himself to be “our -keeper;” a piece of intelligence which once more carried back my -thoughts to the _Timerhazès_, or madhouses of Constantinople; and I -began half to apprehend that we had indeed intruded into one of those -melancholy establishments. At five o’clock we were furnished with a very -bad dinner; bedding was brought in; and at sunset we were locked up. - -On the morrow we were somewhat disconcerted to learn that the court of -the _colleve_ was to be our boundary during the ten days of our -imprisonment; and our officious “keeper” very carefully locked the gate -every time that he thought proper to make his escape. But this was a -trifling annoyance to that by which it was succeeded; and which -consisted of an announcement that at mid-day the Surgeon of the -Lazaretto, and the Examining Officer, would visit us, in order to take -an inventory of every thing in our possession. Each trunk, portmanteau, -and basket was to be unpacked; in short, we were even to declare the -contents of our purses! - -We were already aware that the Austrian was the most paternal of all -Governments; taking an interest in the private affairs, not only of its -own subjects, but also in those of strangers; yet I confess that for -such a proceeding as the present we were totally unprepared. - -There was, however, no remedy: and the “secret recesses” of every -package were laid bare before the “authorities.” The reason given for -this inconvenient and revolting stretch of power, is the desire of the -Government that, in the event of a decease, the friends of the dead -person may receive every part of his property upon demand; the inventory -held by the proper officers effectually preventing the keeper of the -_colleve_ from plundering the trunks; but certain little circumstances -which we remarked during the investigation rather tended to weaken our -faith in the disinterestedness of the arrangement. - -When the possession of any Turkish article was mentioned, there was a -visible excitement. Even a lantern exhibited by my father was entered on -the list; and the number of chibouk-tubes, of tobacco purses, and other -trifles, which could have been of no value to the survivors of a -deceased person, were registered with equal exactness. - -In my own case they were peculiarly inquisitive; counting my rings, and -recording my bracelets and necklaces. Not a pocket-handkerchief, nor a -waist-ribbon escaped; and I was more than once asked if I had really -exhibited the whole of my wardrobe. My books and drawings were seized -without ceremony, and carried off to be examined by the proper officer; -and the worthy functionaries at length departed in full possession of -all which related to our peripatetic properties. - -It required a couple of hours to soften down the “chafed humours” of the -gentlemen of the party; which were not rendered more gentle by the -demand of the keeper, that they should deliver up all their arms, of -whatever description they might be; on the understanding that they were -to be restored to them on the day of their own delivery. But the request -did not meet with the ready acquiescence which had been anticipated. -Colonel——had travelled with the whole of his uniform; and when our -attendant advanced to lay sacrilegious hands upon his sword, which was -hanging over a chair, all the quick sense of honour of the British -soldier was roused at once; and, as the indignant blood rushed to his -brow, he vowed that he would fell to the earth the first man who dared -to meddle with his side-arms. In vain did the keeper insist, and the -Chevalier explain; the English heart beat too high to heed either the -one, or the other: and the pistol-laden functionary was obliged to -depart without the sword of the gallant Guardsman. Of course he made his -report to the Governor; but the worthy little old gentleman had too much -good sense to persist in the demand; and no allusion was afterwards made -to the subject. - -Twice each day we were visited by the medical officer, who just popped -his head in at the door, and smiled forth: “Ah! quite well, quite well, -I see—impossible to be better—good morning,” and away he went, without -affording us time to complain had we been so inclined. M. le Directeur -also paid us several visits, always carefully pointing his cane before -him, as a warning to us not to approach him too closely: and never -failing to commence the conversation by the ejaculation of, “_Madame, je -vous salue—ha! les beaux arbres que vous avez!_” It was really worse -than ludicrous. - -As a signal mark of favour, we were occasionally permitted to walk, -under the charge of the keeper, from the gate of our own -_colleve_-court to that of our friends, and to receive their visits in -return, when we had always a very laughable interview; the incarcerated -individuals amusing themselves by rocking to and fro behind the bars of -their prison-gates, and roaring like wild beasts in a menagerie. - -There are two descriptions of persons to whom I would particularly -recommend an avoidance of the Quarantaine at Orsova—The _ennuyé_ and -the _bon vivant_. For the first there is no refuge save sleep, and the -few doggrel attempts at poetry which may be partially traced through the -whitewash; the outpourings of an impatient spirit weary of its thrall; -with the occasional society of the “keeper,” who is as cold and as -impracticable as his own keys. The very books of which the wanderer has -made his travelling companions; and some of which would bear a second -perusal, at all events in a quarantaine cell, are carried off and sealed -up, as though every volume were redolent of high treason; and he is left -to his own resources as ruthlessly as if he were indeed “the last man;” -and that he had done with the world, and the world with him. - -To the second I need only hint that the _restaurant_ is a Government -monopoly, where you are provided for at a fixed sum per day; and fed -upon whatever it may please the Comptroller of the Kitchen to serve up. -Nor can you procure any wine save the sour and unpalatable _vin du -pays_, however liberally you may be disposed to pay for it. - -Those travellers are fortunate who, like ourselves, can meet the -captivity of quarantaine with pleasant companions, light hearts, and -unfailing spirits; finding food for mirth in their very miseries; and -forgetting the annoyance of present detention in the anticipation of -future freedom. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - - - The Last Day of Captivity—Quarantaine Enclosure—Baths of - Mahadia—Landscape Scenery—Peasantry of Hungary—Their - Costume—Trajan’s Road—Hungarian Village—The Mountain - Pass—The Baths—A Disappointment—The Health-Inventory—Inland - Journey—New Road. - - -The last day of our captivity was the most tedious portion of the whole, -for the prospect of speedy emancipation kept us in a constant state of -irritation. Our luggage was collected and arranged with a haste which by -no means added to its comfort or convenience, and which only left us an -additional hour of unoccupied restlessness; while the servants were -urged to a continual commotion that robbed us even of the tranquillity -which might have made our prison-house somewhat more endurable. - -The morning of the fifteenth of October was that of our release. We were -all ready to depart at daybreak; and after the necessary ceremonies had -been gone through, we assembled in a large grassy space, bounded on one -side by the Danube, and skirted on the other by the Quarantaine -buildings. This enclosure was crowded with oxen, waggons, and bales of -merchandize; and about fifty peasants were employed in lading such -goods as were admitted to _pratique_, after their period of purification -had been accomplished. Here we also found carriages for hire, two of -which we immediately engaged to convey some of our party to the -celebrated Baths of Mahadia; which, being situated off our road, we were -anxious to reach as speedily as possible, in order to enable us to -secure our passage on board the Steam Packet, that was to leave Drinkova -at daybreak the following morning. - -Three of the party accordingly took possession of a Calèche, drawn by a -trio of wiry-looking little chesnut ponies, harnessed in the most -inartificial way in the world, with bridles, traces, and reins of stout -cord; while the others mounted one of the country waggons, filled with -hay, and dragged by a couple of wild-looking horses. - -Never was there a more sincere exhibition of self-gratulation than that -with which we passed the boundary gate of the Quarantaine ground; and -found ourselves beside the tall stone cross that is erected on its -outskirt, as if to claim the thanksgiving of the newly-liberated. We had -majestic hills rising before, and beside us, clothed with forest-timber, -now rich in the thousand hues of autumn—The river-tide running -rippling—would, for the sake of my landscape sketch, that I could say -_sparkling_—in the sunshine; but, alas! the lordly Danube throughout -its entire length looks like diluted dirt; and the beam must be full and -fierce indeed which can lend a brightness to its waters.—The vapours -that had during the night been pillowed on the hill-tops, or had -cinctured them with a fleecy girdle, were just beginning to roll back -beneath the influence of the sun, which was rising like a golden globe -into a horizon of the faintest pink; and as the halo widened round its -disk, deepening the clouds to amber. - -The hardy Hungarian peasantry were all astir; and very picturesque they -looked as they drove forth their flocks to the green and goodly pastures -on the mountain-side; or yoked the docile oxen to their light waggons of -wicker-work, which resemble huge baskets raised on wheels. To us -everything was delightful; for like long-caged birds suddenly set free, -we were pruning our wings for a fresh flight. Ten days of happiness go -by like an Eastern twilight, or the down of the thistle; but ten days of -Quarantaine—ten days of wood and whitewash—of locks and bolts—of -walls and weariness!—No one who has not passed ten days in a _colleve_, -and its narrow court can understand all the delight of the first bound -back to freedom. - -There is one of Sir Walter Scott’s ballads which from my earliest -girlhood I have always loved; it first touched my heart by its -plaintiveness, but in the quarantaine of Orsovar I learned to value it -still more for its surpassing nature—its masterly delineation of the -feelings of the human mind under captivity; the captivity, not of -despair, but of impatience—the wail of the bounding spirit held -back—and often, very often, as I paced up and down the paved court of -our plague-prison, did I murmur out my own irritation in the words of -the Mighty One of Song: - - “My hawk is tired of perch and hood, - My idle greyhound loathes his food, - My horse is weary of his stall, - And I am sick of captive thrall.” - -But even had we looked on the peasantry of Hungary at a less joyous -moment, we could not have failed to be struck with their extremely -picturesque costume. The men were dressed like those of Servia, even to -the ungainly sandal of untanned leather, laced above a short stocking of -checked worsted; though many among them had discarded the rude conical -cap of sheepskin, for one neatly made of white flannel, and bound with -black ribbon, which had a very cleanly and smart appearance; but the -women were in a costume which would have produced its effect at a fancy -ball. Like the maidens of Scotland, the young girls wore their hair -simply bound by a silken snood, into which they had stuck marigolds or -wild roses; while the matrons covered their heads with a handkerchief -placed very backward, and secured by bodkins, flowers, and coins, to a -cushion worn low in the neck, and concealed by a thick plait of hair. A -band of linen, a couple of inches in width, was fastened round the brow, -and completed the head-dress; and many of these were elegantly wrought -with beads and coloured worsteds; I also remarked one which was -decorated with small white cowries. - -Herein alone existed any distinction of dress between the oldest matron -and the youngest maiden; the garments varying only in the richness of -their material. A chemisette of white linen reaching to the throat, -where it was confined by a band worked with coloured worsteds, continued -down the front of the bosom, and along the tops of the large, full -sleeves, was girt about the waist with two woollen aprons worn like -those of Servia, but falling only to the knee; where they terminated in -a deep fringe of the same colours as the apron, that descended to the -ancle. Some few made use of the same unsightly sandals as those of the -men, but they were principally barefooted. - -The Hungarian peasantry are all soldiers when their services are -required, but resume their agricultural and domestic duties immediately -that the necessity has ceased to exist; hence they are all erect, and -smart-looking; and as they are a remarkably fine race of men, their -appearance is very striking. Of the women I cannot in candour say so -much, as they are, generally speaking, very plain; with flat features, -and expressionless countenances. There were, however, several startling -exceptions; and I know not whether in such cases it be actually the -intrinsic degree of beauty possessed by the individual, and that in a -land of plain women, Nature lavishes on the few all that she has -withheld from the many; or that the dearth of good looks in the many may -lead a stranger involuntarily to heighten to himself those of the few; -but it is certain that I saw in Hungary, as I thought at the time, half -a dozen of the loveliest girls imaginable. - -We had left Orsova only a few miles behind us, when, descending a short -but precipitous declivity, we entered upon a road skirting the mountain -ridge on the one hand, and bounded on the other by the bed of a torrent; -whose waters, now in a state of comparative repose, brawled over the -masses of rock with which their own violence had cumbered the channel -during the winter storms; and ran dancing in the light, as their course -was further impeded by the fishing-dams of the peasantry; and, after -forming a thousand pigmy cascades, fell flashing back into the depths -of the ravine, to form a mirror for the overhanging hills. - -Another hour of rapid travelling brought us to the ruins of Trajan’s -road. Six of the arches, built against the solid rock, still remain -nearly perfect; and hence this stupendous work may be traced for several -miles, as well as the massy fragments of a bridge across the torrent. - -A lovely valley succeeded, hemmed in by hills, and dotted over with -little villages, seated on the banks of the mountain stream; looking, -from the peculiar formation of their small reed-thatched huts, like -gigantic apiaries. Every narrow shelf of rock that could be redeemed -from the forest, for such the whole line of heights, (gigantic as they -were), may literally be called, was in a high state of cultivation. -Patches of Indian corn, flourishing vineyards, green pasture lands, and -thriving orchards, were to be seen on all sides; while the effects of -the flitting light upon the autumn-touched timber were so magical, so -various, and so brilliant, that words are inadequate to paint them. Here -and there, among stretches of foliage, varying from the faint silvery -green of the river-willow, and the white lining of the aspen-leaf, to -the bright gold of the decaying beech, and the rich brown of the -withering oak, stood out a huge mass of bare calcareous rock; looking -like a giant portal closed upon the hidden treasures of the mountain’s -heart. And amid all these glorious hills, this jewel-like foliage, and -these flashing waters, we travelled on with the speed of lightning, -through an avenue of fruit-trees several miles in length. - -A second stretch of the mountain-road conducted us to a spot where a -descent had been made to the bed of the torrent; and here, leaving the -direct line to the town of Mahadia, we forded the stream, and struck -into a byway, which, traversing a dense wood, led immediately to the -Baths. It was but an exchange of beauty. And, as we entered the gorge of -two stately mountains draped in forest-foliage, and lifting to the sky -their high and leafy heads; and saw the eagles planing above them in -majestic security, while flowers bloomed beside our path, and small -birds twittered among the branches; while the sound of the shepherd’s -reed-pipe came sweeping down into the valley from the giddy heights on -which his flock were browsing; and the luxurious cattle standing mid-way -in the stream, lowed out their enjoyment to their fellows, as if to lure -them from the mountain glades amid which they were wandering; I thought -that I had never traversed a country so lovely as this corner of -Hungary. I would not have missed that morning landscape for another term -of quarantaine! - -We were quite unprepared for the scene that awaited us at the Baths. -The gorge in which they are built is so narrow that the rocks on either -side almost overhang the houses; and the torrent rushes brawling along -at their base, fed by continual springs. The establishment, which is -becoming every year more popular, is on a very large and handsome scale; -and the whole aspect of the place is so enchanting, so bright, so calm, -and so delightful, that, could we have woven the web of our day to a -week’s duration, I am quite sure that not one of our party would have -wearied of it. - -The Baths are of Roman origin; and in the wall of one of the principal -apartments a stone is imbedded which still bears most legibly the -following inscription: “To Venus, Mercury, and Hercules, these springs, -conducive to Beauty, Activity, and Strength, are dedicated.” They are -strongly impregnated with sulphur, and produce on a first trial extreme -and almost painful exhaustion; but they are considered to be so very -efficacious, particularly in chronic diseases, that the government have -erected an Invalid Hospital and Bathing House at the extremity of the -mountain, for the use of the troops. - -We partook of an excellent dinner at the Table d’Hôte on leaving the -Baths; and, greatly to our regret, were then compelled to retrace our -steps in order to reach Orsova before dusk. But we had already lingered -too long; and, on arriving in the court of the hotel where the -post-waggons were awaiting us, we were met by the declaration of the -drivers that they would not stir until daylight; the road to Drinkova -being cut along the brink of the mountain precipices, and so slightly -protected as to be even dangerous at noon-day. - -We were, one and all, extremely annoyed at their decision, not knowing -if we could afford a loss of time on which we had not calculated; and we -almost began to ask ourselves whether the more incurious portion of the -party, who had quietly mounted the luggage-waggons at the -quarantaine-gate, and pursued their direct road to the steam-station, -had not been also the most prudent. For myself, despite the fatigue that -I had undergone during the day, and the enervating effect of the -sulphuric bath, I had so nerved myself for the night-journey, that I was -sincerely disappointed when assured that it was quite impracticable; -but, as there was no alternative, we resolved on retiring early to our -apartments, whose cleanliness and comfort were enhanced tenfold in our -eyes by our recent endurance of the disarray and desolation of the -quarantaine cells. - -We were, however, obliged, ere we parted for the night, to receive the -Agent of the Steam-Company, and two officers of the Austrian Customs; -who, for “a consideration,” returned our books carefully sewed up in -linen, and sealed with this government-stamp in lead, accompanied by an -injunction not to remove it until we had passed the Austrian frontier. -We next paid a duty for the Turkish articles we had brought with us, and -which they did not trouble us to enumerate; as, thanks to the -“Health-Inventory” taken at the Lazaretto, they were thoroughly -acquainted with the extent of our possessions. - -The official train had no sooner departed, than we busied ourselves in -superintending the arrangement of the provisions that were to accompany -us on the morrow’s journey; nothing edible, save Indian corn bread, -being purchaseable between the town of Orsova, and the station of the -steam-boat. - -Few circumstances can be more provoking than the necessity which exists -of abandoning the course of the river at this particular point; as the -scenery for several successive miles is of the most majestic and -striking description. Piles of rock hem in the current, and almost -overhang it; caverns, hollowed by some fearful convulsion of nature, -tempt the venturous foot of the curious traveller; and far-spreading -forests, sweeping away into the distance, fringe the summits of the -mountains, and cast their deep shadows over the river tide. - -Superadded to this disappointment, is the increase of fatigue consequent -on the compulsatory _détour_; the distance occupied by the shoal being -more than doubled by the overland journey that is made across the -loftiest of the Banût mountains, and performed in the country carriages -(the basket-work waggons already mentioned); which, although so lightly -constructed as to travel very rapidly, yet, being without springs, are -extremely fatiguing. - -To obviate this inconvenience, the Steam Company have commenced the -construction of a road at the foot of the mountain-chain, the whole -length of the shoal; and it was progressing rapidly at the period of our -visit, under the auspices of the Austrian Government.[11] The necessary -outlay was said to be very great, owing to the difficult nature of the -locality, and the labour of penetrating the living rock. An entire mile -of this singular undertaking was already completed; and really afforded -an extraordinary proof of the effects produceable by human ingenuity and -perseverance. In particular spots it is entirely artificial; and is a -solid stretch of masonry based on the bed of the river—in others, it -hangs on the side of the mountain like a goat-path—and at others, again -it is a tunnel, walled and roofed with rock, and torn from the heart of -the mighty mass by blasting. - -This road is intended to facilitate the passage of travellers and -merchandize, from one steam-vessel to the other, by means of -flat-bottomed boats, to be towed by horses along the hitherto impassable -portion of the river—an arrangement which will supersede the necessity -of abandoning the direct line; and save the traveller the expense, -fatigue, and inconvenience of the inland journey. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - - - Departure from Orsova—Daybreak—The Mountain-pass—Village of - Plauwischewitza—Austrian Engineers—Literary Popularity—The - Rapids—Sunday in Hungary—Drinkova—Holyday - Groups—Alibec—Voilovitch—Panchova—River-Shoals—Wild - Fowl—Semlin—Fortress of Belgrade—Streets of Semlin—Greek - Church—Castle of Hunyady—Imperial Barge—Agreeable - Escort—Yusuf Pacha—Belgrade—Prince - Milosch—Plague-Preventers—General Milosch—Servian - Ladies—Turk-Town—Ruined Dwellings—The Fortress—Osman - Bey—Gate of the Tower—Fearless Tower—Rapid Decay of the - Fortifications—Sclavonian Garden—Vintage-Feast—Sclavonian - Vintage-Song. - - -At four o’clock the following morning we left Orsova, lighted by a -perfect galaxy of stars; but shivering from the damp vapours which were -hanging in dense folds about the Danube. The light was just breaking as -we reached the foot of the mountains, and began to ascend a precipitous -road, slightly guarded on the outer edge by a wooden railing; whence we -looked down into rifts and chasms filled with the most profuse foliage; -at whose bottom rippled along the pigmy streams which in the winter -season swell to torrents, and awake the depths of the forest-fastnesses -with their brawling voices. - -It is impossible to give the faintest picture of this mountain-pass, -with its bridges of rude timber flung over almost unfathomable -gulfs—its bold, overhanging paths, along which the narrow wheels have -scarcely space to pass—its dense masses of forest foliage, linked -together by the graceful wreaths of the wild vine with its blood red -leaves, and the clinging tendrils of the wild cotton plant with its -snowy tufts of down—its herds of cattle—its flocks of goats—and its -green grassy glades, laughing in the sunshine—its ever-recurring -effects of light and shade—its mysterious silence—and its surpassing -majesty. - -As we travelled on, the day-beam grew brighter in the heavens, and the -horizon became one rich canopy of pink and violet. There were moments -when I was breathless with awe as we traversed that leafy solitude. I -never thought of danger; even when the half wild animals that drew us -were galloping at their greatest speed down the mountain-side, with a -shelf of rock walling us up on the one hand, and a deep precipice -yawning over against us on the other. I had not an instant to spare to -the possible peril of our position; I saw only, I felt only, the glory -which surrounded me. I could at that moment fully understand why the -mountaineer clung to liberty as to existence—how he who had once -breathed the pure air of heaven from the rocky brow on which the clouds -of night were wont to rest, and the sunshine of day to sport, must pine -amid the gloom of the valley, and the monotony of the plain. And when we -once more descended to the river’s edge, where all was safe and level, I -only felt regret that I could not call back the mystery and the -magnificence of the rock-seated forests, even although there might be -peril in their paths. - -The road into which we passed at the foot of the mountain-chain led us -along fields of Indian corn, to the village of Plauwischewitza; where we -were compelled to remain a couple of hours, in order to rest the horses. -It was nine o’clock when we reached it; and as the little hamlet boasted -no wine-house, at which we could satisfy the keen appetite that we had -acquired by four hours of rapid travelling among the mountains, we were -preparing to breakfast in one of the waggons; when the Chevalier -Peitrich was recognized by an Officer of Austrian Engineers, who -immediately invited us to a very comfortable house that had been built -for himself and his brother-officers, during their superintendence of -the road to which I have already alluded. - -We availed ourselves of his politeness most readily, and were received -with the greatest courtesy by the whole party; who showed and explained -to us several beautifully-coloured plans of the Danube, and the -projected roads and canals. In their bookcase I found Bulwer’s “England -and the English,” and Marryat’s “Naval Officer;” both published by -Baudry of Paris. It was like meeting old friends in a strange land, to -turn over the leaves of these well-remembered volumes in an obscure -Hungarian village! - -At eleven o’clock we resumed our journey, which lay along the bank of -the river, but at a considerable height above the water. In one or two -places we wound round the base of rocks that jutted into the bed of the -stream, and which were rent and riven in an extraordinary manner; one -mass resting upon another, and so apparently insecure as to appear ready -to loosen their hold with the next blast of wind. By this picturesque -route we passed the rapids called Izlas; a singular ridge of rock -extending nearly across the river, at a spot where the shores are -extremely bold and beautiful; and at three o’clock in the afternoon we -again halted in another small hamlet. - -The scene was a very cheerful one, as, owing to its being Sunday, all -the peasants were in their holyday garb; and were clustered at the doors -of their cottages, enjoying the pure air and the genial sunshine. I was -much amused at the method adopted by the Hungarian mothers of nursing -their infants; they carry a small box, in shape not unlike a coffin, -slung over their shoulders, in which the child lies upon a mattress; and -when the little being requires their care, they sit down upon the first -stone, or piece of timber in their path, swing the box to their knees, -and quietly attend to the wants of their nursling; the suspended cradle -is then restored to its original position, and their own occupations are -resumed. - -On our arrival at the steam station at Drinkova, which is simply a large -block of building containing apartments for the resident agent and -stores for the housing of merchandize, we learnt that, owing to the long -drought, the water had become so low in the Danube that the vessel could -not descend beyond Alibec, the next station; and consequently, fatigued -as we were with a journey of sixty-five miles in rough carriages over -steep roads, we were compelled to continue our route at all speed; and -in about twenty minutes we reached the pretty and extensive village of -Drinkova, in which we found an Austrian regiment, occupying a commodious -barrack in the principal street. We remained here an hour, in order to -rest the unfortunate horses, which we were obliged to take on, as there -were no means of procuring others; and we started again just as the sun -was setting, and throwing fairy lights upon the mountain crests. - -Many a gay group did we encounter as we pursued our way, hurrying home -to the village after a day of recreation among the hills; and we even -passed one party who had lingered so long that the blaze of the fire -that they had kindled in the woods streamed across our path. - -At nine o’clock we reached Alibec by the light of a bright young moon, -which just disappeared behind the hills as we were hailed from the -vessel. At daylight the next morning we were under weigh; and about noon -the Francis I. was abreast of the extensive monastery and dependencies -of Voilovitch on the Hungarian side of the river; and shortly afterwards -we passed the town of Panchova, seated on the Temes, which here empties -itself into the Danube. About a mile and a half beyond Panchova, we -entered a shoal, and the steam was almost entirely stopped, while we -glided over the treacherous surface of the stream; the boat scarcely -appeared to make any way; but there was a slight tremulous motion that -seemed as though her heart still beat, while her progress was impeded. - -These shoals, which are by no means without danger even by daylight, are -not, however, the only impediment to night-travelling on the Danube—the -violence of the current, particularly after a gale at sea, frequently -carrying away immense masses of the light sandy soil of the islands that -are scattered along the whole line of the river; and with them enormous -trees, which come sweeping down the stream, with their wide branches -spreading on all sides, and choking the passage. We encountered at -least a dozen of these uprooted forest giants during our voyage. - -In the course of the afternoon we were off Semendri, an extensive -Turkish fortress, occupying a very commanding position on the Servian -shore, at the junction of the Jesava with the Danube; and defended by -twenty-seven towers, of which twenty-three were square, two round, and -two hexagonal; but extremely exposed on all sides, and apparently not in -the best state of repair. - -At sunset we passed a group of islands thickly wooded, principally by -river-willows; and surrounded by long narrow necks of land, from which -the approach of the vessel aroused such a cloud of aquatic birds as I -never beheld before in my life. They must have amounted to several -thousands; and being wild swans, geese, ducks, and plover, they filled -the air with a discord, to which the monotonous beat of the -steam-paddles was music. During the whole day we were earnestly talking -of Belgrade—the far-famed fortress of Belgrade—which we were anxious -to reach before dusk. It was, however, eight o’clock before we were -abreast of this last stronghold of the Turks in Europe; and in half an -hour more we anchored at Semlin; where we were to remain the whole of -the next day to take in coals, and to embark passengers and -merchandize. - -On the following morning immediately after breakfast, we went on shore -to see the town; but previously to landing we stood awhile on deck -contemplating the interesting scene around us. The Save, which here -empties itself into the Danube, forms the boundary between the -possessions of the Moslem, and those of the Christian. On one side its -ripple reflects the belfried towers and tall crosses, the walls and -dwellings, of the Christian population of Semlin—on the other it -mirrors the slender minarets and bristling fortifications of the -followers of Mahomet. Barges, filled with water-patroles, passed and -repassed the vessel; all was activity along the shore of Semlin; while a -dead stillness hung over the dark outworks of the opposite bank. - -A walk of ten minutes brought us to the gate of Semlin, which terminates -a long, wide, clean-looking street, forming the main artery of the town. -The tide of life was, however, flowing through it sluggishly; a few -knots of military, belonging to the Italian regiment by which it was -garrisoned, were grouped at distances, or lounged idly along, gazing -into the shop windows; but we did not meet half a dozen peasants; a -circumstance that was afterwards explained by the fact of our having -made our incursion on the day of a great annual market, which had -attracted nearly all the inhabitants of the town and the surrounding -country to an extensive square at the back of the main street; where we -found a dense crowd of horses, waggons, merchandize, busy men, and plain -women. - -Among its public buildings, Semlin boasts a Quarantaine Establishment, -considerably more extensive than that of Orsova; and also, as we were -informed, infinitely preferable in point of comfort and convenience. Our -curiosity, however, did not tend in that direction; and we were quite -satisfied with a view of the exterior walls. - -In our stroll through the airy and well-kept streets, we visited the -Greek Church, which was handsomely fitted up. The door was opened to us -by a magnificent-looking priest, who did the honours with great -politeness; save that he would not admit me into the Sanctuary to -examine the enamelled bible which he displayed with great pride to the -gentlemen; little imagining, holy man! that I had penetrated behind the -veil of the church at the Fanar; and seen the most costly of all their -copies of the Sacred Writings in the thrice blessed hands of the -Patriarch himself! - -From the Church we ascended a height above the town, to explore the -ruins of the celebrated Castle of Hunyady, the father of Matteas -Corvinus; the most renowned of all Hungarian heroes. It is now rapidly -passing away, to be numbered with the things that were, and are not. It -is a square erection, with a round tower at each angle; and is no where -left standing more than ten feet from the level of the earth; but the -walls are extremely massive, measuring nearly eighteen feet in -thickness; and the situation is commanding, as the acclivity on which it -is built sweeps the river to a considerable distance on both sides. - -Having sauntered through the town, and made a few purchases, in order to -recall to us hereafter our first ramble in Sclavonia, we returned on -board to a mid-day dinner; the Chevalier having assured us that he -possessed sufficient interest with the General commanding at Semlin, to -secure to us the permission to visit Belgrade; which, being a Turkish -fort, was unapproachable to the Quarantaine-cleansed, without special -authority. He had calculated justly; and in the course of the afternoon -an Imperial barge put off, with the plague-flag flying at her stern, and -took us on board, attended by two keepers from the Quarantaine -Establishment, and a Custom-house officer. Under this cheerful escort we -departed for Belgrade; the last minareted town in Europe, and the -residence of Yusuf Pasha; who, in the event of hostilities, will -probably acquit himself at Belgrade as honourably as he did at Varna. - -The position of this extensive fortress is most imposing; seated as it -is upon the banks of two noble rivers: its walls being washed on two -sides by the Danube, and on a third by the Save. Its appearance is very -formidable, and had it been bestowed upon an European power, it must -have proved a dangerous present; but its noble outworks and stately -walls are crumbling to decay; and in its present state it is scarcely -more than a colossal feature in the landscape. - -On the first cession of the Fortress of Belgrade to the Turks by the -Emperor Leopold, the occupation of the town was reserved exclusively to -the Servians, whose Prince, Milosch, has a handsome residence in the -principal street; but since the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi, the Osmanlis -have poured into the town; and, as the natives resisted the innovation, -have formed themselves into a distinct colony which may be called -Turk-town, where they live with the Jews in tolerable harmony; a -circumstance that to a person conversant with the Musselmaun prejudice -against the outcasts of Israel, is altogether inexplicable. The two -people have a population of eight thousand souls; while the Servians -average about twelve thousand. - -Nothing could be more irksome than our passage through the streets of -Belgrade! We landed beside the New Custom-house, a large and rather -handsome building; and thence passed the gate of the town, which was -guarded by a sentinel who could have been barely fourteen years of age. -Just within the barrier stood the guard-house, where an officer sat -smoking his chibouk, and talking with his men, with all the _bon-hommie_ -and laxity of discipline, common to the Turks. - -It must have been a comedy to see us pass along, all crowded together, -and flanked and followed by our vigilant guardians; who with their long -canes threw aside every fragment of linen, woollen, or paper, that -chanced to lie in our path, as well as chasing thence every passenger -who happened to cross it. The Turks smiled a quiet smile as we passed -them, for they believe all Europeans to be impregnable to the plague, -and consequently consider their precautions as the mere result of a love -of excitement and bustle; and I confess that to me the extreme -watchfulness of our attendants was so irritating, that, although it -amused me for a time, and that I smiled with the Turks at the pains -taken to prevent our contact with the inhabitants of a town in which no -plague-case had happened during the season, and who had therefore more -reason to avoid our own proximity, it finished by making me perfectly -nervous. - -Thus guarded, and rendered sensible that it is sometimes more -troublesome to be out of quarantaine than to be in it, we made our way -to the residence of the Austrian Consul, with whom our friend the -Chevalier was acquainted; and who joined our party at a respectful -distance, having sent his dragoman to request the Pasha’s permission for -us to visit the interior of the fortress. While we awaited his reply we -determined on accompanying our new and courteous acquaintance to pay a -visit to General Milosch, the brother of the Prince, who is a resident -in Servia. By the way he pointed out to us the house of the Prince’s -daughter, who is married to a wealthy brewer; and to whom he gave a herd -of ten thousand oxen as a marriage portion. And, what was infinitely -more interesting, the dwelling of Cerny George; a single-storied -building of some extent, but of most unpretending appearance. - -A servant having been despatched to apprise the General of our intended -visit, he received us most politely at the door of his house, and -conducted us up stairs to a marble hall; being kept at arm’s length -during the ascent by our plague-preventing keepers; who, having -themselves placed a line of chairs for us along one side of the hall, -graciously permitted us to be seated. The General, attended by two or -three servants, then took possession of a green silk fauteuil at the -other extremity of the apartment; and the lady of the house shortly -afterwards made her appearance, followed by her eldest daughter; a -remarkably fine girl, with a noble forehead, and full dark eyes. The -costume of these ladies was extremely elegant and picturesque; -confirming an opinion which I had often expressed, that the Greek dress, -if carefully arranged, and judiciously chosen as to colours, must be one -of the most becoming and effective in the world. Here I saw the -realization of my idea; for the small fèz, confined by the dark tress of -hair, and fastened with a diamond clasp; the pelisse of pale blue satin, -lined and edged with sables; and the full robe of silk, delicately -embroidered on the bosom and wrists with gold, were all Greek; while the -extreme _tenue_ and taste of their arrangement, the slight waist, and -careful _chaussure_, were essentially Servian. - -Nothing could exceed the courteous attention of the whole family. -Coffee, pipes, and sweetmeats were served; and our trusty guardians, -satisfied with handing them to us themselves, and thus heroically -incurring the risk of becoming the medium of contagion in their own -proper persons, allowed us to make use of the silver spoons, although we -had been obliged to deliver up our money in the quarantaine, in order -that it might be washed by the keeper—Metals being voted -plague-conductors at Orsova, though they were admitted to _pratique_ at -Belgrade! - -The permission of the Pasha to our entrance into the fortress was not so -readily accorded as had been anticipated; and we were accordingly -detained nearly an hour ere it arrived. It came, however, at last; and, -after taking leave of the interesting family who had so hospitably -received us, we once more set forth, traversing a considerable portion -of the Servian town, in order to reach the glacis; when, diverging a -little from our direct route, we ascended one of the outworks, in order -to look down upon the Turk quarter, and the shores of the river. - -Hence we had a lovely view of Semlin, and of a portion of the extensive -Hungarian plain, which, studded with villages, and masses of forest -timber, extends for a distance of six and thirty leagues. In Turk-town -the Consul pointed out to us the ruins of several fine buildings erected -by the Austrians; and, amongst others, the remains of the residence of -Prince Eugene. - -Descending the outwork, whence we had a perfect insight into the -dilapidated state of the exterior walls and bastions of the once lordly -fortress; we proceeded to the gate, and, having passed it, were obliged -to progress for a considerable distance along the palisade, ere we -reached the bridge by which we were to enter the fort. The palisades -were in melancholy keeping with the rest of the defences; and traces of -fire were perceptible on the few that still remained erect. - -The interior of this celebrated stronghold did not belie its promise -from without. A _ci-devant_ barrack had a stunted minaret built against -its wall, and was converted into a very dilapidated-looking mosque. The -citadel, now denominated the Palace of the Pasha, had much the -appearance of a barn, weather-stained and neglected, with broken windows -and swinging shutters. The kiosk of the harem was a temporary wooden -building; pitched, and repaired with unpainted timber. And, had I been -on my way _to_ Constantinople, instead of _from_ it, my pre-conceived -and highly-wrought ideas of Oriental splendour would have inevitably -suffered utter prostration at the sight of this “princely” -establishment. - -The Fortress of Belgrade, which is the most extensive, as well as the -strongest military position possessed by the Turks, is garrisoned only -by four hundred men, or rather men and boys, for a portion of them are -mere youths; and when to this fact is added another still more -startling, that since it passed into the hands of its present masters, -all the cisterns have been suffered to fall into utter decay; and that -the whole of the water necessary for the supply of the inhabitants is -carried into the fort daily in carts, it will be seen at once that a -future “Siege of Belgrade” would be a bloodless one; as the garrison -must inevitably be starved out by drought. - -I must not, however, omit to mention that the gentlemen of our party -were much struck by the very soldier-like and efficient manner in which -the troops (if thus I may be permitted to designate the mere handful of -men collected in the drilling-ground) were performing their exercise; -and whom they declared to excel in precision of movement, and -cleanliness of appearance any Turkish regiment that they had seen in the -capital; and to do great credit to the military talent of Osman Bey, -their Lieutenant-Colonel; who, as well as Ismaèl Bey, a subaltern -officer in the same corps, is a son of the Pasha. - -Osman Bey, who is rather a fine-looking man, greeted us very politely as -we crossed the exercise-ground, in order to leave the fortress by a -handsome gate, above whose massy columns are still emblazoned, in _alto -relievo_, the arms of Austria, in a shield surrounded by military -emblems, and supported by two colossal suits of armour. - -Beside the moat that protects this gate, stands an hexagonal tower, -built by the Turks, and called the “Fearless Tower,” from the -pertinacity with which they defended it during a siege; and the heroic -actions performed in its immediate vicinity by one of their Pashas. This -tower, and two or three rude bridges of timber over the moat; a couple -of ill-proportioned minarets, and the wooden kiosk attached to the -citadel, are the only Turkish erections perceptible. Ruin is rapidly -progressing on all sides; the walls are giving way; the ditches are in -many places cumbered with the fallen rubbish; the covered ways are laid -open; and the guns that yet remain within the weed-grown embrasures are -so ill-mounted, as to be perfectly innoxious. - -Such is, at this moment, the condition of the far-famed Fortress of -Belgrade—the boundary-fort of Servia—the last spot of European land -subject to the sway of the Moslem—And here, as we re-entered our barge -to pass to the opposite bank of the Save, whence we were to return to -Semlin in the carriage of a friend of the Chevalier’s, we looked our -last on the graceful minarets which indicate the religion of Mahomet, -and form so elegant a feature in the Oriental landscape. - -Ere we returned on board, we drove to the garden of the Austrian -dragoman, whence you are said to command the finest view in the -neighbourhood of Semlin; and although the river-vapours effectually -prevented us, on this occasion, from seeing a hundred yards beyond the -spot where we stood, we were amply repaid for the détour that we had -been induced to make, by the opportunity which it afforded to us of -spending half an hour in one of the most charming and well-kept gardens -imaginable; a great treat at all times, but doubly agreeable to -individuals like ourselves, who had been so long wanderers on the -waters. The walks ran through avenues of vines, whose purple clusters -did not invite our touch in vain; and so neatly trained as to form the -greenest and most level hedges that can be imagined; while not a weed -nor an unsightly object was to be seen from one end of the enclosure to -the other. The Sclavonians are, indeed, considered such proficient -gardeners, that forty-five out of fifty of those employed in -Constantinople are of that nation; and we had consequently been curious -to see a gentleman’s grounds in their own land, and laid out entirely in -their own manner. - -We were about to re-enter the carriage, in order to return to the -vessel, when a flight of rockets ran shimmering along the sky; and -immediately afterwards we were overtaken by a procession of peasants, -celebrating the last day of the vintage. - -It was one of the prettiest sights that I ever remember to have seen. -The train was headed by about thirty youths dressed in white garments, -and wearing large flapping hats of black felt, nearly similar to the -_sombreros_ of Spain, into whose narrow bands they had wreathed bunches -of wild-flowers; each carrying across his shoulder a long pliant pole, -with a basket piled with grapes at each extremity. These were followed -by as many young girls, in the usual picturesque costume of the country, -with a profusion of marigolds fastened among their dark tresses; walking -two and two, and bearing baskets of grapes between them. And the -procession terminated with a crowd of children waving in their little -hands long branches of the vine; and lending their clear and joyous -voices to the wild chorus of the vintage-song that their elders were -pealing out; and which ran, as nearly as I can render it from the -hurried and imperfect translation given to me as we journeyed on, -somewhat in the following manner:— - - - THE SCLAVONIAN VINTAGE-SONG. - - Around the oak the wild-vine weaves - Its glittering wreath of blood-red leaves; - But it pays not back the peasant’s cares; - No gold it wins, and no fruit it bears. - It may flaunt its glories on the breeze, - We have no time to waste on these; - Our’s is the Vine near whose goodly root - We seek, and find the jewelled fruit! - - The wild-vine springs on the mountain’s crest, - By every wind are its leaves caress’d; - But it sickens soon in the garish ray - That rests on its beauty all the day. - Let it joy awhile in the breeze and sun, - A lovely trifler to look upon; - Our’s is the Vine that, with worthier pride, - Gems with its fruit the fair hill-side! - - Our’s is the Vine! Our’s is the Vine! - Our’s is the source of the rich red wine! - Flowers may be fair on the maiden’s brow— - Streams may be bright in their sunny flow— - But dearer to us is the joyous spell - Which our clustering grape calls up so well; - Of purple and gold our wreaths we twine— - Our’s is the Vine! Our’s is the Vine! - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - - - Carlowitz—Peterwarradin—Bridge of Boats—Neusatz—The Journey - of Life—The Chevalier Peitrich—Austrian Officers—The - Hungarian Poet—Illok—The Ancient Surnium—Peel Tower—Intense - Cold—Flat Shores—Mohasch—Földvar—Pesth—German - Postillion—A Few Last Words. - - -Early on the morrow we were off Carlowitz, a cathedral town beautifully -situated; of which, owing to the abrupt windings of the river, we had -two distinct views. The Cathedral is a handsome edifice, with two light -and graceful spires; having from a distance very much the appearance of -minarets. The prevailing religion on the Sclavonian shore of the Danube -is that of the Greek Church, which has also obtained considerably in -Hungary; but the Roman Catholic worship is to be found everywhere along -its banks. Carlowitz contains about twelve thousand inhabitants; and its -shore was crowded with passage and fishing boats—while the whole height -beneath which it is built was covered with vineyards and orchards, in -the finest state of cultivation; the latter being principally composed -of trees bearing a small blue plum, used in the distillation of brandy; -which, we were told, was of a very fine quality. A short distance beyond -the city, the tributary river Thuss empties itself into the Danube; -offering extraordinary facilities for the transport of produce, in the -very heart of a rich and prolific country. - -A sudden angle of the river immediately after leaving Carlowitz, brought -us within sight of Peterwarradin, a very fine fortress with strong and -extensive outworks; and in its position greatly resembling Belgrade. It -is garrisoned by three thousand Austrian troops; and on arriving -opposite to the height on which it is seated, we observed the remains of -an outwork, on an island in the centre of the river, that has been -abandoned, owing to its annual destruction by the ice; the outlay -necessary to preserve its efficiency having been considered greater than -its probable utility was thought to warrant. - -A second bold sweep of the Danube, which winds like a girdle about the -hill-seated fortress, disclosed to us the bridge of boats that links -Peterwarradin with Neusatz, a cheerful-looking town containing six -churches; and here the Francis I. fired her three pigmy guns, ere she -passed on to the wooden pier where she was to take on board her new -passengers; and, greatly to our regret, to land our courtly and amiable -friend the Chevalier, whose estate was situated within three leagues of -the river. - -A long voyage resembles a long life—Friends and associates fall from -you on all sides as you advance; and those who join company more -tardily, generally fail to fill up the void occasioned by the loss of -the earlier and better known. Both in the one and the other, you set -forward with high hopes and unexhausted energies; and you lend yourself -readily to the companionship of those among whom your fate has flung -you. But as you become accustomed to the scrip and the staff; and learn -by experience the weariness, and the withering, incident to your -pilgrimage, you turn not with the same joyousness to greet the new -wayfarer who joins your company. You may indeed share with him your loaf -of bread and your cruise of water; but the heart no longer goes forth -with the hand, to mingle in the gift. - -Long will the Chevalier Peitrich live in the memory of the party with -whom he travelled up the Danube; and shared the captivity of the -quarantaine. He did the honours of his country so gracefully and so -graciously—his patience and his politeness were so untiring—and he was -in himself so agreeable and intelligent a companion, that the greatest -deprivation which we had been called upon to suffer since our departure -from Constantinople, was that of his society. - -Our influx of passengers from Neusatz was considerable; and for the -first time since I left the Bosphorus, I found myself compelled to share -the after-cabin with two ladies; while the gentlemen’s party was -increased by half a dozen young Austrian officers on their way to a new -quarter; all very noisy, and very good-natured; great smokers, great -talkers, and great card-players; and as many civilians; among whom was a -lame, benevolent-looking, elderly Hungarian, who spent the whole of his -time in reading Horace, and writing poetry. - -Late in the afternoon we reached Illok; a fine town, crowned by the -ruins of a very extensive castle, whose castellated remains stretch for -a considerable distance along the brow of the hill. This noble property -belongs to Il Principe Odeschak, the Pope’s nephew; and is distant only -three miles from the Ancient Surnium. - -At night-fall we passed another ruined pile, apparently a peel-tower; -perched on an abrupt rock; which had a beautiful effect as the moonlight -touched its mouldering walls. Near it stood a small castle, also in -ruin, but we could not distinguish more than its outline, owing to the -lateness of the hour, and the rapid gathering of the darkness. We -anchored for the night at the small town of Vacova, having been -seventeen hours under steam. - -The following morning we passed three more feudal and picturesque -remains; and about noon arrived off the mouth of the Drave, a -considerable river dividing Sclavonia from Hungary Proper: and pouring -forth its tributary waters in a noble stream to the all-absorbing -Danube. But the cold was so extreme, and had come upon us so suddenly, -that we were unable to keep the deck for any length of time—a -circumstance which we regretted the less, however, as both the banks of -the river had become flat, swampy, and uninteresting—the beautiful -mountains of the Banût having given place in Hungary to the -far-stretching and monotonous plain to which I have already alluded; and -the Sclavonian shore being a mere line of sand and marsh-willows; with -here and there a village scattered along its edge. In the evening at -sunset we reached Mohasch, where the coals were wheeled on board by -women, while groups of men lounged on the wooden pier watching their -labours. - -The steam was on at daybreak the following morning, and during the whole -day we remained prisoners in the cabin, the cold being so intense as to -drive even the sturdiest of the party below. The country continued to -present one unvaried flat; and books, pens, and pencils, were in -requisition until sunset; when we anchored a little below Földvar on the -Hungarian side of the river, and remained there quietly until the -morrow. - -The evening of that morrow was to see us at Pesth; and the transition -was so great from the overpowering heats to which we had for so many -months been accustomed in the East, to the heavy and clinging damps of -the Danube, that we resolved on abandoning the river at that point, and -pursuing our journey by post to Vienna—a determination in which we were -strengthened by the discovery that there was a detention of six days at -Pesth, ere the vessel continued her voyage. - -The approach to the city was between an avenue of floating mills, of -nearly half a mile in length, producing an extraordinary effect to an -unaccustomed eye; and, as the day was falling before we reached it, the -myriad lights of the streets were reflected like lines of stars in the -river-ripple. The situation of Pesth is beautiful; and the town itself -well-built, cleanly, and cheerful. The Opera House is a handsome pile, -and the _artistes_ are far from contemptible; the Hotels are spacious -and comfortable; the Palace of the Palatinate is finely seated on an -eminence, and in extremely good taste; and there is a _business look_ -about the inhabitants as they hurry to and fro, which gives an air of -animation to the scene essentially European. - -A bridge of boats, four hundred yards in length, links the more modern -city of Pesth to the ancient Hungarian capital of Buda on the opposite -shore, and now called Offen. The hill of Blocksburg on this bank of the -Danube is crowned by an observatory; and the gently undulating heights -which hem in the town, on the south and east sides, are covered with -vineyards, and celebrated for the superior quality of their produce. - -We left Pesth in the afternoon, two hours later than we had intended, -owing to the difficulties started with regard to our luggage, but these -were ultimately overcome by the potent argument with which English -travellers generally contrive to carry a point. When we issued from the -gate of the _Jägerhorn_ in our heavy and lumbering carriage, we were -infinitely amused by the appearance of the postillion; a youth of about -eighteen, who wore a sort of hussar jacket, with a small bugle hung -about his neck; jack boots, and a formidable cocked-hat and feather. We -travelled, however, at a tolerable pace; and, as we bade adieu to the -Hungarian Capital, and saw the laughing vineyards spreading away into -the distance, we congratulated ourselves on our emancipation from the -damps and delays of the river-voyage; even purchased as it was by the -fatigue of six-and-thirty hours of German posting. - -A few words may now close the Volume. I had believed that I should -rejoice when my task was ended; but it is not so. I cannot part from -the reader who has lingered with me in strange lands without a feeling -of regret; and, as I look back upon the pages that I have written, and -the scenes that I have sketched; a heaviness of heart comes over me, as -though I were looking upon the face of a dead friend. As I traced the -one and the other, the images of the past rose up before me; and, even -although the vividity of each was lost, enough yet remained to me; for -there was still a tie, though every hour weakened it. May I be permitted -to pursue the melancholy fancy that I have conjured up? I have been as -one who watched a death-couch; clinging to the fast-failing remnant of -that which once was bright, and was soon to pass away. - -My vigils now are ended. The pleasant spell is broken; I turn my face -towards Mecca, and remember my pilgrimage; but the distant landscape is -veiled in mist. - -The Propontis is but a memory; the glorious Bosphorus is seen only in a -dream; the “Sea of Storms” no longer bears the roar of its breakers to -my ear; and the Danube rolls along in sullen majesty, bathing rock and -mountain, islet, and city, in its proud waters; but I ride not upon its -tide. - -It is midnight. The tall houses of a dense city rise before me; the hum -of many voices comes upon the wind; a bright firelock flashes in the -guard-fire; a stern voice challenges the strangers as they pass; the -jaded horses, conscious of approaching rest, put forth their failing -power; and ere many moments pass, the heavy carriage rattles under the -arched gateway of the Stadt-London in Vienna. - - - FOOTNOTES: - - [1] Professional Story-tellers. - - [2] Street-porter. - - [3] It is an extraordinary coincidence that at the moment in - which this work is passing through the press, intelligence has - arrived in Europe of the disgrace of this hitherto-favoured - individual: the prostration of a life-long ambition. - - [4] It is not without pain that I have, on passing my work - through the press, to record the death of this amiable and - gifted man. He perished by Plague a few weeks subsequently to - our departure for England. - - [5] Some of the more distinguished harems have their arabas - drawn by oxen of so pale a colour as to be almost white: and - their sleek skins are painted all over in patches of orange - colour, which give them a most extraordinary appearance. - - [6] The Eastern salutation. - - [7] Fate. - - [8] Jasmin. - - [9] The September of 1836. - - [10] I have again to record a plague-victim in this - distinguished man; the intelligence of whose death has reached - me since my return to England. - - [11] Since our return to England, we have learnt that, for - political reasons, the Austrian Government have withdrawn, or - at least suspended, their assistance to this undertaking; as - well as discountenanced the formation of the canals destined to - perfect the navigation of the Danube. - - - THE END. - - - LONDON: - P. SHOBERL, JUN., LEICESTER STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITY OF THE SULTAN; AND DOMESTIC -MANNERS OF THE TURKS, IN 1836, VOL. II (OF 2)*** - - -******* This file should be named 51879-0.txt or 51879-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/1/8/7/51879 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: The City of the Sultan; and Domestic Manners of the Turks, in 1836, Vol. II (of 2)</p> -<p>Author: Miss (Julia) Pardoe</p> -<p>Release Date: April 29, 2016 [eBook #51879]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITY OF THE SULTAN; AND DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE TURKS, IN 1836, VOL. II (OF 2)***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4 class="center">E-text prepared by Julia Miller, Turgut Dincer,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive/American Libraries<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org/details/americana">https://archive.org/details/americana</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/cityofsultanandd02pardiala"> - https://archive.org/details/cityofsultanandd02pardiala</a><br /> - <br /> - Project Gutenberg has the other volume of this work.<br /> - <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51878/51878-h/51878-h.htm">Volume I</a>: see http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51878/51878-h/51878-h.htm - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<div class="center"> -<p> </p> -<div class="transnote">The part of List of Illustrations in Vol. I. related to Vol. II. - is moved to Vol. II. for completenes and consistency.</div> -</div> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="f8" id="f8"></a><img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="500" height="324" -alt="YERE BATAN SERAI" title="" /> -<table summary="serai" width="100%" border="0"><tr> -<td class="left f06">Miss Pardoe del.</td> -<td class="right f06">Day & Haghe Lith.<sup>rs</sup> to the King.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f08" colspan="2">YÈRÈ BATAN SERAÏ</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f06" colspan="2"><i>Henry Colburn, 13 G.<sup>t</sup> Marlborough St 1837.</i></td> -</tr></table></div> - -<h1><small><small><small>THE</small></small></small><br /> -CITY OF THE SULTAN;</h1> -<p class="center f06">AND</p> -<p class="center">DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE TURKS,<br /> -IN 1836.</p> - -<p class="center">BY MISS PARDOE,</p> - -<p class="center f06">AUTHOR OF “TRAITS AND TRADITIONS OF PORTUGAL.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"><a name="f17" id="f17"></a><img src="images/title.jpg" width="350" height="426" -alt="TOWER OF GALATA." title="" /> - -<p class="caption">TOWER OF GALATA.</p></div> - -<p class="center f08">IN TWO VOLUMES.</p> - -<p class="center">VOL. II.</p> - -<p class="center">LONDON:<br /> -HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,<br /> -<small>GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.</small><br /> -1837. -</p> -<hr /> -<p class="center f06"> -LONDON:<br /> -P. SHOBERL, JUN., LEICESTER STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE.</p> - -<hr /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">iii</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS<br /><br /> -<small><small>OF</small></small><br /><br /> -<small>THE SECOND VOLUME.</small></h2> - -<hr class="short" /> - -<table width="100%" summary="contents" border="0"> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER I.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Departure for Broussa—Rocky Coast—Moudania—The Custom House—Translation -of the word <em>Backshich</em>—The Archbishop of Broussa—The -Boatman’s House—The Dead and the Living—Laughable -Cavalcade—Dense Mists—Fine Country—Flowers, Birds, and Butterflies—The -Coffee Hut—The Turkish Woman—Broussa in the -Distance—The Dried-up Fountain—Immense Plains—Bohemian -Gipsies—Mountain Streams—Turkish Washerwomen—Fine Old -Wall—The Jews’ Quarter—The Turkish Kiosk—Oriental Curiosity—A -Dream of Home</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_1">Page 1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER II.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Ancient Gate—Greek Inscriptions—Mausoleum of Sultan Orcan—Monkish -Chronicle—The Turbedar Hanoum—Inverted Columns—Painted -Pillars—Splendid Marbles—Tombs of the Imperial Family—The -Greek Cross—The Sultan’s Beard—Mausoleum of Sultan -Ali Osman—Monastic Vaults—Ruined Chapel—Remains of a Greek -Palace—Bassi Relievi—Ruined Fountains—Ancient Fosse—Dense -Vegetation—Noble Prospect—Roman Aqueduct—Valley of the -Source—Picturesque Groups—Coffee-Kiosks—Absence of Pretension -among the Turks—The Tale Teller—Traveller’s Khan—Sick -Birds—Roman Bridge—Armenian Mother</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER III.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Orientalism of Broussa—Costume of the Men—Plain Women—Turbans -and Yashmacs—Facility of Ingress to the Mosques—Oulou Jamè—Polite -Imam—Eastern Quasimodo—Ascent of the Minaret—The -Charshee—Travelling Hyperboles—Silk Bazàr—Silk Merchants -Khan—Fountains of Broussa—Broussa and Lisbon—The Baths— -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">iv</a></span>Wild Flowers—Tzekerghè—Mosque of Sultan Mourad—Madhouse—Court -of the Mosque—Singular Fountain—Mausoleum of Sultan -Mourad—Golden Gate—Local Legend—The Tomb-house—More -Vandalism—Ancient Turban—Comfortable Cemeteries—Subterranean -Vault—Great Bath—Hot Spring—Baths and Bathers—Miraculous -Baths—Armenian Doctress—Situation of Tzekerghè—Storks -and Tortoises—Turkish Cheltenham</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER IV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Difficulty of Access to the Chapel of the Howling Dervishes—Invitation -to Visit their Harem—The Chapel—Sects and Trades—Entrance of -the Dervishes—Costume—The Prayer—Turning Dervishes—Fanatical -Suffering—Groans and Howls—Difficulty of Description—Sectarian -Ceremony—Music versus Madness—Tekiè of the Turning -Dervishes</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_60">60</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER V.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Loquacious Barber—Unthrifty Travellers—Mount Olympus—Early -Rising—Aspect of the Country at Dawn—Peasants and Travellers—Fine -View—Peculiarity of Oriental Cities—Stunted Minarets—Plains -and Precipices—Halting-Place—Difficulty of Ascending the -Mountain—Change of Scenery—Repast in the Desart—Civil Guide—Appearance -of the Mount—Snows and Sunshine—Fatiguing Pilgrimage—Dense -Mists—Intense Cold—Flitting Landscape—The -Chibouk—The Giant’s Grave—The Roofless Hut—Lake of Appollonia—The -Wilderness—Dangerous Descent—Philosophic Guide—Storm -among the Mountains—The Guide at Fault—Happy Discovery—Tempest</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_72">72</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER VI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Armenian Quarter of Broussa—Catholics and Schismatics—Armenian -Church—Ugly Saints—Burial Place of the Bishops—Cloisters—Public -School—Mode of Rearing the Silk Worms—Difference -between the European and the Asiatic Systems—Colour and Quantity -of the Produce—Appearance of the Mulberry Woods</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_90">90</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER VII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Cadi’s Wife—Singular Custom—Haïsè Hanoum—The Odalique—The -Cadi—Noisy Enjoyment—Lying in State—Cachemires—Costume—Unbounded -Hospitality of the Wealthy Turks—The Dancing -Girl—Saïryn Hanoum—Contrast</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER VIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Tzèkerghè—Bustling Departure—Turkish <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Patois</em>—Waiting Maids and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">v</a></span>Serving Men—Characteristic Cavalcade—Chapter of Accidents—Train -of Camels—Halt of the Caravan—Violent Storm—Archbishop -of Broussa—The Old Palace—Reception-Room—Priestly Humility—Greek -Priests—Worldly and Monastic Clergy—Morals of the Papas—Asiatic -Pebbles—Moudania—Idleness of the Inhabitants—Decay -of the Town—Policy of the Turkish Government—Departure for -Constantinople</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_106">106</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER IX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Death in the Revel—Marriage of the Princess Mihirmàh—The Imperial -Victim—The First Lover—Court Cabal—Policy of the Seraskier—The -Second Suitor—The Miniature—The Last Gift—Interview -between the Sultan and Mustapha Pasha</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_118">118</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER X.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Yenekeui—The Festival of Fire—Commemorative Observance—Fondness -of the Orientals for Illumination—Frequency of Fires in Constantinople—Dangerous -Customs—Fire Guard—The Seraskier’s -Tower—Disagreeable Alarum—Namik Pasha—The Festival Localized—Veronica—Bonfires—Therapia -and Buyukdèrè—Singular -Effect of Light—The Armenian Heroine—A Wild Dream</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_134">134</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -A Chapter on Caïques—The Sultan’s Barge—Princes and Pashas—The -Pasha’s Wife—The Admiralty Barge—The Fruit Caïque—The -Embassy Barge—The Omnibus Caïque—Turkish Boatmen—The -Caïque of Azmè Bey—Pleasant Memories—The Chevalier Hassuna -de Ghies—Natural Politeness of the Turks—Turkey and Russia—Sultan -Mahmoud—Confusion of Tongues—Arif Bey—Imperial Present—The -Fruit of Constantinople—The Two Banners—The Harem—Azimè -Hanoum</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Bosphorus in Summer—The Tower of Galata—Mosque of Topphannè—Summer -Palace of the Grand Vizier—Seraï of the Princess -Salihè—Seraïs and Salemliks—Palace of Azmè Sultane—Turkish -Music—Token Flowers—Palace of the Princess Mihirmàh—The -Hill of the Thousand Nightingales—Turkish, Greek, and Armenian -Houses—Cleanliness of the Orientals—The Armenians—Cemetery -of Isari—The Castle of Europe—Mahomet and the Greeks—Village -of Mirgheun—The Haunted Chapel of St. Nicholas—Palace of Prince -Calimachi—Imperial Jealousy—Death of Calimachi—The Bosphorus -by Moonlight—Love of the Orientals for Flowers—Depth of the -Channel—An Imperial Brig—Turkish Justice—Fortunes of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">vi</a></span>Turkish Fleet—Sudden Transitions—Influence of Russian Sophistry—The -Sultan’s Physicians—Naval Appointments—Rigid Discipline—The -Penalty of Disobedience—The Death Banquet—Tahir Pasha—Radical -Remedy—Vice of the Turkish System of Government—Unkiar -Skelessi—A Mill and a Manufactory—Pic Nics—Arabian -Encampment—Bedouin Beauty—Poetical Locality</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_158">158</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Facts and Fictions—Female Execution at Constantinople—Crime of -the Condemned—Tale of the Merchant’s Wife—The Call to Prayer—The -Discovery—The Mother and Son—The Hiding-Place—The -Capture—The Trial—A Night Scene in the Harem—The Morrow—Mercifulness -of the Turks towards their Women</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_183">183</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XIV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Political Position of the Turks—Religion of the Osmanlis—Absence of -Vice among the Lower Orders—Defect of Turkish Character—European -Supineness—Policy of Russia—England and France—A Turkish -Comment on England—The Government and the People—Common -Virtue—Great Men—Turks of the Provinces—European Misconceptions</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_198">198</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Death in a Princely Harem—The Fair Georgian—Distinction of Circassian -and Georgian Beauty—The Saloon—Sentiment of the -Harem—Courteous Reception—Domestic Economy of the Establishment—The -Young Circassian—Emin Bey—Singular Custom of the -Turks—The Buyuk Hanoum—The Female Dwarf—<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Naïveté</em> of the -Turkish Ladies—The Forbidden Door—The Sultan’s Chamber—The -Female Renegade—Penalty of Apostacy—Musical Ceremony—Frank -Ladies and True Believers—A Turkish Luncheon—Devlehäi -Hanoum—Old Wives <em>versus</em> Young Ones—The Parting Gift—The -Araba—The Public Walk—Fondness of the Orientals for Fine -Scenery—The Oak Wood</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_211">211</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XVI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Military Festival—Turkish Ladies—Female Curiosity—Eastern Coquetry—A -Few Words on the Turkish <em>Fèz</em>—The Imperial Horse Guards—Disaffection -of the Imperial Guard—False Alarms—The -Procession—The Troops at Pera—Imitative Talent of the Turks—Disappointment</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_231">231</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XVII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Turkish Ladies “At Home”—The Asiatic Sweet Waters—Holy -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">vii</a></span>Ground—The Glen of the Valley—Hand Mirrors—Holyday Groups—Courtesy -of the Oriental Females to Strangers—The Beautiful -Devotee—The Pasha’s Wife—A Guard of Honour—Change of Scene—Fortress -of Mahomet—Amiability of the Turkish Character</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_242">242</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2">CHAPTER XVIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Reiss Effendi—Devlehäi Hanoum—The Fair Circassian—The -Pasha—Ceremonious Observances of the Harem—An Interview—Namik -Pasha <em>versus</em> Nourri Effendi—Imperial Decorations—The -Diploma—Turkish Gallantry—The Chibouks—The Salemliek—The -Garden—Holy Horror—The Kiosk—The Breakfast—A Party in the -Harem—Nèsibè Hanoum—The Yashmac—The Masquerade—Turkish -Compliments—The Slave and the Fruit Merchant—Departure -from the Palace</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_262">262</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XIX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Imperial Gratitude—The Freed Woman—A Female Cœlebs—Hussein -the Watchmaker—Golden Dreams—Arabas and Arabajhes—Maternal -Regrets—A Matrimonial Excursion—Difficult Position—The -<em>Sèkèljhes</em>—A Young Husband—The Emir—The Officer of the -Guard—The Emir’s Daughter—First Love—Ballad Singing—A -Salutation—Moonlight—Rejected Addresses—Ruse de Guerre—The -Arrest—A Lover’s Defence—Munificence of the Seraskier -Pasha</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_278">278</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Turkish Madhouses—Surveillance of Sultan Mahmoud—Self-Elected -Saints—Lunatic Establishment of Solimaniè—The Mad Father—The -Apostate—The Sultan’s Juggler—Slave Market—Charshee</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_293">293</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Castle of Europe—The Traitor’s Gate—The Officer of the Guard—Military -Scruples—The State Prison—The Tower of Blood—The -Janissaries’ Tower—<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Cachots Forcès</em>—Guard-room—The Bow-string—Frightful -Death—The Signal Gun—The Grand Armoury—Flourishing -State of the Establishment—A Dialogue—The Barracks -of the Imperial Guard—The Persian Kiosk—Courts and Cloisters—The -Kitchen—The Regimental School—A Coming Storm—The Tempest—Dangerous -Passage—Turkish Terror—Kind-hearted -Caïquejhe—Fortunate Escape</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_302">302</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Plague—Spread of the Pestilence—The Greek Victim—Self-Devotion—Death -of the Plague Smitten—The Widow’s Walk—Plague -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">viii</a></span>Encampments—The Infected Family—The Greek Girl and her -Lover—Non-Conductors—Plague Perpetuators—Vultures—Melancholy -Concomitants of the Pestilence—Carelessness of the Turks—The -Pasha of Broussa—Rashness of the Poorer Classes—Universality -of the Disease in the Capital</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_317">317</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -A Greek Marriage—The Day before the Bridal—The Wedding Garments—Cachemires—Ceremony -of Reception—The Golden Tresses—Early -Hours of the Greek Church—Love of the Greek Women -for Finery—The Bridal Procession—The Marriage—The Nuptial -Crowns—Greek Funerals</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_338">338</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXIV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Fèz Manufactory—Singular Scene—A Turk at Prayers—Pretty -Girls—Progress of Turkish Industry—Mustapha Effendi—Process -of Manufactures—Omer Effendi and the Arabs—Avanis Aga, the -Armenian—The Fraud Discovered—The Imperial Apartments—Departure -for the Seraï-Bournou—The Outer Court—The Orta -Kapoussi—The Pestle and Mortar of the Ulémas—The Garden of -Delight—The Column of Theodosius—Arrival of the Sultan—Ancient -Greek Inscriptions—Confused Impression—The Diamond—Memories -of Sultan Selim</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_348">348</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Social Condition of the Eastern Jews—Parallel between the Jews of -Europe and the Levant—Cruelty of the Turkish Children to Jews—A -Singular Custom—Religious Strictness of the Jews—National Administration—The -House of Naim Zornana of Galata—Costume of -the Jewish Women—Hebrew Hospitality</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_361">361</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXVI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Hospitality of the Armenians—An Impromptu Visit—The Bride—Costly -Costume—Turkish Taste—Kind Reception—Domestic Etiquette -of the Schismatic Armenians—Armenian Sarafs—The National -Characteristics</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_373">373</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXVII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Season-Changes at Constantinople—Twilight—The Palace Garden—Mariaritza, -the Athenian—A Love-tale by Moonlight—The Greek -Girl’s Song—The Palace of Beglierbey—Interior Decorations—The -Bath—The Terraces—The Lake of the Swans—The Air Bath—The -Emperor’s Vase—The Gilded Kiosk—A Disappointment</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_384">384</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">ix</a></span> -CHAPTER XXVIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Bosphorus in Mist—The Ferdinando Primo—Embarkation—Tardy -Passengers—The Black Sea—The Turkish Woman—Varna—Visit -to the Pasha—Rustem Bey—Mustapha Najib Pasha—Turkish -Gallantry—The Lines—Sunset Landscape—Bulgarian Colonies—Discomforts -of a Deck Passage</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_402">402</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXIX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Danube—Cossack Guard—Moldavian Musquitoes—Tultzin—Galatz—Plague-Conductors—Prussian -Officer—Excursion to Silistria—Amateur -Boatmen—Wretched Hamlet—The Lame Baron—The -Salute—Silistrian Peasants—A Pic-Nic in the Wilds—The -Tortoise—Canoes of the Danube—The Moldavian State-Barge—Picturesque -Boatmen—The Water Party—Painful Politeness—Visit -of the Hospodar—Suite of His Highness—Princely Panic—The -Pannonia</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_414">414</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Hirsova—Russian Relics—Town of Silistria—Bravery of the Turks—Village -of Turtuki—Group of Pelicans—Glorious Sunset—Ruschuk—Cheapness -of Provisions—The Wallachian Coast—Bulgaria—Dense -Fog—Orava—Roman Bath—Green Frogs—Widdin—Kalifet—Scala -Glavoda—Custom House Officers—Disembarkation—Wallachian -Mountains—A Landscape Sketch—Costume of the Servian -Peasantry—The Village Belle—Primitive Carriages—The Porte de -Fer—The Crucifix—Magnificent Scenery—Fine Ores</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_427">427</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXXI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Orsova—Castle of the Pass—Turkish Guard—Quarantaine Ground—Village -of Tekia—Awkward Mistake—Pretty Woman—Gay Dress—A -Visiter—Servian Cottagers—A Discovery—Departure—A -Volunteer—Receiving House—A Forced March—The Grave-Yard—The -Quarantaine—A Welcome to Captivity—A Verbal Coinage—Pleasant -Quarters—M. le Directeur—The Restaurant—Pleasant -Announcement—Paternal Care of the Austrian Authorities—The -Health-Inventory—The Guardsman’s Sword—Medical Visits—Intellectual -Amusements—A Friendly Warning</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_443">443</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXXII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -The Last Day of Captivity—Quarantaine Enclosure—Baths of Mahadia—Landscape -Scenery—Peasantry of Hungary—Their Costume—Trajan’s -Road—Hungarian Village—The Mountain Pass—The -Baths—A Disappointment—The Health-Inventory—Inland Journey—New -Road</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_458">458</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">x</a></span> -CHAPTER XXXIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Departure from Orsova—Daybreak—The Mountain-pass—Village of -Plauwischewitza—Austrian Engineers—Literary Popularity—The -Rapids—Sunday in Hungary—Drinkova—Holy day Groups—Alibec—Voilovitch—Panchova—River-Shoals—Wild -Fowl—Semlin—Fortress -of Belgrade—Streets of Semlin—Greek Church—Castle of -Hunyady—Imperial Barge—Agreeable Escort—Yusuf Pacha—Belgrade—Prince -Milosch—Plague-Preventers—General Milosch—Servian -Ladies—Turk-Town—Ruined Dwellings—The Fortress—Osman -Bey—Gate of the Tower—Fearless Tower—Rapid Decay of -the Fortifications—Sclavonian Garden—Vintage-Feast—Sclavonian -Vintage-Song</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_471">471</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="center" colspan="2"> -CHAPTER XXXIV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left"><p class="indent f08"> -Carlowitz—Peterwarradin—Bridge of Boats—Neusatz—The Journey -of Life—The Chevalier Peitrich—Austrian Officers—The Hungarian -Poet—Illok—The Ancient Surnium—Peel Tower—Intense Cold—Flat -Shores—Mohasch—Földvar—Pesth—German Postillion—A -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">1</a></span>Few Last Words</p></td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#Page_492">492</a></td> -</tr> -</table> -<hr /> -<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> - -<p class="center">VOL II.</p> - -<table summary="contents" border="0"> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Yèrè Batan Seraï</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f8"><i>Frontispiece.</i></a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Tower of Galata</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f17"><i>Vignette Title-page.</i></a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Ruins of the Imperial Palace</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f9">28</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Roman Bridge at Broussa</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f10">36</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08"> -Roof of Oulou Jamè from the Garden of the Greek Church</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#uc">40</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Turkish Mausoleum</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f12">53</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">The Seraglio Point</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f11">159</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Part of the Valley of Guiuk-Suy</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f13">244</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Castle of Mahomet</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f14">256</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">Column of Theodosius</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f15">358</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="left f08">View near Fanaraki, in Asia</td> -<td class="right f08"><a href="#f16">406</a></td> -</tr> -</table> -<hr /> - -<p class="center"><small>THE</small><br /><br /> -<big><big>CITY OF THE SULTAN.</big></big></p> - -<hr /> - -<h2>CHAPTER I.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Departure for Broussa—Rocky Coast—Moudania—The Custom House—Translation -of the word <em>Backshich</em>—The Archbishop of Broussa—The -Boatman’s House—The Dead and the Living—Laughable -Cavalcade—Dense Mists—Fine Country—Flowers, Birds, and Butterflies—The -Coffee Hut—The Turkish Woman—Broussa in the -Distance—The Dried-up Fountain—Immense Plains—Bohemian -Gipsies—Mountain Streams—Turkish Washerwomen—Fine Old -Wall—The Jews’ Quarter—The Turkish Kiosk—Oriental Curiosity—A -Dream of Home.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Having</span> decided on visiting Broussa, we hired -an island caïque with four stout rowers, and -provided ourselves with plenty of coats and -cloaks, a basket of provisions, and a few volumes -of French classics; and thus we set sail from -the Golden Horn on the last day of May, leaving -Stamboul all splendour and sunshine.</p> - -<p>A brisk northerly wind carried us rapidly out -into the Propontis; all sails were set; my father -and myself comfortably established among “the -wraps,” our Greek servant ensconced between<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">2</a></span> -two baskets, the steersman squatted upon the -poop of the boat grinning applause, and revealing -in his satisfaction a set of teeth as white as -ivory; and, ere long, excepting this last, our -attendant, and myself, every soul on board was -asleep.</p> - -<p>In less than two hours, Stamboul had vanished -like a vision, and could only be traced by the -line of heavy mist which skirted the horizon. -The coast of Asia Minor was darkening as we -advanced, wearing the dense drapery of vapour -woven by the excessive heat—the mountain -chain, fantastic in outline, stretched far as -the eye could reach, and we had already left -behind us the two quaint rocks which form so -peculiar an object from the heights above Constantinople. -But here the wind failed us altogether; -the slumbering caïquejhes were awakened, -the oars were plied, and we moved over -the Sea of Marmora, of which I had such horrible -memories, from the night of pain and peril -that I had passed upon it on my way to Turkey, -as though we had been traversing a lake.</p> - -<p>Twilight darkened over us thus; and then a -light breeze tempted us again to set the sails, -and we glided along smoothly, skirting the -rocky coast until we reached the point opposite -Broussa; which, sloping rapidly downwards to -the beach, suddenly revealed to us the glorious -moon, that was rising broad and red immedi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">3</a></span>ately -on our track, and tracing a line of light -along the ripple which gleamed like gold.</p> - -<p>After having sated myself with the bright -moon, the myriad stars, and the mysterious -mountains, at whose base the waves had hollowed -caverns, through which they dashed with -a noise like thunder, and once or twice almost -deluded me into a belief that I could distinguish -the sound of human voices issuing from -their depths, I at length yielded to the excessive -fatigue that overpowered me; and, wrapping -myself closely in my mantle, I stretched -myself along the bottom of the caïque, and did -not again awaken until the boatmen announced -our arrival at Moudania.</p> - -<p>It was an hour past midnight, and not a -sound came to us from the town. A score of -Arabian barks were anchored off the shore, -whose seaward houses overhang the water; -the white minarets of the mosques were in strong -relief upon the tall, dark, thickly-wooded mountains -which rose immediately behind them, and -whence the song of the nightingales swept -sweetly and sadly over the ripple; and had we -not been drenched with the heavy dew that -had fallen during the night, I should have been -quite satisfied to remain until daylight in the -caïque, which soon entered a little creek in the -centre of the town.</p> - -<p>But, previously to casting anchor, we were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">4</a></span> -obliged to pull considerably higher up the gulf -in order to show ourselves at the Custom House, -and to exhibit our Teskarè, or Turkish passport, -as well as to submit our two travelling -portmanteaux, and our provision-hamper, to the -inspection of the examining officer. After a -vast deal of knocking and calling, an individual -was at length awakened, who came yawning -into the caïque with a paper-lantern in his -hand, and his eyes only half open; and who, -after looking drowsily about him, murmured -out “<em>backschish</em>,” and prepared to depart; upon -which a few piastres were given to him, and -he returned on shore.</p> - -<p>The word backshich is the first of which a -traveller learns the meaning in Turkey; it signifies -fee, or present. The Pasha receives -backshich for procuring a place or a pension -for some petitioner; then, of course, it is a present, -and precisely as unwelcome as it is unexpected: -the boy who picks up your glove or -your whip, as you ride along the street, demands -backshich—he must be fee’d for his civility. -Nothing is to be done in the country without -backshich.</p> - -<p>On entering the creek we despatched the -servant and one of the caïquejhes to the house -of the Greek Archbishop of Broussa, to whom -we had brought a letter, and who had removed -to the coast for the benefit of sea-bathing; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">5</a></span> -his Holiness was from home, and there was consequently -no ingress for us. In this dilemma, -for hotels there are none, we had no alternative -but to accept for a few hours the hospitality of -one of the boatmen, until we could procure -horses to carry us on to Broussa; and we consequently -made our debût in Asia Minor in an -apartment up two flights of rickety stairs, -walled with mud, and shivering under our footsteps. -But it suffices to state that the caïquejhe -was a Greek, for it to be understood at once by -every Eastern traveller that the house was -cleanly to perfection; and our reception by the -hostess, even at that untoward hour, courteous -and attentive.</p> - -<p>Before the servant had brought the luggage -up stairs, my father, worn out by fatigue, was -sound asleep upon the divan; and, when the attendant -had withdrawn, I also gladly prepared -myself for the enjoyment of a few hours’ repose; -and, casting off my shoes, and winding a shawl -about my head, I took possession of the opposite -side of the sofa, and should soon have followed his -example, when I was aroused by the light foot -of the caïquejhe’s wife in the apartment, who, -opening a small chest, cast over me a sheet and -coverlet as white as snow, and then retired as -quietly as she came.</p> - -<p>But that sheet and coverlet changed the -whole tide of my feelings—the chest in which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">6</a></span> -they had been kept was of cypress wood—they -were strongly impregnated with its odour—I -was exhausted by fatigue and excitement—and -a thousand visions of death and the grave came -over me in the half dreamy state in which I lay, -that by no means added to my comfort.</p> - -<p>With a morbidity of imagination to which I -am unhappily subject, I followed up at length -one fantastic and gloomy image, until I began -to believe myself in a state of semi-existence, -habiting with the dead; but the delusion was -brief, for I was soon as disagreeably convinced -that my affair was at present altogether with -the living. I had been warned that Broussa -was as celebrated for its bugs as for its baths, -but I had never contemplated such martyrdom -at Moudania! I sprang from the sofa, shook -my habit with all my strength, and then, folding -my fur pelisse for a pillow, I stretched myself -on the carpet, and left the luxuries of the cushioned -divan to my father; who, fortunately for -him, proved to be a sounder sleeper than myself.</p> - -<p>At five o’clock, the horses came to the door; -and after partaking sparingly of the provisions -which we had brought with us, we drank a cup -of excellent coffee, prepared by our hostess, and -descended to the street; where my European -saddle, by no means a common sight at Moudania, -had collected a crowd of idlers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">7</a></span>Had Cruikshank been by when we started, we -should assuredly not have escaped his pungent -pencil. My father led the van, mounted on a -high-peaked country saddle, with a saddle-cloth -of tarnished embroidery, and a pair of shovel -stirrups; I followed, perched above a coarse -woollen blanket, with my habit tucked up to -preserve it from the stream of filth that was -sluggishly making its way through the street; -after me came our Greek servant, sitting upon -a pile of cloaks and great coats, holding his pipe -in one hand, and his umbrella in the other; and -he was succeeded in his turn by the serudjhe who -had charge of our luggage, and who rode between -the portmanteaux, balancing the provision -basket before him, dressed in a huge black -turban, ample drawers of white cotton, and a -vest of Broussa silk. The procession was completed -by three attendants on foot, the owners -of the horses; and thus we defiled through the -narrow and dirty streets of Moudania, on our -way to the ancient capital of the Ottoman -Empire.</p> - -<p>For a time the mists were so dense that, although -we had the sea-sand beneath the hoofs -of our horses, we could not distinguish the -water; and, as we turned suddenly to the right, -and traversed a vineyard all alive with labourers, -the vapours were rolling off the sides of the -hills immediately in front of us. Feathered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">8</a></span> -even to their summits with trees, they appeared -to rest against the thick folds of heavy white -mist in which they had been enveloped during -the night, and presented the most fantastic -shapes. I never traversed a more lovely country; -vineyards were succeeded by mulberry -plantations and olive groves, gardens of cucumber -plants, beet-root, and melons, stretches of -rich corn land, and immense plains, hemmed in -by gigantic mountains, of which the unredeemed -portions were a perfect garden.</p> - -<p>I have spoken, in my little work on Portugal, -of the beauty of the wild flowers in that country, -but I found that those of Asia even transcended -them. Delicate flowing shrubs, herbs of delicious -perfume, and blossoms of every dye, were -about our path: the bright lilac-coloured gum-cistus, -with a drop of gold in its centre—the -snowy privet, with its scented cone—the wild -hollyhock—the bindweed, as transparent and -as variously coloured as in an European parterre—the -mallow, with its pale petals of pink -and white—the turquoise, as blue as a summer -sky, and as large as a field-daisy—the foxglove, -springing from amid the rocky masses by the -wayside, like virtue struggling with adversity, -and seeming doubly beautiful from the contrast; -the bright yellow blossom which owes -to its constantly vibrating petals the vulgar -name of “woman’s tongue”—the sweet-scented<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">9</a></span> -purple starch-flower—wild roses, woodbine, and, -above all, the passion-flower, somewhat smaller -than that cultivated in Europe, but retaining -perfectly its pale tints and graceful character, -were mingled with a thousand others that were -new to me.</p> - -<p>Upon one spot on this plain I saw the richest -clump of vegetation that I ever met with in my -life, it was a small mound near the road-side, -covered with dwarf aloes and arum; I made -one of the seridjhes tear up a plant of the latter -for me to examine, and it was perfectly gigantic; -the blossom measured eighteen inches from -the base of the calyx to the extremity of the -petal; the colour was a deep, rich ruby, and -the stem was five or six feet in height. I need -scarcely add that the stench which it emitted -was intolerable, and we were obliged to rub our -hands with wild chamomile to rid ourselves of it.</p> - -<p>The butterflies were small, sober-coloured, -and scarce; but the birds which surrounded -us were various and interesting—the bulfinch, -the elegant black-cap, the nightingale, making -the air vocal; and the cuckoo, whose sharp, -quick note cut shrilly through the sweet song -with which it could not assimilate—the skylark, -revelling in light, and drinking in the -sunshine—the partridge, half hidden amid the -corn, or winging its way along the valley, kept -us constant company; while the majestic storks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">10</a></span> -sailed over our heads, with their long thin legs -folded back, and their long thin necks stretched -forward, steering themselves by their feet; or -remained, gravely standing near the road-side, -eyeing us as we passed with all the confidence of -impunity.</p> - -<p>After rising a tolerably steep hill, we descended -into a plain of vast extent, through -which brawled a rapid river crossed by a -bridge of considerable span, wherein a herd -of buffaloes were cooling themselves; some lying -on their sides wallowing in the mud, and others -standing up to their noses in water, and defying -the fierce beams of a sun under which we -were almost fainting. As I pulled up for an -instant to observe them, a kingfisher darted -from a clump of underwood overhanging the -bank, glittering in the light, and looking as -though it had pilfered the rainbow.</p> - -<p>Having passed the plain, we again descended, -and stopped mid-way of the mountain before a -little hut of withered boughs, tenanted by a -superb-looking Turk, who dispensed coffee and -pipes to travellers; beside the hut a handsome -fountain of white granite poured forth a copious -stream of sparkling rock water: and on the -other side of the road a very fine walnut tree -overshadowed a bank covered with grass. Upon -this bank the servant spread our mat; and, -having removed the large flapping hats of leg<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">11</a></span>-horn -which we wore, we revelled in the dense -shade and refreshing coolness; nor were we -the only individuals to whom they had proved -welcome, for a portion of the space was already -occupied by a Turkish woman, whose husband -was in the coffee-hut, and who accepted readily -a part of our luncheon, although she could not -partake of it with us, the presence of my father -preventing the removal of her yashmac. I felt -glad that she received the offer in the spirit -in which it was made, for the Turks are so -universally hospitable that my obligations to -them on this score are weighty; and, singularly -enough, this was the first occasion on -which I had ever had an opportunity of returning -the compliment.</p> - -<p>We lingered on this sweet spot nearly an -hour, and then, continuing our descent, and -crossing a little stream at its foot, we clomb -a lofty mountain, whence we looked down upon -a scene of surpassing beauty. Before us towered -a chain of rocks, whose peaks were clothed with -snow; and beneath us spread a valley dotted -with mulberry and walnut trees, green with -corn and vineyards, and gay with scattered -villages. At the base of the highest mountain -lay Broussa, and even in the distance we could -distinguish the gleaming out of the white buildings -from among the dense foliage which embosomed -them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">12</a></span>From this point a new feature of beauty was -added to the landscape: fountains rose on all -sides, the overflowing of whose basins had frequently -worn a deep channel across the road, -where the waters rushed glittering and brawling -along. With the form of one of these fountains -I was particularly struck; it was evidently -of considerable antiquity, and was overshadowed -by a majestic lime-tree, whose long branches -stretched far across the road; but its source -was dried, and it was rapidly falling to decay.</p> - -<p>I hesitated for an instant whether I should -sketch the fountain, or again lend to it for an -instant the voice that it had lost. I decided on -the latter alternative—and, seating myself upon -the edge of the basin, I hastily scratched the -following stanzas in my note-book.</p> - -<p class="center">THE DRIED-UP FOUNTAIN.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line i1">The emblem of a heart o’er-tried,</div> -<div class="line i2">I stand amid the waste;</div> -<div class="line i1">My sparkling source has long been dried;</div> -<div class="line">And the worn pilgrim, to whose ear</div> -<div class="line">My gushing stream was once so dear,</div> -<div class="line i2">Passes me by in haste.</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">No wild bird dips its weary wing</div> -<div class="line i2">In my pure waters now;</div> -<div class="line i1">No blushing flowers in beauty spring,</div> -<div class="line">Fed by the gentle dews, that erst</div> -<div class="line">Taught each fair blossom how to burst</div> -<div class="line i2">With a yet brighter glow.</div> -<div class="line"> <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">13</a></span></div> -<div class="line i1">The nightingale responds no more</div> -<div class="line i2">Since my glad sound was hushed,</div> -<div class="line i1">As she was wont to do of yore,</div> -<div class="line">To the continuous flow, which oft,</div> -<div class="line">When leaves were rife, and winds were soft,</div> -<div class="line i2">Like her own music gushed.</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">Still wave the lime-boughs, whose sweet shade</div> -<div class="line i2">Was o’er my waters cast,</div> -<div class="line i1">When high in Heaven the sunbeams played;</div> -<div class="line">But o’er my dried-up basin now</div> -<div class="line">Vainly is spread each leafy bough;</div> -<div class="line i2">It but recalls the past—</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">And thus the human heart no less,</div> -<div class="line i2">In its young ardent years,</div> -<div class="line i1">Pours forth its gushing tenderness</div> -<div class="line">Freely, as though time could not fling</div> -<div class="line">A gloom around each lovely thing,</div> -<div class="line i2">And turn its smiles to tears.</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">And thus, like me, it too must prove</div> -<div class="line i2">How soon the spell goes by;</div> -<div class="line i1">How falsehood follows fast on love,</div> -<div class="line">Treachery on trust, and guile on truth;</div> -<div class="line">Until the heart, so full in youth,</div> -<div class="line i2">In age is waste and dry</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">Worn heart, and dried-up fount—for ye</div> -<div class="line i2">The world is fair in vain;</div> -<div class="line i1">Birds sing, boughs wave, and winds are free;</div> -<div class="line">But song, nor shade, nor breath, can more</div> -<div class="line">Your joyful gush of life restore—</div> -<div class="line i2">It will not flow again!</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">14</a></span></p> - -<p>A great stretch of road, after we had passed the -exhausted fountain, traversed another of those -immense plains for which this part of the country -is celebrated. No monotony, however, renders -them irksome to the traveller; on the contrary, -they are characteristic and various in the extreme. -Gigantic walnut trees, laden with fruit; -fig trees, almost bending beneath their own produce; -little wildernesses of gum cistus, carpeting -the earth with their petals; woods of mulberry -trees; stretches of dwarf oak, with here -and there timber of larger size overtopping -them; grass land, gay with tents, pitched for the -accommodation of those who guard the droves of -horses grazing in their vicinity; camels browzing -on the young shoots of the forest trees; herds of -buffaloes, with their flat and crescent-shaped -horns folding backward, and their coarse and -scantily-covered hides caked with the mud in -which they have been wallowing; and flocks of -goats as wild and as agile as the chamois, keep -the eye and the imagination alike employed.</p> - -<p>Now and then a native traveller, mounted on -his high-peaked saddle, with a brace of silver-mounted -pistols and a yataghan peeping from -amid the folds of the shawl that binds his waist; -his ample turban descending low upon his brow, -and his yellow boots resting upon a pair of -shovel stirrups; his velvet jacket slung at his -back, and the long pendent sleeves of his striped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">15</a></span> -silk robe hanging to his bridle-rein, passes you -by. His horse is, nine times out of ten, scarcely -one remove from a pony, but it can go like the -wind; and, as it tosses its well-formed head, expands -its eager nostril, and scours along with -its long tail streaming in the wind, you are immediately -reminded that both the animal and his -rider are, although remotely, of Tartar origin. -Of course, the horse has his charm against the -Evil Eye, as well as his master; and, moreover, -perhaps, his brow-band, or breeching, prettily -embroidered with small cowries, and his saddle-cloth -gay with the tarnished glories of past -splendour.</p> - -<p>At times you are met by a party of Greek -serudjhes returning to Moudania with a band -of hired horses, which, although they have probably -tired the patience and wearied the whip -of their strange riders, are now racing along -amid the shouts and laughter of their owners, -as though they were engaged in a steeple-chase. -A cloud of dust in the distance heralds the approach -of a train of rudely-shaped waggons, -frequently formed of wicker-work, drawn by -oxen or buffaloes, and generally laden with tobacco; -while, nearer the city, gangs of donkeys, -carrying neatly-packed piles of mulberry boughs -for the use of the silk-worms, which form the -staple trade of the neighbourhood, complete -the moving picture.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">16</a></span>The river which traverses the plain is spanned -by a bridge of five beautifully-formed arches. -When we passed, it was so shrunken that an -active leaper might have cleared it at a bound; -but the current was frightfully rapid, and the -channel, heaped with flints and sand, had evidently -been insufficient to contain its volume -during the winter, as the land, for a wide space -on either side, bore traces of having been -flooded.</p> - -<p>On the edge of the plain stands the fountain -of Adzim Tzèsmèssi, overshadowed by three -fine maple trees, and in itself exceedingly picturesque. -A rudely-constructed kiosk, raised a -couple of steps from the ground, and surrounded -by seats, protects the small basin of granite -into which the water rises, and whence it afterwards -escapes by pipes into two exterior reservoirs: -that which is shaded by the maples being -reserved for the use of travellers, and the other -for the supply of cattle.</p> - -<p>Here, of course, we found a caféjhe, surrounded -by a group of smokers; and procured -some excellent coffee and cherries.</p> - -<p>During our halt, a party of Bohemian gipsies, -on their way to the coast, stopped to refresh -themselves and their donkeys at the mountain -spring; they were about thirty in number, and -the men were remarkably tall and well-looking, -but formidable enough, with their pistols and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">17</a></span> -yataghans peeping from their girdles; they had -two or three sickly, weary children in their -train, who appeared half dead with heat and -toil; and half a dozen withered old women, who -might have sat for the originals of Macbeth’s -witches, they were so “grim and grisly;” but -there was one female among them, a dark-eyed, -rosy-lipped maiden of sixteen, or thereabouts, -who was the perfection of loveliness. For a -while she stood apart, but, as the rest of the -tribe, attracted by my riding-dress, clustered -about me, and assailed me by questions to -which I was utterly unable to reply, she at -length took courage and joined the party. As -her wild and timid glance wandered from me -to her companions, I found that it invariably -rested upon one individual, and I had little -difficulty in filling up the romance suggested by -her earnest looks. Nor was I deceived; for -when the tribe moved away, the bridle of her -donkey was held by the tall, sunburnt youth to -whom she had attracted my attention; and as -they passed the stream, he did not relinquish -it though he trod knee-deep in water, when he -might have traversed the little bridge without -wetting the soles of his feet; but in recompense -of his devotion, he feasted, as he went, on the -smiles of his fair mistress, and the cherries which -I had poured into her lap. After their departure, -I made a hasty sketch of the fountain,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">18</a></span> -and then quitted with reluctance a spot so redolent -of beauty.</p> - -<p>The plain at this point appeared to be set in -one uninterrupted frame-work of mountains—the -river ran shimmering and sparkling through -its centre—the mulberry and walnut trees were -scattered thickly over its entire surface—the -clouds, as they flitted by, created a thousand -beautiful varieties of light and shade; and the -soft wind that sighed through the maple leaves -almost made me forget my fatigue.</p> - -<p>What rills of water we passed through after -we left the plain! Every quarter of a mile we -encountered a fountain; and for upwards of a -league we rode through the heart of a mulberry -plantation, fringed with noble walnut trees. At -some of the fountains, groups of women were -washing; and it was amusing to see them hastily -huddling on their yashmacs as they remarked -the approach of our party. In many cases, the -water which escaped from the basins provided -for it, ran rippling along the road, and covering -the whole surface for a considerable distance, -ere it buried itself among the long grass that -skirted the plantation. The mulberry wood -was succeeded by gardens; and the rich, rank -vegetation reminded me strongly of Portugal, -than which I never saw any country more similar.</p> - -<p>At a short distance from Broussa, a fine old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">19</a></span> -wall, based on the living rock, rose in its stern -hoary decay immediately before our path; -clusters of mouldering towers, half overgrown -with parasites, from among which gleamed out -the modern and many-gabled palace of some -Turkish noble, all apparently growing out of its -grey remains, varied the outline; nor did we -lose sight of them until, on reaching the gate -of the city, we turned sharply to the right, in -order to escape the Jews’ quarter; and, on arriving -in that appropriated to the Greeks, took -possession of a furnished house, which had been -prepared for us by the polite attention of Mr. -Z——, an Armenian merchant, to whom we -had a letter: when, on approaching the window, -I found that the view was bounded by the -same old wall, crowned by a charming kiosk, -with its trelliced terrace and domed temple, -overhung with roses; while the rock, and even -the wall itself, were thickly covered with wild -vines, trailing their long branches like garlands; -flowering rock-plants in abundance, and white -jessamine and other parasites, rooted in the -garden above, and mingling their blossoms with -those which Nature alone had planted.</p> - -<p>A stately Turk was seated at the open window -of the kiosk, smoking his chibouk, and attended -by his pipe-bearer; who, when he had -satisfied his own curiosity, slowly withdrew, -and was shortly replaced by a female, closely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">20</a></span> -veiled, and followed by a couple of slaves. I fell -asleep on the sofa without obtaining a glimpse -of her face; and, on awaking, found that she -had departed in her turn, and that a party of -solemn-looking Musselmauns had established -themselves in the temple from which they could -overlook the whole of our apartment, where they -were smoking, and drinking large goblets of -water.</p> - -<p>I do not know when the party broke up, as I -retreated to the other side of the house, and -took possession of a room whose windows -looked into a court enclosed by high walls -painted in fresco, and containing two pretty -fountains, whose ceaseless murmurings soon -lulled me once more to sleep. A fine lime tree -threw its shade far into the apartment—a -female voice was singing in the distance—and -as I cast myself on the divan, and closed my -eyes, a feeling of luxury crept over me which -influenced my dreams.——</p> - -<p>No wonder that my visions were of home, and -of the best of mothers!—I was in her arms—on -her heart.</p> - -<p>My first hour’s dream at Broussa was worth -a waking day!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">21</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Ancient Gate—Greek Inscriptions—Mausoleum of Sultan Orcan—Monkish -Chronicle—The Turbedar Hanoum—Inverted Columns—Painted -Pillars—Splendid Marbles—Tombs of the Imperial Family—The -Greek Cross—The Sultan’s Beard—Mausoleum of Sultan -Ali Osman—Monastic Vaults—Ruined Chapel—Remains of a Greek -Palace—Bassi Relievi—Ruined Fountains—Ancient Fosse—Dense -Vegetation—Noble Prospect—Roman Aqueduct—Valley of the -Source—Picturesque Groups—Coffee-Kiosks—Absence of Pretension -among the Turks—The Tale Teller—Traveller’s Khan—Sick -Birds—Roman Bridge—Armenian Mother.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">At</span> an early hour on the following morning -we started, accompanied by a guide, and our -own servant who acted as Dragoman, to visit -such objects of interest as might exist in the -immediate vicinity of the city; and after climbing -the hill on which the ancient wall is based, -and passing through a fine old gate, in whose -neighbourhood we remarked several Greek -inscriptions that had apparently been displaced -at the capture of the city, as one or two of them -are inverted, we found ourselves in front of the -Mausoleum of Sultan Orcan.</p> - -<p>This sovereign, who was the son of Othman,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">22</a></span> -the first Turkish Emperor, took Broussa, (which -was at the time the capital of Bithinia) in the -year 1350; and, according to an old monkish -chronicle which I consulted on the spot, “He -found three towers filled with the treasures of -these kings, which they had been amassing from -the first building of the city; gold and silver in -ingots and in coins; pearls and jewels, among -which were twelve precious stones unique in -value; furniture and dresses wrought in gold -and silver; crowns of great price filled with -gold and pearls; saddles, pantaloons, and -swords worked with gold, and pearls, and jewels—forming -altogether the lading of seven hundred -camels, all of which he despatched to his -native country. This done, he collected together -all the young children: some he caused to lie -on their stomachs upon the earth, where he -trampled them beneath the feet of horses; others -he flung into the river; and others again he -exposed naked to the sun, where they died of -thirst. Many mothers stifled their children, -rather than deliver them over to the barbarian. -It would be difficult to describe the torments -inflicted on the Bishops, the Priesthood, and the -monks; some were drowned, some burnt, some -dragged by horses, &c. &c.”</p> - -<p>“This monarch,” pursues the historian, “was -brave, luxurious, and generous; and was the -husband of Kilikia, the Princess of Caramania;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">23</a></span> -he was wounded at the taking of Broussa, and -died in consequence a few days afterwards, -having reigned twenty-two years.”</p> - -<p>It was the tomb of this “generous” conqueror -which we were about to invade; and, while the -guide was absent in search of the Turbedar -Hanoum, or Holy Woman, who had charge of -the keys, I amused myself by examining the -exterior entrance of the building, or rather of -that portion of it now converted into an Imperial -Mausoleum.</p> - -<p>The open porch, with its deeply projecting -roof painted in fresco, is supported by two pillars -of coarse old Byzantine architecture, and composed -of delicately-veined white marble. This -porch gives admittance only to the Court of the -Tomb-house, and presents a spectacle probably -unique, and so characteristic of the progress of -the fine arts in this country, that it deserves -especial mention. The pillars to which I have -alluded as supporting the porch are reversed; -the sculptured capitals rest on the earth, and a -plaistered summit has been supplied, gaudily -painted in blue and yellow; while the pillars -themselves are only just beginning, thanks to -time and weather, to reveal the material of -which they are composed, through their decaying coat -of whitewash!</p> - -<p>When a frightful old woman, huddled up in a -scarf of coarse white cotton, at length made her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">24</a></span> -appearance, key in hand, and admitted us to the -Inner Court, a second anomaly nearly as startling -as the first presented itself. The enclosure -was thickly planted with young trees, among -which a pomegranate, gorgeous in its livery of -green and scarlet, was the most conspicuous; -and a sparkling fountain was pouring forth its -copious stream of clear cool water into a marble -reservoir; while the long flexile branches of a -wild vine were gracefully wreathed across the -entrance of the Mausoleum. But here again the -hand of barbarism had been at work; and the -four slender Ionic columns of gray marble which -support the porch, had undergone the same melancholy -process of painting, and their capitals -were decorated with a wreath of many-coloured -foliage!</p> - -<p>Little did such an exhibition of modern Vandalism -prepare me for the splendid coup-d’œil -that awaited me within. The Mausoleum is -a portion of an ancient Greek monastery, dismantled -by Sultan Orcan at the capture of the -city; and is supposed to have been a private -chapel in which the Emperor was accustomed -to perform his devotions. It is of an oval form; -and, previously to a fire which partially destroyed -it a few years since, was entirely lined -with rich marbles. Those now deficient have -been replaced by paint and stucco, in precisely -the same taste as that which operated on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">25</a></span> -exterior; but, as their number is comparatively -small, the general effect is not greatly marred.</p> - -<p>Sultan Orcan, with his wife Kilikia, two of -his Odaliques, and seventeen of his children, -occupy the centre of the floor; whose fine -mosaic pavement has been covered throughout -the whole space thus appropriated with a mass -of coarse plaister, raised about a foot from the -floor, and supporting the Sarcophagi. That of -the Sultan himself is overlaid with a costly -cachemire shawl, above which are spread two -richly embroidered handkerchiefs in crimson -and green, worked with gold; while the turban -at its head is decorated with a third, wrought -in beautiful arabesques, and by far the most -splendid thing of the kind that I ever saw, -Those of the Sultanas and their children are -simply painted of the sacred green, and totally -unornamented; the first instance of such a -marked distinction that I had yet met with in -the country.</p> - -<p>At the upper end of the chapel, three rows -of marble seats, arranged amphitheatrically, -occupy the extremity of the oval immediately -opposite to the altar, and are surmounted by a -centre seat, supposed to have been that from -which the monarch was accustomed to hear the -mass, while his nobles placed themselves on the -benches at his feet. The lofty dome is supported -by six gigantic square pillars of masonry,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">26</a></span> -and the marbles that line the walls are inserted -with considerable taste. In one of the side -arches a cross still remains, which was introduced -among the mosaics by the Greeks; but -a second, of much larger dimensions, which surmounted -their altar, has been destroyed, and the -space that it occupied coarsely covered with -plaister.</p> - -<p>On the left-hand side of the Imperial Sarcophagus -hangs a small wooden case, shaped like -a bird-cage, and covered with green silk, containing -the Sultan’s beard!—the precious relic -of five centuries!</p> - -<p>The Mausoleum of Sultan Ali Osman, the son -of Orcan, which occupies the other wing of the -building, contains no object of particular interest; -the Hall of Sepulchre is similar in material -and in arrangement, save that the Sarcophagi -of his wives and children are simply whitewashed. -The modern Emperors have been more -gallant; and many a deceased Sultana sleeps -the last sleep at Constantinople, covered with -shawls which, during the rage for cachemeres -in Paris, would have killed half the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">élégantes</em> -with envy.</p> - -<p>From the Mausoleum of Sultan Ali Osman, -we passed into the vaults of the Monastery, -and through a subterranean cloister, supported -by pillars; whence we clambered by a crazy -ladder into what had evidently been the Chapel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">27</a></span> -of the Monastery. Fragments of frescoes still -remain about the dilapidated altar, and on the -screen of the Sanctuary—here it is a head -without a body, and there a pair of legs without -either—on one side a half-effaced inscription in -old Monkish Latin; and on the other a cluster of -wild flowers, concealing the ruin against which -they lean. Several of the arches of the chapel -still remain, and are very gracefully formed, but -the whole scene is one of melancholy: the only -portions of the building which are perfect are -the tombs of the Ottoman Emperors; all that -yet bears the trace of Christianity is stamped -with ruin.</p> - -<p>We next visited the remains of the Palace of -the ancient Greek Emperors, whose dilapidated -gateway is flanked by the mouldering remains -of two <em>bassi relievi</em>; and the fragments of two -fountains of white marble, whose waters, unrestrained -by the mutilated basins into which -they poured themselves, have worn a narrow -channel beside the road, where they rush along, -sparkling in the sunshine. The capital of one of -the columns which once graced them still remains -nearly entire, and is of that elegant stalactite-like -architecture peculiar to the Arabs, and -quite unknown in Europe. Having passed the -gate, we entered a small court, thickly planted -with ancient mulberry trees, and containing -the remains of some of the Imperial offices;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">28</a></span> -whence a second door admitted us into a wide -enclosure, now converted into a nursery-garden, -full of vigorous vegetation.</p> - -<p>Passing onward, we crossed, by a few unsteady -planks, a portion of the ancient fosse, and -found ourselves upon the wall overhanging the -city, surrounded by the group of mouldering -and ivy-grown towers that I had remarked -on my journey, and which I found to be the -remains of the Palace.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="f9" id="f9"></a><img src="images/i_p028.jpg" width="400" height="296" -alt="RUINS OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE.;" title="" /> - -<p class="caption">RUINS OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE.</p></div> - -<p>Nothing more magnificent can be imagined -than the view from this height. The wide plain -through which we had travelled from the coast -lay spread out before us, dotted over its whole -surface with mulberry and olive trees—the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">29</a></span> -river ran rushing in the light among the dense -vegetation—far as the eye could reach, lofty -mountains, purpled by the distance, shut in -the prospect—while, immediately beneath us, -Broussa lay mapped out in all its extent, the -sober-coloured buildings overshadowed by lofty -trees; and the three hundred and eighty mosques -of the city scattered in the most picturesque -irregularity along the side of the -mountains, and on the skirts of the valley. The -palace of a Pasha was close beside us, and -behind us rose the lofty chain of land which -veiled the lordly summit of Mount Olympus; -while over all laughed the bluest and the brightest -sky that imagination can picture.</p> - -<p>Beyond this, and this was of course the result -of situation, and in itself independent of other -interest, the remains of the Imperial Palace -are altogether destitute of attraction; its decay -is too far advanced, or rather its destruction is -too absolute, to present a single charm to the -most determined ruin-hunter in the world.</p> - -<p>About a mile higher up the mountain stand -the remains of a Roman aqueduct; half a dozen -mouldering towers of colossal dimensions rise -hoar and gray against the sky, and at their -feet rushes along the pellucid water that supplies -the fountains of the city. A narrow channel -formed of stone, and full to overflowing, -guides the course of the stream, which escapes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">30</a></span> -from the heart of the mountain at the point -where it hems in the gayest and the greenest -valley that ever fairy revelled in by moonlight. -The channel skirts this valley, until it again -passes beneath the living rock, and pours itself -into the reservoirs of Broussa—but it is less of -the mountain stream, or of the fine old Roman -remains, that I desire to speak, than of the lovely -glen to which I have just alluded.</p> - -<p>This fair spot is the “Sweet Waters” of -Broussa; and as we chanced to visit it for the -first time on a Turkish Sunday, its effect was -considerably heightened. Surrounded by lofty -mountains, overtopped by mouldering ruins, -shaded by stately trees, and fresh with springing -verdure, its aspect was yet further gladdened -by groups of happy idlers in their holyday -costume, seated on their mats along the -margin of the source, or lounging beneath the -shade of two rudely constructed coffee-kiosks; -one of which, built immediately beside the -spring, and resting against the rock whence it -issued, was shaded from the north wind by a -small but elegant mosque, whose tall minaret -was reflected in the clear stream; while the -other, erected beneath the shade of two majestic -maples, seemed to contend the prize of coolness -and comfort with its neighbour. From one -ridge of rock an elegant kiosk overhung the -valley; while from another a cherry tree, laden<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">31</a></span> -with fruit, tempted the hand with its clustering -riches.</p> - -<p>Altogether, I never beheld a more lovely scene; -and the last touch of beauty was given by the -distant view of a Turkish cemetery, which -clomb the side of the mountain, and whose -grave-stones were shaded by clumps of the -dark, silent cypress, relieved here and there by -a stately walnut tree, with its bright leaves -dancing in the wind. The groups that were -scattered over the valley were eminently picturesque: -there was the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">employé</em> with his ill-cut -frock-coat and unbecoming <em>fèz</em>—the Emir, with -his ample green turban, and his vest and drawers -of snowy cotton—the Tatar, clad in crimson, -wrought with gold, his waist bound with a -leathern belt, and his legs protected by Albanian -gaiters—the Ulema, with a white shawl -twisted about his brow, and a brass ink-bottle -thrust into his girdle—the Turning Dervish, with -his high cap of gray felt, and his pelisse of green -cloth—the Greek serudjhe, with a black shawl -twined round his <em>fèz</em>, his jacket slung at his -back, his gaily-striped vest confined by a shawl -about his waist, his full trowsers fastened at the -knee, and his legs bare—the Armenian, with -his tall calpac and flowing robe—all sitting in -groups, smoking their chibouks, sipping their -coffee, and drinking huge draughts of the cold -rock-water, from goblets of crystal as clear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">32</a></span> -and sparkling as the liquid which they contained.</p> - -<p>At the coffee-kiosk of the source, groups were -engaged in conversation, without any regard -to rank or situation in life. The Turks are -perfectly destitute of that <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">morgue</em> which renders -European society a constant state of warfare -against intrusion. Every individual is “eligible” -in Turkey—no one loses <em>caste</em> from the -contact of unprivileged associates—the hour of -relaxation puts all men on a level; and the Bey -sits down quietly by the caïquejhe, and the -Effendi takes his place near the fisherman, as -unmoved by the difference of their relative condition, -as though they had been born to the -same fortune.</p> - -<p>There is something beautiful and touching -in this utter absence of self-appreciation; and -the young noble rises from the mat which he -has shared with the old artisan, as uncontaminated -by the contact as though he had been -partaking the gilded cushions of a Pasha. But, -ready as I am to admire this state of things, I -am well aware that it could not exist with us; -the lower orders of Turkey and the lower orders -of Europe are composed of totally different elements. -The poor man of the East is intuitively -urbane, courteous, and dignified—he is never -betrayed into forgetfulness, either of himself or -of his neighbour—he never knows, although he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">33</a></span> -was bred in a hut, that he may not die in a -palace—and with this possibility before his -eyes, he always acts as though the hour of his -metathesis were at hand.</p> - -<p>It is probably from this feeling that an Osmanli -smiles when he hears a Frank vaunting -himself on his high blood; and that he replies -tersely and gravely to the boast that “every -Turk is born noble.”</p> - -<p>No greater proof of the superiority of the -working classes of Turkey over those of Europe -can be adduced, than the tranquillity of the -Empire under a government destitute alike of -head, heart, and hand—a government whose -hollowness, weakness, and venality, will admit -of no argument—whose elements are chicane, -treachery, and egotism—and which would be -unable to govern any other people upon earth -even for a twelvemonth. Perhaps the great secret -of this dignified docility is to be found in the -high religious feeling which is universal among -the Turks, and to which I have made allusion -elsewhere. Should my judgment on this point -be erroneous, however, it is certain that the -character of the mass in Turkey must be -moulded by principles and impulses, in themselves -both respectable and praiseworthy, to -produce so powerful a moral effect.</p> - -<p>At the maple-tree kiosk the crowd was greater, -for there one of the itinerant Improvvisatori, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">34</a></span> -Eastern story-tellers, was amusing his hearers -with a history, which, judging from its length, -and the patience with which it was heard to an -end, ought to have been exceedingly interesting. -But no sound of boisterous merriment -arose amid the grave and bearded auditors; -once or twice, a low chuckle, and a denser cloud -of smoke emitted from the chibouk, gave slight -indications of amusement: but that was all; -every thing was as quiet, as orderly, and as -well-conducted, as though every individual of -the party had been under priestly surveillance. -On quitting the Valley of the Source, we -visited the Tekiè of the Turning Dervishes, -with its two fine fountains and its elegant -chapel; and then proceeded to one of the public -Khans, or Caravanserais, in which are lodged -all travelling merchants, and such strangers as -have not the opportunity of procuring private -houses during their residence in Broussa. The -building was inconvenient, ill-built, and confined -in size, being a very inefficient substitute for -one which was destroyed a few years ago by -fire in its immediate vicinity; but its court was -adorned with a very handsome fountain richly -ornamented, beneath whose projecting roof the -inhabitants of the Khan congregate to smoke -and converse.</p> - -<p>A small erection just within one of the gates -of the court attracted my attention, from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">35</a></span> -circumstance of its roof being occupied by three -eagles; two of them about half fledged, and the -other evidently sick. I inquired the meaning of -this location, and learnt that the little edifice -was appropriated to the use of such wild birds -as the hunters and peasants chanced to meet -during their rambles among the mountains, and -which were suffering either from disease, desertion, -or injury. Being carefully transported -hither, they are fed, and attended to until they -voluntarily take wing, and return to their rocky -haunts. The present patients were two eaglets, -which had been abandoned in the nest, and a -wounded bird, which, without assistance, must -have died from starvation. Such a trait of -national character is well worthy of mention.</p> - -<p>Upon the roof of a mosque about a hundred -yards from the house which we occupied, a -couple of storks had made their nest, and, at -the time of our visit, were carefully tending -their young, apparently quite indifferent to all -the noise and clamour going on immediately -beneath. The Turks repay the confidence thus -reposed in them with an almost superstitious -reverence for these feathered children of the -wilderness; and the destruction of a bird of -this species would be sure to draw down upon -the aggressor the displeasure, if not the vengeance, -of every neighbouring Musselmaun.</p> - -<p>I must not omit to mention the covered bridge;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">36</a></span> -a curious Roman remain in the Armenian quarter -of the city, forming a street across a rapid -torrent, which, falling from the mountain, pours -itself into the plain. It is entirely tenanted by -silk weavers, and its numerous windows are so -patched and built up as to render it extremely -picturesque. Its single arch is finely formed, -and from a distance it is a very attractive object; -but it is rapidly falling to decay.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="f10" id="f10"></a><img src="images/i_p036.jpg" width="400" height="299" -alt="ROMAN BRIDGE AT BROUSSA." /> - -<p class="caption">ROMAN BRIDGE AT BROUSSA.</p></div> - -<p>I sketched it from the window of an Armenian -house; overlooked in my employment by -a sweet young woman, who held upon her knees -her dying infant—her first-born son. As the -Orientals believe every Frank, whether male -or female, to be skilled in the healing art, she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">37</a></span> -never ceased her prayer, during the whole of -my stay under her roof, that I would restore -her child to health. I shall never think of the -Roman bridge at Broussa but the weeping -image of the young Armenian mother will be -associated with it in my memory.</p> - -<hr /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">38</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Orientalism of Broussa—Costume of the Men—Plain Women—Turbans -and Yashmacs—Facility of Ingress to the Mosques—Oulou Jamè—Polite -Imam—Eastern Quasimodo—Ascent of the Minaret—The -Charshee—Travelling Hyperboles—Silk Bazàr—Silk Merchants’ -Khan—Fountains of Broussa—Broussa and Lisbon—The Baths—Wild -Flowers—Tzekerghè—Mosque of Sultan Mourad—Madhouse—Court -of the Mosque—Singular Fountain—Mausoleum of Sultan -Mourad—Golden Gate—Local Legend—The Tomb-house—More -Vandalism—Ancient Turban—Comfortable Cemeteries—Subterranean -Vault Great Bath—Hot Spring—Baths and Bathers—Miraculous -Baths—Armenian Doctress—Situation of Tzekerghè—Storks -and Tortoises—Turkish Cheltenham.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> city of Broussa is infinitely more oriental -in its aspect than Stamboul; scarcely a -Frank is to be seen in the streets; no French -shops, glittering with gilded timepieces and porcelain -tea-services, jar upon your associations; -not a Greek woman stirs abroad without flinging -a long white veil over her gaudy turban, -and concealing her gay coloured dress beneath -a ferdijhe; while the Turks themselves almost -look like men of another nation.</p> - -<p>I do not believe that, excepting in the palace -of the Pasha, there are a hundred <em>fèz</em>-wearing -Osmanlis in the whole city. Such turbans!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">39</a></span> -mountains of muslin, and volumes of cachemire; -Sultan Mahmoud would infallibly faint at the -sight of them; worn, as many of them are, -falling upon one shoulder, and confined by a -string in consequence of their great weight. -Such watches! the size, and almost the shape, -of oranges—such ample drawers of white cotton, -and flowing garments of striped silk, and girdles -of shawl! The women, meanwhile, except -such as belonged to quite the lower orders, were -almost invisible; I scarcely encountered one -Turkish woman of condition in my walks, and -those who passed in the arabas kept the latticed -windows so closely shut, despite the heat, -that it was impossible to get a glimpse of them. -The men were a much finer race than those of -Constantinople; I rarely met a Turk who was -not extremely handsome, and much above the -middle height; while the few women whom I -<em>did</em> see were proportionably unattractive.</p> - -<p>There is not a greater difference in the mode -of wearing the turban by the one sex at Broussa, -than in that of wearing the yashmac by the -other. In Constantinople it is bound over the -mouth, and in most instances over the lower -part of the nose, and concealed upon the shoulders -by the feridjhe. In Asia, on the contrary, -it is simply fastened, in most cases, under the -chin, and is flung over the mantle, hanging-down -the back like a curtain. In the capital,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">40</a></span> -the yashmac is made of fine thin muslin, through -which the painted handkerchief, and the diamond -pins that confine it, can be distinctly -seen; and arranged with a coquetry perfectly -wonderful. At Broussa it is composed of thick -cambric, and bound so tightly about the head -that it looks like a shroud.</p> - -<p>One circumstance particularly struck me at -Broussa—I allude to the facility of visiting the -mosques. While those of Stamboul are almost -a sealed volume to the general traveller, he -may purchase ingress to every mosque in Broussa -for a few piastres; and well do many of them -deserve a visit. That of Oulou Jamè, situated -in the heart of the city, is the finest and most -spacious of the whole. Its roof is formed by -twenty graceful domes, of which the centre one -is open to the light, being simply covered with -iron net-work. Beneath this dome is placed a -fine fountain of white marble, whose capacious -outer basin, filled with fine tench, is fed from a -lesser one, whence the water is flung into the -air, and falls back with a cool monotonous -murmur, prolonged and softened by the echoes -of the vast edifice. The effect of this stately -fountain, the first that I had yet seen within -a mosque, was extremely beautiful; its pure -pale gleam contrasting powerfully with the deep -frescoes of the walls, and the gaudily-coloured -prayer-carpets strown at intervals over the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">41</a></span>matting which covered the pavement. The -pulpit, with its heavily screened stair, was of -inlaid wood; and the whole building remarkable -rather for its fine proportions and elegant fountain -than for the richness of its details. The -scrolls containing the name of Allah, and those -of the four Prophets, were boldly and beautifully -executed; and the arched recess at the -eastern end of the temple painted with some -taste.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="uc" id="uc"></a><img src="images/i_fp041.jpg" width="500" height="321" -alt="THE ROOF OF OULOU JAME FROM THE GARDEN OF THE GREEK CHURCH." title="" /> -<table summary="oulou" width="100%"><tr> -<td class="left f06">Miss Pardoe del.</td> -<td class="right f06">Day & Haghe Lith.<sup>rs</sup> to the King.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f08" colspan="2">THE ROOF OF OULOU JAMÈ FROM THE GARDEN OF THE GREEK CHURCH.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f06" colspan="2"><i>Henry Colburn, 13 G.<sup>t</sup> Marlborough St 1837.</i></td> -</tr></table></div> - -<p>The High Priest was reading from the Koràn -when we entered, with his green turban and -pelisse deposited on the carpet beside him. His -utterance was rapid and monotonous, and accompanied -by a short, quick motion of the body -extremely disagreeable to the spectator. As we -approached close to him, he suddenly discontinued -reading, and examined us with the most -minute attention; after which he resumed his -lecture, and took no further notice of our intrusion. -In one corner we passed a man sound -asleep—in another, a woman on her knees before -the name of Allah in earnest prayer, with -the palms of her hands turned upwards. On one -carpet an Imam was praying, surrounded by -half a dozen youths, apparently students of the -medresch attached to the mosque; while on -every side parties of True Believers were -squatted down before their low reading desks, -studying their daily portion of the Koràn.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">42</a></span>The Imam who accompanied us in our tour -of the mosque was so indulgent as even to -allow me to retain my shoes, alleging that -they were so light as to be mere slippers, and -that consequently it was unnecessary to put -them off; and on my expressing a wish to ascend -one of the minarets, the keeper was sent -for to open the door and accompany me; nor -shall I easily forget the object who obeyed the -summons.</p> - -<p>His brow girt with the turban of sacred green—his -distorted body enclosed within a dark -wrapping vest of cotton—and his short, crooked -legs covered with gaiters of coarse cloth—moved -forward a humped and barefooted dwarf with -a long gristled beard, whose thin skinny fingers -grasped a pole much higher than himself; and -who, after eyeing us with attention for a moment -with a glance as keen and hungry as that -of a wolf, sidled up close to the servant, and -growling out “<em>backshich</em>,” with an interrogative -accent, began to fumble amid the folds of his -garment for the key of the tower; and at length -withdrew it with a grin, which made his enormous -mouth appear to extend across the whole -of his wrinkled and bearded countenance. As -I looked at him I thought of Quasimodo—the -monster of Nôtre Dame could scarcely have been -more frightful!</p> - -<p>Having carefully concealed his pole behind a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">43</a></span> -pile of carpets, and flung back the narrow door -of the minaret, this Turkish Quasimodo led the -way up a flight of broken and dangerous stone -steps, in perfect darkness, consoling himself for -the exertion which we had thus entailed on -him by an occasional fiend-like chuckle, when -he observed any hesitation or delay on the part -of those who followed him; and a low murmured -commune with himself, in which the word <em>backshich</em> -was peculiarly audible.</p> - -<p>The stair terminated at a small door opening -on the narrow gallery, whence the <em>muezzin</em> calls -The Faithful to prayers. The burst of light -on the opening of this door was almost painful; -nor is the sensation experienced when -standing within the gallery altogether one of -comfort. The height is so great, the fence so -low, and the gallery itself so narrow, that a -feeling of dizziness partially incapacitates the -unaccustomed spectator from enjoying to its -full extent the glories of the scene that is -spread out before him, and which embraces not -only the wide plain seen from the ruins of the -Imperial Palace, but the whole chain of mountains -that hem it in.</p> - -<p>After a great deal of stumbling, slipping, and -scrambling, we again found ourselves beside -the fountain of Oulou Jamè; and, on leaving the -mosque, remarked with some surprise that its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">44</a></span> -minarets are painted in fresco on the outside, -to about one-fourth of their height.</p> - -<p>Having presented Quasimodo with a <em>backshich</em>, -which sent him halting away with a second -hideous grin, we proceeded to the Charshee, -which is of considerable extent. As it chanced -to be Sunday, the stalls usually occupied by -Armenian and Greek merchants were closed; -but many a Hassan, an Abdallah, and a Soleiman -was squatted upon his carpet, with his -wares temptingly arranged around him, his -long beard falling to his girdle, his chibouk -lying on the carpet beside him, and his slippers -resting against its edge. Here, a green-turbaned -descendant of the Prophet, with half a dozen -ells of shawl twisted about his head, dark fiery -eyes, and a beard as white as snow, pointed -silently as we passed to his embossed silver -pistols, his richly-wrought yataghans, and his -velvet-sheathed and gilded scimitars. There, a -keen-looking Dervish, with his broad flat girdle -buckled with a clasp of agate, and his gray cap -pulled low upon his forehead, extended towards -us one of his neatly-turned ivory perfume-boxes.</p> - -<p>While examining his merchandize we might -have been inclined to believe that we could -purchase of him perpetual youth, and imperishable -beauty. He had dyes, and washes, and -pastes, and powders—essences, and oils, and -incenses, and perfumed woods—amulets, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">45</a></span> -chaplets, and consecrated bracelets, and holy -rings; all set forth with an order and precision -worthy of their high qualities. A little further -on, a solemn-looking individual presided over a -miniature representation of Araby the Blest—Spices -were piled around him pyramidically, or -confined in crystal vases, according to their -nature and costliness: there were sacks of cloves, -heaps of mace, piles of ginger, mountains of -nutmegs, hampers of allspice, baskets of pepper, -faggots of cinnamon, and many others less commonly -known. Opposite the spice-merchant -was the gay stall of the slipper-maker, with its -gaudy glories of purple, crimson, and yellow—its -purple for the Jew, its crimson for the Armenian, -and its yellow for the Turk. I purchased -a pair of slippers of the true Musselmaun -colour, for which I paid about twice as -much as their value, being a Frank; and we -then continued our walk.</p> - -<p>Not far from the slipper-merchant, on the -platform in front of one of the closed shops, sat -a ragged Turk, surrounded by flowers of a pale -lilac colour, which emitted a delicious odour. -While I was purchasing some, I inquired whence -they came, and learnt that they were wild -auriculas from Mount Olympus. I paid twice -the price demanded for them, and bore them -off. How knew I but that the seed might have -been sown by Venus herself?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">46</a></span>I had been told, previously to my leaving -England, and indeed before I had an idea of -visiting Turkey, that the stalls of the sweetmeat -venders resembled fairy-palaces built of -coloured spars; and this too by an individual -who had resided a few weeks at Constantinople. -I can only say, that with every disposition to -do ample justice to all I saw, my own ideas of -enchantment are much nearer realization at -Grange’s or Farrance’s. The Turks do not understand -that nicety of arrangement which produces -so much effect in our metropolitan shops; -and with the exception of the perfume and silk -merchants, and perhaps one or two others, they -are singularly slovenly in the disposition of -their merchandize.</p> - -<p>The sweetmeat-venders have a row of glass -jars along the front of their stalls, some filled -with dried and candied fruits, others with sherbet -cakes, and others with different descriptions -of coloured and perfumed sugar; while the -scented pastes, of which the Orientals are so fond, -are cut up into squares with scissors, and spread -out upon sheets of paper; or perforated with -twine, and hung from the frame-work of the -shops like huge sausages. I confess that my -imaginings of fairy-land extended considerably -beyond this. The merchandize itself, however, -is far from contemptible; and we found that of -the Charshee of Broussa even more highly per<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">47</a></span>fumed -than what we had purchased at Constantinople.</p> - -<p>From the Charshee we passed into the silk-bazàr, -which was almost entirely closed, three-fourths -of the merchants being Armenians; but -among those who were at their posts, we -selected one magnificent looking Turk, who -spread out before us a pile of satin scarfs, used -by the ladies of the country for binding up -their hair after the bath; the brightest crimson -and the deepest orange appeared to be the -favourite mixture, and were strongly recommended; -but their texture was so extremely -coarse, and their price so exorbitant, that we -declined becoming purchasers.</p> - -<p>On leaving the silk bazàr we proceeded to -the silk merchants’ Khan, a solid quadrangular -building, having a fine stone fountain in the -centre of the paved court, the most respectable -establishment of the kind throughout the city, -where their number amounts to twenty. Above -the great gate, the wrought stone cornice is -curiously decorated with a wreath of mosaic, -formed of porcelain, as brightly blue as turquoise, -which has a very pretty and cheerful -effect.</p> - -<p>The number of fountains in Broussa must -at least double that of the mosques, which -amount to three hundred and eighty seven. -You scarcely turn the corner of a street that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">48</a></span> -is not occupied by a fountain, and it is by no -means uncommon to have three and even four -in sight at the same time, without calculating -that all the good houses have each one or more -in their courts or gardens; no kiosk being considered -complete without its basin and its little -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">jet d’eau</em>. Yet, notwithstanding this profusion of -water, many of the streets are disgustingly dirty, -not an effort being made to remove the filth -which accumulates from the habit indulged in -by the inhabitants of sweeping every thing to -the fronts of their houses. Indeed, setting aside -the costume and the language, Broussa and its -neighbourhood are a second edition of Lisbon; -nearly the same dirt, the same bullock-cars, and -luggage-mules, and rattle from morning to -night within the city; the same blue sky, sparkling -water, dense vegetation, bright flowers, -and lofty trees without; the golden Tagus of -the one being replaced by the magnificent plain -of the other.</p> - -<p>After having returned home and changed our -dress, we mounted our horses, and started to -see the Baths. Nothing can be more beautiful -than the road which conducts to them. Immediately -on passing the gate of the city, you wind -round the foot of the mountain, and descend into -the village of Mouradiè; having the small mosque -of Sultan Mourad on your right, and in front of -you, the lofty chain of land along which you are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">49</a></span> -to travel. After traversing the village, you turn -abruptly to the left, and by a gentle ascent, -climb to about one-third the height of the mountain; -having on one hand the nearly perpendicular -rock, and on the other a rapid and -almost unprotected descent, clothed with vines -and mulberry trees, whence the plain stretches -away into the distance. The road, as I have -described, hangs on the side of the mountain, -and is fringed with wild flowers and shrubs: -having the aspect of a garden; the white lilac, -the privette, the pomegranate, the rose, the -woodbine, the ruby-coloured arum, and the yellow -broom, are in profusion; and it is with compunction -that you guide your horse among them -when turning off the narrow pathway at the -encounter of a chance passenger; while the perfume -which fills the air, and the song of the -nightingales among the mulberry trees, complete -the charm of the picture.</p> - -<p>By this delightful road you reach the village -of Tzèkerghè, in which the Baths are situated. -It possesses a very handsome mosque, which -was originally a Greek monastery. The exterior -of the Temple is very handsome, the whole -facade being adorned with a peristyle of white -marble, and the great entrance approached by -a noble flight of steps. The interior is, as usual, -painted in scrolls, and lighted by pendent lamps, -but is not remarkable for either beauty or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">50</a></span> -magnificence. The arrangement of the cloisters -and the refectory of the monks is very -curious, being all situated above the chapel, and -opening from a long gallery, surmounting the -peristyle. To this portion of the building we -ascended by a decaying flight of stone steps, -many of whose missing stairs had been replaced -by fragments of sculptured columns: and found -the gallery tenanted by a solitary old lunatic, -who, squatted upon a ragged mat, was devouring -voraciously a cake of black soft bread, such -as is used by the poorest of the population. The -monastic cells have been converted into receptacles -for deranged persons, but this poor old -man was now their only occupant. We threw -him some small pieces of money, which he -clutched with a delight as great as his surprise, -murmuring the name of Allah, and apparently -as happy as a child.</p> - -<p>The court of the mosque is shaded by three -magnificent plantain trees, and the fountain -which faces the peristyle is remarkable from -its basin containing cold water, and its pipes -pouring forth warm. As the pipe is connected -with the basin, the phenomenon is startling, -although the effect is very simply produced -when once its cause is investigated, the fountain -being fed by two distinct springs; the hot -spring being built in, and forced into the pipes; -and the cold one being suffered to fill the basin, -whence it runs off in another direction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">51</a></span>Near the mosque stands the Mausoleum of -Sultan Mourad I., whose court is enclosed by -a heavy gate, said to be formed of one of the -precious metals cased with iron; and the country -people have a tradition that previously to -his death, the Sultan desired that should the -Empire ever suffer from poverty, this gate -might be melted down, when the reigning monarch -would become more rich than any of his -predecessors. Be this as it may, and it is sufficiently -paradoxical, the gate has originally been -richly gilded, though much of the ornamental -work is now worn away; and it is probably to -this circumstance that it owes its reputation.</p> - -<p>Of an equally questionable nature is the -legend relating to the name of the village, -which signifies in English, Grasshopper—a fact -accounted for by the peasantry in the following -manner.</p> - -<p>Sultan Mourad, during the time that the -Christian monastery was undergoing conversion -into a Mohammedan mosque, was one day sitting -within the peristyle, when a grasshopper sprang -upon him, which he adroitly caught in his hand; -where he still held it, when a Dervish approached, -who, after having made his obeisance, -began to importune the pious Sultan for some -indulgence to his order; and was answered -that if he could tell, without hesitation or error, -what was grasped by the monarch, the favour<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">52</a></span> -should be granted. The wily Dervish, knowing -that the mountain abounded with grasshoppers, -and that nothing was more probable than that -one of these might have jumped upon the Sultan, -immediately replied: “Though the ambition of -a vile insect should lead it to spring from the -earth of which it is an inhabitant, into the face -of the sunshine, as though it were rather a -denizen of the air, it suffices that the Imperial -hand be outstretched, to arrest its arrogance. -Happy is it, therefore, both for the rebel who -would fain build up a sun of glory for himself, -of a ray stolen from the hâlo which surrounds -the forehead of the Emperor of the World; and -for the tzèkerghè, that, springing from its -leafy obscurity, dares to rest upon the hem of -the sacred garment, when the Sultan (Merciful -as he is Mighty!) refrains from crushing in his -grasp the reptile which he holds. Favourite -of Allah! Lord of the Earth! Is my boon -granted?”</p> - -<p>“It is, Dervish:”—said the Sultan, opening -his hand as he spoke, and thus suffering the -insect to escape: “And that the memory of thy -conference with Sultan Mourad may not be lost, -and that the reputation of thy quick wit and -subtle policy may endure to after ages, I name -this spot, Tzèkerghè——and let none dare to -give it another appellation.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="f12" id="f12"></a><img src="images/i_fp053.jpg" width="500" height="334" -alt="TURKISH MAUSOLEUM." title="" /> -<table summary="mausoleum" width="100%"><tr> -<td class="left f06">Miss Pardoe del.</td> -<td class="right f06">Day & Haghe Lith.<sup>rs</sup> to the King.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f08" colspan="2">TURKISH MAUSOLEUM.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f06" colspan="2"><i>Henry Colburn, 13 G.<sup>t</sup> Marlborough St 1837.</i></td> -</tr></table></div> - -<p>We were obliged to exert all our best efforts, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">53</a></span> -in order to induce the Imam, who had charge of -the Imperial Mausoleum, to allow us to enter. -We were compelled to declare our country, our -reasons for visiting Asia, and our purpose in -desiring to see the tomb of a True Believer, -when we were ourselves Infidels. Having satisfactorily -replied to all these categories, we -were, however, finally gratified by an assent; -and the tall, stately Imam rose from the wayside -bank upon which he had been sitting, and, -applying a huge key to the gate of which I -have already spoken, admitted us to the Court -of the Tomb.</p> - -<p>This edifice, which was erected by the Sultan -himself, is beautifully proportioned, and paved -with polished marble; the dome is supported -by twelve stately columns of the same material, -six of them having Byzantine, and six, Corinthian -Capitals, but the whole number are now -painted a bright green, having a broad scarlet -stripe at their base! I inquired the cause of -this Vandalism, hoping, as the colour chosen -was a sacred one, that some religious reason -might be adduced, which, however insufficient -to excuse the profanation, might at least tend -to palliate it: but I failed in my object; they -had simply been painted to make them prettier; -and the same cause had operated similarly upon -the gigantic wax candles, that stood at the -extremities of the Imperial Sarcophagus, and -which were clad in the same livery.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">54</a></span>A goodly collection of wives and children -share the Mausoleum with Sultan Mourad, who -is covered with splendid shawls, and at the -head of whose tomb, protected by a handkerchief -of gold tissue, towers one of the stately -turbans of the ancient costume. As it was the -first that I had seen, I examined it attentively; -and am only astonished how the cobweb-like -muslin was ever woven into such minute and -intricate folds. At the head of the Sarcophagus, -on a marble pedestal (painted like the others!) -stood a copper vessel inlaid with silver, and -filled with wheat—the symbol of abundance; -and at its foot was suspended a plough; while -lamps and ostrich eggs were festooned among -the columns.</p> - -<p>The light fell in patches upon the marble -floor, or quivered as the wind swept through -the plantain trees, throwing fantastic shadows -over the tombs; and I left the Mausoleum of -Sultan Mourad, more than ever convinced that -no people upon earth have succeeded better -than the Turks in robbing death of all its -terrors, and diffusing an atmosphere of cheerfulness -and comfort about the last resting-places -of the departed.</p> - -<p>The Sarcophagus, as I have already stated, is -universally based on a mass of masonry about -a foot in height, covered with plaister, and -whitewashed. I inquired why this portion of -the tomb was not built of marble, when in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">55</a></span> -many cases the floors, and even the walls of the -mausoleum were formed of that material; and -was assured by the Imam that it was from a religious -superstition, which he was, nevertheless, -unable to explain.</p> - -<p>Beneath this stone-work an iron grating veils -the entrance of the subterranean in which the -body of the Sultan is deposited; the sarcophagus -being a mere empty case of wood, overlaid -by a covering of baize or cloth, concealed -in its turn by shawls and embroidered -handkerchiefs. No one is permitted to enter -this subterranean, which can generally be approached -also by an exterior door opening into -the court of the tomb-house, save the reigning -monarch, the Turks looking with horror on all -desecration of the dead, and neither bribes nor -entreaties being sufficient to tempt them to a -violation of the sacred trust confided to them.</p> - -<p>On quitting the mausoleum we proceeded to -the principal bath; where, leaving the gentlemen -comfortably seated under the shade of a -maple tree near the entrance, I went in alone. -The appearance of the outer hall was most -singular; the raised gallery was tenanted, -throughout its whole extent, with Turkish and -Greek women, eating, sleeping, and gossipping, -or busied in the arrangement of their toilette; -while, suspended from the transverse beams of -the ceiling, swung a score of little hammocks,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">56</a></span> -in which lay as many infants. How the children -of the country can, at so tender an age, endure -the sulphurous and suffocating atmosphere of -the bath is wonderful, but they not only do not -suffer, but actually appear to enjoy it.</p> - -<p>Passing from this hall, which was of considerable -extent, I entered the cooling-room, in -which the bathers were braiding their hair, or -sleeping upon the heated floor: and opening a -door at the upper end, I walked into the bath-room. -Here I found between forty and fifty -women, whom for the first moment I could -scarcely distinguish through the dense steam, -arising from a marble basin that occupied the -centre of the floor, and which was about a hundred -feet in circumference.</p> - -<p>The natural spring that supplies this basin -is so hot that it requires considerable habit to -enable an individual to support its warmth, -when the doors of the bath are closed. The -effect which it produced on me was most disagreeable; -the combined heat and smell of the -water were overpowering; but the scene was -altogether so extraordinary, that I compelled -myself to endure the annoyance for a few -minutes, in order to form an accurate idea of an -establishment of which I had heard so much.</p> - -<p>The spring, escaping from a neighbouring -mountain, is forced by pipes into the bathing-hall, -where it pours its principal volume into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">57</a></span> -the main basin, part of the stream being diverted -from its channel in order to feed the -lesser tanks of the private rooms; from the -basin it escapes by a sluice at the lower end, -and thus the body of water is constantly renewed. -When I entered, several of the bathers -were up to their chins in the basin, their long -dark tresses floating on the surface of the water; -others, resting upon a step which brought the -water only to their knees, were lying upon the -edge of the tank, while their attendants were -pouring the hot stream over them from metal -basins; some, seated on low stools, were receiving -the mineralized fluid after the fashion of -a shower bath; while one, lying all her length -upon the heated marble of the floor—so heated -that I could scarcely apply my open palm to it -without suffering—was sleeping as tranquilly -as though she had been extended upon a bed of -down.</p> - -<p>The hot springs of Broussa are numerous, -but vary considerably in their degrees of temperature; -those which are frequented by persons -labouring under chronic diseases are much -warmer than those used by ordinary patients. -The most powerful spring boils an egg perfectly -hard in two minutes; while there are -others that are not more than blood heat. They -are all highly mineralized, and that which feeds -the large basin of the public hall is strongly impregnated -with sulphur.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">58</a></span>My appearance in the bath did not create the -slightest sensation among the bathers. The -few whom I encountered on my way moved -aside to enable me to pass, and uttered the usual -salutation; while those who were more busily -engaged simply suspended their operations for -a moment, and resumed them as soon as their -curiosity was gratified.</p> - -<p>I afterwards visited the “Miraculous Bath,” -of which it is asserted that a person in a dying -state, who will submit to pass a night in complete -solitude on the margin of the basin, will -rise in the morning perfectly restored to health, -whatever may have been the nature of the -disease: but, unfortunately, I could not find any -one who had experienced, or even witnessed, a -cure of the kind, though many had heard of -them in numbers. As an equivalent, however, -an old, ugly, red-haired Armenian woman was -pointed out to me, who is a celebrated doctress, -and who had just succeeded in sending home a -credulous elderly gentleman to die in Constantinople, -who came to Broussa in a state of indisposition, -and left it, thanks to the nostrums -of this ancient sybil, without a hope of recovery.</p> - -<p>Many of the houses in the village are furnished -with hot springs; and although they are, -generally speaking, of mean appearance, and in -a dilapidated condition, they produce very high<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">59</a></span> -rents during the season; and are usually let to -Greek families of distinction, or to Europeans.</p> - -<p>The situation of Tzèkerghè is eminently beautiful, -and the air is balmy and elastic; the magnificent -plain is spread out beneath it; it is -backed by lofty mountains; and it is in itself -a perfect bower of fig-trees, plantains, and -maples. The nightingales sing throughout the -whole of the day—the rush of water into the -valley feeds a score of fountains, which keep up -a perpetual murmur; open kiosks are raised -along the hill side, some of them traversed by a -running stream; storks build in the tall trees; -tortoises and land turtles crawl among the high -grass and the wild flowers; and altogether I -know not a prettier spot than that which is occupied -by the village of Tzèkerghè—the rural -Cheltenham of Turkey.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">60</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Difficulty of Access to the Chapel of the Howling Dervishes—Invitation -to Visit their Harem—The Chapel—Sects and Trades—Entrance of -the Dervishes—Costume—The Prayer—Turning Dervishes—Fanatical -Suffering—Groans and Howls—Difficulty of Description—Sectarian -Ceremony—Music versus Madness—Tekiè of the Turning -Dervishes.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Of</span> all the religious ceremonies of the East, -those of the different sects of Dervishes are the -most extraordinary, and, generally speaking, -the most difficult of access. The Turning Dervishes -alone freely admit foreigners, and even -provide a latticed gallery for the use of the -women: while their chapels are usually so situated -as to enable the passer-by to witness all -that is going on within. The more stern and -bigoted sects, on the contrary, permit none but -Mussulmauns to intrude upon their mysteries, -and build their chapels in obscure places, in -order to prevent the intrusion of Christians.</p> - -<p>I had heard much of the Howling Dervishes, -and had made many unsuccessful attempts at -Constantinople to penetrate into their Tekiè; -but they are so jealous of strangers that I was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">61</a></span> -unwillingly compelled to give up all idea of accomplishing -my object, when, on arriving at -Broussa, and finding how comparatively easy -it was to gain admittance to the mosques, I -resolved to renew my endeavours. But I found -that even here many difficulties were to be overcome; -difficulties which, of myself, I never -could have surmounted; when, having fortunately -made the acquaintance of a gentleman -who was known to the High Priest, and who -had already witnessed their service, I prevailed -on him to exert his influence for me, in which -he fortunately succeeded.</p> - -<p>On arriving at the Tekiè, we found that the -service had not yet commenced, and we accordingly -seated ourselves on a stone bench in the -little outer court, to await the gathering of the -fraternity. While we remained there, one of the -principal Dervishes approached us, and offered, -should I desire it, to admit me into the interior -of the harem to visit the women; but, as the -ceremonies were shortly to commence in the -chapel, and I was already suffering extremely -from the heat, I declined to profit by the indulgence.</p> - -<p>The chapel, which was up stairs, was approached -by an open entrance, having on the -left hand a small apartment whose latticed windows -looked into this place of mystery; and -into this room we were admitted, after having<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">62</a></span> -taken off our shoes; while a couple of youths -were stationed within the gallery of the chapel -itself, in order to prevent the crowd from impeding -our view.</p> - -<p>A large square apartment surrounded by a -low gallery, and ornamented like the mosques, -with written passages from the Koràn; upon -whose walls were suspended battle-axes, tambourines, -and half a dozen small Arabian drums; -and whose arched recess was shaded by three -banners of the sacred green, and overlaid with -a rich crimson rug, formed the chapel of the -Howling Dervishes. Within the niche, framed -and glazed, were suspended the names of the -Prophets, a huge chaplet, and a green scarf; -and on each side a small portion of the gallery -was railed off for the convenience of a few individuals -of rank. One of these was already -occupied by a solemn-looking Turk, in a frock-coat -and <em>fèz</em>, doubtlessly one of the sect, who -had withdrawn from the public exercise of his -religion.</p> - -<p>I know not whether I have elsewhere noticed -that every Musselmaun, however high his rank, -has a trade and a peculiar faith—thus the Sultan -is a Turning Dervish and a Tooth-pick -maker—and I have consequently no doubt but -the Turk in question had an individual interest -in the ceremonial. He was accompanied by -a child of about six years of age, dressed pre<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">63</a></span>cisely -like himself, and attended by a black -slave. I was more confirmed in my opinion -relative to the father by watching the gestures -of the son, who imitated every motion of the -Dervishes during the service with the most perfect -exactness, and who was accommodated -with a rug near the seat of the High Priest.</p> - -<p>The throng which pressed into the chapel -was immense, and the heat most oppressive; -while the youths who guarded our windows were -kept in constant action by the strenuous efforts -made by the crowd to occupy the vacant space. -I never saw a finer set of men—such bright -black eyes, fine foreheads, and sparkling teeth.</p> - -<p>At length a low chanting commenced in the -court, and a train of Dervishes, headed by the -High Priest, slowly ascended to the chapel. -They had no peculiar costume, save the chief -himself, who wore a magnificent green turban -with a white crown, and a cloak of olive-coloured -cloth. He was a pale, delicate-looking man of -about one or two-and-twenty, whose father had -been dead a couple of years; when, as the dignity -is hereditary throughout all the sects of -the Dervishes, he had succeeded to the painful -honours of the crimson rug. There was something -melancholy in seeing this sickly youth -lead the nine fanatics who followed him to the -upper end of the chapel, to commence their agonizing -rites; and as he stepped upon the rug, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">64</a></span> -the palms of his hands turned upwards, and the -attendant Dervishes cast themselves on the -earth, and laid their foreheads in the dust, I -felt a thrill of pity for the ill-judged zeal and -blind delusion which was rapidly wearing him -to the grave.</p> - -<p>One of the causes adduced by this sect of -their disinclination to admit Christians to their -worship is the frequent recurrence of the name -of Allah in their orizons, which should never -be uttered in an atmosphere polluted by the -breath of a Giaour. I presume that, in our -case, their consciences were quieted by the intervention -of the wooden lattices, and the reflection -that we were not actually within the -chapel.</p> - -<p>The prayer was long and solemn; not a sound -was audible, save the low monotonous chant -of the High Priest, and the deep responses of -his followers, who, ere it ended, had increased -in number to about fifty. At its close, the whole -of the Dervishes formed a ring round the chapel, -and one of the elders, of whom there were four, -spread in the recess a fine tiger skin, upon -which the High Priest took his place; and then, -turning his face towards Mecca, and murmuring -a low prayer, to which the rest replied by stifled -groans, he invested himself with the green scarf -which I have already mentioned, and, resuming -his seat upon the rug, commenced a species of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">65</a></span> -chant, which was echoed by the whole fraternity: -every individual swinging himself slowly -to and fro, as he sat with his feet doubled under -him upon the floor. Every moment added to -their numbers, and each on his arrival cast off -his slippers at the entrance, and advanced barefooted -to the place of the High Priest; where, -after praying silently for a moment with outstretched -palms, he stroked down his beard, and, -bending on one knee, pressed the hand of his -leader to his lips and forehead, and then took -up a position in the ring; which ultimately became -so thronged that the individuals who composed -it pressed closely upon each other, and, as -they swung slowly to and fro, appeared to move -in one dense mass.</p> - -<p>The ceremony was at this point, when the -Chief of the Turning Dervishes, accompanied -by his two principal Priests, arrived to assist -at the service of his fellow-Dervish. The chant -ceased as they entered the chapel; the youthful -leader of the Howling Dervishes bent down in -his turn, and pressed the hand of his visitor to -his lips, while the stately guest kissed the cheek -of the pale stripling who passed forward to -greet his companions, and after conducting -them to the place of honour, seated himself -beside them.</p> - -<p>The chanting was then resumed, and after a -time increased in quickness; while at intervals,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">66</a></span> -as the name of Allah was pronounced, some -solitary individual uttered a howl, which I can -compare to nothing but the cry of a wild beast.</p> - -<p>Things had progressed thus far, when suddenly -a strong voice shouted, “Allah Il Allah!” -and a powerful man sprang from the floor, as -though he had been struck in the heart, fell -forward upon his head, and by a violent spasm -rolled over, and lay flat upon his back, with -his arms crossed on his breast, and his whole -frame as rigid as though he had stiffened into -death. His turban had fallen off, and the one -long lock of hair pendent from the centre of his -head was scattered over the floor—his mouth -was slightly open, and his eyes fixed—in short, -the convulsion was a terrific one; and it was -not before the lapse of several minutes that two -of the fraternity, who hastened to his assistance, -succeeded in unclasping his hands, and changing -his position. Having ultimately raised him -from the floor, still in a state of insensibility, they -carried him to the crimson rug, and laid him at -the feet of the High Priest, who stroked down -his beard, and laid his right hand upon his -breast; they then continued to use all their -efforts to produce re-animation; and having ultimately -succeeded, they seated him once more -in his place, and left him to recover himself as -he might.</p> - -<p>The howling still continued at intervals, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">67</a></span> -as the chanting and the motion increased in -violence, these miserable fanatics appeared to -become maddened by their exertions; when, at -a certain point of the ceremony, four of the fraternity, -who had green scarfs flung over their -left shoulders, advanced, one by one, to the seat -of the High Priest, and there slowly, and with -much parade, transferred them first to their -necks, and afterwards to their waists, and ultimately -took their stand, two on each side of -the <em>mihrab</em>, or recess.</p> - -<p>After the lapse of a short interval the High -Priest rose and advanced into the centre of the -ring, where he took possession of a carpet that -had been spread for him, having immediately -behind him two of the assistant priests; and -they then commenced a prayer, the effect of -which was thrilling. The young chief delivered -a sentence in a clear, melodious voice, and -paused; when the whole fraternity responded -by a long groan: again and again this was repeated, -only interrupted from time to time by -some wild, fiendish howl, the individual who -uttered it tossing back his head, and flinging -his arms into the air with the gesture of a -maniac.</p> - -<p>To this prayer succeeded another low sustained -wail, during whose continuance the priests collected -the turbans, pelisses, cloaks, pistols, and -yataghans of the Dervishes, who, springing to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">68</a></span> -their feet, stood in a circle about their chief; -and then commenced the painful portion of -their service. The measure of the chant was -regulated by the High Priest, who clapped his -hands from time to time to increase its speed: -himself and his four green-girdled assistants -uttering the words of the prayer, while the fraternity, -rocking themselves to and fro, kept up -one continual groan, rising and falling with the -voices of the choir. Howl succeeded to howl, -as the exhaustion consequent on this violent -bodily exertion began to produce its effect; -until at length strong men fell on the earth on all -sides like children, shrieking and groaning in -their agony—some struggling to free themselves -from the grasp of those who endeavoured to -restrain them, and others trembling in all their -limbs, and sobbing out their anguish like infants.</p> - -<p>I never witnessed such a scene; nor should I -have conceived it possible for human beings to -have gratuitously subjected themselves to the -agony which these misguided wretches visibly -endured. The chanting ceased suddenly at -given intervals, but not so the groans; for the -speed with which they were uttered, and the -violence of motion by which they were accompanied, -became finally so great, that several -seconds frequently elapsed before the miserable -beings could check either the one or the other,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">69</a></span> -and many of them fell into convulsions with -the effort.</p> - -<p>The more I write on the subject of this extraordinary -and disgusting exhibition, the more -I feel the utter impossibility of conveying by -words a correct idea of it; from a long sustained -groan, and a slow, heaving, wave-like motion, -it grew into a hoarse sobbing, and a quick jerk, -which I can compare to nothing that it more -resembles than the rapid action of a pair of -bellows; the cheeks and foreheads of the actors -became pale, their eyes dim, and white foam -gathered about their mouths—in short, the -scene resembled rather the orgies of a band of -demons than an offering of worship to a <span class="smcap">God</span> of -peace and love!</p> - -<p>At this period of the ceremony, the muffled -flutes used by the Turning Dervishes were -heard, accompanied by the low sound of the -small Arabian drums; and a majestic-looking -man, clad entirely in white, with a black girdle, -rose, at a signal from his chief, and commenced -his evolutions. His example was speedily followed -by two more of the fraternity; the chanting -ceased, but the circle of Howling Dervishes -continued their short groans to the accompaniment -of the music, and the spectacle thus produced -was most extraordinary. Such an occurrence -had not taken place for an immense -time, and arose from the anxiety of each sect to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">70</a></span> -impress our party in their favour, which they -were desirous of doing when they had once been -induced to admit us.</p> - -<p>To this exhibition succeeded one as striking -of its kind; the tambourines and drums were -divided among the fraternity; the latter were -all beat by youths, who formed a second, or inner -circle, and in the midst of whom stood the -High Priest, striking a pair of cymbals. Groans, -howls, and yells, such as may haunt the ear of -the midnight traveller in the wilderness, filled -up the diapason; while the struggles of the -convulsion-smitten, and their wild shrieks, completed -the horror of the scene. It was impossible -to bear it longer; and we hurried from the -latticed apartment just as three more tottering -wretches were falling to the earth, howling out -the sacred name of Allah, in tones better suited -to a Satanic invocation!</p> - -<p>On the morrow we visited the elegant chapel -of the Turning Dervishes, where a carpet was politely -spread for us by order of the High Priest; -and we once more witnessed their service, which -was far more picturesque at Broussa than at -Pera, owing to the beauty of the building and -the numbers of the fraternity. However extraordinary -and unmeaning their ceremonies may -appear to strangers, they have this great advantage -over the other sect, that they are neither -ridiculous nor disgusting. The most perfect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">71</a></span> -order, the most touching solemnity, and the -most beautiful cleanliness, are their leading characteristics; -and it is impossible for any unprejudiced -person to quit their Tekiè, without -feeling at least as much respect as pity for the -Turning Dervishes.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">72</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Loquacious Barber—Unthrifty Travellers—Mount Olympus—Early -Rising—Aspect of the Country at Dawn—Peasants and Travellers—Fine -View—Peculiarity of Oriental Cities—Stunted Minarets—Plains -and Precipices—Halting-Place—Difficulty of Ascending the -Mountain—Change of Scenery—Repast in the Desart—Civil Guide—Appearance -of the Mount—Snows and Sunshine—Fatiguing Pilgrimage—Dense -Mists—Intense Cold—Flitting Landscape—The -Chibouk—The Giant’s Grave—The Roofless Hut—Lake of Appollonia—The -Wilderness—Dangerous Descent—Philosophic Guide—Storm -among the Mountains—The Guide at Fault—Happy Discovery—Tempest.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">I remember</span> to have heard an anecdote of a -facetious barber, who, while operating upon the -chin of a customer, commenced catechising his -victim on the subject of his foreign travel.</p> - -<p>“You are an army gentleman, I believe, Sir; -pray were you in Egypt?” “Yes.” “Really! -then perhaps you saw the Pyramids?” “Yes.” -“Travelled a little in Greece, perhaps, Sir?” -“A little.” “Pleasant place, Greece, I’ve been -told; Athens, and all that. I dare say you -fought in the Peninsula?” “Once or twice.” -“Charming country, Spain, I’ve heard, Sir; -indeed I’ve read Gil Blas, which gives one a -very pretty notion of it. Plenty of oranges in -Portugal, Sir?” “Plenty.” “Vastly nice, indeed, -quite a favourite fruit of mine. Did you -ever serve in the East or West Indies, Sir?” “In<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">73</a></span> -both.” “Really! why you’re quite a traveller. -Of course, Sir, you’ve seen Paris?” “Never.” -“Never seen Paris, Sir!” exclaimed the man of -suds and small-talk: “never visited the French -metropolis! why, dear me, Sir, you have seen -nothing!”</p> - -<p>In like manner, he who travels to the East—who -feasts with Pashas in Europe, and eats -pillauf with Beys in Asia—who peeps into palaces—glides -in his swift caïque along the -channel of the Bosphorus—overruns all Turkey, -and half Egypt, and returns home without -smoking a pipe on the summit of Mount Olympus, -has, according to the declaration of the natives, -“seen nothing.”</p> - -<p>Of course it was out of the question that I -should add to the number of these unthrifty -travellers; and accordingly on the morning of -the 11th of June (at least two months too soon), -the horses were at the door at four o’clock; and, -shaking off my sleepiness as well as I could, I -set forward, accompanied by a Greek gentleman, -with whose charming family we had formed a -friendship, and who was himself well calculated -by his scientific acquirements to enhance the -enjoyment of the expedition, our servant, and a -guide, for the dwelling of the Gods.</p> - -<p>The morning was yet gray; the mists were -hanging in wreaths about the mountains, and -draping them in ermine; the dew was lying<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">74</a></span> -heavily on the dense vegetation; a few straggling -peasants passed us on the outskirts of the -sleeping city, some bearing scythes upon their -shoulders, affixed to straight poles about eight -feet in length—or carrying round spades of -wood—or driving before them the animals who -were to return laden with mulberry branches -for the nurture of the silk-worms which are -reared in millions at Broussa. The number of -individuals constantly employed in providing -food for these insects must be very great, as we -have counted upwards of two hundred horses, -mules, and donkeys, bearing closely-packed -loads of boughs, passing in one day beneath our -windows from the same gate of the city; and, -as the immense plain is covered with trees, -which are each year cut closely down to the -trunk, the consumption may be imagined.</p> - -<p>A little beyond the city we passed a mule-litter, -closely covered with scarlet cloth, guided -by two men, and followed by three Turkish gentlemen -on horseback, attended by their servants, -bound on some mountain pilgrimage; but we -had not proceeded above half a league, ere, with -the exception of a string of mules laden with -timber, which occasionally crossed our path, we -had the wilderness to ourselves.</p> - -<p>The ascent commences, immediately on leaving -the city, which on this side is bounded by a -deep ditch or fosse, into which two mountain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">75</a></span> -torrents, boiling and bellowing down from the -neighbouring heights, pour their flashing waters. -A narrow pathway, so narrow that two saddle-horses -cannot pass in it, traverses a dense wood -of dwarf oak and hazel, clothing the hill-side, -above whose stunted summits we looked down -upon the plain, and the minarets of Broussa.</p> - -<p>A sudden turn in the road conducted us rapidly -upwards, freed us from the hazel wood, and -plunged us among masses of rock, over which -our horses slid and stumbled, until we reached -the foot of the next range of heights. Here the -landscape began to grow in beauty; behind us -was the city fenced with mountains, mapped out -in all its extent, and as remarkable as that of -Constantinople for the extraordinary and beautiful -admixture of buildings and foliage, which I -never remember to have seen elsewhere.</p> - -<p>Every habitation possessing, if not its garden, -at least its one tall tree, beneath whose boughs -the family congregate during the warm hours, -the appearance of an Eastern city, as you look -down upon it from any neighbouring height, is -entirely devoid of that monotony which renders -the roofs and chimneys of an European town -so utterly uninteresting. It looks as though the -houses had grown up gradually in the midst of -a thick grove, and the eye lingers without -weariness on the scene, where the glittering -casements, touched by the sunlight, flash through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">76</a></span> -the clustering leaves, and the wind heaves aside -the more flexile branches to reveal a stately -portal, or a graceful kiosk. From the spot on -which we now stood, we saw Broussa to great -advantage. The most striking object was the -spacious mosque of Oulou-Jamè piercing through -the morning mists in spectral whiteness—the -stunted minarets, looking like caricatures of -those light, slender, fairy-moulded creations -which shoot so loftily into the blue heaven at -Stamboul; minarets that have sacrificed their -grace to the south wind, which blows so violently -at Broussa as frequently to unroof the more -lofty buildings; and whose ill-proportioned cupolas -of lead complete the pictorial ruin, and -give them the appearance of bulky wax candles, -surmounted by metal extinguishers. A small -space beyond ran the gleaming river, sparkling -along its bed of white pebbles—the wilderness -of mulberry trees spreading over the green carpet -of the plain—and away, afar off, the range -of mountains purpling in the distance, and -crowned with clouds!</p> - -<p>Beside us, not half a foot from our horse’s hoof, -we had a sheer precipice clothed with dwarf-oak -and spruce, and we heard, although we could -not see, the tumbling waters of a torrent which -roared and rushed along the bottom of the -gulph. Beyond the precipice, towered a lordly -mountain, upon whose crest were pillowed dense<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">77</a></span> -masses of fleecy vapour; while stately fir trees -draped it with a thousand tints. Before us -rose masses of rock, through which we had to -make our way: and from every crevice sprang -a forest tree, whose gnarled and knotted roots -were washed by a rushing stream, which was -flung up like spray as our horses splashed -through it. We next reached a patch of soft -fresh turf; maple and ash trees overshadowed -it; wild artichokes and violets were strown in -every direction; the rich ruby-coloured arum -hung its long dank leaves over the narrow channel, -through which glided a pigmy stream almost -hidden by the rank vegetation; the little yellow -hearts’-ease was dotted over the banks; the ringdoves -were cooing amid the leaves; and the -grasshopper, as green and almost as bright as -an emerald, was springing from flower to flower. -It is a place of pause for the traveller, and it -deserves to be so. There can scarcely be a -lovelier in the world! One or two fragments of -cold grey rock pierced through the rich grass, as -if to enhance its beauty, and afforded a resting-place, -whence we looked round upon the masses -of mountain scenery by which we were surrounded; -and few, I should imagine, would fail -to profit by this opportunity of temporary rest, -when they contemplated the far extent of wild -and difficult country through which they were -to travel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">78</a></span>Let none venture the ascent of Mount Olympus -who have not the head and the hand equally -steady; who are incapable not only of standing -upon the “giddy brink,” but also of riding along -it when the road is scarcely a foot in width, and -the precipice some hundreds in depth; and where -the only path is a torrent-chafed channel, or a -line of rock piled in ledges, and slippery with -water; for assuredly, to all such, <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le jeu ne vaudra -pas la chandelle</em>, as it is impossible to imagine -ways less calculated to calm the nerves, or to -re-assure the timid. You urge your horse up a -flat stone, as high and as large as a billiard -table, and splash he descends on the other side -up to his girths in mud: now you ride up a -bank to escape collision with a string of timber-laden -mules, and in descending you are stumbling -and scrambling among the roots of trees, -which twirl and twist among the vegetation like -huge snakes; at one moment you are almost -knocked off your saddle by a forest-bough that -you have not room to avoid, and the next you -are up to your knees in a torrent which he -refuses to leap. Assuredly the Gods never -wished to receive company.</p> - -<p>As the ascent became more difficult, the whole -face of the landscape changed: lofty firs shot -upwards against the clear sky, while rocks fantastically -piled, and looking like the ruins of a -lordly city, were scattered over a plain which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">79</a></span> -we skirted in turning the elbow of the next -range of heights. Here and there, a tree that -had been smitten by the thunder reared aloft its -white and leafless branches, while its shivered -trunk looked like a mass of charcoal. Eagles -and vultures soared above our heads; innumerable -cuckoos called to each other among the -rocks: at intervals the low growl of a bear was -heard in the distance; and altogether, a more -savage scene can scarcely be imagined.</p> - -<p>A fine fir-wood succeeded, which terminated -in a small plain intersected by a sparkling -trout-stream, whose waters formed a thousand -pigmy cascades as they tumbled over the rocky -fragments that choked their channel. Here -we spread our morning meal, cooling our delicate -Greek wine in the waters of Mount Olympus, -and seating ourselves upon the fresh turf which -was enamelled with violets and wild hyacinths. -At this spot travellers usually leave their horses, -and proceed to the summit of the mountain on -foot; but our good cheer, our soft words, and, -above all, the promise of an increased <em>backshish</em>, -so won upon our guide, that he consented to let -his horses’ knees and our necks share the same -risk, and to proceed as much further as might -be practicable for the animals.</p> - -<p>What a breakfast we made! My intelligent -Greek friend already talking of his mineralogical -expectations; I decorating my riding-habit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">80</a></span> -with lovely wild flowers; the portly Turk paying -marked attention to the hard eggs and -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">caviare</em>, and the servant passing to and fro the -stream with glasses of cool wine, sparkling like -liquid topaz.</p> - -<p>Before us towered the mountain, whose every -creek and crevice was heaped with snow, while -one dense mass of vapour hung upon its brow -like a knightly plume. From the summit of the -mount the snow had disappeared, but the white -slate-stone of which it is composed gleamed out -beneath the sunshine with a glare that was almost -dazzling. The sides of the rock are clothed -with juniper, which, from the continual pressure -of the snow, is dwarfed and stunted, and rather -crawls along the earth than springs from it; -and whose berries produce a singular and beautiful -effect on the masses beneath which they are -concealed, by giving to them a pink tinge that -has almost the effect of art. Yet, nevertheless, I -could not forbear casting a glance of anxiety at -the towering height, which all its majesty and -magnificence failed to dispel. I had been told -that in the month of June it would be impossible -for a female to ascend to the summit—I had already -left behind me six long leagues of the wilderness—two -more of perpetual and difficult -ascent were before me—but I remembered my -prowess in the Desart of the Chartreux, and I -resolved to persevere.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">81</a></span>Our hamper was repacked, our bridles were -re-adjusted, and, fording the little stream, we -once more set forward upon our “high emprize;” -and after scrambling through acres of juniper, -sliding over ledges of rock, and riding through -nine torrents, we at length found ourselves at -the foot of the almost perpendicular mountain.</p> - -<p>It was a magnificent spectacle! The mid-day -sun was shining upon the eternal snows, -which, yielding partially and reluctantly to its -beams, were melting into a thousand pigmy -streams that glittered and glided among the -juniper bushes; the highest peak of the mount, -crowned by its diadem of vapour, rose proudly -against the blue sky; the ragged ridges of the -chain, tempest-riven and bare, hung over the -snow-filled gulphs, into which the grasp of centuries -had hurled portions of their own stupendous -mass; and not a sound was audible save the -brawling of the torrents in the lower lands, or the -wind sweeping at intervals round the rocky point.</p> - -<p>When I dismounted, and flung my bridle to -the guide, I felt as though I had gained another -year of life!</p> - -<p>Never shall I forget the fatigue of that ascent!—a -weary league over the gnarled roots of the -juniper plants, and loose stones which treacherously -failed beneath our feet, and frequently -lost us six steps for the one that we thought to -gain. But at length we stood upon the edge of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">82</a></span> -the rock; we had clomb the ascent, and were -looking down upon the mountains that we had -traversed in the morning;, as though into a -valley; but our task was not yet ended: the -loftiest peak, the seat of Jupiter, yet towered -above us, and seemed to mock our efforts. Between -that peak, and the spot on which we -stood, there was a deep hollow, to be descended -on our side, and again mounted on the other: -the rock was edged with snow many feet in -depth; our feet sank among the loose stones; -the cold was piercing; and to add to our discomfort, -the vapours were rising from the valley -beyond the mountain in one dense mass which -resembled the concentrated smoke of a burning -world.</p> - -<p>The effect was sublimely awful! Fold upon -fold—shade darkening over shade—nothing -was to be seen but the cold, gray, clinging -vapour which hung against the mountain, as if -to curtain the space beyond. It was frightful -to stand upon the edge of the precipice, and to -mark the working of that mysterious cloud—fancy -ran riot in looking on it—its superhuman -extent—its unearthly, impalpable texture—its -everchanging form—its deep, dense tint—my -brain reeled with watching its shifting wonders; -and had not my companion withdrawn me from -the brink, I should have sunk down from sheer -mental exhaustion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">83</a></span>We had been warned not to linger when on -the mountain, and after the lapse of a few -moments we again toiled on. At intervals the -vapour rolled back, and gave us glimpses of -hills, and valleys, and woods, and streams, far -below us; but it was like the production of a -fairy-wand, for while we yet looked upon them -they were lost: another heavy fold of mist rose -from the chasm, and again all was chaos.</p> - -<p>At length the chibouk was lighted. We stood -upon the Grave of the Giant; upon the highest -point of Mount Olympus—beside the roofless -hut, built for the shelter of the storm-overtaken -traveller, and so ingeniously sunk beneath the -surface as to form a well, in which such a -shower of rain as commonly falls in the neighbourhood -of the mountain, would go nigh to -drown the hapless wanderer who might trust -to the treacherous asylum.</p> - -<p>Behind us all was vapour: before us stretched -away the mountain-chain across which we had -travelled: while far, far in the distance, and -almost blent with the horizon, we distinguished -the blue Lake of Apollonia. While we yet -looked, we saw the mists gathering about our -own path; curling up from the swampy patches -between the hills; rolling along the rocky -channel of the torrents: draping the broad -branches of the dark firs; clinging to the mountain -sides—we had no time to lose. We were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">84</a></span> -not travellers on a highway; we had neither -finger-posts nor landmarks—all is so nearly -alike in the wilderness: one pile of cold gray -rock looms out from amid the mists shaped so -like its neighbour; one rushing torrent brawls -over its stony bed so like another: one stretch -of forest darkens the mountain side with a gloom -so similar to that which shadows the opposite -height, that we thought it well to avoid the -gathering of the vapours, if we did not wish to -sleep in the desart.</p> - -<p>To return by the way that we had ascended -was out of the question; for we had walked -upwards of a league along the summit of the -mountain, after having gained the height. The -other face of the rock presented a much shorter -road, but, as it was extremely dangerous, we -held a council to decide on which we should -venture—the fatigue and loss of time, or the -possibility of accident. We were already travel-worn -and foot-sore, but not caring to confess -even to each other that it was the exertion from -which we shrank, we both talked very sagely -of the danger of delay, with the mists gathering -so rapidly about us; and decided, as a matter -of prudence, on descending the precipice.</p> - -<p>I have already mentioned the mountain-ridge -that projected over the gulph, and whose jagged -and storm-riven outline bore testimony -to the ravages of time and tempest; while the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">85</a></span> -huge fragments of fallen rock which heaved up -their dark masses from among the accumulated -snows beneath, broke the smooth surface, and -betrayed the depth of the precipice.</p> - -<p>This was the point on which we fixed for our -descent: my companion, who was an accomplished -sportsman, and accustomed to the dizzy -mountains of the East, led the way; and, as he -assured me that nothing but nerve was required -to ensure success, I followed without hesitation. -Seating ourselves, therefore, upon the summit of -the mountain, we slid gently down to a narrow -ledge of rock, just sufficiently wide to afford us -footing; and clinging to the stones which jutted -out from the natural wall on the one side, and -carefully avoiding to look towards the precipice -on the other, we slowly made our way to a second -descent similar to the first. This hazardous -exploit, thrice repeated, carried us through the -most difficult portion of our undertaking, as -the rock then projected sufficiently towards the -base to enable us to step from stone to stone, -until we arrived at the edge of the snow.</p> - -<p>As we could form no calculation of its depth, -we did not venture to traverse it, which would -have shortened the distance very considerably; -but skirting the gulph, where it was not more -than mid-way to our knees, we at length arrived -in a patch of swampy land, inundated by the -melting of the mountain snows, and scattered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">86</a></span> -over with rocks, many of them split asunder, as -though they had suffered from the wrath of -Vulcan in one of his stormy moods. Our wet -and weary feet next carried us up a slight -ascent, to a stretch of land as brilliant and as -sweet as a flower-garden. Were I to enumerate -all the blossoms that I saw growing wild on -this spot, the next page of my book would resemble -a floricultural catalogue; and tired as I -was, I could not pass them by without gathering -a bouquet which would have done no disgrace to -an English parterre.</p> - -<p>In half an hour more we entered the grassy -nook where we had left our horses; and the recompense -of our prowess from the guide when -we pointed out to him the spot whence we had -descended was a look of contemptuous pity, accompanied -by the remark that we were “two -mad Franks!”</p> - -<p>We had scarcely taken a hasty glass of wine, -and mounted our horses, when two loud claps -of thunder, following close upon each other, -rattled along the mountain-tops, and enforced -on us the necessity of speed. But, alas! there -was no possibility of travelling at more than -a foot’s-pace between Mount Olympus and -Broussa; all that we could do, therefore, was to -commence our homeward journey without a -moment’s delay, and trust to our lucky stars, -both for finding our way, and for getting home<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">87</a></span> -dry. On we pressed accordingly, “over bank, -bush, and scaur;” but in half an hour we were -so completely enveloped in mist that we could -not see each other. The guide still moved -steadily on, however, like a man who is sure of -his path; and I felt no misgivings until, on -arriving in the dry bed of a torrent from which -the stream had been diverted by some convulsion -of nature, he suddenly ceased the wild -monotonous melody with which he had favoured -us for a considerable time, and, turning round -in his saddle, remarked quietly: “We are -lost.”</p> - -<p>For an instant no one replied. We had each -anticipated the probability of such an occurrence, -but it was not the less disagreeable when -it came to pass. What was to be done? First, -the guide was convinced that he had borne too -much to the right, and accordingly we all turned -our horses in the other direction; when being close -upon a wall of rock that loomed out from -the vapour like some bristling fortress, he admitted -that this could not be the way, and that -consequently he must have inclined too much -to the left. We performed a fresh evolution with -equal success: the man was fairly bewildered; -and meanwhile the vapour was spreading thicker -and faster about us.</p> - -<p>At length my companion suggested the expediency -of shouting aloud, that in the event of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">88</a></span> -any shepherd or goatherd being in the neighbourhood, -we might procure assistance and information. -Shout, accordingly, we did, at the -very pitch of our lungs; but the mists were so -dense that they stifled the voice, and we were -ourselves conscious that we could not be heard -at any great distance. After the suspense of a -long, weary half-hour, we had just abandoned -all hope of help, when a huge dog came bounding -out of the vapour, barking furiously, but to -us his voice was music, as it assured us of the -vicinity of some mountaineer; at the same moment -the mists broke partially away, and the -guide, uttering an exclamation of joy, suddenly -descended a steep bank, and we found ourselves -on the skirts of the fir wood, and in the mule-track -which we had followed in the morning.</p> - -<p>We had scarcely congratulated each other on -the termination of our dilemma, and the partial -dispersion of the vapours, when a jagged line of -serpent-like lightning ran shimmering through -the broad flash that lit up for a second the -whole wild scene amid which we were moving; -and at the same instant, the loudest and the -longest peal broke from the sky to which I ever -listened; rock after rock caught up the sound, -and flung it back, until the wizard thunder -rattled in fainter echoes down into the plain.</p> - -<p>It was an awful moment! The terrified animals -stood suddenly still, and trembled with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">89</a></span> -affright; but we had no time to waste upon -alarm, for, as if conjured by that awful crash, -and the wild light by which it was accompanied, -down came the imprisoned waters from the mass -of vapour that hung above us. I can scarcely -call it rain; it was as though a sluice had been -let loose upon us, and in an instant we were -drenched. Every mountain stream grew suddenly -into a torrent—every wayside fountain, -(and there were many in the forest formed of the -hollow trunks of trees,) overflowed its basin—the -branches against which we brushed in our -passage, scattered the huge drops from their -leaves—large stones fell rattling down the sides -of the mountain—in short it was as wild a storm -as ever inspired the pencil of Salvator Rosa; -and its solemnity was deepened by the twilight -gloom of the clinging and changeful vapours.</p> - -<p>We arrived at Broussa both wet and weary, -having been thirteen hours on the road; but, -despite all that I suffered, I would not have lost -the sublime spectacle on which I gazed from -the summit of Mount Olympus, for the enjoyment -of a month of luxurious ease. Well might -Howitt exclaim, in the gushing out of his pious -and poetical nature:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">“Praise be to <span class="smcap">God</span> for the mountains!”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">90</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Armenian Quarter of Broussa—Catholics and Schismatics—Armenian -Church—Ugly Saints—Burial Place of the Bishops—Cloisters—Public -School—Mode of Rearing the Silk Worms—Difference -between the European and the Asiatic Systems—Colour and Quantity -of the Produce—Appearance of the Mulberry Woods.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is a singular fact, that although the Armenian -quarter of Broussa contains upwards of a -thousand houses which are all inhabited, the -number of Catholic families does not amount to -fifty; their place of worship is consequently -small, and unworthy of description, being merely -the chapel attached to a private house, while -the Schismatic Church is proportionably handsome. -The difference of faith between the two -sects hangs upon a single point—the Schismatics -deny the double nature of Christ, and are -accordingly denounced as heretics by their more -orthodox brethren; although they worship the -same profusion of Saints—weep over the wounds -of the same blessed martyrs—and build altars -to the same Virgin under all her multitudinous -designations.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">91</a></span>The Armenian Church of Broussa is very -elegant. The altar, which extends along its whole -width, is of white marble, highly polished, and -divided into three compartments, merely separated -from the aisles by a simple railing, and is -arranged with considerable taste; the sacerdotal -plate being interspersed with vases of white -lilies. The roof is supported by ten fine columns, -and the floor covered, like that of a mosque, with -rich carpets.</p> - -<p>The Saints, whose portraits adorn the walls, -(which are covered with Dutch tiles to the -height of the latticed gallery,) have been most -cruelly treated. I never beheld “the human face -divine” so caricatured! A tale is somewhere -told of a susceptible young Italian, who became -enamoured of the Madonna that adorned his -oratory; he might kneel before the whole saintly -community of the Armenian Church of Broussa, -without a quickening pulse—they would haunt -the dreams of an artist like the nightmare! At -the base of the pictures, crosses of white marble -are incrusted in the masonry, curiously inlaid -with coloured stones; and a portable altar, -whose plate was enriched with fine turquoises, -stood in the centre of the aisle, surmounted by -a hideous St. Joseph, glaring out in his ugliness -from beneath a drapery of silver muslin.</p> - -<p>The church is surrounded on three sides by a -noble covered cloister, lined with marble, par<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">92</a></span>tially -carpeted, and furnished with an altar at -each extremity. That on the right hand is the -burial place of the Bishops, who lie beneath -slabs of marble, elaborately carved; the left hand -cloister, into which flows a noble fountain, serves -as a sacristy; and the third, situated at the extreme -end of the church, is decorated with a -dingy Virgin, and a congregation of Saints in -very tattered condition, to whom their votaries -offer the tribute of lighted tapers, whose numerous -remains were scattered about in their immediate -vicinity. The women’s gallery is handsome -and spacious, and is partially overlooked by the -windows of the Bishop’s Palace; a fine building -erected a year ago at an immense expence.</p> - -<p>From the church we passed into the public -school, where three hundred boys were conning -their tasks under the superintendence of a single -master. Though we were perfectly unexpected, -we did not hear a whisper; every boy was in -his place; and the venerable Dominie, with a -beard as white as snow, and a head which would -have been a study for a painter, rose as we entered, -and courteously invited us to take our -seats upon the comfortable sofa that occupied -the upper end of the hall. The most beautiful -cleanliness pervaded the whole establishment; -and the boarded floor was rubbed as bright by -the constant friction of six hundred little naked -feet, as though it had been waxed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">93</a></span>The number of Turkish children now receiving -their education in Broussa we could not -ascertain, as they are divided among the different -mosques; but the Greek Rector, who, in -the absence of the Archbishop, interested himself -in our comfort and amusement, told me that -they had but fifty in their school, although the -Greek population of Broussa is tolerably numerous. -There is, however, a second description -of free-school or college, attached to the Greek -and Armenian Churches, wherein the pupils advance -a step in their studies, and prepare themselves -for the Priesthood, and for commercial -pursuits.</p> - -<p>Our next object of inquiry was the mode of -feeding the silk-worms, which produce in the -neighbourhood of Broussa an extraordinary -quantity of silk. We accordingly visited the -establishment of a Frenchman, who exports the -raw material to Europe. I was struck by the -colour of the silk, which was of a dingy white; -and learnt that, despite all the efforts of the -feeders, they seldom succeeded in producing -any other tint, although the worms are themselves -of different qualities and colours, varying -from a dead white to a dark brown, and are fed -with the leaves of both the red and the white -mulberry indiscriminately. The most experienced -feeders, however, give a decided preference to -the wild white mulberry, of which most of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">94</a></span> -plantations about Broussa are formed. The -silk, when first spun, is of a clear, silvery, brilliant -tint; but submersion in the highly mineralized -water of the neighbourhood robs it of its -gleam, and reduces it to the dead, dingy colour -I have mentioned; and I was assured that in -some hundreds of pounds weight of silk, not -more than two or three could be met with of -yellow.</p> - -<p>The Asiatic method of rearing the worm is -totally different from that of Europe, and, according -to the account given to me, much -more profitable in its results, as well as simple -in its process. The insect has a natural -dislike to being handled, which is inevitable -where it is fed day by day, and the withered -leaves of the previous morning cleared away; -the discomfort produced by the touch rendering -the worm lethargic, and retarding its growth. -The Asiatics never approach it with the hand: -when it is hatched, the floor of the apartment -is covered with layers of mulberry branches -to about three or four inches in depth; and upon -these the insects are laid, and suffered to feed -undisturbed until their first sleep, when they -are covered by a fresh supply of boughs similar -to the first, through which they eat their way, and -upon which they subsist until their next change. -This operation is repeated four times, always at -the period when the worm casts its skin; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">95</a></span> -on the first appearance of an inclination to spin, -boughs of oak, of about four feet in length, -stripped of their lower leaves, and planted, if -I may so express it, in close ranks in the bed of -mulberry branches, form a pigmy forest in which -the insects establish themselves, and wherein -they produce their silk. Every crevice of the -apartment is carefully stopped to prevent the -admission of air, and a fire of charcoal ashes is -kept up constantly throughout the day and -night.</p> - -<p>Whether the mode of feeding operates on the -colour of the silk, I could not ascertain, though -it struck me that the experiment would be -worth trying; but meanwhile it appears to be -certain that it greatly increases its quantity, -and diminishes the labour of the feeders. There -is scarcely a house in the neighbourhood of -Broussa which does not contain several apartments -filled with silk worms, whose produce is -disposed of to the spinners, of whom there are -a considerable number in the city; and the -far-spreading mulberry woods assume in the -height of summer the appearance of stretches of -locust-blighted landscape, every tree being left -a branchless trunk without a sign of foliage.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">96</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Cadi’s Wife—Singular Custom—Haïsè Hanoum—The Odalique—The -Cadi—Noisy Enjoyment—Lying in State—Cachemires—Costume—Unbounded -Hospitality of the Wealthy Turks—The Dancing -Girl—Saïryn Hanoum—Contrast.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> wife of the Cadi of Tzèkerghè having -given birth to her first-born son, I received an -invitation to visit her the same evening, which -I accepted, although not without some surprise; -and, on expressing my astonishment at her subjecting -herself to the intrusion of guests at such -a period, I learnt that it is universally the -custom, among the wives of the wealthy Turks, -to receive company during seven days after the -birth of the first son, until midnight; on which -occasion they display the most valuable portions -of their <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">trousseau</em>.</p> - -<p>Haïsè Hanoum was a young creature of sixteen, -very pretty, and very stupid, who, individually, -created no great interest; but she had a -rival in the harem, a sweet girl of twelve years -of age, with the face of an angel, and the grace<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">97</a></span> -of a sylph; who, if the gossipry of the neighbourhood -may be relied upon, was no especial -favourite with her companion, whose dullness yet -left her discrimination enough to be jealous of the -superior attractions of the gazel-eyed Odalique. -The Cadi himself had reached his eightieth year, -and his silver beard would rather have distinguished -him as the grandsire than as the husband -of these two beautiful young creatures.</p> - -<p>I entered the house at eight o’clock in the -evening; and, having traversed the marble court, -whose fountain poured forth its limpid waters -beneath the shade of a venerable fig tree, I -passed along the latticed terrace of the harem, -to the Hanoum’s apartment. Long before I -reached it, I was deafened with the noise which -issued from its open door; the voices of the -singing-women—the rattle of the tambourines—the -laughter of the guests—the shouts of the -attendant slaves—the clatter of the coffee and -sherbet cups—I could scarcely believe that I -was about to be ushered into a sick-chamber! -At length, the three attendants who had lighted -me upstairs, made way for me through the crowd -of women who thronged the entrance of the -apartment, and one of the most extraordinary -scenes presented itself upon which it has ever -been my fate to look.</p> - -<p>Directly opposite to the door stood the bed -of the Hanoum; the curtains had been with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">98</a></span>drawn, -and a temporary canopy formed of cachemire -shawls arranged in festoons, and linked -together with bathing scarfs of gold and silver -tissue: and, as the lady was possessed of fifty, -which could not all be arranged with proper -effect in so limited a space, a silk cord had -been stretched along the ceiling to the opposite -extremity of the apartment, over which the -costly drapery was continued. Fastened to the -shawls were head-dresses of coloured gauze, -flowered or striped with gold and silver, whence -depended oranges, lemons, and candied fruits. -Two coverlets of wadded pink satin were folded -at the bed’s foot; and a sheet of striped crape -hung to the floor, where it terminated in a deep -fringe of gold.</p> - -<p>The infant lay upon a cushion of white satin, -richly embroidered with coloured silks, and -trimmed like the sheet; and was itself a mass of -gold brocade and diamonds. But the young -mother principally attracted my attention. As I -entered, she was flinging over her child a small -coverlet of crimson velvet, most gorgeously -wrought with gold; and as the sleeves of her -striped silk antery and gauze chemisette fell back -to the elbow, her white and dimpled arms circled -by bracelets of brilliants, and her small hand -glittering with jewelled rings, were revealed in -all their beauty. Her dark hair was braided in -twenty or thirty small plaits, that fell far below<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">99</a></span> -her waist, as she leant against a cushion similar -to that on which she had pillowed her infant. -Her throat was encircled by several rows of immense -pearls, whence depended a diamond star, -resting upon her bosom; her chemisette was delicately -edged by a gold beading, and met at the -bottom of her bust, where her vest was confined -by a costly shawl. Her head-dress, of blue -gauze worked with silver, was studded with -diamond sprays, and ornamented with a fringe -of large gold coins, which fell upon her shoulders, -and almost concealed her brilliant earrings. -Her satin antery was of the most lively colours, -and her salva were of pale pink silk, sprinkled -with silver spots. A glass vase of white lilies -rested against her pillow, and a fan of peacocks’ -feathers, and a painted handkerchief, lay beside -her. Previously to her confinement, she had -plucked out the whole of her eyebrows, and had -replaced them by two stripes of black dye, -raised about an inch higher upon the forehead. -This is a common habit with the Turkish women -on great occasions; and they no where display -more coquetry or more decided bad taste than -in the arrangement of their eyebrows, which -they paint in all kinds of fantastic shapes; sometimes -making them meet across the nose, and -sometimes raising them at the outer point to the -temples! I have seen many a pretty woman destroyed -by this whim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">100</a></span>I was conducted with great ceremony to the -sofa, when I had saluted the Hanoum, and uttered -my “Mashallah” as I leant over the -infant; which, poor little thing! was almost -smothered in finery; and, having taken my seat, -I had time to contemplate the singular scene -around me.</p> - -<p>I have alluded elsewhere to the facility with -which the working classes of Turkey obtain access -into the houses of the wealthy. On every -occasion of rejoicing, the door is open to all; it -is the sofa only which is sacred; but the poor -share in all the enjoyments of the festival; the -coffee and sherbet is served to them, if not with -the same ceremony, at least with the same welcome, -as to the prouder guests; they listen to -the music—they mingle in the conversation—they -join in the gaiety—and they are never -made to feel that their lot is cast in a more lowly -rank than that of their entertainer.</p> - -<p>On the present occasion the floor was thronged. -Mothers were there with their infants at their -breasts, for whose entire costume you would not -have given fifty piastres; and whose sunburnt -arms and naked feet bore testimony to a life of -toil. A group of children were huddled together -at the bed’s foot; a throng of singing women -occupied the extreme end of the apartment; the -mother of the young wife sat beside the pillow -of her child, dressed in a vest and trowsers of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">101</a></span> -white, with a large handkerchief of painted -muslin flung loosely over her turban; the lovely -little Odalique, totally unheeded, squatted on the -ground at my feet; half a dozen stately Hanoums -were seated on the crimson velvet sofa, leaning -against its gorgeous cushions, and some of them -engaged with the chibouk. But the most attractive -object in the apartment was the dancing-girl, -who occupied the centre of the floor.</p> - -<p>I have rarely beheld any thing more beautiful; -and, with the exception of the daughter of the -Scodra Pasha, I had seen no woman in the -country who could be compared with her. On my -entrance she had been beating the tambourine; -and as, out of respect for the Frank visitor, the -music was momentarily suspended, she remained -in the attitude she had assumed when she first -caught sight of me. Her arms were raised -above her head, and her open sleeves fell back -almost to her shoulder; her delicate little feet -were bare, and only partially revealed beneath -the large loose trowsers of dark silk; a chemisette -of gauze, richly fringed, relieved the sombre tint -of her tightly-fitting antery, and a shawl of the -most glowing colours bound her slender waist; -her head-dress was nearly similar to that worn -in the Imperial Seraïs—a painted handkerchief -was folded round her forehead, whose deep -fringe fell low upon her cheeks; part of her long -hair was dishevelled, and spread wide upon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">102</a></span> -summit of her head, and the rest, formed into -innumerable little plaits, was looped about her -shoulders. A large bunch of white lilies drooped -gracefully above her right ear, and her figure -was bent slightly backward, in the easiest attitude -in the world.</p> - -<p>She was assuredly very lovely; but it was not -genuine oriental beauty. Her large, full eyes -were as blue and bright as a summer sky, when -the heavens are full of sunshine; her nose was -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">à la Roxalane</em>; and she had a pretty pout about -her little cherry-coloured lips, worth half a dozen -smiles.</p> - -<p>I could not help expressing my surprise at the -style of her <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coïffure</em>, as I had never before seen -it so worn, except in the Imperial Palaces; when -I was informed that the Sultan, having accidentally -seen her mother, who far exceeded the -daughter in beauty, became so enthralled by her -extreme loveliness as to make her an inmate of -his harem, where she still remains.</p> - -<p>When I had seated myself, the dancer suddenly -suffered her arms to fall by her side, and flinging -the tambourine to one of the singing women, -she clapped her hands, and a couple of slaves -entered with coffee. One bore a large silver -salver, from which depended a napkin of gold -tissue, richly fringed, with the tiny cups of glittering -porcelain, and the silver coffee-holders -neatly arranged upon its surface; and the other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">103</a></span> -carried a weighty sherbet-vase of wrought -silver, shaped as classically as that of Hebe herself.</p> - -<p>I never saw any woman so light or so graceful -as that lovely dancing-girl. She had the -spring of a sylph, and the foot of a fawn. As -she presented the coffee, she laid her hand first -upon her lips and then upon her head, with an -elegance which I have seldom seen equalled; and -then bounding back into her place, she twirled the -tambourine in the air with the playfulness of a -child; and, having denoted the measure, returned -it to one of the women, who immediately commenced -a wild chant, half song and half recitative, -which was at times caught up in chorus -by the others, and at times wailed out by the -dancer only, as she regulated the movements of -her willow-like figure to the modulations of the -music. The Turkish women dance very little -with the feet; it is the grace and art displayed -in the carriage of the body and arms which form -the perfection of their dancing; the rapid snapping -of the fingers, meanwhile, producing the -effect of castanets.</p> - -<p>Even at the risk of making a portrait gallery -of my chapter, I must mention the magnificent -Saïryn Hanoum, who shortly afterwards -entered the apartment. She was in the autumn -of her beauty, for she must have been eight or -nine and twenty, at which period the women of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">104</a></span> -the East begin to decline. But what an autumn! -Could you only have clipped the wings of Time -for the future, you would not have wished her to -be a day younger. She was dark, very dark: -almost a Bohemian in complexion; but you saw -the rich blood coursing along her veins, through -the clear skin; her eyes were like the storm-cloud, -from which the lightning flashes at intervals; -her hair was as black as midnight; her -teeth were dazzling: and her brow—it was a -brow which should have been circled by a -diadem, for it was already stamped with Nature’s -own regality. She was tall, even stately; and -the dignity of her step accorded well with the -fire of her dark eye, and the proud expression -that sat upon her lip, and dilated her thin delicate -nostril. Her costume was as striking as -her person; and, had she studied during a century -how best to enhance her beauty, she could -never have more perfectly succeeded. Her vest -and trowsers were of the most snowy muslin; -she wore neither diamond nor pearl; but the -handkerchief was fastened about her head with a -chain of large gold coins, which being threaded -upon a silken cord, formed a fringe that rested -upon her forehead; and a necklace of the same -material fell low upon her bosom. The Turkish -women of rank have universally very sweet -voices—her’s was music.</p> - -<p>On glancing back upon what I have written,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">105</a></span> -I fear that much of it may be condemned as -hyperbole, or at best as exaggeration. I only -wish that they who are sceptical could look for -an instant upon Saïryn Hanoum—they would -confess that I have done her less than justice.</p> - -<p><em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">En révanche</em>, the floor was crowded with -withered old women and stupid children: the -atmosphere was impregnated with onions, tobacco, -and garlic; and the noise was deafening! -The singing women shouted at intervals at the -very pitch of their voices; the infants cried with -weariness and fright; the impatient guests demanded -coffee and sherbet as unceremoniously -as though they had been at a public kiosk, and -much more rapidly than they could be supplied; -and the ringing rattle of the tambourine kept -up a running accompaniment of discord.</p> - -<p>Altogether the scene was a most extraordinary -one; and I compelled myself to remain a couple -of hours the guest of Haïsè Hanoum in order to -contemplate it at my leisure. The same ceremonies, -the same amusements, and the same -noise, continued until midnight, during the whole -of the seven days; when the harem doors were -once more shut against such general intrusion, -and the young mother left to enjoy the repose -which she required.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">106</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Tzèkerghè—Bustling Departure—Turkish <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Patois</em>—Waiting Maids and -Serving Men—Characteristic Cavalcade—Chapter of Accidents—Train -of Camels—Halt of the Caravan—Violent Storm—Archbishop -of Broussa—The Old Palace—Reception-Room—Priestly Humility—Greek -Priests—Worldly and Monastic Clergy—Morals of the Papas—Asiatic -Pebbles—Moudania—Idleness of the Inhabitants—Decay -of the Town—Policy of the Turkish Government—Departure for -Constantinople.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> we had exhausted the “lions” of -Broussa, we removed to Tzèkerghè for the benefit -of the Baths; and, after having enjoyed for -a few weeks all the luxury of sulphuric vapour, -we prepared for our return to the capital.</p> - -<p>The confusion incident on our departure from -the village was most amusing; and, as our party -was a numerous one, we were all on foot by -three o’clock in the morning. Serudjhes were -shouting and quarrelling about missing bridles, -and ill-poised paniers: Greek servants, supreme -in their knowledge of the Asiatic Turkish, which -is a species of <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">patois</em> almost unintelligible even -to Constantinopolitan Turks, were hectoring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">107</a></span> -and finding fault; waiting-maids were screaming -in defence of bandboxes and dressing-cases; -and all the inhabitants of the hamlet were looking -on, and favouring us with their comments. -The morning salutations were drowsy enough, -for there are few things more dreary than a -daybreak dialogue; the perfumed coffee was -swallowed almost in silence; and at length the -procession set forth.</p> - -<p>Nothing could be more characteristic than the -appearance of our caravan, as we wound down -the mountain path—bullock cars laden with -luggage creaked and rattled over the rocky -road; led horses carrying bedding and provisions -were scattered along the wayside; and -thirteen mounted individuals, as ill-assorted to -the eye as can well be imagined, completed -the party. Two Greek ladies, mounted <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en -cavalier</em>, one wearing an ample white turban, -and both having their feet enveloped in shawls: -three men servants perched on the top of great -coats and cloaks, and armed with chibouks -and umbrellas; two Greek <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">femmes de chambre</em>, -mounted like their mistresses; my father, myself, -and three gentlemen, with our English, Viennese, -and Tartar saddles; altogether formed a spectacle -which would not have passed unobserved -in the West.</p> - -<p>My own horse, a powerful animal, that went -like the wind, was almost blinded by crimson -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">108</a></span> -and gold tassels; a Turkish inhabitant of Tzèkerghè -having insisted on replacing the ill-conditioned -bridle provided by the post-master -with the elaborate head gear of his own animal; -while my saddle was girt over a flaming horse-cloth -of blue and scarlet. Some of the party -were less fortunate, both as regarded their -horses and accoutrements; but, once upon the -road, our spirits rose with the bright sun which -was beginning to light up the glorious scene -around us; and, when we had descended into -the plain, and passed the romantic fountain of -Adzem Tzèsmèssi, the most energetic among us -were soon galloping right and left among the -trees, gathering the wild hollyhocks, and scattering, -as we passed, the yellow blossoms of the -barberry bushes.</p> - -<p>Our enjoyment was not uninterrupted, however, -for the whole journey was a chapter of -accidents; one servant lost her turban; another -her umbrella; a third rode a lazy hack, -that lay down with her three times during -the day; while, to complete the list of misfortunes, -a young Austrian gentleman, resolving -that our departure from Broussa should be signalized -by some <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">éclat</em>, with a want of reflection -which he afterwards bitterly repented, threw a -rocket among the burning tobacco that he flung -from his chibouk by the wayside, which exploded -with a violence that unhorsed one lady<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">109</a></span> -of the party, and left us for some time in doubt -whether she had not paid the penalty of his -folly with her life.</p> - -<p>There was a general halt as soon as it could -be effected, for several of the animals were -almost unmanageable from fright; when all -those domestic remedies were applied which -could be commanded at such a moment, in order -to recover the sufferer from the deadly faint into -which she had fallen; and, after the delay of -about half an hour, when the serudjhe had -duly emptied a bottle of water on the spot where -the accident had taken place, in order to prevent -its recurrence, the unfortunate lady was -with considerable difficulty lifted once more upon -her horse; and, with an attendant at her bridle-rein, -resumed her journey.</p> - -<p>Nor did our misadventures end here; for, just -before we entered the town of Moudania, a gentleman, -who was riding along with my father -and myself, fell back a few paces to discharge -his travelling pistols, when one of them burst -in his hand nearly the whole length of the -barrel, but fortunately without doing him any -injury.</p> - -<p>During our journey across the principal plain, -we came in contact with a caravan, which had -made a temporary halt by the wayside. It -consisted of between forty and fifty camels, -attended by their drivers, and accompanied by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">110</a></span> -half a dozen formidable-looking dogs. I never -encountered anything more picturesque. Some -of the animals were browsing on the young -shoots of the dwarf oak; others were standing -lazily with their long necks bent downwards, -and their eyes closed; while the more weary -among them were lying on the earth, as though -sinking under the weight of their burthens. -Their drivers, a wild, ferocious-looking horde, -were resting beneath the shade of some cloaks -which they had stretched across the bushes, -and smoking their chibouks; leaving the care -of the drove to their watchful dogs. We uttered -the brief but earnest salutation of the wilderness -as we passed; and, then urging on our horses, -the halt of the caravan was soon a distant object -in the landscape.</p> - -<p>A violent storm had been slowly gathering -throughout the day; and we had scarcely taken -possession of the house which had been secured -for us at Moudania, when it burst over the -town. The mountains of the opposite coast were -covered with dense vapours, the sea beat violently -against the houses that fringed the -shore, the thunder rattled in long continued -peals among the heights, the lightning danced -along the foam-crested billows, and the narrow -street became the channel of a torrent.</p> - -<p>The rain had only partially abated when a -priest was announced, who bore to my father<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">111</a></span> -and myself an invitation from the Archbishop, -to whom our arrival had been already made -known; and, weary as we were, we resolved to -avail ourselves of it, accompanied by a gentleman -and lady of the party, who were kind -enough to offer themselves as interpreters.</p> - -<p>The old palace, with its noble flights of marble -stairs, and paintings in arabesque, delighted -me; and there was a solemn twilight throughout -the whole suite of apartments along which we -passed, lined with serious-looking papas in attendance -on His Holiness, that pleased me far -better, travel-worn and weary as I was, than -the gaud and glitter so usual in the residences -of high personages in the East.</p> - -<p>The Archbishop himself met us at the head -of the last staircase; and, when we had kissed -his hand, he led us forward to his reception-room; -a vast sombre-looking apartment, richly -painted and carved; surrounded on three sides -by a divan of purple cloth, and provided with a -second and lower sofa, for the convenience of -those among the clergy to whom he gave audience. -The expression of his countenance was -intellectual rather than handsome, and he was -singularly graceful in his movements; his flowing -beard was beginning to show traces of age; -but his clear quick eye and his placid brow -almost belied the inference. He seemed eager -to obtain political information; and was much<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">112</a></span> -interested in the insight which we were enabled -to give him of the institutions and manufactures -of England. His library was extremely limited, -and entirely theological; and his knowledge -was evidently rather the result of his shrewd -sense and great natural talents than the effect -of education. I never regretted more sincerely -than on this occasion my ignorance of the Greek -language; for the necessity of an interpreter -deadens the wit and destroys the interest of a dialogue -like that in which we were soon engaged; -and many a remark or sentiment, that would pass -current in common conversation, becomes mere -impertinence and folly, when twice expressed.</p> - -<p>Nothing could exceed the courtesy of our reception; -and even the sweet, weak, milkless tea -which was served to us, was kindly meant, as it -was supposed to be in the English style; although -individually I suffered severely from the mistake. -But I was considerably amused by observing -that the chibouks of the gentlemen, and the tea of -the ladies, were both handed round by the young -priests of the Archbishop’s household; who -obeyed the clapping of his hands as instantaneously, -and much more meekly, than an English -footman answers the bell of his mistress.</p> - -<p>Devoted from their birth to the service of the -Church, the Greek Priests are educated in -obedience and humility, and have all learnt to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">113</a></span>obey ere they are placed in a situation to command. -Having taken orders, they are in some -degree the masters of their actions, from the fact -that there are two distinct classes of clergy, -and that they are at liberty to make their own -selection. The first, called the monastic clergy, -cannot marry, but, entirely devoted to the duties -of their profession, are eligible to fill its highest -dignities; while the second, or worldly clergy, -who are fettered by no restriction of the kind, -cannot rise beyond the rank of rectors or parish -priests. These latter are distinguished by the -black handkerchief bound about their caps, -which is never worn by the monastic order.</p> - -<p>It will be easily understood that the number -of married priests is very limited. Few men sacrifice -their ambition to their affections, particularly -among the Greeks, who are all essentially -ambitious; and to many of whom the road to -advancement is so frequently made straight by -intrigue and cabal. Added to this consideration, -the ideas and practice of morality among the -Greek clergy being notoriously more lax than -altogether accords with the holiness of their -profession, they prefer the equivocal liberty of -celibacy; while, in the few instances wherein -they make their fortunes subservient to their -domestic comfort, they universally select the -most beautiful women of their nation; as there -scarcely exists a family who would refuse their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">114</a></span> -daughter to a priest, should he demand her for -his wife.</p> - -<p>After having passed two pleasant hours with -the amiable Prelate, and reluctantly declined his -polite invitation to avail ourselves of his table -during our detention at Moudania, we returned -home, only to witness the renewed gathering of -the storm-clouds, and to listen to the dash of -the billows against the foundations of the house.</p> - -<p>One little incident alone served to divert us -for a time from our ennui. The waiting maid of -the lady whom I have mentioned as having been -thrown from her horse during the journey to the -coast, had profited by our arrival at Moudania to -get herself exorcised by a priest; so terrified had -she been at the accident of her mistress, which -she attributed entirely to the influence of the -Evil Eye. Secure in the impunity that she had -thus purchased for a few piastres, she was pursuing -her avocations somewhat more vivaciously -than her wont, when she fell from the top of the -stairs to the bottom, with a force which shook -the frail wooden tenement to its foundations. -Merriment succeeded to our alarm, however, -when, on raising herself from the floor, she began -to exclaim vehemently against the inefficacy of -the ceremony that she had so lately undergone; -nor was our amusement diminished when, -in reply to our raillery, she declared that, even -if she <em>had</em> thrown away her money, she was in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">115</a></span> -no worse plight than her lady, who had paid -much more dearly for the same privilege before -she left Broussa, though it had availed her still -less. Shouts of laughter followed the announcement -of this hitherto carefully-guarded secret; -and I do not think that I shall ever hear of an -Exorcist again, without having before my eyes -the portly person of Madame ——, extended on -the earth; and a party of routed equestrians -galloping hither and thither over the vast plain -of Broussa, wherever their affrighted horses were -for the first few minutes disposed to carry them.</p> - -<p>The following day was less unfavourable, but -the wind was so high and the sky so wild that -no boat could put to sea. In this dilemma, we -amused ourselves by wandering along the beach, -and collecting jaspers, agates, and pebbles: -and in making a tour of the town, which is -miserable enough, and stamped with all the -marks of premature decay.</p> - -<p>The inhabitants of Moudania are celebrated -for their slothfulness. The town is seated on the -edge of a gulf, which would alone suffice to the -sustenance of the whole of its population; and -they are the worst fishermen in Turkey. The -surrounding country is fertile and rich: Nature -has been lavish in her gifts, and yet their agriculture -is conducted in the most slovenly and -inefficient manner. It is a continual struggle -between the luxuriance of the soil, and the idle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">116</a></span>ness -of the husbandman; and, fortunately for -the latter, Nature, after all, has the best of it, -for the lofty hills are feathered to their very -summits with vegetation: olive trees and vines -clothe the valleys; sparkling streams descend -from the mountains; rich pasturages afford -sustenance to the numerous flocks; and goodly -forest trees provide fuel for their owners. But -Moudania and its environs instantly reminded -me of Cowper’s expressive line:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">“God made the country, but man made the town,”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>for man, left to himself, never more fully displayed -his insufficiency than here. The commerce -in oil is very considerable, not less than a -hundred and fifty thousand okes being produced -yearly—silk-worms are reared in almost every -house in the place—wine is plentiful—and there -is a continual intercourse with the European -coast—and yet, notwithstanding all these advantages, -Moudania is falling to decay. In -vain has the Turkish Government, with a consideration -and good policy by which it is not -usually distinguished, lightened, and indeed -almost entirely removed, all the local imposts; -the same slowly progressing ruin still wears its -way. On every side the houses are perishing -for want of repair, the streets are encumbered -with filth, the shops are almost empty, and the -whole town is in a state of stagnation. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">117</a></span> -departure of half a dozen caïques for Constantinople -suffices to bring all the inhabitants to -their windows, or to the beach; and, had you -not already received proof to the contrary, you -would then imagine by the shouting, running, -and confusion, that the population of Moudania -was one of the most energetic under heaven; -but when once the sails are set and the boats -departed, the crowd separates lazily, the noise -dies away, and the genius of desolation once -more broods over the perishing little town.</p> - -<p>In this miserable place we were detained -three days; and on the morning of the fourth, -our party embarked on board three of their -beautiful boats, and bade adieu, probably for -ever, to the shores of Moudania.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">118</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Death in the Revel—Marriage of the Princess Mihirmàh—The Imperial -Victim—The First Lover—Court Cabal—Policy of the Seraskier—The -Second Suitor—The Miniature—The Last Gift—Interview -between the Sultan and Mustapha Pasha.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is strange how often events, which to the -crowd appear redolent of joy and happiness, are -to the principal actors replete with heartburning -and misery—how what is a pageant to the -many may be a penance to the few—and how -the triumphant acclaim of the multitude may -be hollowly echoed back in bitterness from the -depths of a bereaved and stricken spirit. The -price of greatness must be paid, even although -it should be in the coinage of despair, wrung -slowly, through a long life, like blood-drops -from the heart; and it is well for the shouting, -holyday-seeking crowd, that the gaunt spectre -of reality is not permitted, like the skeleton of -the Egyptian banquets, to take its seat at the -feast, and startle them into a knowledge of the -heavy price paid for the “funeral-baked meats” -of their empoisoned revel!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">119</a></span>Only a few weeks had elapsed since Constantinople -had held a general holyday; since her -joy had been written in characters of fire; and -her tens of thousands had collected together -like one vast family, to celebrate the same happy -event. Who that looked around and about -him during the marriage festivities of the Imperial -Bride of Saïd Pasha—the young, the fair, -the high-born maiden, descended from a long-line -of Emperors, “born in the purple,” and on -whom no sunbeam had been suffered to rest, lest -it should mar the brightness of her beauty—Who -could have guessed, amid the flashing of -jewels, the echo of compliments, and the lavish -congratulation by which he was surrounded, -that the idol to whom all this incense was offered -up was already lying shivered at the foot of the -altar on which it had been reared?—That the -roses of the bridal wreath had fallen leaf by -leaf, withered by the burning of the brow they -cinctured?—and that the victim of an Empire’s -holyday was seated heart-stricken and despairing -in her latticed apartment, weeping hot tears -over her compulsatory sacrifice?</p> - -<p>And yet thus it was:—even I myself, when -the rumour reached me, that had the Princess -been free to chuse from among the many who -sighed for, without venturing to aspire to her -hand, she would have made another selection—even -I, remembering only that she was an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">120</a></span> -Oriental, and forgetting that she was also a -woman, never doubted for an instant that she -would resign herself to her fate with true -Turkish philosophy, and find consolation for a -passing disappointment in the gaud and glitter -of her new state. But it was not so: the arrow -had been driven home, and the wound was -mortal!</p> - -<p>Two long years had elapsed since the Sultan -had announced to her his intention of bestowing -her hand on Mustapha Pasha of Adrianople; -and she had received with indifference the intimation -of a resolve which made the heart of the -Sultana-Mother throb with maternal pride. But -ere long the fair Princess herself learnt to believe -that her constellation had been a happy -one; and to listen with smiling attention to the -flattering accounts which the ladies of the Imperial -Harem failed not to pour into her willing -ears of the Pasha’s wealth, influence, and great -personal beauty. The singing-women improvised -in his honour, with all the gorgeous hyperbole -of the East—the massaldjhes<a name="FNanchor_1" id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">1</a> told tales of -his wisdom and valour that brought a brighter -light to the dark eyes of their listener—and ultimately -the Sultan forwarded to his daughter a -miniature likeness of her intended bridegroom.</p> - -<p>Then it was that the Princess became convinced -that the personal qualifications of the Pasha -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">121</a></span> -had been by no means exaggerated even by his -most partial chroniclers; and the young beauty -sat for hours amid her embroidered cushions, -silently gazing on the portrait which she held in -her hand, and marvelling whether she should -look as fair in the eyes of her destined lord as he -already seemed in her own. She was not long -to remain in doubt; for the Pasha, to whom his -good fortune had been communicated by his -Imperial Master, obeyed the summons that -called him to the capital, and forwarded to his -high-born mistress his first costly offering.</p> - -<p>The heart of the Princess beat high. He was -in Stamboul! The wife of the meanest <em>camal</em><a name="FNanchor_2" id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">2</a> -might look on him as his shadow fell upon her -in the streets of the city; while she, his affianced -bride, could only picture him to her fancy by -gazing on the cold inanimate ivory. She turned -from the diamonds that her slaves had officiously -displayed upon the sofa on which she sat; -they came from him, it was true, but they told -no tale of love—they were the offering of ceremony—the -tribute of the honoured Pasha to his -honouring bride—they had pleased her fancy, -but they had not touched her heart.</p> - -<p>Night spread her sable robe upon the waters—the -channel lay hushed, for the soft wind -failed to disturb the ripple over which it lightly -skimmed—the Sultana-mother and the affianced -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">122</a></span> -Princess were dwelling in the gilded saloons of -the Asiatic Harem—in the fairy palace of Beglierbey, -and the slaves had long been hushed in -sleep—and it was at this still hour that the -dark-eyed daughter of the Sultan, who had been -leaning against the lattices of an open window, -listening to the nightingales, and weaving sweet -fancies into a graceful web of thought, turned -from the casement to seek the rest which she -had hitherto neglected to secure; when as she -moved away, a sound of distant oars fell on her -ear, and with a vague feeling of curiosity she -paused and listened.</p> - -<p>A solitary caïque neared the palace, and -stopped beneath the terrace of the Harem: there -was no moon; and the clear stars, which were -dropped in silver over the purple mantle of the -sky, did not betray the secret of the bold midnight -visiter. The Princess bent her ear eagerly -against the lattice: her brow flushed, and her -breath came quick—her heart had not deceived -her—it was indeed the Pasha; and soon a soft -strain of music swelled upon the air; and words -of passion blending with the melody, taught her -that this was his first spirit-offering to his bright -young love.</p> - -<p>Oh! how, as she stood beside the casement, -did she sigh for moonlight, when, despite the -envious lattices, she might have looked upon -her princely lover, and written his image on her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">123</a></span> -heart! But the song ceased, and the caïque -slowly dropped down with the current, and she -scarcely knew, when she at length withdrew to -the innermost recesses of her chamber, whether -all had not been a dream.</p> - -<p>Time passed on, and the wish of the fair -Princess was accomplished. She had looked -upon the Pasha, as his gilded boat passed lingeringly -beneath the Imperial terrace—she had -seen him as his proud steed curvetted gracefully -under the palace windows—she had beheld -him by the light of a bright moon when -no eye save her’s was on him, and his low, soft -accents came sweetly to her ear on the evening -wind—and she had learnt to love him with all -the fervour of a first affection. Now, indeed, -she valued every gift which came to her from -him, not because he made the world pay tribute -to charm her fancy, but because he had first -seen and approved the offering.</p> - -<p>And the Pasha learned that he was loved—the -rose withering in the hot sun amid the -lattice-work of the Princess’s window—the long -lock of dark hair waving in the wind beside it—the -little flower which sometimes fell into the -water beside the caïque during his midnight -and solitary visit, told him the tale that he -most wished to hear. It is even said that on -one occasion he actually beheld by accident -the face of his betrothed wife: be this as it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">124</a></span> -may, however, it is certain that Mustapha -Pasha returned to his Pashalik at Adrianople -with his mind and thoughts full of the Princess -Mihirmàh, and with little taste for the delay -which was yet to take place ere his marriage.</p> - -<p>The departure of the Pasha was the signal -for court intrigue and court cabal, for the determination -of the Sultan had spread dismay -among the most influential of the nobles, who -could ill brook the prospect of so dangerous a -rival near the throne as the powerful and popular -Mustapha Pasha. At the head of this -party was the Seraskier, whose influence over -the Sultan had long been unbounded, whose -wealth had purchased friends, and whose favour -had silenced enemies. He it was who first taught -the light of Imperial favour to shine on Halil -Pasha, who had originally been a groom in his -own stables; and who ultimately determined -Mahmoud to receive his <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">protégé</em> as the husband -of his eldest daughter; a subtle stroke of policy -which secured to him a firm adherent, knit to his -cause by every bond of self-interest and gratitude; -for the husband of the Princess Salihè -was the adopted son of the Seraskier, the object -of his munificence, and the sharer in his fortunes.</p> - -<p>Thus, in lieu of a rival, whom his connexion -with the Imperial family might have rendered -dangerous, the old and wily courtier secured a -new and influential ally, prompt to adopt his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">125</a></span> -views and to further his ambition. The proposed -marriage of the younger Princess involved -the same risks, and demanded the same precautions; -and it was consequently not without emotion -that the Seraskier learnt from the lips of -the Sultan that Mustapha Pasha was to be the -new bridegroom.</p> - -<p>He smiled as he heard it, and uttered the -usual empty and meaningless compliment of -congratulation; but his heart obeyed not the -prompting of his words; and, as he left the Presence, -he vowed a voiceless vow, that with the -help of Allah, the Governor of Adrianople should -never be the husband of the Princess Mihirmàh; -for the more he reflected on the subject, the more -he felt the necessity of exerting all his energies -to prevent the domestication of Mustapha Pasha -at court.</p> - -<p>Young and handsome, he would be all powerful -with his Imperial bride. Wealthy and high-spirited, -he would neither from necessity nor -inclination be amenable to his own dictation. -Proverbially amiable, and chivalrously generous, -he was already the idol of his province, -and would soon become that of the capital; -while his grasp of intellect and soundness of -judgment, would render it equally impossible to -degrade him into a dupe, or to use him as a tool.</p> - -<p>Thus, then, the experienced courtier, whose -career has been perhaps without parallel in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">126</a></span> -Turkish history—whose beard has grown grey -under the shadow of the Imperial throne—who -has seen a hundred favourites rise into greatness, -flourish for a brief season, and finally leave -their dishonoured heads to bleach beneath a -fierce sun, impaled above the fatal Orta Kapoussi, -or Middle Gate of the Seraglio, or niched in -gory grandeur beside the gilded entrance of the -Sublime Porte; who throughout his long career -has never failed in any important undertaking -—the experienced courtier at once decided that -Mustapha Pasha must not be permitted to fill a -station, which would invest him with the privelege -of thwarting his own plans, or of opposing -his own party.<a name="FNanchor_3" id="FNanchor_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">3</a></p> - -<p>Every Bey of the Imperial Household was in -the interest of the Seraskier. It could not well -be otherwise; for, during the long years of unchecked -prosperity and unfailing favour which -I have described, it will be readily conceived -that there was not an individual among them -who was not indebted to him for some benefit, -which could be repaid only by devotion to his -wishes.</p> - -<p>Nor were there wanting many among the Pashas -themselves who were easily taught to look with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">127</a></span> -distrust and suspicion on the threatened rivalry -of the young and high-spirited Mustapha; and -who readily enlisted in the adverse party. Suffice -it that the intrigue prospered: the Sultan -first insisted—then wavered—and finally, -driven, despite himself, to a compromise with the -nobles in immediate contact with his person, -ultimately proposed the extraordinary expedient -to which I have already alluded; and -with a weakness of purpose for which it were -difficult to account in a despotic monarch, determined -to cast the obloquy of irresolution from -his own shoulders by leaving the fortunes of -his daughter in the hands of Fate—that blind -divinity in whom the Turks put such implicit -trust, and on whom they philosophically fling -the odium of every untoward circumstance.</p> - -<p>One stipulation he, however, made; that the -name of Mustapha Pasha should be among the -seven chosen ones from whom the <em>felech</em> of the -Princess was to select her a husband; and, having -thus quieted his Imperial conscience, he -made his <em>namaz</em> with all proper solemnity, ere -he calmly drew from beneath his prayer-carpet -the name of Mohammed Saïd Pasha!</p> - -<p>But the affections cannot change so lightly as -the will; and when it was announced to the -young Princess that she was to receive a new -suitor, and to banish all memory of him whom -she had so long learnt to love, she sank beneath<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">128</a></span> -the tidings; and rejected the consolations which -were officiously poured forth by her attendants. -The Sultana-mother wept and entreated; but -for the first time her tears and her entreaties -were alike vain: the Princess only turned aside -in despairing silence, or bade them leave her to -die alone, since death was all that remained to -her. Hours passed away; hours of dull, aching -anguish that wrung and withered her young -heart; and they brought her food, but she put -it aside with loathing—and darkness came; -but it yielded no rest to her; and on the morrow -her dim eyes and haggard cheek so terrified -the Sultana that she at once decided on communicating -to her Imperial partner the effect -of his decision.</p> - -<p>The Sultan came, and used every blandishment -that could win, and every threat that -could terrify; but he failed to wrench the -young fond heart from its allegiance. The -same trite commonplaces which rise instinctively -to the lips of all domestic despots, be -they Christians or Islamites, were duly set -forth; but love spurns at argument; and the -Princess only replied by falling senseless into -the arms of her slaves. Days of suffering followed, -during which she lay like a blighted -flower upon her cushions; hoping one moment -against reason; and the next resigning herself -without a struggle to the deepest anguish of -despair.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">129</a></span>Time wore on, and at length she learnt that -her destined husband had arrived in the capital! -Then came the gifts of the new suitor, and -the ceremonies of the betrothal; and she knew -and felt that there was indeed no longer any -hope. The conviction was too much for her -young strength; and the courtiers were pouring -forth their offerings, and the Pashas of the provinces -were pressing forward with their congratulations, -while the victim of state policy -was lying on a sick bed, surrounded by tears -and lamentations.</p> - -<p>And thus they decked her for the bridal, and -carried her forth in her gilded carriage to her -new home; and she submitted passively, for -she knew that it was in vain to oppose her -destiny. But when the proud and happy Saïd -Pasha had borne her in his arms to the state -saloon of the harem, preceded by dancing-girls, -and fair slaves glittering with jewels, and swinging -censers of costly incense upon her path, and -had seated her on the brocaded divan only to -throw himself at her feet, and to vow himself to -an existence of fond and grateful obedience to -her every wish; then did the woman-heart -of the Princess flash forth as she sternly -commanded him to leave her. The Pasha -obeyed not; he believed this coldness to be -only a caprice of his Imperial bride, and he -lost himself in all the lover-like hyperbole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">130</a></span> -which he doubted not would be expected from -him.</p> - -<p>But the young bridegroom was not long -suffered to be deluded by so flattering a deceit, -for the reply of the Princess to his protestations -was too direct and convincing, to admit of his -indulging the faintest doubt of his misfortune. -Around her neck she wore a slight chain, -wrought in dark silk, similar to those to which -the Turkish ladies commonly attach an amulet; -and for all answer she withdrew this chain, and -revealed to the heart-stricken Pasha the portrait -of her first suitor.</p> - -<p>“It was the Sultan’s gift;” she said firmly, -“I was told that he was to be my husband, -and they taught me to love him—I loved him -ere I knew that such a being as Saïd Pasha -lived—I shall love him so long as this heart has -power to beat against his likeness. I will not -deceive you; I can look on you only with loathing: -my fate is sealed; I shall soon lie in the -tomb of my fathers. Inshallàh—I trust in God—life -is not eternal, and the broken heart ceases -at last to suffer.”</p> - -<p>Saïd Pasha had triumphed: he had won an -Imperial bride; but he was a blighted man. He -had seen Mustapha Pasha ride in the marriage -train which did honour to his own nuptials; but -a few hours only had elapsed ere he envied his -discomfited rival the comparative happiness of -freedom.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">131</a></span>That rival was, however, far from being reconciled -to his fate, irrevocable as it was. He -forgot that he had lost a proud bride in the -memory of her youth, her beauty, and her affection. -He lingered near her regal dwelling at -midnight to catch the reflection of a taper -through the lattices of one of its many windows, -trusting that he might chance to look upon the -light which beamed on her. His marriage gift -was the most costly of all that glittered in her -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">trousseau</em>—and he saw the different Pashas who -had been called to court to swell the pageant, -depart to their provinces, without possessing the -courage to follow their example.</p> - -<p>Many wondered why Mustapha Pasha, who -was supreme at Adrianople, remained in comparative -subserviency at Stamboul; and all whispered -mysteriously of the change which had -come over his nature. He was still urbane -and courteous, with a gracious word and a ready -smile for all; but the words came less freely, -and the smiles were fainter, and even wore at -times a tinge of bitterness.</p> - -<p>It was about three weeks subsequent to the -Imperial marriage that an Armenian jeweller -completed one of the most costly brilliant ornaments -which had ever been seen, even in the -Bezenstein of Constantinople. A mass of immense -diamonds were clustered together in its -centre in the form of a taper, at whose extremity<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">132</a></span> -a flame was burning brightly; and this device -was surrounded by a wreath of ivy leaves, amid -which a moth was nestled, mounted upon an -elastic spring, that at the slightest motion -threw the insect upon the flame.</p> - -<p>This noble jewel was, immediately on its completion, -carried to the palace of Mustapha Pasha, -whence it was transported to the harem of the -Princess by a trusty messenger. No written -Word accompanied the gift—it told its own tale—and -four-and-twenty hours had not elapsed -from the time in which the “mourning bride” -clasped it in her turban, ere it was intimated to -Mustapha Pasha that he had the permission of -his Sublime Highness to return to his Pashalik -with all convenient speed.</p> - -<p>On the morrow he requested his parting audience -of the Sultan, when Mahmoud, probably -regretting, as he looked upon the noble-minded -Mustapha, the wrong which he had been compelled -to do him, prevented him as he was in -the act of kissing his foot, and, extending towards -him his Imperial hand, said blandly:—“Forget -the past—it was not the will of Allah -that my intention in your favour should be fulfilled; -but bear with you my assurance that -the esteem which I have long felt for you is -undiminished. Your presence is required at -Adrianople—I am perfectly content with your -government—and two years hence I shall recall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">133</a></span> -you to Stamboul, to bestow on you the hand -of my youngest daughter.”</p> - -<p>The Pasha relinquished his hold of the Imperial -fingers: the blood mounted to his brow, -and settled there, and the tone was proud, -even to haughtiness, with which he answered: -“I obey the orders of your Highness: by tomorrow’s -dawn I shall be on my way to my -Pashalik; while I have life I will do my duty to -my Sultan and to my province; but I shall never -again aspire to make the happiness of an Imperial -Princess—were I ten times more worthy -than I am, still should I be no meet husband -for a Sultan’s daughter. May the blessing of -Allah rest on the representative of the Prophet; -and may the hour not be far distant when -Mustapha Pasha may lay down in the service -of his sovereign a life which has now become -valueless!”</p> - -<p>The high-hearted noble departed from the -court, bearing with him the memory of his -passion and of his wrong. The Seraskier sought -to console the disappointed bridegroom by heaping -upon him the most munificent gifts; and -the Princess, in the solitude of her harem, yet -wastes her hours in tears, gazing upon the portrait -of her lost lover, and imploring of the -Prophet an early deliverance from the anguish -of a breaking heart.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">134</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Yenekeui—The Festival of Fire—Commemorative Observance—Fondness -of the Orientals for Illumination—Frequency of Fires in Constantinople—Dangerous -Customs—Fire Guard—The Seraskier’s -Tower—Disagreeable Alarum—Namik Pasha—The Festival Localized—Veronica—Bonfires—Therapia -and Buyukdèrè—Singular -Effect of Light—The Armenian Heroine—A Wild Dream.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Shortly</span> after our return from Broussa, we -took possession of a house which we had rented -for the summer at Yenekeui, and we had only -been established there a few days when we had -an opportunity of witnessing one of the most -ancient of the Greek commemorative usages,—the -“Festival of Fire”—instituted in memory -of the second capture of Constantinople by the -Cæsars.</p> - -<p>Some years ago the Greek quarter of the city -was illuminated on this anniversary, as well as -the villages occupied principally by their nation: -but the Turks no longer permit this demonstration -of rejoicing, as well from jealousy of its -subject, as from the danger attendant on all -such manifestations in a city where fires are so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">135</a></span> -frequent, and the nature of the buildings so -unfortunately calculated to encourage the -evil.</p> - -<p>For my own part, after having passed a few -nights in Constantinople, both in Turkish and -Greek houses, I was only surprised that the -frightful conflagrations which so frequently -occur do not take place every week instead of ten -or twelve times a-year. Like the husbandman -who plants his vines, and sows his grain at the -base of a volcano, apparently unconscious or -careless that the next eruption may lay waste -his lands, and negative his labour, the inhabitants -of Stamboul appear never to reflect that -fire is one of their deadliest enemies, but wander -over their wooden dwellings with their lighted -chibouks, or their unsnuffed candles; as heedlessly -as though both were innoxious: while -their attendants traverse carpeted and curtained -apartments, carrying fragments of live -coal between their iron pincers to supply the -pipes.</p> - -<p>Nor is this all. The Tandour is a fire-conductor -of the first class: the wooden frame that -covers the charcoal ashes is frequently very -slight, and the silken draperies which veil it are -generally lined with cotton, and not infrequently -wadded with the same inflammable material. -The effect of the Tandour is highly soporific; -and it consequently occurs that persons who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">136</a></span> -fall asleep under its influence, by some sudden -movement overturn the frame-work, when their -own clothes as well as the coverings of the -Tandour come in contact with the hidden -fire: the chintz-covered sofas are ready to -feed the flame, and the natural consequence -ensues.</p> - -<p>Still more dangerous is the system of drying -linen during the winter, which is universal -throughout the city. A frame, formed of wooden -laths, about three feet high, and shaped like a -beehive, is placed above a small brazier, filled -with heated charcoal; and the linen is flung -over this frame, one garment above another, -where it gradually dries. But should the laundress -omit to remove the lower portions of it -directly that they are free from damp, they -ignite, and the whole becomes one burning -mass.</p> - -<p>That in a country where fires are so frequent, -such reckless usages should be persisted in by -individuals, or permitted by the authorities, -appears incredible; while they account if not -satisfactorily, at least fully, for the constant recurrence -of the evil. Nor can you, even should -you desire to do so, remain in ignorance of the calamity -whenever it occurs; for you are constantly -awakened in the night by the heavy strokes of -an iron-pointed pike upon the rough pavement -of the streets, and you hear the deep voice of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">137</a></span> -the fire-guard announce the quarter where the -flames have broken out.</p> - -<p>As there is a regular sentinel, relieved every -second hour, on the look-out for fires in the -upper gallery of the Seraskier’s Tower, which -is like a glass lantern, having windows on all -sides; every conflagration, however unimportant, -is instantly announced by the patroles appointed -to the different quarters of the city; and -thus a week rarely passes in which you are not -startled by the boding cry of the guard—“Fire -at Scutari—a—” “Fire at Galata—a”—Up go -all the windows of the neighbourhood; and, -when the locality of the accident is ascertained, -those who have property or connexions in the -quarter hasten to the scene of action: while -those who have no individual interest in the -misfortune, close their casements, and creep -back to bed, rejoicing that they have escaped -for the present the dreaded catastrophe.</p> - -<p>All the Pashas resident in the Capital or its -immediate neighbourhood are obliged to attend -every fire that occurs, and to assist in its extinction; -so that they frequently have a very -busy time of it; and Namik Pasha—the fêted -and favoured Namik Pasha—probably from personal -experience of the dangers attendant on -the employment, has, since his return to Turkey, -cited, as his two most admirable memories of -England, her Pantomimes and her Fire-men!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">138</a></span>The Greek “Festival of Fire” has now, in -consequence of the prohibition to which I have -alluded, become local in its celebration: and -the villages of Buyukdèrè, Therapia, and Yenekeui, -have the exclusive honour of commemorating -the conquest of the Cæsars.</p> - -<p>We embarked on board our caïque at dusk, -and having with some difficulty made our way -through the floating crowd that thronged the -stream, we landed, and proceeded to the house -of Veronica, the heroine of Mac Farlane’s Novel -of the “Armenians.” From the windows, which -commanded the little bay where the rejoicings -were to take place, we had a full view of the -whole ceremony, and a most extraordinary exhibition -it was.</p> - -<p>Two artificial islands had been formed in the -bay, and heaped with dried wood, and other inflammable -materials, and on that which was -furthest from the shore, the pile was surmounted -by a caïque: another line of fires was prepared -for a considerable distance along the coast; and -in every direction men were flitting about with -paper lanterns, conducting the different parties -of visiters from their boats to the residences of -their friends. Therapia was concealed behind -a point of land; but Buyukdèrè was visible in -the distance, like a line of fire hemming in the -glittering waters which reflected afar off the -unusual brilliancy. The flames, as they rose<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">139</a></span> -and fell, flashed and faded upon the casements -of the houses that skirted the shore, with an -effect quite magical: while the sombre coast of -Asia, without one glimmering light to relieve its -stately outline, cut in dusky magnificence along -the cloudless sky.</p> - -<p>At a sudden signal the fires were ignited: -and the condemned caïque was soon one graceful -mass of flame. But the most extraordinary -portion of the spectacle was the crowd of men, -dressed only in wide cotton drawers, their partially -shaven heads bare, and their arms tossed -high in the air, who were wading up to their -necks in the sea, and feeding the fires with -shrieks and yells worthy of a chorus of demons. -At intervals, they all rushed out of the water, -and sprang across the flames of the huge fires -which were burning along the coast, looking -like infernal spirits celebrating their unholy -orgies; and then, plunging once more into the -stream, they danced round the lesser island in -a circle, to the wild chanting of the spectators -on the shore.</p> - -<p>The effect of the whole scene was thrilling. -The bright-barrelled firelock of the Turkish sentinel, -who was posted at the battery above the -village, flashed as he trod his beat, in the fierce -light which fell upon it. The line of heights -behind the houses was covered with spectators: -the women seated on mats and cushions, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">140</a></span> -the men standing in groups among them, all as -distinctly visible as beneath a noon-day sun; -while, in the opposite direction, the ripple of the -Bosphorus ran shimmering along like liquid -gold, and the caïques, wedged together as closely -as though they had been one compact body, -gleamed out gaily with their crimson rugs and -gilded ornaments.</p> - -<p>The same wild sports continued for two hours, -gradually decreasing in violence, as the fatigue -of the fierce and unremitted exertions of the -actors made itself felt; when the Wallachian -band, and an immense fire kindled beneath the -windows of the house in which we were passing -the evening, and which was formed of wicker -baskets wedged one within the other, with a -tall tree planted in the midst, that produced a -very singular effect, gradually withdrew the -crowd from the expiring glories of the coast; -and as the last note of the Sultan’s March died -away, the throng dispersed, and we were left to -the undisturbed society of our friends.</p> - -<p>Veronica could never have been handsome; -the expression of her countenance is sweet and -agreeable, but her features are neither regular -nor fine; nor does she possess the low soft voice -which is so great a charm in the Turkish -women, and to which the coarse language of the -Armenian nation does not lend itself. She is -rather under the middle size, calm in her man<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">141</a></span>ner, -and graceful in her carriage; and her sable -dress and melancholy history invest her with an -interest that mere beauty would fail to excite. -As I conversed with the widowed wife, and saw -her shrink beneath the night air like a withered -flower, and fold her furred pelisse closer about -her with her thin wasted hand, I could have -wept over her faded youth and blighted feelings. -It is painfully evident that the memory of her -error and of her wrongs sits heavily upon her, -and that it is a poisoned chain whose fetters can -be flung off only in the grave. Even Time, the -great physician of all moral ills, has no power -over a grief like her’s.</p> - -<p>Before we returned home, we rowed slowly -towards Therapia; which, etched in fire, and loud -with music, threw its bright shadow far along -the waves. Caïques glided past us every instant -with lights at their stern, whence the sounds of -laughter or of song swept cheerily over the -ripple; and more than once we narrowly escaped -collision with a mirth-laden bark, whose conductors -were pressing forward in all the heedless -eagerness of hilarity.</p> - -<p>It was near midnight ere we withdrew from -the busy scene: and when I fell asleep, I dreamt -that Veronica was the wife of one of the Cæsars; -and that a young and dark-eyed Greek prince -was leaping over the burning city of Constantinople, -while a portly Armenian, who had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">142</a></span> -of the evening party, was filling his unwieldy -calpac with water, as he stood breast-high in -the Bosphorus, and handing it to a set of wild -Indians who were howling and dancing amid -the flames.</p> - -<p>Truly my sleeping visions produced a second -“Festival of Fire.”</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">143</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">A Chapter on Caïques—The Sultan’s Barge—Princes and Pashas—The -Pasha’s Wife—The Admiralty Barge—The Fruit Caïque—The -Embassy Barge—The Omnibus Caïque—Turkish Boatmen—The -Caïque of Azmè Bey—Pleasant Memories—The Chevalier Hassuna -de Ghies—Natural Politeness of the Turks—Turkey and Russia—Sultan -Mahmoud—Confusion of Tongues—Arif Bey—Imperial Present—The -Fruit of Constantinople—The Two Banners—The Harem—Azimè -Hanoum.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Should</span> I ever have time, I murmured to -myself as we darted down the Bosphorus in the -caïque of Azmè Bey, with whom we were engaged -to dine, and who had obligingly sent his -boat and his Dragoman to facilitate our arrival -at Dolma Batchè:—Should I ever have time, I -will write a chapter on caïques.</p> - -<p>A more graceful subject could scarcely be selected. -From the gilded barges of the Sultan, to -the common passage-boat that plies within the -port, the caïques are all beauty; and, as they -fly past you, their long and lofty prows dipping -downward towards the current at every stroke -of the oars, you are involuntarily reminded of -some aquatic bird, moistening the plumage of its -glistening breast in the clear ripple.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">144</a></span>That bright mass of gilding and glitter which -is flying over the water, shaped like a marine -monster, and gleaming in the sunshine, is one -of the Imperial barges. Mahmoud is returning -from the mosque. Hark! to the booming of the -loud cannon, which announces his departure -from the coast of Europe, for his delicious summer-palace -of Beglierbey; the most lovely (for -that is the correct term)—the most lovely object -on the Bosphorus—rising like the creation of a -twilight dream beneath the shadow of an Asian -mountain—a fanciful edifice, looking as though -its model had been cut out of gold paper in an -hour of luxurious indolence, and carried into -execution during a fit of elegant caprice.</p> - -<p>The long, dark, crescent-shaped caïque immediately -in the wake of the Sultan, with its three -gauze-clad rowers, and its flashing ornaments, -carries a Pasha of the Imperial suite. He is -hidden beneath the red umbrella which the attendant, -who is squatted upon the raised stern -of the boat, is holding carefully over him.</p> - -<p>You may see a third bark, just creeping along -under the land; a light, buoyant, glittering thing, -with a crimson drapery fringed with gold flung -over its side, and almost dipping into the water; -a negress is seated behind her mistress, with a -collection of yellow slippers strown about her; -and at the bottom of the boat, reclining against -a pile of cushions, and attended by two young<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">145</a></span> -slaves, you may distinguish the closely-veiled -Fatma or Leyla, whose dark eyes are seen flashing -out beneath her pure white yashmac, and -whose small, fair, delicately rounded, and gloveless -hand draws yet closer together the heavy -folds of her feridjhe as she remarks the approach -of another caïque to her own. She is -the wife of some Pasha—the favourite wife, it -may be—musing as she darts along the water, -with what new toy her next smile shall be -bought. And now her light boat is lost to view, -for it has shot beneath the arched entrance of -the court of yonder stately harem; and you -can only follow the fair Turk in thought to the -cool, shady, spacious saloons of her prison-palace, -where the envious yashmac is withdrawn -in deference to the yet more jealous lattice; and -where the heavy feridjhe is flung off to reveal -the graceful antery, the gold-embroidered vest, -and the hanging sleeves.</p> - -<p>But what is this which is advancing towards -us with a heavy plash, and flinging its long -broad shadow far before it? It is the Admiralty -Barge, manned with fourteen rowers, and -freighted with His Excellency Achmet Pasha, -bound on some mission to the fleet. The red -caps and white jackets of the crew form a cheerful -contrast from the dark mass at the stern of -the barge, where the High Admiral, <em>pro tempore</em>, -is seated, surrounded by a group of inferior<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">146</a></span> -officers. His chibouk-bearer is screening him -from the sun; while his secretary, with a sheet -of paper resting upon his knee, is writing from -the dictation of the Minister. There is a great -deal of business transacted on the Bosphorus; -the Turks never require a table on which to -write, and they are consequently but little inconvenienced -by locality, when a necessity exists -for profiting by the passing hour.</p> - -<p>And this slowly-moving bark, rather dropping -down with the current, than impelled by the -efforts of its two Greek rowers, and which looks -so cool and so pretty with all that pile of green -leaves heaped upon its stern, is one of the fruit -caïques for the supply of the houses overhanging -the Bosphorus. The wild shrill cry of the -fruiterers announcing the nature of their merchandize, -swells upon the air; and, as you pass -close beside the boat, the wind sporting among -the fresh branches that are strewn over the -baskets, blows aside the leaves, and the tempting -fruit is revealed to you in all its cool ripe -beauty.</p> - -<p>And yonder flies the Union Jack of England! -It is the splendid barge of the British Embassy, -which is darting along with its seven rowers: -the Ambassador is engaged with a newspaper: -you may know him by his purple <em>fèz</em>, as well as -by an aristocracy of bearing and demeanour -which distinguishes him from all the foreign<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">147</a></span> -ministers at the Ottoman Court; and which the -Turks both feel and appreciate.</p> - -<p>Very different both in form and freight is the -dark, slow, people-laden passage-caïque, just -coming round the point, and which is one of -several that ply between Constantinople and Buyukdèrè; -and carry passengers the whole length -of the Bosphorus at the moderate charge of -thirty paras a head, a sum scarcely equivalent to -twopence English. These Omnibus-boats have -their outside as well as their inside passengers: -and the individuals who sit upon the gunwale, -with their legs hanging over the side, and their -feet resting upon the spar which is lashed on -to it for their especial convenience, effect, by -the occupation of this amphibious seat, the -saving of ten paras upon a voyage of about four -hours.</p> - -<p>The Caïquejhes are, generally speaking, a -very fine race of men. The Greeks are esteemed -the best boatmen on the Bosphorus: but all the -private caïques travel with a speed that it -fatigues the eye to follow. Some of these men -utter a disagreeable grunt as they ply their -oars, which would induce a stranger to imagine -that they suffered from the exertion; but the -habit is induced by their having worked too -hard in their youth, and thus injured their lungs; -and it is considered so great an objection to -them, that no individual who retains caïquejhes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">148</a></span> -in his pay will willingly hire a man labouring -under this infirmity.</p> - -<p>But enough—or I shall be betrayed into really -writing the chapter of which I dreamed in my -delicious idleness, as the handsome caïque of -the Bey shot along, while the dragoman named -to us the owner of each painted palace near -which we passed. What a confusion of Pashas -and Beys—of Excellencies and Effendis! It -was impossible to remember one half of them; -and I have already dwelt so frequently upon -the sea-washed palaces of the Bosphorus, that, -instead of repeating an admiration which rather -grew upon me than became weakened by frequent -indulgence; an admiration which it is -impossible not to feel, and equally impossible to -excite by mere description; I will e’en run the -caïque beside the little pier near the Imperial residence -of Dolma Batchè, and follow the steps of -the dragoman to the hospitable home of his master.</p> - -<p>Few things afforded us more gratification, -during our residence in the East, than the -manner in which Azmè Bey spoke of, and felt -towards, England. Sincerity is decidedly not -a national characteristic of the Turks; but there -are nevertheless many individuals among them -who may fairly lay claim to this great social -virtue; and I unhesitatingly rank Azmè Bey as -one of these. His gracious and grateful memories -of those who professed a friendship for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">149</a></span> -him during his European sojourn; his eagerness -to repay by every exertion in his power the -attention which is shewn to him; and his frank, -unostentatious politeness, lent a charm to his -manner, and a value to his kindness, which enhanced -them tenfold; and I do not hesitate to -affirm, that did all such of his countrymen as -have resided in England, feel and act towards -the English as Azmè Bey has done since his -return, the sentiments of the Turkish people -would be greatly changed with regard to them, -both individually and as a nation.</p> - -<p>We found the Bey at the head of the stairs -waiting to receive us; and the first person whom -I remarked in the saloon of the Salemliek was -M. Hassuna de Ghies, whom I had known -in London, and with whom I was delighted -to renew my acquaintance. This talented and -amiable man is now the editor of the Constantinopolitan -Journal; and his acquirements -and knowledge are justly appreciated by his -Imperial master; who, besides other marks of -his favour, has, since his return from Europe, -been pleased, as an especial token of his regard, -to change his name, which he considered to be -too difficult of pronunciation, into Hussein -Madzhar Effendi;<a name="FNanchor_4" id="FNanchor_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">4</a> an alteration by no means -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">150</a></span> -calculated to diminish its difficulty to European -lips. He was seated on the divan, smoking his -chibouk, which he relinquished on our entrance; -and, ere long, he was busily engaged in conversing -with my father in English; while I was -undergoing the ceremony of presentation to a -Greek lady, who, with a delicacy which did him -honour, Azmè Bey had invited, in order to relieve -me from the restraint and <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">désagrément</em> of finding -myself the only female of the party.</p> - -<p>I mention the circumstance in order to prove -to those who are inclined to treat the Turks as -barbarians, and to speak of them as such, that -there are many among them who may be both -wronged and wounded by such an opinion, and -who are capable of convincing them by their -actions that it is unfounded. The Turks require -only time, example, and a perfect confidence -in their European allies, to become a -polished as well as a civilized nation; they possess -all the elements of civilization, but they are -flung back by events—they are blinded by subtlety—they -are hoodwinked by deception. Were -they suffered to act upon their own untrammelled -impressions, they would not long remain even in -their present state of partial inertness: but -Turkey is now in the position of a child, to -whom its nurse, in order to cajole it into quiet, -presents a mirror, which, viewed in one direction, -widens the object that it reflects; and it has been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">151</a></span> -taught that this magnified mass represents its -own strength and beauty; and when it has been -suffered to sate itself with the false image that -has thus been placed before it, the glass is reversed -by its wily Mentor, and the shrunken, -wasted, and almost shapeless thing that succeeds -is made object of wonder and of pity, as -the narrow and despicable policy which would -fain persuade the Turks that they have need of -counsel and of help. The more enlightened -among them do not believe this; they are even -convinced to the contrary: but the argument -produces its effect upon the mass, and the arm -of power is weakened and paralyzed by the -weight of public opinion.</p> - -<p>Turkey is like a stately forest-tree which has -been cankered at the core, but which has shot -forth young and vigorous branches after it had -been condemned as on the eve of perishing. A -weighty pressure has fallen upon the fresh green -shoots; but let it only be removed, and once -more the branches will stretch broadly and boldly -forth, and cast their long shadows far across -the earth.</p> - -<p>Sultan Mahmoud would fain be the regenerator -of his country; but he cannot resist, single-handed, -an enemy more powerful, and, above all, -more subtle than himself. The Turks are bad -politicians—they do not hold the keys of their -own citadel; and their game is overlooked on all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">152</a></span> -sides. Had they sincere assistance, all Europe -would soon be convinced of that to which she -now appears blind—the great moral power of -the Turkish people, and the incalculable advantages -of their alliance.</p> - -<p>I scarcely know how I have suffered myself to -be deluded into this digression; and my only -apology for its indulgence is the earnest interest -which I have learnt to feel in the existence of a -great and magnificent Empire, bowed beneath -the smiling sophistries of its most dangerous -enemy.</p> - -<p>The shady saloon of Azmè Bey, with its many -windows, all opening upon a delicious garden -overhung with fruit trees, and forming a leafy -screen amid which we caught here and there a -blue bright glimpse of the Bosphorus, was half -filled with guests, to whom we were presented -with the ease and politeness of intuitive good -breeding; and in a few minutes we were all engaged -in an animated conversation, or rather -set of conversations. The Greek lady was discussing -the merits of the divan, in Italian, with -a gentleman near her; M. de Ghies was still -talking English with my father; and the Bey -and myself were busy with Von Hammer’s work -on the East, and communicating our opinions in -French: nor was this all—for a party of the -guests were murmuring out their soft, harmonious -Turkish at the other extremity of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">153</a></span> -apartment; while the voices of the Arabs in the -outer room came to us at intervals, as they -passed and repassed the door of the saloon in -which we sat.</p> - -<p>The announcement of a new visitor at length -summoned the Bey from the room; and he -shortly afterwards returned, and presented to -me Arif Bey, the Paymaster General of the Imperial -Forces, who had done me the honour to -desire my acquaintance; and, hearing that I -was the guest of his friend, had taken this opportunity -of making it. He was rather a heavy-looking -young man, of about seven-and-twenty; -with very small black eyes, as round and bright -as jet beads, an extremely pale complexion, and -who, as he did not speak a word of French, -kept the dragoman in constant, and frequently -very unprofitable employment, in translating -nearly every sentence I uttered. He was very -carefully dressed; and, in addition to the gold -sword-belt about his waist, he wore white -gloves and a black silk stock; articles of apparel -which are generally dispensed with altogether -by the Turks. He had just commenced -studying French, under the auspices of Azmè -Bey; and, meanwhile, he smoked with a perseverance -which was perfectly amusing. The -Sultan has lately done him the honour of selecting -a wife for him; a boon which he, of course, -received with all becoming gratitude at the Im<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">154</a></span>perial -hand; and he is now building a very -handsome residence on the border of the Bosphorus, -near the Palace of Beshiktash.</p> - -<p>The dinner was served in the European style, -and the table was remarkably well appointed. -French wines were in abundance, and champagne -and Edinburgh ale were not wanting; -but the dessert was the charm of the repast. -The fruit of Constantinople has a perfume -that I never met with elsewhere; and, did the -natives suffer it to ripen fully, which from their -excessive fondness for it they very rarely do, -much of it would probably be unrivalled for the -delicacy of its flavour. Pyramids of this delicious -fruit occupied the angles of the table, -the most delicate pastry was ranged beside it, -and the centre was occupied by a castellated -tower, formed of sweetmeats, and surmounted -by the British and Ottoman banners linked together. -From this dish alone the Bey declined -to serve his guests, lest he should disturb the -union of the two flags, even symbolically; and -many gracious things were said on the subject -both by himself and his friends; nor had he -neglected to turn the Banner of the Crescent -towards the head of the table, at which he had -requested me to preside; while the Union Jack -of England floated over his own plate.</p> - -<p>When we withdrew from table, I went, accompanied -by the Greek lady whom I have already<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">155</a></span> -named, to pay a visit to the harem of the Bey. -A door opened from the hall of the Salemliek -into a second, or inner garden, to which we descended -by a flight of steps; and after having -traversed a covered walk, we found ourselves at -the entrance of the harem, where a black slave, -with extremely long hair, plaited in numerous -braids which were looped about her shoulders, -preceded us to the gallery opening into the -women’s apartments; but, ere we had ascended -the whole stair, we were met by the young wife -of the Bey, who, taking my hand with the -sweetest smile in the world, led me forward to -her cool, pretty, English-looking parlour, where -I found myself in the midst of chairs, sofas, and -tables; and opposite to one of the loveliest women -whom I had seen in the country.</p> - -<p>The Bey followed us in the space of a few -moments, and I could not refrain from expressing -to him my admiration of his wife. She -scarcely looked like an oriental woman, for her -large black eyes, in lieu of the sleepy, dreamlike -expression so general in the East, were -full of brightness and intelligence; and her -dark hair, instead of being concealed beneath -the painted handkerchief, or cut straight across -her forehead, hung in graceful curls about her -fair young brow, which was as pure and smooth -as marble.</p> - -<p>She was just eighteen, and neither dye nor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">156</a></span> -paint had ever sullied the purity of her complexion; -while the faint tinge of red that relieved -the snowy whiteness of her cheek, looked -as though it nestled there almost unconsciously; -and at times, as she conversed, it deepened -into a blush that heightened the effect of her -glowing beauty. Her dress, although of Turkish -form, was partly of European arrangement; -her purple silk vest was folded closely about her -waist, and met beneath her long and graceful -throat; her figure was beautiful; and the little -foot that peeped out from under the black satin -pantaloon, was covered by a stocking of snowy -white. Her antery was of English bombazine, -sprinkled with coloured flowers; she wore no -henna on her hands; and when she had fastened -the carnations which I presented to her, among -her rich, dark hair, she was the very creature -who would have inspired the gifted pencil of -Pickersgill—so fair, so young, so exquisitely -graceful, and so beautifully oriental.</p> - -<p>I learnt without surprise that she belonged -to one of the first families of Constantinople, -and that she had received (for a Turkish female) -an excellent education. She looked it all; and -the books that were strown about her apartment, -and the little inkstand that stood upon the -table beside the chair on which she sat, appeared -by no means displaced, even although I -saw them in a Turkish harem.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">157</a></span>The party was shortly augmented by the -entrance of the Bey’s mother, who led by the -hand a sweet little girl of ten or eleven years of -age, his daughter by a former marriage, whose -mother died previously to his residence in England; -and they were followed by his aunt and -his young sister, a child of about the same age -as his own.</p> - -<p>I lingered for upwards of two hours in the -harem, where coffee was served by the fair wife -of the Bey, with a smiling graciousness that -convinced me of my welcome; and when, on my -departure, she accompanied me to the foot of -the stairs, and assured me, according to the -oriental custom, that the house and all that it -contained were at my disposal, she coupled the -ceremony with a request that I would come and -see her again; and so earnestly was it expressed, -that I did not hesitate to assure her of the pleasure -which I should derive from a repetition of -my visit.</p> - -<p>How I longed to take her by the hand, and -lead her forth from her pretty prison, to “witch -the world” with her young beauty—but alas! -the door of the Salemliek closed behind me; and -as the Bey came forward to conduct me into the -saloon where my father was waiting for me to -take our leave, I lost sight of the fair and graceful -Azimè Hanoum.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">158</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Bosphorus in Summer—The Tower of Galata—Mosque of Topphannè—Summer -Palace of the Grand Vizier—Seraï of the Princess -Salihè—Seraïs and Salemliks—Palace of Azmè Sultane—Turkish -Music—Token Flowers—Palace of the Princess Mihirmàh—The -Hill of the Thousand Nightingales—Turkish, Greek, and Armenian -Houses—Cleanliness of the Orientals—The Armenians—Cemetery -of Isari—The Castle of Europe—Mahomet and the Greeks—Village -of Mirgheun—The Haunted Chapel of St. Nicholas—Palace of Prince -Calimachi—Imperial Jealousy—Death of Calimachi—The Bosphorus -by Moonlight—Love of the Orientals for Flowers—Depth of the -Channel—An Imperial Brig—Turkish Justice—Fortunes of the -Turkish Fleet—Sudden Transitions—Influence of Russian Sophistry—The -Sultan’s Physicians—Naval Appointments—Rigid Discipline—The -Penalty of Disobedience—The Death-Banquet—Tahir Pasha—Radical -Remedy—Vice of the Turkish System of Government—Unkiar -Skelessi—A Mill and a Manufactory—Pic Nics—Arabian -Encampment—Bedouin Beauty—Poetical Locality.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Nothing</span> can be richer nor more various than -the shores of the Bosphorus on a sunshiny day -in summer; and many a delightful hour have I -spent, in company with my father, in the contemplation -of the glorious succession of pictures which -they offer to the lover of the beautiful in nature. -One delicious morning, when not a flitting cloud -marred the clear lustre of the sky, when a gentle -breeze murmured over the ripple, and the song -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">159</a></span> -of the birds swelled cheerily upon the wind, we -resolved to enjoy them to their fullest extent; -and, as our caïque darted along the European -coast, a thousand interesting objects presented -themselves.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="f11" id="f11"></a><img src="images/i_fp159.jpg" width="500" height="304" -alt="THE SERAGLIO POINT, from the HEIGHT of PERA." title="" /> -<table summary="seraglio" width="100%"><tr> -<td class="left f06">Miss Pardoe del.</td> -<td class="right f06">Day & Haghe Lith.<sup>rs</sup> to the King.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f08" colspan="2">THE SERAGLIO POINT, from the HEIGHT of PERA.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f06" colspan="2"><i>Henry Colburn, 13 G.<sup>t</sup> Marlborough St 1837.</i></td> -</tr></table></div> - -<p>The tower of Galata, rife with memories of -the days when the dreaded Janissaries ruled the -destinies of the Empire, crowned the height, -which, clothed with houses and with verdure, -swept downward to the port. The spiral minarets -of the Imperial mosque of Topphannè -were flaunting their golden glories in the light; -the sounds of busy life were on the wind; and -the port once past, the wide artillery-ground, -and the stately barrack were succeeded by the -summer palace of the Grand Vèzir, standing -proudly against the current, as though, like the -Emperor of old, it dared the wave to overwhelm -it. The wide sweep of hilly country, gradually -closing, and becoming more lofty in the rear -of the buildings that fringe the stream, was -clothed with trees of every tint; from among -which the many-coloured houses peeped forth -in the most picturesque irregularity. Here and -there a gleaming minaret shot upwards into -the clear Heaven from amid a cluster of plum-coloured -Judas trees laden with blossom, or a -clump of limes filling the air with perfume; and -leaving the dark spiral cypresses far beneath -it; as the spirit, soaring above the earth, out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">160</a></span>travels -the gloom and care from which it frees -itself.</p> - -<p>What a line of palaces stretched along the -coast! And what a wilderness of gardens, climbing -the steeps behind them, made the background -of the picture no inapt representation of -fairy-land; while at intervals a little bay formed -a delicious nook occupied by country-houses, -and terraced-coffee-shops, where the luxurious -Osmanli smoked his pipe, and inhaled his tiny -cup of mocha, amid sights and sounds to which -the world can probably produce no parallel.</p> - -<p>The stately serail of the Princess Salihè, and -the modest palace of her less high-born husband, -which is attached like an excrescence to the far-spreading -edifice occupied by the harem of his -Imperial partner, stands upon a spot where the -stream widens, as if to reflect more perfectly -the golden shores that hem it in.</p> - -<p>There is something amusing enough to a -foreigner in the one-sided dwellings of the Sultan’s -sons-in-law. Without the palace as well -as within, they are constantly reminded of the -superiority of their Imperial spouses. As they -glide along in their gilded caïques, they pass -the harem, with its tall doors of bronze, and -golden lattices; its far-stretching terraces, and -guarded avenues; and they arrive before the -small landing-place which gives ingress to their -own diminutive salemliek, with its single en<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">161</a></span>trance, -and its window draperies of white -cotton.</p> - -<p>You cannot pass the Palace of Azmè Sultane, -the elder sister of the Sultan, without being -saluted by the sounds of music. The ladies of -her harem are many of them consummate musicians, -according to Turkish ideas of harmony; -and the tinkle of the zebec, the long notes of -the violin, the ringing rattle of the tambourine, -and a chorus of female voices, are so constantly -sweeping over the water through the closed -lattices, that your boatmen universally slacken -their pace as they reach the Seraïl. Oriental -music requires distance to mellow it: and when -it floats along the water, as though it rose from -the ocean caves; and you suffer your imagination -to dwell upon the white arms which are -tossed in air as the silver wheels of the elastic -tambourine ring out; and the delicate fingers -that press the strings, and the rich red lips and -large dark eyes that lend new grace to the -wild and bounding melodies of the country—you -are almost ready to fancy for the moment, that -Apollo must have first swept his lyre in a -Turkish harem.</p> - -<p>While you look fixedly towards the lattices, as -though to search for the embodiment of your -romantic fancies, you may discover proofs that -the community is not one vowed to the rosary, -though it may wear the veil. Here it is an orange<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">162</a></span> -attached by a lock of hair to the outer frame of -the small centre window of the trellice-work; -there it is a marigold suspended by a red ribbon; -while, partially concealed, and twined amid the -minute squares of the jealous screen, you may -perhaps discover a small cluster of roses.</p> - -<p>This is the very land of practical romance!</p> - -<p>An arrow’s flight beyond the Palace of the -elder Sultana, stands that of the Imperial bride -of Saïd Pasha; a long, irregular, rose-coloured -pile, pleasantly situated at the mouth of a lovely -bay, whose shores are bright with groves and -many-tinted villas; while in the distance, where -the channel again narrows, the castles of Europe -and Asia may be seen looming out against the -pure blue of the sky. We loitered at this sweet -spot for a brief space, and then, darting once -more forward, soon arrived under the “Hill of -the Thousand Nightingales.” Rightly is it -named, for the mid-day air was vocal with their -melody, and the dense foliage of the forest trees -quivered with their song; while, as the melancholy -music came to us along the water, its -sadness was deepened by the aspect of a few -scattered tombs gleaming out amid the rank -underwood. The variety of timber which clothed -the eminence formed such varying shades of -green; from the bright soft tint of the water-willow, -whose flexile branches swayed in the -breeze like silken streamers, to the tall, dark,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">163</a></span> -silent cypresses, that it was a study for a landscape -painter.</p> - -<p>Beyond this lovely hill, the shore is edged -with Greek, Armenian, and Turkish houses; -and here commences the <em>moral</em> interest of the -locality. The dwellings of the raïahs are, when -of any extent, almost universally painted of two -different colours on the outside, in order to give -them the appearance of separate tenements, and -thus deceive the passers-by; while those of the -Turks themselves are perfectly illustrative of -the momentary condition of their owners.</p> - -<p>The Osmanli is the creature of the present; -he never falls back upon the past; he has no -glorious memories to wile him from himself; -every page of his history is shadowed over by -some gloomy recollection—nor dare he dwell -upon the future, for he is the subject of a despotic -government: the proud Pasha of to-day -may be headless, or at best houseless to-morrow; -and hence, the premature decay of three-fourths -of the Turkish dwellings.</p> - -<p>When an individual becomes possessed of -power, he buys or builds a residence suited to -his brightened fortunes: he lavishes his revenue—why -should he hoard it? it can only excite -the cupidity of the Sultan, and accelerate his -disgrace; or awaken the jealousy of his rivals, -and insure his ruin. He makes his house gay -without, and convenient within; but all its ac<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">164</a></span>cessories -are ephemeral—the paint which he -spreads over the surface remains fresh for a -year, and that suffices him. Perchance it may -outlast his favour; should it not do so, it is no -unpleasant task to renew it; and if it should, -he contents himself with the weather-stained -walls of a more golden season. Once in disgrace, -he repairs only just sufficiently to defy the -weather, and troubles himself no further. And -thus, after you have been a few months in the -country, and have studied in some degree the -nature and habits of the people, you may give a -shrewd guess as you ride along, at the past and -present position of the owner of every edifice -that fringes the Bosphorus.</p> - -<p>The courtier has raised a pile which looks as -though it had been finished only yesterday; the -walls are so bright, and the lattices are so perfect—the -blue ripple chafes against the marble -steps that lead to the columned portico; and -the feathery acacias nestle among their blossoming -boughs, gilded kiosks, and lordly terraces.</p> - -<p>The slighted favourite has still servants -lounging about his door, and a stately landing-place -beside which his caïque dances on -the wave; but a shade has past over the picture: -the summer sun and the winter wind -have deadened the bright blue or the soft olive -of the edifice, and here and there a slender bar<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">165</a></span> -is rent away from the discoloured lattices. The -fair forest trees still wave along the covered -terrace, but the steps are grass-grown, and the -flower-vases are overthrown—they might be -replaced; but it is better policy to let them -suffer with their master.</p> - -<p>The dwelling of the exile is still more distinguishable. -The shutters are hanging loose -and beating in the wind; the broken casements -no longer exclude the weather; the lattices -are wrenched away; the terrace-wall is -falling inch by inch into the wave; the rank -grass is forcing its way through the crevices -of the marble floor; the garden kiosks are roofless; -and the green fresh boughs are flaunting -in the sunshine, mocking the desolation which -they dominate.</p> - -<p>Fathers do not, in Turkey, build, or plant, or -purchase for their sons—their fathers did it not -for them—it would entail the probable loss of -both principle and interest.</p> - -<p>The Armenian houses are peculiarly remarkable -for their cleanliness. All the inhabitants -of Constantinople in decent circumstances are -scrupulously nice on this point, but the Armenians -exceed all others: every respectable -dwelling being scoured throughout once a week -with soap and water. I have already, in speaking -of this people, alluded to their utter deficiency -in sentiment and ambition: their lives are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">166</a></span> -frittered away in inconsequent details; and -hence the attention and interest are bestowed -on comparatively insignificant objects, which -render them remarkable to strangers.</p> - -<p>Another striking object on the coast is the -romantic and beautiful little cemetery of Isari, -situated immediately beneath the Castle of Europe, -by which it is dominated as by the eagle-eïrie -of some feudal Baron. Rocks, rudely flung -together, and in their perpendicular ascent impervious -to vegetation, sustain the foundations -of the fortress; while around and among them -snatches of kindlier earth are covered with dense -rich underwood, from amid which tall graceful -trees spring up, and overshadow the gilded -marble of many a columned gravestone.</p> - -<p>The Castle of Europe, standing immediately -opposite to the valley occupied by the -castle on the other coast, is built after a singular -fancy. Tradition tells that Mahomet, -from his Asiatic mountains, contemplated with -envy the lovely shores of Europe; and that, -unable to restrain his desire of possessing at -least a speck of the fair landscape, he entreated -permission of the Greeks to be allowed to build -a small fortress as a landing-place, on their -territory. The favour was granted, the materials -collected, and the present Castle of Europe -completed in six days; the ground-plan forming -the characters of the Prophet’s name.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">167</a></span>Near the edge of the channel, a small arched -door is pointed out to the curious, whence the -Janissaries who had become obnoxious to the -reigning Sultan, and whose especial prison it -was, were ejected from the fortress after they -had been bow-strung, in order to be flung into -the Bosphorus; while, at the instant that the -waters closed over them, a gun was fired from -one of the towers, to intimate to the Imperial -despot that justice had been done on his enemies.</p> - -<p>This Castle, like the Fortresses of the Dardanelles, -has been suffered to fall into partial -decay, but an order was lately issued for their -simultaneous restoration, and workmen are now -busily employed in repairing the united ravages -of time and neglect.</p> - -<p>The little village of Mirgheun, about a mile -higher up the channel, is one of the prettiest -things on the Bosphorus. A long street, terminating -at the water’s edge, stretches far into -the distance, its centre being occupied by a -Moorish fountain of white marble, overshadowed -by limes and acacias, beneath which are coffee -terraces; constantly thronged with Turks, sitting -gravely in groups upon low stools not -more than half a foot from the ground, and -occupied with their chibouks and mocha.</p> - -<p>A short distance beyond Mirgheun the channel -widens into a little bay, one of whose extremities<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">168</a></span> -is occupied by a ruined house, standing in the -midst of a garden. This house, which was formerly -a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, is now -the property of a Turk, but is never inhabited -in consequence of a superstition so wild, and -withal so fully credited by both Greeks and -Musselmauns, that I must not pass it by unnoticed.</p> - -<p>The chapel was desecrated during the Greek -revolution; and taken possession of, under the -Imperial sanction, by a Turk, who, hurling the -effigy of the saint from the niche above the -altar, converted the holy shrine into a dwelling-place -for himself and his family; but on the -very night on which he removed thither he was -destined to pay the price of his sacrilege, for he -was found in the morning dead in his bed; an -event which so appalled his relatives that they -immediately disposed of the house to a neighbour, -whose only child fell a victim, in the same -mysterious manner, to the vengeance of the outraged -saint—a third purchaser lost his wife by -the like means; and the spot became from that -day the dread and horror of every True Believer; -while it is an extraordinary fact that its Infidel -owner sent for a Greek Papas to exorcise the evil -spirit, or to conciliate the saint; and that a solemn -sprinkling of holy water and chanting of hymns -took place; but it is impossible to say with what -success, as no tenant has subsequently been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">169</a></span> -found for the dwelling, which is rapidly crumbling -to decay.</p> - -<p>As you approach Therapia, you come upon a -long stretch of wall, pierced in one regular line -with small square windows, and looking exactly -like an ill-kept manufactory; while the fine -stone terrace that runs along its whole façade, -and the thickly-planted shrubberies which clothe -the hill behind it, have something so lordly and -imposing in their aspect, that your attention is -irresistibly attracted, and your curiosity awakened. -Should your caïquejhes be Greeks, they -will scarcely answer your inquiry without muttering -an imprecation through their clenched -teeth. It is the sorry remain of the palace of -Prince Calimachi, seized by the Sultan in a fit -of despotic jealousy, and converted into a stable -for the Imperial stud, but so entirely disproportioned -to its new office as to be perfectly useless—the -extent being immense, and the number of -the Sultan’s horses extremely limited; it has -consequently been abandoned to premature decay, -and a noble object is thus blotted from the -landscape, and degraded into a deformity.</p> - -<p>The son of the Prince was Dragoman to the -Porte when the seizure was made; but being a -Greek, his court interest availed him nothing; -his ideas were too magnificent, and he paid the -forfeit of his luxury.</p> - -<p>But the misfortunes of Prince Calimachi did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">170</a></span> -not end here. Exiled to Broussa, he endeavoured -in the bosom of his family to lose the memory -of his departed splendour; when he was one day -invited to the palace of the Pasha to encounter -him at chess, of which game both were passionately -fond. Calimachi accepted the defiance with -alacrity, for he knew not how dearly he was to -pay the gratification. While he was deliberating -on a move, the Pasha waved his hand, and -in an instant the fatal cord was about the throat -of his victim. The bereaved wife was next summoned; -and though the dark ring of extravasated -blood betrayed the deed which had been done, -she was told that the Prince had expired from -an attack of paralysis; nor did she dare to -gainsay the falsehood; and thus she bore away -the body of her murdered husband in the silence -of despair.</p> - -<p>The Sultan has a kiosk on the one hand, and -a summer palace on the other, of this melancholy -memorial of despotic power; but I was in no mood -to admire either with such an object before me.</p> - -<p>To be seen in all its beauty, the Bosphorus -should be looked upon by moonlight. Then it is -that the occupants of the spacious mansions -which are mirrored in its waters, enjoy to the -fullest perfection the magnificence of the scene -around them. The glare of noon-day reveals too -broadly the features of the locality; while the -deep, blue, star-studded sky, the pure moonlight,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">171</a></span> -and the holy quiet of evening, lend to it, on -the contrary, a mysterious indistinctness which -doubles its attraction. The inhabitants of the -capital are conscious of this fact; and during -the summer months, when they occupy their -marine mansions, one of their greatest recreations -is to seat themselves upon the seaward -terraces, to watch the sparkling of the ripple, -and to listen to the evening hymn of the seamen -on board the Greek and Italian vessels; -amused at intervals by a huge shoal of porpoises -rolling past, gambolling in the moonlight, and -plunging amid the waves with a sound like thunder: -while afar off are the dark mountains of -Asia casting their long dusky shadows far across -the water, and the quivering summits of the tall -trees on the edge of the channel sparkling like -silver, and lending the last touch of loveliness to -a landscape perhaps unparalleled in the world.</p> - -<p>Shakspeare must have had a vision of the -Bosphorus, when he wrote the garden scene in -Romeo and Juliet!</p> - -<p>All the Orientals idolize flowers. Every good -house upon the border of the channel has a parterre, -terraced off from the sea, of which you -obtain glimpses through the latticed windows; -and where the rose trees are trained into a -thousand shapes of beauty—sometimes a line -of arches rises all bloom and freshness above -a favourite walk—sometimes the plants are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">172</a></span> -stretched round vases of red clay of the most -classical formation, of which they preserve the -shape—ranges of carnations, clumps of acacias, -and bosquets of seringa, are common; and the -effect of these fair flowers, half shielded from -observation, and overhung with forest trees, -which are in profusion in every garden, is extremely -agreeable.</p> - -<p>Another peculiarity of the Bosphorus is the -great depth of the water to the very edges of the -channel. The terraces that hem it in are frequently -injured by their contact with the shipping -which, in a sudden lull of wind, or by some -inadvertence on the part of the helmsman, -“run foul” (to use a nautical expression) of the -shore; nor is it the terraces alone that suffer, -for the houses whose upper stories project over -the stream, which is almost universally the case -where they are of any extent, are constantly -sustaining injury from the same cause.</p> - -<p>We had occupied our summer residence only -two days, when an Imperial Brig in the Turkish -service, in attempting a tack, thrust its bowsprit -through the centre window of the magnificent -saloon of an Armenian banker, with -whose family we were acquainted. The master -of the house, exasperated at the evident carelessness -in which the accident had originated, -rushed out upon the terrace to remonstrate, -but his remonstrances were unheeded; and he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">173</a></span> -had scarcely re-entered the house when the -Turkish captain, who was intoxicated, landed, -and without ceremony passed into the outer -court, accompanied by some of his crew; and, -seizing the brother of the gentleman, and several -of his servants, gave them a severe beating, and -then quietly returned on board. The vessel was -extricated after a time, carrying away with it -nearly the whole front of the saloon, and a large -portion of the roof; after which, the gallant -commander again entered the house, and insisted -upon conveying its master to Constantinople, -there to expiate the sin of insolence to a -Turkish officer. The Saraf, however, having -business in the city, had already departed, and -consequently escaped the inconvenience and insult -destined for him.</p> - -<p>Were I the Admiral of a Fleet charged with -the conquest of a channel like that of the Bosphorus, -I would employ none but Turkish sailors, -who are never so much at home as when aground, -or hung on to some building; they would -literally carry the thing by assault. Their -mighty ships of war do as they like, for they -are constantly “touching,” when they are supposed -to be cruizing; and “aground” when the -authorities at home believe them to be at sea.</p> - -<p>Where did you meet the Admiral’s schooner -as you came from Malta? On shore off Tenedos. -Where did you speak the frigate on your way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">174</a></span> -here? Aground at Gallipoli? These were the -answers to two questions put by myself; and -had I ventured twenty more I should probably -have received similar replies.</p> - -<p>Englishmen will probably, at the first glance, -wonder why it should be thus; but it would be -greater subject for astonishment were it otherwise. -When a Field Marshal, by kissing the -Sublime Toe, is translated at once into a Lord -High Admiral; and the Colonel of a Cavalry -regiment becomes by an equally simple process -a manufacturer of Macaroni; and when each is -called upon to teach that which he never learnt, -and to command ere he has been taught how to -obey; the effects of the system may be readily -foreseen. Nevertheless, were the Turks permitted -to employ even subordinate European -officers in their army and navy, much of the evil -might be obviated. But Russia is opposed to -a measure which would give them a correct -idea of their own physical strength—by weakening -the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">morale</em>, she enervates the whole system; -while, by her happy art of consopiation, and -her finished tact at glossing over effects, and -inventing causes, she has taught them to believe -themselves independent of extraneous aid, -Heaven-inspired, and all-sufficient.</p> - -<p>It signifies not how irrelevant the duties of -any situation may be to his previous habits -and talent, no Turk would hesitate to accept it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">175</a></span> -on that account, should the occasion of self-aggrandizement -present itself; and he has two -satisfactory reasons for acting thus—he must -at least be as capable of fulfilling them as his -predecessor, who was equally ill-fitted for the -trust—and, should he refuse one good offer, he -would probably never have a second. Thus -reason the Osmanlis, and upon this conviction -they act. Nor is Sultan Mahmoud one whit -more difficult or quick-sighted on this point than -his subjects; or more scrupulous as to the efficiency -of those to whom he gives important appointments, -than they are in accepting them; -and a ludicrous example of this uncalculating -facility occurred very lately, so perfectly in point -that I cannot forbear to mention it.</p> - -<p>His Highness had a favourite physician, to -whom he had entrusted the superintendence of a -public establishment, and who died suddenly at -Scutari. When informed of his death, the Sultan -was visibly affected: and in the first moment -of regret he inquired anxiously if the deceased -had left any family. He was answered that he -had an only son, a clerk in the Greek Chancellery, -whose situation was far from a lucrative -one; and he immediately desired that the youth, -who had not yet attained his twentieth year, -should be appointed on the instant to his father’s -vacancy, and receive the same salary which had -been enjoyed by his parent. He was obeyed;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">176</a></span> -and the spruce clerk at once became metamorphosed -into the solemn physician, or something -as near like it as he could accomplish.</p> - -<p>By an arrangement not altogether so satisfactory, -surgeons are supplied to the ships of -war. When a medical man is required on board -some vessel of the line, individuals appointed for -the purpose walk into the first chemist’s shop -they may happen to pass, seize the master, -carry him off, hurry him first into a caïque, and -thence to the ship; appoint him surgeon, enter -him on the books, acquaint him with the amount -of his pay; and, should he venture to remonstrate, -give him a sound flogging.</p> - -<p>Nor are “the powers that be” at all more -particular in their bearing towards the officers -of the ships, whom they flog (the captains -inclusive) whenever they chance to consider -the operation desirable. On a late occasion, -two of the frigates ran foul of each other -in the Channel, upon which Tahir Pasha, the -High Admiral, bestowed the bastinado so unsparingly -upon their commanders, that the blood -penetrated their garments; and they were subsequently -flung into some den in the hold, and -there left during three days, not only without -attendance, but literally without food!</p> - -<p>It may be asked what punishment can be -inflicted on the crews, if such unceremonious -measures are pursued with the officers; and as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">177</a></span> -one fact is better than a score of assertions, I -will reply by relating another very recent occurrence, -described to me by a Greek gentleman -who was present during the whole transaction. -The Capitan Pasha had a party of friends to -dine with him on board his ship, who were about -to seat themselves at table, when it was reported -to him that one of the crew, in defiance -of the order which forbade any individual -to go on shore, had surreptitiously left the -vessel.</p> - -<p>“Let me know when he returns on board;” -was the cold and careless rejoinder of the High -Admiral, who had scarcely uttered the words, -when the re-appearance of the delinquent was -announced, after an absence of about ten -minutes. He was ordered below to account for -his conduct to the Pasha, whose very name is a -terror to the whole fleet, when he stated that -the following day being Friday (the Turkish -Sabbath), he had ventured on shore to procure -some clean linen, fearing the anger of the Admiral -should he appear dirty.</p> - -<p>“And was it for this trifle that you disobeyed -my orders?” asked the Pasha; “I must take -measures to prevent any future instance of the -same misconduct—” and grasping an iron bar -that served to secure one of the cabin windows, -and which stood near him—without the -pause of a moment—surrounded by his guests<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">178</a></span>standing -beside a table spread for a banquet -and with his victim crouching at his feet—he -struck the quailing wretch upon the head, and -murdered him with a blow. The body fell heavily -on the earth in the death-spasm; and the Admiral, -addressing himself to an attendant, quietly -ordered that the corpse should be removed, and -the dinner served: but several of the party declined -remaining after what they had witnessed, -declaring their inability to partake of food at -such a moment; these were, of course, Turks; -for the Greek guests, although equally disgusted -and heart-sick, were not at liberty to withdraw -without danger; and the dead man was borne -away, and the living feasted, with his death-groan -still ringing in their ears, and his last -fierce agony yet grappling at their hearts!</p> - -<p>Tahir Pasha is a perfect embodiment of the -vulgar idea of Turkish character which was so -lately prevalent in Europe. He is the slave of -his passions, and apparently without human -affections or human sympathies. He lost his -only son by his own violence, having beaten him -so severely for quitting the house without his -permission, that the unhappy young man died a -day or two subsequently, in consequence of the -injuries which he had sustained; and, instead -of profiting by this awful occurrence, he afterwards -murdered a nephew in the same manner.</p> - -<p>And yet I have heard men, carried away<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">179</a></span> -by party-spirit, and hoodwinked by prejudice, -maintain that this fiend in human shape was -not cruel; and bolster their opinions with a -sophistry that made me shudder.</p> - -<p>I inquired of an <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">attaché</em> of the Porte whether the -Sultan was aware of the waste of life in his fleet, -where a week seldom passes in which some luckless -wretch does not fall a victim to the wrath of -the High Admiral; and the coolness of the answer -was inimitable: “What has His Highness to do -with it?” “How!” I rejoined in my turn, “are -they not his subjects?” “Of course; but Tahir -Pasha commands the fleet; and, while he does -so, he has a right to enforce its discipline as he -thinks best. Why should the Sultan interfere?” -“But such wholesale cruelty is so revolting.” -“Perhaps so; yet how can it be remedied?” -“Were I the Sultan,” I answered unhesitatingly, -“I would decapitate the High Admiral; -it would be a saving of human blood.” -The Turk laughed at my earnestness as he replied; -“Mashallah! you have hit upon a radical -remedy. But how would you secure the fleet -against a second Tahir Pasha?”</p> - -<p>He was right. The evil exists rather in the -system than in the individual; but it is, nevertheless, -a blessing for Turkey, that the equal of -her High Admiral, for ruthlessness and cruelty, -is probably not to be found in the country. And -yet, to look at him, you would imagine that no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">180</a></span> -thought of violence, no impulse of revenge, had -ever stirred his spirit; he has the head of an -anchorite, and the brow of a saint. I never -beheld a more benevolent countenance—Lavater -would have been at fault with him.</p> - -<p>One of the most pleasant excursions that can -be made to the opposite coast, is to Unkiar -Skelessi, or the Sultan’s Pier; a sweet valley, -under the shadow of the Giant’s Mountain, in -which the famous treaty was signed with Russia. -It is profusely shaded with majestic trees, the -largest in the neighbourhood, and is entirely -covered with rich grass. The spot on which -the ceremony took place is overhung with maples, -and washed by a running stream: behind -it rises a range of hills; and on its left stands -an extensive manufactory of cloth, and a paper-mill, -erected at an immense expense, and furnished -with their elaborate machinery by the -present Sultan, who caused an elegant kiosk to -be erected upon the height for his own use, -when he went to superintend the works, which -were, however, abandoned as soon as the novelty -had worn off. They are now falling rapidly to -ruin; and the noble run of water which was -forced from its channel to turn the wheels of the -mill, is wasting itself in an useless course across -the valley, ere it is finally lost in the Bosphorus.</p> - -<p>This lovely spot is much frequented on festival<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">181</a></span> -days by all classes of the population, who form -pic-nic parties, and spend hours under the shade -of the tall trees, sipping their coffee and sherbet; -or occupying the different terraces which overlook -the Bosphorus, with regular pleasure-parties, -whose servants come well provided with -provisions, and who linger throughout the whole -day, enjoying the cool breezes from the sea, and -the long shadows of the boughs beneath which -they sit.</p> - -<p>Higher up the valley, you generally meet with -an encampment of Bedouin Arabs, where you -are almost certain to see two or three faces of -dark flashing beauty, which repay you for the -annoyance that you experience from the importunity -of the troop of children who assail you -directly you approach the tents; little, ragged, -merry-looking, vociferous urchins, of whom you -cannot rid yourself either by bribes or menaces. -These dark, proud beauties—for they are -proud-looking, even amid their tatters, with their -large, wild, black eyes, and their long raven hair -plaited in many braids, which fall upon their -shoulders, and hang below their waists; their -round, smooth arms bare to the elbow, whence -the large, hanging sleeves fall back; and their -well-turned little feet peeping out from beneath -their ample trowsers; these dark, proud beauties -greet you with a smile, and a “Mashallah!” -that introduce you to teeth like pearls, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">182</a></span> -voices like music; and as they sit, weaving their -baskets for the market of Constantinople, they -extend towards you their slender, henna-tipped -fingers, and ask your piastres, without taking -the trouble to rise, rather as a tribute to their -loveliness, than as an offering to their necessities.</p> - -<p>To escape from the importunities of the -children, whom the sight of the tempting metal -renders only more importunate, you have but -to plunge deeper into the valley, and lose yourself -among the majestic plane trees with which -it abounds. The nightingale alone disturbs the -deep silence of the solitude, save when at intervals -the lowing of the cattle on the mountain -sweeps along upon the wind.</p> - -<p>It was here that De Lille wrote his “Pleasures -of Imagination.”—It was here that De -la Martine improvised to the memory of his -daughter; the soil is poetic.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">183</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Facts and Fictions—Female Execution at Constantinople—Crime of -the Condemned—Tale of the Merchant’s Wife—The Call to Prayer—The -Discovery—The Mother and Son—The Hiding-Place—The -Capture—The Trial—A Night Scene in the Harem—The Morrow—Mercifulness -of the Turks towards their Women.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">A vast</span> deal of very romantic and affecting -sentiment has been from time to time committed -to paper, on the subject of the Turkish females -drowned in the Bosphorus; and some tale-writers -have even gone so far as to describe, in -the character of witnesses, the extreme beauty -and the heart-rending tears of the victims.</p> - -<p>The subject is assuredly one which lends -itself to florid phrases and highly wrought periods; -but it is unfortunate that in this case, as -in many others, the imagination far outruns -the fact. I say unfortunate, because those readers -who love to “sup full of horrors,” when -they have wept over the affecting image of -beauty struggling against the grasp of the executioner, -and dark eyes looking reproach upon -their murderer from amid the deep waters which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">184</a></span> -are so soon to quench their light for ever, do -not like to descend to the sober assurance that -none of these things can be; and that the veracious -chroniclers who have excited their sensibilities, -and misled their reason, have only built -up a pathetic sketch upon inference, and in -reality know nothing at all about the matter.</p> - -<p>There is no romance in one of these frightful -executions—all is harsh unmitigated horror! -The victim may, or may not, be young and beautiful; -her executioners have no opportunity of -judging. She may be the impersonation of -grace, and they must remain equally ignorant -of the fact; for she has neither power nor opportunity -to excite sympathy, were she the loveliest -houri who ever escaped from the paradise -of Mahomet.</p> - -<p>I have a friend, a man in place and power, -who, during the time of the Janissaries, and -but a few months previous to the annihilation of -their body, had been detained in the Palace of -one of the Ministers until three hours past midnight; -and who, on passing across the deep bay -near the Castle of Europe, was startled by perceiving -two caïques bearing lights, lying upon -their oars in the centre of the stream. His -curiosity being excited, he desired his boatmen -to pull towards them, when at the instant that -he came alongside, he discovered that they -were filled by police officers; and at the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">185</a></span> -moment, a female closely shrouded in a yashmac, -and with the mouth of a sack, into which her -whole body had been thrust, tied about her -throat, was lifted in the arms of two men from -the bottom of the furthest caïque, and flung -into the deep waters of the bay. As no weight -had been appended to the sack, the miserable -woman almost instantly re-appeared upon the -surface, when she was beaten down by the -oars of the boatmen; and this ruthless and revolting -ceremony was repeated several times -ere the body finally sank.</p> - -<p>My friend, heart-sick at the spectacle to which -he had so unexpectedly become a witness, demanded -of the principal officer, by whom he had -been instantly recognized, the crime of the -wretched victim who had just perished; and -learnt that she was the wife of a Janissary -whom the Sultan had caused to be strangled -some weeks previously; and who, in her anguish -at the fate of her husband, had since rashly permitted -herself to speak in terms of hatred and -disgust of the government by whose agency she -had been widowed.</p> - -<p>On that fatal morning she had paid the price -of her indiscretion.</p> - -<p>The ministers of death lingered yet awhile to -convince themselves that the body would not reappear; -and my friend lingered also from a -feeling which he could not explain even to him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">186</a></span>self. -The dawn was just breaking in the sky, -and streaks of faint yellow were traced above -the crests of the dark mountains of the Asian -coast. One long ray of light touched the summits -of the tall cypresses above the grave-yard -of Isari, and revealed the castellated outline of -the topmost tower of the Janissaries’ prison: -there was not a breath of wind to scatter the -ripple; and all around looked so calm and -peaceful, that he could scarcely persuade himself -that he had just looked on death, when the -deep voices of the men in the caïques beside -him, as they once more plunged their oars into -the stream, and prepared to depart, aroused -him from his reverie; and, motioning to his -boatmen to proceed, he found himself ere long -on the terrace of his own palace.</p> - -<p>While I am on the subject of executions, I -may as well relate “an o’er true tale,” communicated -to me by the same individual. Nearly -four years have elapsed since the occurrence -took place, but it is so characteristic of Turkish -manners, that it will not be misplaced here.</p> - -<p>An eminent merchant of Stamboul, extremely -wealthy, and considerably past the middle age, -became the husband of a very young and lovely -woman. As Turkish females never see the individuals -whom they marry previously to the ceremony, -but are chosen by some matronly relation -of the person who finds it expedient to bestow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">187</a></span> -himself on a wife, and who, having seen and -approved the lady, arranges all preliminaries -with her parents; so it may well be imagined -that the bride is frequently far from congratulating -herself on her change of position; and -such, as it would appear from the result, was -the case with the young wife to whom I have -just referred, and who was destined to become -the heroine of a frightful tragedy.</p> - -<p>Two years passed over Fatma Hanoum, and -she became the mother of a son; but her heart -was not with its father, and, unhappily for the -weak victim of passion and disappointment, it -had found a resting-place elsewhere.</p> - -<p>The merchant’s house was situated near a -mosque, from the gallery of whose minaret all -the windows of the harem were overlooked. The -sun was setting on a glorious summer evening, -when the Imaum ascended to this gallery, to -utter the shrill cry of the muezzin which summons -the faithful to prayer. Ere he commenced -the invocation, he chanced to glance downwards, -and he started as he beheld a man, clinging to a -shawl which had been flung from above, and -making his way into the harem of the merchant -through an open window. Nor was this all, for -the quick and jealous eye of the Imaum at once -assured him that the delinquent was a Greek—that -the wife of a Musselmaun had stooped to -accept the love of a Christian—and he well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">188</a></span> -knew that, in such a case, there was no mercy -for the culprit.</p> - -<p>The Imaum was a stern man; for one moment -only he wavered; and during that moment he -raised the ample turban from his brow, and suffered -the cool evening breeze to breathe lovingly -upon his temples: in the next, he bent over the -gallery and spat upon the earth, as he murmured -to himself, “The dog of an Infidel,”—“May his -father’s grave be defiled!—May his mother eat -dirt!”—and having so testified his contempt -and abhorrence of the ill-fated lover, he lifted -his gaze to the clear sky, and the ringing cry -pealed out:—</p> - -<p>“La Allah, illa Allah! Muhammed Resoul -Allah!”</p> - -<p>His duty done, the Imaum descended the dark -and narrow stair of the minaret, and left the -mosque; and in another instant he had put off -his slippers at the entrance of the salemliek, and -stood before the sofa, at the upper end of which -sat the merchant smoking his chibouk of jasmine -wood, and attended by two slaves.</p> - -<p>The Turks are not fond husbands, but they -are jealous ones. They are watchful of their -women, not because they love them, but because -they are anxious for their own honour; and no -instance can be adduced in which an Osmanli is -wilfully blind to the errors of his wife.</p> - -<p>Here “the offence was rank, it smelt to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">189</a></span> -Heaven.” The young and beautiful Fatma Hanoum -had wronged him with a Greek! The -gray-bearded merchant, trembling between rage -and grief, rose from his seat and rushed into -the harem—The tale was true—for one moment -the aged and outraged husband looked upon -the young and handsome lover; and in the next -the agile Greek had flung up the lattice, and -sprung from the open window. Ere long the -house was filled with the relatives of the wife, -and its spacious apartments were loud with anguish -and invective; but Fatma Hanoum answered -neither to the sobbing of grief, nor to the -reproach of scorn; she sat doubled up upon -her cushions, with her eyes riveted on the casement -by which her lover had escaped.</p> - -<p>The merchant, stung to the heart by the -stain that had been cast upon his honour; -embittered in spirit by the knowledge that it -was a Christian by whom he had been wronged; -and not altogether forgetful, it may be, of the -grace and beauty of the mother of his child, -sat moodily apart; and all the reasonings and -beseechings of his wife’s anxious family only -wrung from him the cold and unyielding answer -that he would never see her more.</p> - -<p>And the heretic lover, where was he?</p> - -<p>Like an arrow shot by a strong arm, he had -sped to the home of his widowed mother, and -had hurriedly imparted to her the fearful jeo<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">190</a></span>pardy -in which he stood. There was not a moment -to be lost; and, hastily snatching up some -food that had been prepared for his evening -meal, he flung himself upon the neck of his -weeping parent; and then, disengaging himself -from her clinging arms, rushed from the -house, no one knew whither.</p> - -<p>But the Imaum, meanwhile, was not idle. He -had aroused the neighbourhood—he had raised -the cry of sacrilege—he had bruited abroad the -dishonour of the Moslem—and ere long a Turkish -guard was on the track of the young Greek. -But no trace of him could be discovered; and -the fair and frail Hanoum was removed to the -harem of one of her husband’s relatives, where -her every look and action were subjected to the -most rigorous observance, before the faintest -hope had been entertained of securing her miserable -lover.</p> - -<p>Three wretched days were past, and on the -morning of the fourth the pangs of hunger became -too mighty for the youth to support. He -stole from his concealment, he looked around -him, and he was alone! He ventured a few -paces forward; rich fruits were pendent from -the branches of the tall trees beneath which he -moved, and he seized them with avidity; but, -as he raised; his hand a second time to the -laden boughs, he heard near him the deep -breathing of one who wept—He glared to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">191</a></span>wards -the spot whence the sound came, and -his heart melted within him—it was his mother—the -guardian of his youth—the friend of his -manhood—the mourner over his blighted hopes. -He rushed towards her—he murmured her name—and -for a moment the parent and the child -forgot all save each other! It was the watchful -love of the mother which first awoke to fear: -and in a few seconds the secret of her son was -confided to her, and she was comparatively -happy. She could steal to his hiding-place at -midnight; she could ensure him against hunger; -she could hear his voice, and convince -herself that he yet lived; and with this conviction -she hurried from his side, and bade -him wait patiently yet a few hours, when she -would bring him food.</p> - -<p>The young Greek stole back to his hiding-place, -and slept—The sleep of the wretched is heavy—slow -to come, and weighed down with wild and -bitter dreams; and thus slumbered the criminal. -The night was yet dark when he awoke, and -heard footsteps, and then he doubted not that -his watchful parent was indeed come to solace -the moments of his trembling solitude. Had -he paused an instant, and afforded time for the -perfect waking of all his senses, he would have -discovered at once that the sounds of many feet -were on the earth; but he had already passed -several days without cause of alarm, and his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">192</a></span> -past safety betrayed him into a false feeling of -security.</p> - -<p>The unhappy youth had not wandered beyond -the spacious gardens of his home, which, -rising the height behind the house, were divided -into terraces, along whose whole extent had been -placed avenues of orange and lemon trees, planted -in immense vases of red clay. Several of these, -in which the plants had failed or perished, had -been reversed to protect them from the weather; -and one of them, dragged in the first paroxysm -of terror to the mouth of an exhausted well, -had served to screen the culprit from the gaze -of his pursuers. But on this night, when by -some extraordinary fatality, he forgot for an -instant the caution which had hitherto been his -protection, he clambered to the mouth of the pit -as he heard the coming footsteps, and, pushing -aside the vase, sprang out upon the path.</p> - -<p>The moonlight fell on him as he emerged -from his concealment, pale, and haggard; his -dark locks dank with the heavy atmosphere of -his hiding-place, and his frame weakened by -exhaustion. As he gained his feet and looked -around him, his arms fell listlessly at his sides, -and his head drooped upon his breast—He had -no longer either strength or energy to wrestle -with his fate; and he put his hands into the -grasp of the armed men among whom he stood, -and suffered himself to be led away from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">193</a></span> -home of his boyhood, and the clasp of his shrieking -mother, with the docility of a child.</p> - -<p>The trial followed close upon the discovery of -the lover. There was no hope for the wretched -pair! Against them appeared the Imaum, stern, -uncompromising, and circumstantial—the outraged -husband, wrought to madness by the memory -of his dishonour; and callous as marble—the -faith which had been disgraced—society -which had been scandalized. For them there -were none to plead, save the grey-haired and -widowed mother who wept and knelt to save -her only son; but who asked his life in mercy, -and not in justice. Did their youth sue for -them? Did the soft loveliness of the guilty -wife, or the manly beauty of the lover, raise -them up advocates? Alas! these were their -direst condemnation; and thus it only remained -for them to die!</p> - -<p>It was at this period that my friend, the -——, first became connected with the affair. -The family of the condemned woman, knowing -his influence with the government, flung themselves -at his feet, and implored his interference. -They expatiated on the beauty of the misguided -Fatma—on the personal qualifications of him -by whose love she had fallen—they left no -theme untouched; and he became deeply interested -in her fate, and resolved that while a hope -remained he would not abandon her cause. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">194</a></span> -he was fated to plead in vain; the crime had -increased in the country; every Turkish breast -heaved high with indignation; my friend urged, -supplicated, and besought unheeded; and at -length found himself unable to adduce another -argument in her behalf.</p> - -<p>When reluctantly convinced of the fact, he discovered -that through his exertions to save her -life, his feelings had become so deeply enthralled -by the idea of the miserable woman, that he -resolved to endeavour to see her ere she died; -and he was startled by the ready acquiescence -that followed his request, as well as by the -terms in which it was couched. “We shall -visit her at midnight, to acquaint her officially -with the result of the trial;“ was the answer; -“and should you think proper you may accompany -us; for you will have no future opportunity -of indulging your curiosity.”</p> - -<p>Under these circumstances he did not hesitate; -and a few minutes before midnight he was -at the door of the harem in which she had -resided since her removal from her husband’s -house. The officers of justice followed almost -immediately: and it struck him as they passed -the threshold, that they were in greater number -than so simple an errand appeared to exact; but -as he instantly remembered that others might -feel the same curiosity as himself, and profit by -the same means of gratifying it, he did not -dwell upon the circumstance.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">195</a></span>All was hushed in the harem; and the fall of -their unslippered feet awoke no echo on the -matted floors. One solitary slave awaited them -at the head of the stairs, and he moved slowly -before the party with a small lamp in his hand, -to the apartment of the condemned woman.</p> - -<p>She was sleeping when they entered—Her -cheek was pillowed upon her arm; and a quantity -of rich dark hair which had escaped from -beneath the painted handkerchief that was -twisted about her head, lay scattered over the -pillow. She was deadly pale, but her eyebrows -and the long silken lashes which fringed her -closed eyes were intensely black, and relieved -the pallor of her complexion; while her fine and -delicate features completed as lovely a face as -ever the gaze of man had lingered on. At times -a shuddering spasm contracted for an instant -the muscles of her countenance—the terrors of -the day had tinged her midnight dreams: and -at times she smiled a fleeting smile, which was -succeeded by a sigh, as if, even in sleep, the -memory of past happiness was clouded by a -pang.</p> - -<p>But her slumber was not destined to be of -long continuance; for the principal individual -of the party, suddenly bending over her, grasped -her arm, and exclaimed, “Wake, Fatma, wake; -we have tidings for you!”</p> - -<p>The unhappy woman started, and looked up;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">196</a></span> -and then hurriedly concealing her face in the -coverlets, she gasped out, “Mashallah! What -means this? What would you with me that -you steal thus upon me in the night? Am I not -a Turkish woman? And am I not uncovered?”</p> - -<p>“Fear nothing, Hanoum;” pursued the official; -“we have tidings for you which we would -not delay.”</p> - -<p>“God is great!” shrieked the guilty one, -raising herself upon her pillows. “You have -pardoned him—”</p> - -<p>But the generous, self-forgetting prophecy -was false. In the energy of her sudden hope -she had sprang into a sitting posture; and ere -the words had left her lips, the fatal bowstring -was about her throat.</p> - -<p>It was the horror of a moment—Two of the -executioners flung themselves upon her, and -held her down—a couple more grasped her -hands—a heavy knee pressed down her heaving -chest—there was a low gurgling sound, -hushed as soon as it was heard—a frightful -spasm which almost hurled the strong men -from above the convulsed frame—and all was -over!</p> - -<p>At day-dawn on the morrow, the young -Greek was led from his prison. For several -days he had refused food, and he was scarcely -able to drag his fainting limbs along the uneven -streets. Two men supported him, and at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">197</a></span> -length he reached the termination of his painful -pilgrimage. For a moment he stood rooted -to the earth; he gasped for breath—he tore -away his turban—and clenched his hands until -the blood sprang beneath the nails. She whom -he had loved was before him—her once fair face -was swollen and livid, and exposed to the profane -gaze of a countless multitude. She was -before him—and the handkerchief from which -she was suspended, beside the spot marked out -for himself, was one which he had given her in -an hour of passion, when they looked not to -perish thus!</p> - -<p>I have pursued the tale until I am heart-sick, -and can follow it up no further. Yet, revolting -as it is, it nevertheless affords a proof -of that which I have already adduced elsewhere; -that even in their severity the Turks -are merciful to their women; and carefully -shield them from the shame, even when they -cannot exempt them from the suffering, of their -own vices.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">198</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Political Position of the Turks—Religion of the Osmanlis—Absence of -Vice among the Lower Orders—Defect of Turkish Character—European -Supineness—Policy of Russia—England and France—A Turkish -Comment on England—The Government and the People—Common -Virtue—Great Men—Turks of the Provinces—European Misconceptions.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> more I see of the Turks, the more I am -led to regret their melancholy political position. -Enabled, by the introductions which I had secured, -to look more closely into their actual condition -from the commencement of my sojourn -among them, than falls to the lot of most travellers, -I have been compelled from day to day -to admit the justice of their indignation against -those European powers, which, after deluding -them with promises that they have failed to fulfil, -and pledges that they have falsified, have -reduced them to anchor their hopes, and to -fasten their trust, upon a government whose interests -can be served only by the ruin of the -Ottoman Empire, and the subjugation of its -liberties. Take them for all in all, there pro<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">199</a></span>bably -exist no people upon earth more worthy of -national prosperity than the great mass of the -Turkish population; nor better qualified, alike -by nature and by social feeling, to earn it for -themselves.</p> - -<p>The Osmanli is unostentatiously religious. He -makes the great principles of his belief the rule -of his conduct, and refers every thing to a higher -power than that of man. I am aware that it is -the fashion to decry the creed of the Turk, and -to place it almost on a level with paganism: but -surely this is an error unworthy of the nineteenth -century, and of the liberality of Englishmen. -The practice of a religion which enforces the necessity -of prayer and charity—which is tolerant -of all opposing modes of worship—and which -enjoins universal brotherhood, can scarcely be -contemptible. And while the Christian, enlightened -on the great truths that are hidden from -the Mahomeddan, is compelled to pity the darkness -of a faith which admits not the light of the -Gospel, he must nevertheless admire the votary -who, acting according to his ideas of duty, follows -up the injunctions of his religion with a -devout zeal, and an unwearied observance that -influence all his social relations; and this is a -merit which even their enemies have never, I -believe, denied to the Turks.</p> - -<p>From this great first principle emanates the -philosophy both of feeling and action that dis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">200</a></span>tinguishes -the Osmanli from the native of all -other countries; and this philosophy renders -him comparatively inaccessible to those petty, -but myriad excitements of selfishness and political -bigotry which keep the more active and -ambitious spirit of European society for ever on -the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">qui vive</em>. I am by no means prepared to -deny, that from this very quality arises the -extreme intellectual and moral inertness which -induces the Turks to rely more on extraneous -assistance than on their own efforts, in all cases -of emergency: I am merely endeavouring to -prove that they possess within themselves the -necessary elements of social order, and national -prosperity.</p> - -<p>The absence of all glaring vices, even among -the lowest ranks of the community; save indeed -such as they have inherited from their more -civilized allies, and appropriated with the same -awkwardness as they have done their costume, -speaks volumes for the Turkish people. A Turk -never games, never fights, never blasphemes; -is guiltless of murder; is innocent of theft; and -has yet to learn that poverty is a crime, or even -a reproach; or that the rich man can shut his -doors against the mendicant who asks to share -his meal.</p> - -<p>Were I desired to point out the most glaring -defect of the Turkish character, I should unhesitatingly -specify the want of sincerity and good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">201</a></span> -faith. I am obliged to concede that the Turk is -habitually false—that he sacrifices his truth to -fine phrases, and to set terms—that he is profuse -of promises, and magnificent in words. But it -is nevertheless certain that he himself looks -upon all these splendid pledges as mere compliment; -and scarcely appears to reflect that a -Frank may be induced to lend to them a more -weighty meaning. I had not been long in the -country ere I learnt to estimate all this hyperbole -at its just value; and once having done so, -I found reason to feel grateful for many unexpected -and unsought courtesies. Profit by the -first kindly impulses of a Turk, and you will be -his debtor; but trust nothing to his memory, for -he will fail you.</p> - -<p>Let not individual bad faith, however, be too -harshly blamed in a people who have suffered so -severely as the Turks from the same vice, in -their best and dearest interests; on the part, not -only of individuals, but of nations—of those -civilized and enlightened nations, to which they -looked alike for precept and example; and which -they have found wanting.</p> - -<p>Naturally haughty and self-centered, the Osmanli -placed his honour and his liberty in the -hands of his European allies. They were pledged -to preserve both—and it was not until the -Banner of the Crescent was trailing in the dust; -and a half-barbarous power bearding the Sultan<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">202</a></span> -in his very halls of state, that the unwelcome -truth burst upon him that his trust had been -misplaced. The discovery was made too late—made -when he had no alternative—the supineness -of the Turk was no match for the subtlety -of the Russian; it was a combat unequal in all -its bearings; and dangerous to the Osmanli in -all its relations. The natural result followed: -Turkey was bowed beneath a force too mighty -for her to resist; the partial civilization of the -North produced its effect on the comparative -barbarism of the East; and the Turk, dazzled -and deluded, bewildered by the speciousness of -a policy that he could not fathom, and consequently -did not suspect; abandoned by the -European powers on whose assistance he had relied; -and unable singly either to resist the covert -threats, or to reject the proffered friendship of -this voluntary ally, fell into the snare which had -been laid for him, and betrayed his want of -internal strength to his most dangerous enemy.</p> - -<p>The policy of Russia has been as steady and -consistent as it is ambitious. What a prophet -was the Empress Catherine! How perfectly she -foretold the fate of Turkey. While all the other -nations have suffered their interest in the Ottoman -Empire to evaporate in words, and have -flaunted their oratory in the eye of day, Russia -has never betrayed herself by studied phrases -to the crowd; but like the giant in the fable,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">203</a></span> -she has drawn on her seven-league boots, and -strode silently over land and sea to her object. -She has set all her engines to work; and they -have wrought well. She has spared neither gold -nor flattery. She has enlisted in her favour all -the social feelings of the Turks. And the little -presents of the Empress to the children of certain -popular Pashas; and the embroidery said -to have been wrought by her own Imperial hand, -and sent to the ladies of their harems, are as -efficacious in their way as the diamonds, the -horses, and the carriages presented to the Sultan; -or the pensions paid to half a dozen influential -individuals of the court.</p> - -<p>Alas for Turkey! Her relative position with -her specious ally resembles that of a huge -animal in the coil of a Boa Constrictor, which -must be smoothed down gently and gradually, -ere it can be safely gorged. Its fate is but protracted; -the moment of ingurgitation will come -at last; and when the serpent-folds are uncoiled, -and the sated monster lies luxuriously down to -digest its prey, those who have looked on, and -pledged themselves to the impossibility of the -feat, will find too late that it is not only perfectly -practicable, but actually accomplished.</p> - -<p>And yet France has her countless soldiery—and -England her unrivalled navy—both eager to -earn new glory. England and France, on whom -the Osmanlis leaned with a perfect faith, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">204</a></span> -by both of whom they have been abandoned—Where -is the chivalry of the one, and the philanthropy -of the other?</p> - -<p>A Turk of high rank and considerable abilities; -who had an understanding to observe, and -a heart to feel the position of his country, was -one day conversing with me on her foreign political -relations, when he exclaimed with a sudden -burst of unaffected energy:—“France has failed -us, it is true; but France has been at least comparatively -honest in her supineness. She has -never affected a wish to become the foster-mother -of the world—But England—England, -Madam, which has boasted of her universal philanthropy—which -has knocked away the fetters -of millions of the blacks—England, not contented -while among her Nobles, in her House of Commons, -and even at the very meetings of her -lower classes, she was making a vaunt of her -all-embracing love, and of her sympathy with -the oppressed—not contented with seeing Poland -weep tears of blood, and only cease to -exist when the last nerves of her heart had been -wrung asunder—Your own happy England; secure -in her prosperity and in her power, is now -standing tamely by, while the vast Ottoman -Empire—the gorgeous East, which seems to -have been made for glory and for greatness—is -trampled by a power like Russia! She might -have saved us—She might save us yet—Where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">205</a></span> -is her gallant navy? Where are her floating -fortresses? But, above all, where is the heart -which has so many hands to work its will?—Is it -the expence of a war from which she shrinks? -Surely her policy is not so shallow; for she cannot -require to be told how deeply her commercial -interests must be compromised by the -success of Russia.—But I will not pursue so -painful a subject.—As individuals we respect the -English; but their political character is lost in -the East—we have no longer faith in England.”</p> - -<p>These were not, at all events, the arguments -of a “barbarian:” and the more closely and unprejudicedly -that Europeans permit themselves -to examine the Turkish character, the more -they will find that justice has never yet been -done to it; and that Turkey merits their support -as fully by her moral attributes, as by her -geographical position.</p> - -<p>It is not by her Nobles, by her Ministers, nor -by her Government, that she should be judged—Her -court and her people are as distinct as -though they were of two different nations. They -have, however, one common virtue, which is carried -to an extent that must be witnessed by the -natives of the West, ere it can be understood. -Every one who has visited Turkey will perceive -at once that I allude to their unbounded hospitality. -The table of the greatest man in Constantinople -is open to the poorest, whenever he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">206</a></span> -chooses to avail himself of it. As he salutes the -master of the house on entering, he is received -with the simple word <em>Bouroum</em>—You are welcome,—and -he takes his place without further -ceremony. In the villages the same beautiful -principle remains unaltered; and it signifies not -how little an individual may have to give, he -always gives it cheerfully, and as a matter of -course; without appearing conscious that he is -exercising a virtue, practised scantily and reservedly -in more civilized countries.</p> - -<p>If a Turk wishes to shew a courtesy to his -guest, or to a stranger with whom he may have -accidentally come in contact, he does so in a -manner which revolts the more refined ideas of -a Frank; but which is nevertheless induced by -this same feeling of brotherhood and fellowship. -His chibouk is his greatest luxury; and when -he is not engaged in an employment that renders -the indulgence difficult or impossible, it is for -ever between his lips: and his first act of friendliness -is to withdraw it thence, and offer it to his -companion.—He estimates its enjoyment, and he -immediately wishes to communicate it. These -are perhaps slight traits—details that appear -unimportant—but human character is composed -of details—fine shades, which however faint in -themselves, are nevertheless necessary to the -perfect effect of the whole. It is easy to seize a -prominent object. Glaring vices and striking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">207</a></span> -virtues force themselves upon the notice; and -are consequently ever the ready subject of comment. -And it is from this fact that the Turks -have suffered in European estimation. They -are singularly unobtrusive in their social relations: -they do not seek to exhibit their moral -attributes; and they practice daily those domestic -virtues which grow out of the tolerance and -kindliness of their nature without troubling -themselves to consider whether they do so at -moments when they may become subject of -comment. Thus it is that they have never been -supposed to feel, or feeling to encourage, those -minute but multitudinous social courtesies, which, -if each amount not in itself to a positive virtue, -at least is part and parcel of one, and lends -itself to the completion of an aggregate that well -deserves the name.</p> - -<p>Those who have only made an acquaintance -with the Turkish character in the persons of the -great men of the Capital, have not possessed the -means of witnessing the daily practice of these -endearing qualities. It is not among the haughty, -the selfish, and the ambitious of any nation, that -the bland and beautiful features of human nature -can be contemplated. Nothing atrophises -the heart like luxury—nothing deadens the feelings -like the strife and struggle for power:—and -in the East, where a man’s fortune is ever built -up upon the ruin of his neighbour, and where he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">208</a></span> -springs into his seat with his foot upon the neck -of a worsted rival, it were worse than folly to expect -that the social virtues can be encouraged -and exhibited among the great. But the Turk -of the provinces is a being of a different order: -a creature of calm temperament, and philosophic -content; who labours in his vocation with a placid -brow and a quiet heart; who honours his mother, -protects his wife, and idolizes his children; -is just in his dealings, sober in his habits, and -unpretendingly pious; and whose board and -hearth are alike free to those who desire to share -them.</p> - -<p>Such, if I have read them aright, (and, above -all, if I may rely on the judgment of unbiassed -and impartial individuals, more competent -than myself to form a correct estimate of -their general character) are the great mass of -the Turkish people. Their defective government -is the incubus that weighs them down; -while the luxurious habits of their nobles induce -extortion which withers their exertions, and in -a great degree negatives the benefit of their industry. -But these are evils which are not beyond -remedy; “the schoolmaster” who has been -so long abroad in Europe, has already given -hints of travelling to the far East; and there -are now several individuals connected with the -Ottoman Government who comprehend the vice -of the system, and are anxious to eradicate the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">209</a></span> -mischief. The outcry of corruption and venality -has been raised, and the correctness of the implication -has been admitted; while few have -discovered that attempts are already making to -overcome the long-standing reproach; and all -must acknowledge that this Sisyphus-like task -will require time and patience, and moreover -opportunity and encouragement, to secure its -completion.</p> - -<p>It is not, I repeat, by the members of a government, -driven to unworthy acts on the one -hand, and deceived by smiling sophistries on -the other, that the people of Turkey should be -estimated; and it is comparatively unfortunate -for them as a nation, that it is precisely upon -these persons that the attention is first fixed. -The natural consequence ensues, that, where -Europeans, rather glancing at the country than -seeing it, possess neither time, opportunity, nor -it may be even inclination, to look deeper; they -carry away with them an erroneous impression -of the mass, as unjust as it is unfortunate; an -impression which they propagate at home, and -in which they become strengthened by the very -repetition of their own assertions; nor is it -difficult to account in this way for the very erroneous, -contradictory, and absurd notions, entertained -in Europe on the subject of the Turks. -Individuals have been cited as examples of a -body, with which they probably possessed not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">210</a></span> -one common feature, save that of country; and -the vices that were seared into the spirit of -one degenerate Osmanli have, by the heedless -chroniclers who may have suffered from his delinquencies, -been branded on the brow of a -whole nation; as though the stream which had -polluted itself for an instant by its passage over -some impure substance, had power to taint the -source from whence it flowed.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">211</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XV.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Death in a Princely Harem—The Fair Georgian—Distinction of Circassian -and Georgian Beauty—The Saloon—Sentiment of the -Harem—Courteous Reception—Domestic Economy of the Establishment—The -Young Circassian—Emin Bey—Singular Custom of the -Turks—The Buyuk Hanoum—The Female Dwarf—<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Naïveté</em> of the -Turkish Ladies—The Forbidden Door—The Sultan’s Chamber—The -Female Renegade—Penalty of Apostacy—Musical Ceremony—Frank -Ladies and True Believers—A Turkish Luncheon—Devlehäi -Hanoum—Old Wives <em>versus</em> Young Ones—The Parting Gift—The -Araba—The Public Walk—Fondness of the Orientals for Fine -Scenery—The Oak Wood.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> illness and subsequent death of the -Buyuk Hanoum had long delayed the visit -which I had been requested to make to the -harem of the Reiss Effendi, or Minister for -Foreign Affairs; and it may be remembered -that this was the lady to whom I alluded in a -former portion of my work, as having failed to -find favour in the eyes of the Sultan on the -occasion of the Princess Salihè’s marriage; and -whom he had been graciously pleased to excuse -from all further attendance at court, in favour -of a fair Georgian, whom he had himself provided -as her successor. The aged Minister had -received with all proper gratitude the gift of his -Imperial master; and had not failed to make the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">212</a></span> -lovely slave his wife with all possible speed. And -the anticipation of seeing this far-famed beauty -added no little to the desire which I felt to avail -myself of the very kind and flattering invitation -of the family.</p> - -<p>Having, therefore, suffered a sufficient time to -elapse after the death of the Buyuk Hanoum to -testify my sympathy for her loss, I prepared for -this long-promised visit, and made it in company -with some Greek ladies, friends of my own, and -well known in the harem of the Minister. On -passing the Salemliek I was much disappointed -by the discovery that the Reiss Effendi himself -was from home; but on reaching the harem we -were more fortunate, and having delivered our -cloaks, veils, and shoes to a group of slaves who -received us in the marble entrance-hall, we followed -one who led the way up a noble flight of -stairs to a vast saloon; and in the next instant -I found myself standing beside Devlehäi Hanoum, -the beautiful Georgian.</p> - -<p>And she <em>was</em> beautiful—magnificent!—Tall, -and dark, and queenly in her proud loveliness; -with such a form as is not looked on above half -a dozen times during a long life.</p> - -<p>The character of Georgian beauty is perfectly -dissimilar from that of Circassia; it is more -stately and dazzling; the whole of its attributes -are different. With the Circassian, you find the -clearest and fairest skin, the most delicately<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">213</a></span>rounded -limbs, the softest, sleepiest expression—the -lowest voice—and the most indolently-graceful -movements. There is no soul in a Circassian -beauty; and as she pillows her pure, -pale cheek upon her small dimpled hand, you -feel no inclination to arouse her into exertion—you -are contented to look upon her, and to contemplate -her loveliness. But the Georgian is a -creature of another stamp: with eyes like meteors, -and teeth almost as dazzling as her eyes. -Her mouth does not wear the sweet and unceasing -smile of her less vivacious rival, but the -proud expression that sits upon her finely -arched lips accords so well with her stately -form, and her high, calm brow, that you do not -seek to change its character.</p> - -<p>There is a revelation of intellect, an air of -majesty, about the Georgian women, which -seems so utterly at variance with their condition, -that you involuntarily ask yourself if they -can indeed ever be slaves; and you have some -difficulty in admitting the fact, even to your own -reason.</p> - -<p>Nearly all the ladies of the Princess Azmè’s -household are Georgians: and I have already -had occasion to remark that her harem is celebrated -for the beauty of its fair inhabitants.</p> - -<p>But Devlehäi Hanoum left every individual of -the Imperial Seraï of Ortakeuÿ immeasurably -behind her. And as she welcomed us without<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">214</a></span> -rising from her sofa, I felt, woman though I was, -as though I could have knelt in homage to such -surpassing loveliness!</p> - -<p>The sofa on which she was seated, occupied -the deep bay of a window overlooking the Bosphorus, -at the upper end of a saloon which terminated -in a flight of steps leading upwards to -a second apartment, that, in its turn, afforded -similar access to a third: and this long perspective -was bounded by the distant view of a -vine-o’ercanopied kiosk, beneath which a fine -fountain of white marble was flinging its cool -waters on the air, from the midst of clustering -vases, filled with rare and beautiful flowering -plants.</p> - -<p>Groups of slaves were standing about the -sofa; and gilded cages, filled with birds, were -arranged in its immediate vicinity. I was much -amused by a superb parrot, evidently the favourite -of the harem, which had become so imbued -with its high-bred tranquillity, as to speak -almost in a whisper: and which kept up a perpetual -murmur of such phrases as the following: -“My heart!—My life!—My Sultan, the light -of my eyes!—Am I pretty?—Do you love to -look upon me?” and similar sentimentalities.</p> - -<p>Devlehäi Hanoum was dressed in an antery -of white silk, embroidered all over with groups -of flowers in pale green; her salva, or trowsers, -were of satin of the Stuart tartan, and her jacket<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">215</a></span> -light blue; the gauze that composed her chemisette -was almost impalpable, and the cachemire -about her waist was of a rich crimson. Her -hair, of which several tresses had been allowed -to escape from beneath the embroidered handkerchief, -was as black as the plumage of a raven; and -her complexion was a clear, transparent brown. -But the great charm of the beautiful Georgian -was her figure. I never beheld any thing more -lovely; to the smoothly-moulded graces of -eighteen she joined the majesty and stateliness -of middle life; and you forgot as you looked -upon her, that she had ever been bought at a -price, to remember only that she was the wife -of one of the great officers of the Empire.</p> - -<p>Nothing could exceed the courtesy of her -welcome, except, perhaps, its gracefulness; and -the charming smile with which she told me -how anxious were the Buyuk Hanoum, herself, -and Conjefèm Hanoum, to testify by every -means in their power, the delight they felt in -having me for a guest. For a moment I was -bewildered; I had made no inquiries relatively -to the domestic economy of the harem -previous to my visit, and had imagined that, -as a matter of course, the lovely Georgian had -become Buyuk Hanoum by the death of the -children’s mother. But this was far from being -the case; the Pasha having married in early -life a Constantinopolitan lady of high family,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">216</a></span> -who had retained her supremacy in the harem, -although the affections of the Reiss Effendi had -been transferred to the parent of his sons. The -fair Georgian proving also childless, the fortunate -mother had never forfeited her hold upon -his heart, and had continued until the hour of -her death to be the first object of his favour. -But my astonishment did not end even here; for, -when all this had been explained to me, another -question yet remained to be answered:—Who -was Conjefèm Hanoum?</p> - -<p>Conjefèm Hanoum, who was in the bath when -we arrived, was a beautiful young Circassian, -who had been purchased twelve months previously -by the Minister, in the excess of his disappointment -that the Georgian did not make -him a father; and whom, in the first rush of his -delight on discovering that she was likely to -become a mother, he had also married. Unfortunately -for her, the child died in the hour of its -birth, and once more the anxious husband found -himself disappointed in his hopes.</p> - -<p>These domestic details, which were given -with a <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">sang froid</em> and composure evincing how -little the heart of Devlehäi Hanoum was interested -in the recital, were succeeded by coffee, -which was served with great ceremony by about -a dozen slaves; the salver being overlaid with -gold tissue, as on occasions of state. A stroll -in the garden followed, where we wandered up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">217</a></span> -and down the shady walks, among the flowers -and fountains; and where we encountered the -three sons of the Minister.</p> - -<p>Emin Bey, the elder of the brothers, was barely -eleven years of age; and had I not seen him, I -should never have been able to picture to myself -any thing at all like the object on which I then -looked. So extraordinary and unwieldy a being -as this unhappy boy I never before met with: -and I am moderate in declaring that he must -have measured at least two yards round the -body. His jacket of Broussa silk striped with -gold, lay in large folds about his shoulders and -waist; his head appeared to have been attached -to his chest without the intervention of a throat; -his hands, his feet, all were proportionably -bulky; and when I looked at the unfortunate -child, I could not help thinking how much he -was to be pitied, despite the rank and riches -which surrounded him. The younger boys -were fine, noble-looking youths, without the -slightest tendency to corpulency; but Emin -Bey is the favourite of the Minister, who gratifies -his every whim; and from the extreme -amiability of his disposition, he is generally -popular in the harem.</p> - -<p>The sons of Turkish families always inhabit -the women’s apartments until they marry; -when, however young they may be, they are -immediately shut out; but, by an extraordinary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">218</a></span> -and apparently inexplicable arrangement, they -are not permitted, as soon as they have ceased -to be children, to intrude themselves on the -Buyuk Hanoum without her express permission, -although they have free access to every other -apartment in the harem. Thus Emin Bey, unless -summoned by her express desire, could not -visit the elder wife of his father, a venerable old -person of at least seventy years of age, although -he was constantly in the society of the two -younger and lovelier ladies; while the other -boys, yet mere children, came and went as they -listed, unchidden and almost unnoticed.</p> - -<p>As soon as the Buyuk Hanoum had left the -bath, we were invited to her apartment; and as -I looked from the withered and feeble woman -who lay stretched on the sofa before me, propped -with cushions, glittering with diamonds, and -busied with her chibouk, to the stately and -gorgeous Georgian in all the glow of her proud -youth, I had difficulty in believing that they -could indeed be the wives of one man!</p> - -<p>When I had returned her salutation, and seated -myself beside her, I had time to look round upon -the arrangement of her apartment. On a cushion -near her sofa crouched a frightful female -dwarf, old, and wrinkled, and mis-shapen, with -a Sycorax expression of face that made me shudder; -and immediately beside her sat Devlehäi -Hanoum, in a high-backed chair of crimson<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">219</a></span> -velvet and gilding, looking like the haughty -mother of Vathek with one of her attendant -spirits grovelling at her feet. A line of female -slaves extended from the sofa to the door, and -several others were grouped at the lower end of -the saloon, which was most magnificently fitted -up.</p> - -<p>The never-failing hospitality of the East -prompted the first question of the venerable -hostess. She inquired if I had been satisfied -with my reception; and assured me of the -gratification she derived from seeing me in -the Palace of her husband: she then thanked -me for the careful toilette which I had made to -visit her, and in the most courtly manner admired -every thing that I wore. The usual extraordinary -queries ensued:—Was I married? -Had I ever been affianced? Did I intend to -marry? Could I embroider? How old was I? -Which was the prettiest, Stamboul or London?—and -many others of the like kind; but they were -all put so good-humouredly, and so perfectly as -a matter of course, that it was impossible not to -be amused, although I had answered them a -dozen times before.</p> - -<p>There is a great charm in the graceful <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">naïveté</em> -of a well-born Turkish lady. She tells you directly -what she thinks of you, without harbouring -an idea that even truth may sometimes -prove unpalatable. If you do not please her,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">220</a></span> -you are never left in doubt upon the subject; -while if, on the contrary, she considers you well-looking -or agreeable, she lavishes on you the -most endearing epithets, and always terminates -her address by imploring you to love her. From -the moment that you find yourself beneath her -roof, you are as completely unfettered as though -you were in your own house. Are you hungry? -In five minutes, by merely desiring the first -slave with whom you come in contact to bring -you food, you may seat yourself at table. Are -you weary? Select the sofa you prefer, surround -yourself with cushions, and should you -wish to remain undisturbed, close the door of -the apartment; and when you are refreshed, you -will be greeted on your re-appearance with a -second smile of welcome. If you are restless, -you may wander over the whole house; there -is neither indiscretion nor impertinence in so -doing. In short, from the first instant of your -domestication in a Turkish family, it is your -own fault if you are not as much at your ease as -your hostess herself.</p> - -<p>On quitting the apartment of the Buyuk -Hanoum, which was oppressive from its closed -windows and the extreme heat of the weather, -we strolled all over the Palace, which is very -extensive, and splendid in its arrangements. -One room only was closed against us. It was -that in which the mother of the Pasha’s children<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">221</a></span> -had breathed her last; and into which he had -desired every article, however trifling, of her -personal property, to be removed and locked -up, until he causes them to be disposed of by -public sale, and the proceeds secured to her -sons.</p> - -<p>Turning away from this forbidden door, we -proceeded to an apartment in which the Sultan -passed a night about three years ago, and which -has only just been re-opened, at his express -desire, for the use of the family. The Imperial -bedstead yet remains, but the golden hangings -have been removed, and have probably since -figured in anterys and salvas on the fair forms -of the ladies of the harem. The room is now appropriated -to the master of the house; and on -a sofa-cushion lay his watch, his hand-mirror, -and a small agate box containing opium pills.</p> - -<p>Having understood that there was a young -Greek girl on the establishment, who had been -induced, by the representations of interested -and treacherous advisers, to embrace Mohameddanism, -I expressed a wish to see her, when -she was immediately summoned; but made -her appearance with great reluctance, being -evidently most heartily ashamed of her apostacy.</p> - -<p>She told us that she was very unhappy; for, -although she was treated with great kindness, -she could not reconcile herself to the sin which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">222</a></span> -she had committed; and that, had she been left -to her own free will, she never should have -thought of taking such a step. A few weeks only -had elapsed since she had become a Turk, but -she already felt that, although no taunt was -uttered by her companions, they never lost sight -of the fact of her being a renegade; and, had she -not known the penalty which must be paid, she -declared that she should at once have uttered -her second recantation.</p> - -<p>Well might she pause as she remembered -it; for that penalty is death! When once a -Christian female has been induced to utter the -simple prayer which is the only necessary ceremony—the -few brief words which declare that -“There is but <span class="smcap">One God</span>, and Mahomet is the -Prophet of <span class="smcap">God</span>”—she is a Mahomeddan; and, -should she afterwards repent her apostacy, and -resolve on returning to the bosom of the Christian -Church, and her determination become suspected -before she has time or opportunity to -escape from the power of the Turks, the waters -of the Bosphorus terminate at once her project -and her life.</p> - -<p>Nor is a male renegade placed in a more secure -position. The Mahomeddans tolerate no off-falling -from their faith. They are bound by -their law twice during their lives to <em>invite</em> -a Christian to embrace the religion of the -Prophet; but they never outrun the spirit of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">223</a></span> -their instructions: they simply suggest the conversion, -and use no endeavour to enforce it; -while, on the other hand, they permit no apostacy—death -is the instant penalty for the bare -idea. Few Missionaries, however talented, or -however zealous, ever made a Turkish convert—and -no renegade Christian, unless by some rare -chance he succeeded in escaping at the critical -moment ere his resolution became suspected, -ever survived the intention.</p> - -<p>As the Buyuk Hanoum had been particular -in her injunctions that every attention should be -paid to me; all the musical clocks and watches -throughout the Palace (and they were not few,) -were put into requisition, and the orchestra, -completed by a very harsh barrel-organ, awoke -into discord by the fair hands of Devlehäi Hanoum. -This confusion of sweet sounds is one of -the highest courtesies which can be exhibited in -the Harem: and it was quite laughable to stroll -through the long galleries, and to escape from -the Sultan’s March on the left hand, to find yourself -in the midst of the Barcarole in Massaniello -on the right; and, leaving both behind you, to -catch a fine cadence of <em>Di Piacer</em>, as you were -beginning to imagine that all was over.</p> - -<p>Having at length reached a spacious saloon, -whose cool-looking white sofas occupied recesses -in each of which a window afforded the hope of -a little air, I not only threw up the sash but the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">224</a></span> -jalousies also, to the great terror of a couple of -slaves who were looking on. Seeing their alarm, -I explained to them that they were not compelled -to approach the forbidden opening, but they still -continued in such a state of anxiety that I begged -them to explain what troubled them: whereupon -the elder of the two, a plain, clumsy-looking -woman of five or six and thirty, and as unattractive -a person as can well be imagined, told me -that, as the Buyuk Hanoum loved me so much, -she could not bear to see me commit so heinous a -sin. I requested to know in what my transgression -consisted, when she exclaimed with great -energy:—“Suppose a Turk passing under the -window should look up, and love you, would you -become a Musselmaun, and marry him?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not.”</p> - -<p>“Imagine then the sin for which you will be -accountable, if you continue seated in front of -that open casement. Some unhappy True Believer -will look upon you—he will desire to have -you for his wife—and when you continue deaf to -his passion, he will grow sick, keep his bed, and -probably die; and how will you be able to appear -in Paradise with such a sin upon your -soul?”</p> - -<p>I have related this little anecdote, because it -proves two distinct facts; first, that the Turkish -women thoroughly believe that a happy immortality -awaits them, if they do not forfeit it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">225</a></span> -by their own misdeeds; and that they are moreover -tolerant enough to consider it sure that -even the Giaours, who have no share in the -mysteries of Mahomet, have nevertheless the -same hope.</p> - -<p>I put an end to the generous fears of the -woman by telling her that such an occurrence -could not take place with the Frank females, -who did not possess sufficient attraction to peril -the peace of a True Believer, and that this was -the reason they walked about unveiled; while -the great beauty of the fair Turks had rendered -it incumbent on the Prophet to make them cover -their faces, in order to prevent such misfortunes -to his followers as that to which she had just -alluded; and she was so well satisfied with my -explanation that she suffered me to remain -peacefully in my corner, breathed upon by the -cool air which swept over the Bosphorus, only -taking extreme care to remain at such a distance -from the window herself, as to ensure the -heart-ease of every worthy and susceptible Musselmaun -who might chance to pass that way.</p> - -<p>From this pleasant position we were summoned -to an apartment in which refreshments -had been provided for us; and as we had expressed -no inclination to eat, these consisted -only of fruits, conserves, and similar trifles. -Pyramids of pears and grapes; saucers of olives -and cream-cheese; vases of preserves; and dishes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">226</a></span> -of cucumber neatly arranged, and cut into -minute portions, formed the staple of the repast; -and were interspersed with goblets of rose-scented -sherbet. To myself alone another -luxury was added, in the shape of a small cake -of extremely delicate bread, made for the exclusive -use of the Minister.</p> - -<p>The fair Georgian could by no means be persuaded -to seat herself at table; and although the -apartment was filled with attendants, she persisted -in waiting upon me herself; and during -a considerable time found amusement in decorating -my hair with bunches of small pears, -which had been gathered with great care, in -order to preserve the leaves that grew about -them.</p> - -<p>While we were thus agreeably employed, Conjefèm -Hanoum entered from the bath. She was -a fair, languishing beauty of sixteen, exquisitely -dressed, and extremely fascinating; with -a slight expression of melancholy about her, -that seemed as much the effect of a quiet -coquetry as the result of her natural temperament.</p> - -<p>When our primitive repast was concluded, -the beautiful Georgian inquired of my friends -whether they could suggest any thing likely to -give me pleasure which it was in her power to -offer. As the day was lovely, and the sun -beginning to decline, we availed ourselves of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">227</a></span> -her politeness, and decided on a drive, when -the carriage was immediately ordered, amid -the regrets of the two younger ladies that they -could not accompany us, which from their not -having previously obtained the permission of the -Pasha, it was impossible for them to do. Had -the Buyuk Hanoum desired to be of the party, -she would have been at perfect liberty to indulge -the inclination, as from her advanced age -no cause for jealousy could possibly exist on -the part of the husband; but the other wives -were too young and too pretty to be trusted to -their own discretion by a worthy old gentleman -of nearly four score; and they were consequently -compelled, much to their annoyance, to see us -depart alone.</p> - -<p>When we had taken leave of the Buyuk Hanoum -in her apartment, where she still lay pillowed -upon her cushions; and that I had promised -to avail myself of her earnest invitation -that I would repeat my visit; we returned to -the great centre saloon where the other ladies -awaited us, surrounded by a crowd of slaves, -one of whom carried upon a salver a pile of embroidered -handkerchiefs, worked by the fair -fingers of the two younger Hanoums, with gold -thread and coloured silks. This gift, which had -been prepared for me, was accompanied by a -thousand kindly comments. I was desired to -examine one piece of needlework, and to remark<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">228</a></span> -that I carried away with me the heart of the -donor—upon another I was told that I should find -a bouquet of flowers, and discover that they had -presented me with the portrait which they should -retain of me in their own memories; and I at -length bade them farewell, amid a thousand -admonitions neither to forget nor to neglect the -promise that I had made to renew my visit.</p> - -<p>The araba awaited us in the court of the -palace, and ere long we were all comfortably -established in a roomy and commodious waggon, -(for that is the correct name of the carriage) -drawn by two oxen blazing with gilt foil and -spangles; upon a mattress of crimson shag, embroidered -and fringed with gold, amid cushions -of similar material, and beneath a canopy of -purple decorated in the same rich style. Two -attendants, in the livery of the Minister, ran -beside the carriage; and, although our progress, -from the nature of the animals who drew us, was -not so rapid as many travellers might desire, -we nevertheless contrived to spend a couple of -delicious hours in driving up and down a public -walk, overshadowed with fine old oaks, beneath -whose gnarled and far-spreading boughs parties -of shade-loving individuals had spread their mats, -and were smoking their pipes, or eating their -pic-nic dinners, within reach of a fine fountain -and a commodious coffee-kiosk; and in the full -enjoyment of as glorious a view as ever taught<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">229</a></span> -the eye of man to linger lovingly on the fair -face of nature.</p> - -<p>Assuredly no race of men ever enjoyed a -beautiful country more thoroughly than the -Orientals. Every pretty spot is sure to be discovered, -and appropriated on each occasion of -festival. Those who can possess themselves of -commanding points, and who have the means -of doing so, build kiosks, and plant vineyards -about them, amid which they spend the long -summer day; while the poorer classes carry -their mats and their pipes to their favourite -nooks; and enjoy, if not as exclusively, at least -as heartily, as their more fortunate neighbours, -the bright prospect and the balmy air.</p> - -<p>The Turk, especially, finds his happiness in this -most simple and most natural of all pleasures. -Hour after hour he will sit with his chibouk -between his lips, gazing about him unweariedly, -and communing with his own thoughts in all -the peacefulness and luxury engendered by the -beauty of the locality; and the exterior appearance -of his dwelling is never considered, if he -can contrive an angle, or throw out a bay, which -will enable him to command a striking feature -in the landscape, or a longer stretch of the lake-like -Bosphorus.</p> - -<p>On the present occasion the oak-wood was -dotted all over with little groups of holyday-makers. -Children ran in and out among the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">230</a></span> -trees, making the breeze glad with laughter; -the oxen which had been unyoked from the different -carriages, were browsing on the young -leaves; merry voices called to each other from -amid the underwood; the fountain was surrounded -by servants; the coffee-kiosk thronged -with guests; and the scene was altogether so -lively, so cool, and so delightful, that it was not -without regret that we ultimately drove down -to the shore, where our caïque awaited us, and -found ourselves once more gliding smoothly and -swiftly over the sunny waters of the channel.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">231</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Military Festival—Turkish Ladies—Female Curiosity—Eastern Coquetry—A -Few Words on the Turkish <em>Fèz</em>—The Imperial Horse-Guards—Disaffection -of the Imperial Guard—False Alarms—The -Procession—The Troops at Pera—Imitative Talent of the Turks—Disappointment.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Having</span> accidentally rowed down to Pera in -order to visit some friends, a week or two after -the presentation of the Sultan’s portrait to the -Imperial Guard at Scutari, we were startled on -arriving at Dolma Batchè to see the shore lined -with the caïques and barges of the Pashas, and -the principal Officers of the Fleet; and the heights -covered with military. Such being the case, -we landed at the pier below the palace, and I -addressed myself to a group of Turkish ladies -who had established themselves very comfortably -under the shade of a fine plane tree, to -ascertain the cause of so much unusual parade.</p> - -<p>Women assuredly have some freemasonry by -which they contrive to be intelligible to each -other, for it is certain that, with barely half a -dozen sentences of the language, I have fre<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">232</a></span>quently -kept up something that bordered -upon a conversation; and on the present occasion, -by a judicious use of my very limited -knowledge, and considerable gesticulation, I -made the persons to whom I put the question -perfectly comprehend its import. The reply -commenced by an invitation to avail myself of -part of their carpet, which, as it was easy to see -both by their appearance and attendance, that -they were highly respectable, I did not hesitate -to do; and they then informed me that the -Sultan was to pass in an hour, in state, to present -his portrait to the Artillery, at their barracks -in the Great Cemetery.</p> - -<p>In five minutes my new acquaintance had -confided to me that they were sisters, and that a -sweet little girl who sat between them was the -only child of the younger one, and would be -immensely rich; and had, in turn, inquired my -country, and my relationship to my father, who -stood aloof, lest he should annoy them; but -whom they forthwith invited into the shade by -the usual title given to all Franks:—“Gel, -Capitan, Gel—Come, Captain, come”—while the -daughter of the eldest lady, a pale, slight, dark-eyed -houri, who was perfectly conscious of her -extreme beauty, played off a thousand little -coquettish airs to attract his attention. First -she let the lower portion of her yashmac fall, to -discover the prettiest mouth in the world; with,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">233</a></span> -what is very unusual among the Turkish females, -a fine set of teeth, which she displayed in a -laugh of affected embarrassment at her awkwardness; -and then, in her great haste to remedy -the misfortune, she contrived to throw back her -feridjhe, and disclose a throat and arms as dazzling -as mountain snow; and a pair of delicate -little hands, of which the nails were deeply -stained with henna. I had seen several yashmacs -adjusted in the harem, but I had never yet met -with one which required so much arranging -as this; and the young Hanoum was so persevering, -and kept up such a soft little murmur of -Turkish ejaculations, that I had time to take an -excellent lesson in the difficult art of veiling.</p> - -<p>And all this within ten paces of one of the -sentinels, who stood leaning cross-legged against -the stock of his musket, according to the most -approved system of Turkish discipline; and who -did not interfere to remove the Frank strangers -from the vicinity of the women, although a -couple of years ago it would have perhaps subjected -my father to temporary imprisonment, -and certainly to insult.</p> - -<p>As we had already had sufficient experience -of the slight attention which His Sublime Highness -ever paid to time on public occasions, we -felt no inclination to spend half the morning -under a tree on the edge of a dusty road; and, -having ascertained by the line of sentinels, that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">234</a></span> -the procession would pass the Military College; -we accordingly made a parting salutation to -our new friends, and plunged once more into the -hot sunshine.</p> - -<p>As we ascended the hill we came upon a squadron -of the Imperial Guard, who were to form a -portion of the shew, and who were lying comfortably -in the dust, some asleep, and others nearly -so; while the horses were huddled together in -groups in the centre of the road? This was a -portion of the corps which I mentioned in my -account of the marriage festivities of the -Princess Mihirmàh, and they certainly were -considerably more like soldiers at a distance, -than when seen thus on our very path.</p> - -<p>Nothing requires more management than a -<em>fèz</em>. It may be so arranged as to form even a -becoming head-dress; but wo betide the unlucky -wight who pulls it on until he is <em>fèzed</em> over head -and ears! As worn by the Turkish soldiers, it -were impossible to conceive any thing more hideous; -generally nearly black, and always more -or less greasy; some fling it down into their -necks, where it forms a deep fold, others drag -it over their eyebrows, and others again bury -their whole heads in it, till it takes the form of -the skull, and looks like a red clay basin. I -need not expatiate on the appearance of their -white overalls, even on such an occasion as the -present, because I have already stated that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">235</a></span> -the wearers were lying about in the dust; and -it were equally supererogatory to do more than -allude to the effect of a lancer jacket of coarse -cloth, braided with yellow cord, nine times out -of ten a misfit.</p> - -<p>The horses were in excellent keeping with -their riders, and presented a beautiful independence -of accoutrement. Some had blue saddlecloths, -and some had brown ones; some scarlet, -and some white; some had European saddles, -and some Tartar—some had holsters, (many of -them, by the by, to my great amusement, -charged with cucumbers, of which the Turks -are extremely fond) and some were without. -Their lances looked as though they had dropped -down among them by mistake, their points were -so glittering, and their crimson pennons so fresh -and bright, for a Turkish soldier is always careful -of his arms. They do not carry these graceful -weapons like our own Lancers, although they -are similarly provided with slings, but grasp the -pole in the Russian fashion.</p> - -<p>We were curious to witness the bearing of -the Sultan on this occasion, as on the presentation -of his portrait at Scutari, a portion of the -Imperial Guard had murmured openly against -so glaring an infringement of their law, which -forbids literally the likeness of any human being -to be taken; whereas this had, moreover, been -carried with great pomp, and saluted after the -same fashion as would have been the august<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">236</a></span> -personage whom it represented. “We are be -coming Giaours—Infidels,”—was the complaint—“The -Franks are turning the head of -the Sultan, and he will soon be as they -are.”</p> - -<p>The first intimation of this disaffection on the -part of the troops which reached the inhabitants -of the capital, was the appearance of bodies -floating in the Bosphorus; and the fact -that a Greek captain, who had moored his vessel -in the current, found it clogged in an incomprehensible -manner; and, on employing half -a dozen men to remove the evil, discovered that -it was choaked with corpses!</p> - -<p>After so decided a manifestation of the sentiments -of the soldiery, it was a courageous act -of the Sultan to venture thus immediately on a -repetition of the offence; and the rather that -a portion of the troops are composed of the sons -of the Janissaries, who cannot be supposed to -entertain the most favourable feelings towards -the destroyer of their fathers; and who would naturally -embrace so favourable an opportunity of -spreading their own hate, as that which permitted -them to enforce their expressions of disgust -with the name of the Prophet, and the -authority of their religion.</p> - -<p>As it was uncertain whether His Highness -might not descend at the College, as he had -done on a previous occasion, three temporary -steps covered with scarlet cloth had been pre<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">237</a></span>pared -for him to descend from his horse; and a -carpet laid down from thence to the apartment -of Azmè Bey, where a handsomely-embroidered, -and elaborately-cushioned sofa had been arranged -for his reception. In this room we took -up our position, near a window that commanded -the long stretch of road, by which the procession -was to advance; and we had calculated -justly on the procrastination of the Sultan, for -we waited nearly four hours ere the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cortège</em> was -actually in motion. “The cry was still ‘they -come!’” and during all that time they came -not. There were two or three false alarms. The -drums beat off at the Palace, and were answered -by those on the heights, and at the College; the -gallant cavalry gathered themselves up out of -the dust, and mounted their horses: the Bey -turned out his guard, and all in vain. There -was a mistake somewhere; and consequently -the cavalry dismounted, and lay down again to -finish their sleep; and the young Colonel turned -in the guard; and we drank another glass of -sherbet, and tried to think that we were not at -all out of patience; in which attempt, I, at least, -was very unsuccessful.</p> - -<p>At length the moment came, and the distant -sounds of a military band announced the -approach of the procession. The unfortunate -Guardsmen sprang to their saddles for the fourth -time, and formed in double file; in which order<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">238</a></span> -they moved forward at a foot’s pace. They -were succeeded by the Military Staff of the Army, -and the Field Officers of the different regiments; -the Majors rode first, and were followed by the -superior ranks in regular succession, until the -gorgeous train of Pashas brought up the rear. -The Pashas were succeeded by about thirty -musicians: and then followed a detachment of -Infantry marching in double files, between whose -ranks moved the open carriage of the Sultan, -drawn by four fine grey horses, each led by a -groom; and bearing the portrait of His Highness -carefully enveloped in green baize. Saïd Pasha, -the Sultan’s son-in-law, preceded the carriage, -dressed in a Hussar uniform, and mounted on a -noble Arabian; and it was followed by the -Seraskier and Halil Pasha riding abreast; succeeded -by a squadron of cavalry.</p> - -<p>But where, then, was the Sultan?</p> - -<p>Alas! for our high-flown expectations—He -had reviewed five thousand men in the course -of the morning on the heights above the Palace, -after which he had started off for the Valley of -Kahaitchana, in an open carriage and four; -leaving his portrait to the care of the Pashas.</p> - -<p>We reached Pera amid the firing of cannon, -the pealing of musketry, and the beating of -drums; and just in time to see the whole of -the troops march through to their respective -barracks; which they did six deep, and in very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">239</a></span> -tolerable style—a circumstance rendered the -more astonishing by the fact that many of them -had their shoes literally tied upon their feet!</p> - -<p>It was impossible not to be struck by a conviction -of the perseverance and adoptive powers -of the Turks, on seeing this body of men; who, -although labouring under all the disadvantages -of slovenly dress and defective instruction, had, -nevertheless, in a few years succeeded in presenting -an appearance of European discipline. -Self-taught—for the Turks have been deterred -from exerting that which their own good -sense led them to feel would be the most efficient -mean of speedily attaining the perfection -at which they aimed; that is, of profiting -by the instructions of foreigners; they have, -amid all the difficulties of their position, succeeded -in proving that their imitative talents -are very considerable; and the jealous policy -of Russia has only tended to demonstrate to -those who have had an opportunity of comparing -the present state of the Turkish army -with that in which it was but three years ago, -that the Osmanlis have every inclination to -avail themselves of the opportunities that are -afforded to them of studying the institutions of -other nations; where their efforts are not frustrated -by political considerations.</p> - -<p>Recent events have, in some degree, weakened -the Muscovite influence at the Sublime<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">240</a></span> -Porte; and European Officers have lately arrived -in Constantinople who, should they be -permitted to act, will probably soon convert -the “material” of the Turkish Army into -available troops, calculated to do honour alike -to their country, to their instructors, and to -their Emperor. The docility of the Turkish -soldier is admirable; and his desire of improvement -so unwearying that it is a common occurrence -for him to spend his hours of relaxation -in perfecting himself, as far as his own knowledge -enables him to do so, in the management of his -firelock; while the care and time which he bestows -upon the arm itself, is visible at once from -the lustre of its bright barrel, and the cleanliness -of its whole appearance.</p> - -<p>But to return to the troops at Pera. The -officers were only distinguishable by their arms, -being as heavily laden as the men, with a knapsack, -a mess tin, a cloak, and a prayer-carpet; and -the different corps were attended by numerous -water-carriers, with small leathern cisterns under -their arms, and clay drinking-bowls suspended -from a strap about their waists.</p> - -<p>After traversing Pera, the several regiments -filed off in different directions; and the faubourg -resumed its accustomed tranquillity. The interest -of the pageant had however been greatly lessened -by the absence of the Sultan, who should -have been its “head and front;” and I only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">241</a></span> -reconciled myself to the disappointment by engaging -to join a party who were to spend the -following Friday at the Asiatic Sweet Waters, -where preparations were making to receive the -Sovereign of one of the most gorgeous Empires -of the earth—the Monarch of a million designations!</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">242</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Turkish Ladies “At Home”—The Asiatic Sweet Waters—Holy -Ground—The Glen of the Valley—Hand Mirrors—Holyday Groups—Courtesy -of the Oriental Females to Strangers—The Beautiful -Devotee—The Pasha’s Wife—A Guard of Honour—Change of Scene—The -Fortress of Mahomet—Amiability of the Turkish Character.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> traveller who desires to see the Turkish -women really “at home,” should visit the beautiful -valley of Guiuk-Suy, the Sweet Waters of -Asia, on a Friday during the hot months. This -lovely spot, shut in on three sides by lofty hills -covered with vegetation, is open to the Bosphorus -immediately opposite to the Castle of Europe, -the prison of the Janissaries, where the -branch-embowered river which gives its name -to the locality, (literally “chest-water”) runs -rippling into the sunlighted channel.</p> - -<p>The transition is delicious, as, shooting round -an abrupt point of land, gay with its painted -palace and leafy garden, you glide into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">243</a></span> -deep shadows of the little river, whose fringe of -trees throws a twilight softness over the water, -and mirrors itself in the calm ripple. Beneath -the boughs rise, as is usual on every spot of -peace and beauty, the columned head-stones of -many a departed Mussulmaun; while the birds, -screened from the noon-day heats, are ever -pouring forth their glad song in all the gushing -joyousness of conscious security.</p> - -<p>Your boatmen, refreshed by the grateful coolness -of the locality, speedily bring you to an -open bridge; which, spanning the river at its -narrowest point, unites the secluded valley, in -which the holyday-keeping crowd are wont to -assemble during the noon-tide sunshine, with -the more open space on which they congregate -towards the evening, to profit by the waters of a -superb fountain of white marble, richly adorned -with arabesques; and to inhale the fresh breeze -that sweeps over the Bosphorus.</p> - -<p>The stretch of turf on which the ladies spread -their carpets, drive their arabas, and spend the -long summer morning, is screened from the -river by a small space thickly wooded, and appropriated -to the men; who smoke their chibouks, -and enjoy their sherbet and water-melons, -far from the gossipry of their more voluble helpmeets. -Passing through this “holy ground,” -you come at once upon the lovely nook, which, -surrounded on all sides by trees, and thronged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">244</a></span> -with company, affords one of the prettiest <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup-d’œils</em> -in the world.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="f13" id="f13"></a><img src="images/i_p244.jpg" width="400" height="310" -alt="PART OF THE VALLEY OF GUIUK-SUY." title="" /> - -<p class="caption">PART OF THE VALLEY OF GUIUK-SUY.</p></div> - -<p>Here the Sultanas move slowly along over -the smooth turf, the vizors of their oxen flashing -with foil and plate glass, and the deep golden -edges of their araba-awnings glittering in the -sunshine; while they lean on their silken cushions, -with their yashmacs less carefully arranged -than on ordinary occasions. Here the gilded -carriage of the Pasha’s Harem, with its gaily -tasselled draperies, and its gaudily caparisoned -horses, rolls rapidly over the yielding verdure; -while the veiled beauty within screens her pure, -pale loveliness with a fan of feathers, which -serves at once to amuse her idleness, and to -display the fairy-like hand that grasps its ivory -handle, with the priceless gems which glitter on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">245</a></span> -the slender fingers, and the taper wrist. Here, -the wives of the Bey, the Effendi, and the Emir -spread their Persian carpets, and their crimson -rugs; and, while the elder ladies remove the -fold of muslin which veils the lower portion of -their faces, and indulge themselves in the luxury -of the <em>kadeun-chibouk</em>, or woman’s pipe; the -younger of the party find amusement no less -engrossing, in the re-arrangement of their head-dresses -with the assistance of a hand-mirror, -(the constant travelling companion of a Turkish -female), which is held by a slave who kneels at -the edge of the carpet.</p> - -<p>These hand-mirrors are the prettiest toys -imaginable; and the taste displayed in their -decoration, as well as the expensive materials -of which they are frequently composed, prove -their great importance in the eyes of an Oriental -beauty. One of these indispensable playthings -is constantly beside her in the harem; every -latticed araba has four of them panelled into -the gilding of its interior, in which she may see -her charms reflected during her drive; and no -Turkish lady would ever undertake the three -hours’ voyage from Buyukdèrè to Stamboul, -without carrying along with her the beloved -<em>ainali</em>.</p> - -<p>Some of these mirrors, which are universally -of a circular form, and generally provided with -a handle of the same material as the setting,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">246</a></span> -and similarly ornamented; are mounted in a -frame of richly chased gold or silver, studded -with precious stones; but these, as I need -scarcely remark, are to be seen only in the Imperial -Seraïs, or in the palaces of the most -wealthy among the nobles. Others are of coloured -velvets, wrought with seed-pearls in the most -delicate patterns, or worked with gold, which -the Turks do to perfection. Nor are the meaner -classes without their <em>ainalis</em>, framed in wood, -gaudily painted, and frequently most minute in -size.</p> - -<p>The Valley of Guiuk-Suy, thronged as I have -attempted to describe it, presents a scene essentially -Oriental in its character. The crimson-covered -carriages moving along beneath the -trees—the white-veiled groups scattered over -the fresh turf—the constant motion of the attendant -slaves—the quaintly-dressed venders -of <em>mohalibè</em> and <em>sèkèl</em> (or sweetmeats) moving -rapidly from point to point with their plateaux -upon their heads, furnished with a raised shelf, -on which the crystal or china plates destined to -serve for the one, and the pink and yellow glories -of the other, are temptingly displayed—the -<em>yahourt</em>-merchant, with his yoke upon his shoulder, -and his swinging trays covered with little -brown clay basins, showing forth the creamy -whiteness of his merchandize—the vagrant exhibitors -of dancing bears and grinning -monkeys<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">247</a></span>—the -sunburnt Greek, with his large, flapping -hat of Leghorn straw, and Frank costume, hurrying -along from group to group with his pails -of ice; and recommending his delicate and -perishable luxury in as many languages as he -is likely to earn piastres—the never-failing -water-carrier, with his large turban, his graceful -jar of red earth, and his crystal goblet—the -negroes of the higher harems, laden with -carpets, chibouks, and refreshments for their -mistresses—the fruit-venders, with their ruddy -peaches, their clusters of purple grapes from -Smyrna, their pyramidically piled filberts, and -their rich plums, clothed in bloom, and gathered -with their fresh leaves about them—the melon -merchants sitting among their upheaped riches; -the <em>pasteks</em> with their emerald-coloured rinds, -and the musk-melons, looking like golden balls, -and scenting the breeze as it sweeps over them; -the variety of costume exhibited by the natives, -always most striking on the Asiatic shore—the -ringing rattle of the tambourine, and the -sharp wiry sound of the Turkish Zebec, accompanied -by the shrill voices of half a dozen -Greeks, seated in a semicircle in front of a -beauty-laden araba—all combine to complete a -picture so perfect of its kind, that, were an -European to be transported to Guiuk-Suy, -without any intermediate preparation, he would -believe himself to be under the spell of an En<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">248</a></span>chanter, -and beholding the realization of what -he had hitherto considered as the mere extravagance -of some Eastern story-teller.</p> - -<p>The Valley, or at least that portion of it which -I am now describing, is further embellished by -a magnificent beech, called the Sultan’s Tree, -beneath which the Imperial carpet is spread for -His Highness when he visits Guiuk-Suy. And -a little beyond this rises a platform shaded -with willows, and occupied at one of its extremities -by a handsome head-stone. I could not -learn what favoured dust had been deposited on -this sweet spot.</p> - -<p>When we had selected a pleasant nook, and -had spread our carpet, arranged our cushions, -and provided ourselves with fruit, one of the -party started on a shooting expedition among -the hills; and my friend Madame S—— and -myself strolled round the magic circle, which -became each moment more thronged. We received -many a gracious salutation as we moved -along, in return for our glances of involuntary -admiration; and at length were fairly stopped -by a smiling entreaty that we would inform a -party of ladies, who had been too aristocratic -in their ideas, or too indolent in their habits, to -descend from their araba, who we were, whence -we came, and to answer a score more of those -simple questions, which make a claim only upon -your patience. Not one among them was pretty,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">249</a></span> -but they were all polite and good-natured; and, -if they did ask us many things which concerned -them not in any possible way, they at least -communicated to us, in their turn, a variety of -circumstances relating to themselves, which regarded -us quite as little.</p> - -<p>Nothing can exceed the courtesy of the -Turkish ladies to strangers. They always appear -delighted to converse with an European -female who seems disposed to meet them half -way; and they do so with a frankness and ease -which at once destroy every feeling of <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">gène</em> on -the part of the stranger. In five minutes every -thing they have is at your service; the fruit of -which they are partaking, and the scented -sherbet that they have prepared with their own -hands. To make acquaintance with them, you -require only to be cheerful, willing to indulge -their harmless curiosity, and ready to return -their civility in as far as you are enabled to do -so. There is none of that withering indifference, -or that supercilious scrutiny which obtains so -much in Europe, to be dreaded from a Turkish -gentlewoman; but there is, on the contrary, an -earnest urbanity about her which is delightful, -and which emanates from the intuitive politeness -so universal among the natives; coupled with a -simplicity of feeling, and a sincerity of good-nature -that lend a double charm to the courtesies -of life. Nor is the eye less satisfied than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">250</a></span> -the heart, in these moments of agreeable, -although brief, communion; for the graceful -bearing of an Oriental female greatly enhances -the charm of her ready kindness; and her self-possession, -and dignity of manner, render her -superior to the paltry affectation of assumed -coldness; while they convince you that she -would be as prompt to resent impertinence, as -she had been ready to proffer courtesy.</p> - -<p>When we bowed our adieu to the party in the -araba, and prepared to continue our stroll, the -elder lady presented to us four large cucumbers, -a vegetable highly relished by the Orientals, -and eaten by them in the same manner -as fruit. Of course we accepted the offering in -the spirit in which it was made, although we -declined indulging in the unwholesome luxury; -and I merely mention the circumstance, trivial -as it is, to prove the truth of my position. The -ladies had been regaling themselves with this -primitive fare when we joined them, and shared -it with us from precisely the same feeling of -courtesy, as an English gentlewoman would have -tendered to a stranger the sandwich and champaign -of her carriage luncheon.</p> - -<p>A short distance beyond the araba, we came -upon a beautiful young female, who had alighted -from her carriage, and was kneeling upon a -costly Persian prayer-carpet, on whose eastern -edge was placed a vase of wrought silver. Three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">251</a></span> -slaves stood, with folded arms, immediately behind -her; and she was so completely absorbed -in her devotions, that not even the apparition of -a couple of European females, always objects of -curiosity to a Turkish lady, caused her to lift -her eyes. She was strikingly handsome, and -her attitude was most graceful, as, with her -small hands clasped together, she bowed her -head to the earth in the deep, voiceless, prayer, -which is the heart’s offering, and requires not to -shape itself into words. Had she been otherwise -engaged, I could have lingered for an hour, -for the mere pleasure of looking upon one of the -loveliest faces in the world; but I felt that it -would be indelicate to intrude upon her devotions, -and once more I moved forward.</p> - -<p>No occupation, whether of business or pleasure, -is permitted to interfere with the religious -duties of a Turkish female, however distinguished -her rank; nor has locality or circumstance -any influence in deterring her from their -observance. It is a common occurrence to see the -sister of the Sultan alight from her araba at Kahaitchana, -or any other public place in which she -may chance to find herself when her accustomed -hour of prayer arrives; and, when her slaves have -spread her prayer-carpet, kneel down within -sight and sound of the crowds that throng the -walk, as calmly and collectedly as though she -were shut within one of the gilded chambers of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">252</a></span> -her own Seraï. It were idle to comment upon -such a fact.</p> - -<p>What a glad scene it was as we wandered on -under the leafy branches of the tall trees, over -the fresh turf, breathed upon by the cool breeze -that swept down into the valley from the encircling -hills, giving and receiving a thousand -salutations! The Sultan was momentarily expected; -and many a dark eye was turned at -intervals towards the entrance of the glen, and -the noble beech tree to which I have already -made allusion; but they were turned thither in -vain, for, greatly to our disappointment, he did -not appear.</p> - -<p>During our progress we came upon an araba -which instantly attracted our attention. The -painted oxen<a name="FNanchor_5" id="FNanchor_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">5</a> had been withdrawn, and were -grazing a few paces off; a line of female slaves, -reaching the whole length of the carriage, were -ranged side by side; and two negroes were stationed -immediately in front. All these indications -of rank induced us to slacken our pace as -we approached, and to glance with more than -ordinary attention towards the occupants of the -vehicle. They were two in number; a serious-looking -elderly person, earnestly engaged with -her chibouk; and a fair young creature, so -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">253</a></span> -buried among her richly embroidered cushions, -that she was scarcely visible.</p> - -<p>I have called her <em>fair</em>, but that is not the correct -expression, for, as she raised herself at our -approach, and removed from before her face a -hand mirror, curiously set in a frame composed -of ostrich feathers, I never beheld any thing -living with such a complexion. She was so -deadly white, that no difference was perceptible -between the folds of her yashmac, and the brow -on which they rested! She looked as though -she had been the partial prey of a vampyre; -who, sated with some previous victim, had left -his unholy repast only half completed—But such -eyes! so dark—so sad—veiled by lashes as black -as night, resting upon the pallid cheek like sable -fringes—I never saw such eyes, save in a dream!—Her -nose was thin, and finely-shaped; and the -perfect oval of her face, was revealed by the -tightly-adjusted yashmac—It was the most -spectral beauty I ever beheld, but beauty of a -most rare description. She was pillowed on satin, -and her hands and brow were bright with gems, -but I am sure she was unhappy—there was a -languid hopelessness in the expression of her -pale face, and a listlessness in her manner, that -told of a bursting heart. I would have given -much to have learnt her history.</p> - -<p>There must have been some telltale indication -of my involuntary conviction, in the long and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">254</a></span> -earnest gaze that I turned upon her; for ere -I removed my eyes, she smiled a sad, sweet -smile, and pressed her hand upon her heart as -though she thanked me for the melancholy -feeling with which I had looked upon her -beauty. The elder dame, meanwhile, smoked -on in silence, as calmly as if she had been seated -beside a more light-hearted companion; and the -silver fringes of the costly araba glittered in -the sunshine; and the embroidered cushions -looked like a parterre of flowers; and all within -that gorgeous vehicle was gay and gladsome -save its drooping mistress. I made a thousand -inquiries, but failed to ascertain who she was. -One individual alone was able to assure me that -she was the favourite wife of a Pasha; but the -name of the said Pasha had escaped the memory -of my informant, and I was fain to content -myself with this very unsatisfactory fragment -of intelligence.</p> - -<p>Having completed our tour of the glen, we -took possession of our cushions, and regaled -ourselves with the delicious water-melons that -we had provided to refresh us after our walk; -and a small party of Turkish ladies shortly -afterwards followed, and established themselves -under the shade of the same tree, whom we -initiated into the mysteries of <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">papillotes</em>, a secret -science which has just become highly interesting -to them from their adoption of ringlets. We<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">255</a></span> -amused ourselves with these follies for half an -hour very pleasantly; and, having shared our -fruit and sweetmeats with our new acquaintance, -and perceiving that the company were rapidly -departing for the sea-side, I established myself -under a fine beech-tree to take a sketch of the -locality. But although comparatively few persons -remained in the glen, I soon discovered -that enough yet lingered to form a dense crowd -about me, which effectually prevented my obtaining -a view of any object more picturesque than -a yashmac or a feridjhe; and I was about to -give up the attempt in despair, when a Turkish -Officer approached, and requested me to favour -him with a sight of my sketch-book.</p> - -<p>I complied at once, and was rewarded for -my ready acquiescence in the most agreeable -way in the world; for, perceiving by its contents -that it was not persons but places which I was -transferring to my little volume, he explained to -the ladies who had gathered about me, that I -was prevented from prosecuting my design by -the fact of their having entirely shut out the -view I was most anxious to secure; and at the -first hint they moved aside to the right and -left with all the good humour imaginable; one -succeeding the other in leaning over me, to examine -my work; and all rewarding my forbearance -with exclamations of “<em>Mashallàh</em>,” and -“<em>Pek Guzel</em>.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">256</a></span>At length the little sketch was completed; -and, putting up my pencils, I thanked the Officer -who had remained on guard over me and my -undertaking, very sincerely for his politeness; -and we followed the crowd along a lovely green -lane on the opposite side of the bridge, to the -shore of the Bosphorus.</p> - -<p>It was indeed a change of scene. The Castle of -Europe, cold, and white, and bare, cut sharply -against the blue sky on the opposite coast; and, -as the channel is unusually narrow at this point, -I was enabled to trace more accurately than I -had ever done hitherto, the architectural cypher -of the Prophet.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="f14" id="f14"></a><img src="images/i_p256.jpg" width="400" height="304" -alt="CASTLE OF MAHOMET." title="" /> - -<p class="caption">CASTLE OF MAHOMET.</p></div> - -<p>Within the walls are clustered about a dozen -houses; and their inhabitants are bound by an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">257</a></span> -ancient law not to suffer their descendants to -marry without the precincts of the fortress; -they are consequently all closely related, and no -instance has ever been known of their having -slighted the injunction.</p> - -<p>Immediately before me, on the seaward edge -of the fine stretch of turf in which the lane terminated, -all the throng of company that had -crowded the glen of the Valley during the earlier -part of the day, were now collected together -under the long shadow of a double avenue of -fine trees fringing the border of the channel, -and terminating at the elegant fountain to which -I have already made allusion. On one side rose -the painted kiosk of the Sultan; and near it stood -the little mosque, with its slender minaret shooting -heavenward, and almost hidden by the leafy -branches of the surrounding trees. On the other -a cluster of arabas, with their crimson and purple -awnings, and fringes of gold and silver—while, -in the midst, groups of women were dotted -over the greensward, and gaily-dressed children -gambolled in their young gracefulness, making -the elastic air buoyant with mirth.</p> - -<p>It was a heart-inspiring spectacle! and it was -beautiful to remark the kindness and good feeling -which pervaded the whole assemblage. I -cannot understand how any European who has -once contemplated a scene of this description, -can carry away with him an unfavourable im<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">258</a></span>pression -of the Turkish character. I have remarked -elsewhere on the happy freedom from -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">morgue</em> which pervades the wealthier classes of -the capital. Neither superciliousness nor assumption -on the part of their more fortunate -neighbours, withers the enjoyment of the humble -and the laborious; the day of rest and recreation -levels all ranks, and suspends all distinctions; -and thus each is secure to find the pleasure -which he seeks; for that pleasure is in itself of -so natural and simple a description that it requires -no combination of causes to produce it—a -bright sky—a balmy atmosphere—a lovely -landscape—are all that is necessary to its enjoyment; -and they are ever within the reach of -the humblest during the long summer season—And -when to these are superadded the kindly -smile and the ready greeting which are never -withheld in Turkey from those who seek them, -it must at once be acknowledged that the Osmanlis -have made a wise selection, in preferring -to the strife and struggle for precedence, -and the uncertainty of ultimate success, which -clog the more refined and “exclusive” pleasures -of Europe, the simple, kindly, and ever-enduring -enjoyment of nature and universal -good-will.</p> - -<p>But I am committing an error in thus applying -the word “refined.”—Are not such pleasures as -those of Turkey infinitely more refined than the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">259</a></span> -elaborated dissipations of the West? Is not the -holiness of nature a loftier contemplation than -the gilded saloons of the great?—The power to -feel and to appreciate the noble gifts of the -Creator, eminently more glorious than the talent -to discover the finite perfections of the creature? -Is not the breeze which sweeps over the heathy -hill, or through the blossom-scented valley, more -redolent of real sweetness than the perfume-laden -halls of luxury?</p> - -<p>If these be “barbarous” pleasures, then are -the Turks the most barbarous people upon earth, -for in these consist their highest enjoyments—In -them the Minister finds his ready solace for -the cares of office, and the labourer for the toils of -weary days—But if they be indeed those which -should be the best calculated to impart their -charm to cultivated minds and unsullied hearts; -then, as I have already ventured to suggest, the -Turks have “chosen the better part,” and are -authorised to smile, as they ever do, in quiet -pity at the coil and care with which we of “civilized” -Europe, cheat ourselves into the belief -that we have far outstripped them in enjoyment, -as well as science; and toil throughout a long -life in pursuit of a phantom which flits before -us like a beckoning spirit, but is ever beyond -our grasp.</p> - -<p>I was never more struck with this truth than -at Guiuk-Suy, I never saw the women of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">260</a></span> -Turkey under a more favourable aspect.—Every -heart appeared to be holding holyday; and -when, as evening closed, we returned to our -caïque, and bade adieu to the valley of the Asian -Sweet Waters, I felt that I knew them better—that -I understood more correctly their social -character, than I had hitherto done; and it is -an important fact, and one which is well worthy -of remark, that the more an European, resolved -to cast aside prejudice, and to study the national -habits and impulses, comes in contact with the -inhabitants of the East, the more he is led to -admire the consistency of thought, feeling, and -action which influence them; and the high-minded -generosity with which they tolerate the -jarring and discordant habits and prejudices of -their foreign visitors.</p> - -<p>I am obliged to concede that no assemblage -of European gentlewomen would have welcomed -among them two female strangers, as the Turkish -ladies, during the day which we spent at Guiuk-Suy, -received my friend and myself. The wandering -Giaours were every where greeted with -smiles, urged to linger, invited to partake of -every rural collation: treated, in short, as friends, -rather than persons seen for the first, and, probably, -the only time. And such a welcome as -this might be secured by every Frank lady, did -she consider it worth her while to conciliate the -Turkish females; who are always sufficiently re<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">261</a></span>warded -for their courtesy and kindness, by a gay -smile and a ready acceptance of their proffered -civility; and yet it is a singular fact, that the -European ladies resident in Constantinople are -scarcely acquainted with one Osmanli family, -and I have been asked more than once if I was -not frightened of the Turkish women!</p> - -<p>It were needless to comment either on the illiberality -of the prejudice, or the effects which it is -so unfortunately calculated to produce—Effects -which are painfully visible; and whose cause is -anything but creditable to European generosity -or penetration.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">262</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Reiss Effendi—Devlehaï Hanoum—The Fair Circassian—The -Pasha—Ceremonious Observances of the Harem—An Interview—Namik -Pasha <em>versus</em> Nourri Effendi—Imperial Decorations—The -Diploma—Turkish Gallantry—The Chibouks—The Salemliek—The -Garden—Holy Horror—The Kiosk—The Breakfast—A Party in the -Harem—Nèsibè Hanoum—The Yashmac—The Masquerade—Turkish -Compliments—The Slave and the Fruit Merchant—Departure -from the Palace.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">As</span> I was contemplating a second visit to the -Palace of the Reiss Effendi, an invitation reached -me from the Minister himself, who requested me -to meet him at six o’clock the following morning -in his harem, previously to his departure for the -Sublime Porte. I started accordingly, accompanied -by a young Greek lady who officiated as -my interpreter; and at the hour appointed we -landed on the marble terrace, and were instantly -admitted.</p> - -<p>I have elsewhere remarked on the early habits -of the Turkish ladies, and on the present occasion -they were already astir, and the slaves -hurrying in every direction with sweetmeats -and coffee. Devlehäi Hanoum was shut into her -chamber at prayers, and the door was guarded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">263</a></span> -by a little slave not more than six years of age; -one of seven children recently purchased from a -slave-ship, so meagre and miserable, that the -poor little innocents had evidently been half-starved -on their passage from Circassia. One -of them had been stolen from the very bosom -of its mother, and on its arrival in the harem -was immediately provided with a nurse.</p> - -<p>On the conclusion of her prayer, the beautiful -Georgian entered the saloon in which we were -awaiting her; and welcomed us most cordially. -Early as it was, the Minister was already, she -told us, engaged with an Ambassadorial Dragoman; -and meanwhile sweetmeats, water, and -coffee were offered to me, of all which I gladly -partook, and afterwards strolled into the garden -among the sweet-scented lemon trees, to await -my summons to the Pasha.</p> - -<p>I had taken but two turns in the orangery, -when the soft-eyed Conjefèm Hanoum advanced -smilingly towards me; and taking me by the -hand (a great mark of distinction from a Turkish -lady) led me up stairs to the apartment to -which I have already alluded as having been -honoured by the temporary occupation of the -Sultan. When we reached the door, she released -my hand, and fell back a few paces, in order -that I should approach the Minister alone.</p> - -<p>As the room was very spacious, I had an excellent -opportunity of obtaining a good view of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">264</a></span> -His Excellency, previously to our entering into -conversation; and the first glimpse which I had -of him prepossessed me in his favour. He occupied -the upper end of the sofa, and was almost -buried amid piles of cushions, near an open -window looking upon the garden of the harem, -whose myriad blossoms filled the apartment with -perfume.</p> - -<p>Had I not known to the contrary, I never -should have supposed him to have been more -than sixty years of age; his eye is still so bright, -and his brow so smooth. He wore the <em>fèz</em> -rather flung back; and his robe was of flesh-coloured -silk, lined with ermine.</p> - -<p>When I entered, he was busily engaged with -his chibouk, which was of the most costly -description, the large amber mouthpiece being -of the faintest yellow, and divided at mid-depth -by a band of turquoise studded with brilliants. -He suffered me to advance nearly to the centre -of the apartment before he looked up; but he did -so at length with a smile of such kindness that -I at once forgave him for his etiquettical punctiliousness.</p> - -<p>Devlehäi Hanoum was standing about twenty -paces from the sofa with her arms folded before -her; and the fair Circassian, having, in obedience -to a signal from the Minister, placed an armchair -for me close to his own seat, immediately -took up her position beside her. The Greek<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">265</a></span> -lady by whom I was accompanied was not, to -my great annoyance, included in the courtesy -extended to me; and during the two hours -that I spent with the Pasha, she consequently -remained standing, or leaning on the back of -my seat.</p> - -<p>After thanking me for the favour I had done -him, and assuring me that he had long wished -to make my acquaintance, he desired to know -if I would smoke a chibouk; and was much -amused when I told him that if he desired -I should return to my own country, to prove my -gratitude to the Turks for all the kindness and -courtesy which they had shewn to me, he must -exempt me from the peril of such an encounter -with “the scented weed.” He accepted the -apology at once, assuring me that he was desirous -only to give me pleasure; although, as I was -the first Frank lady to whom he had ever spoken, -he might probably not succeed in proving his -sincerity. Sweetmeats were then handed to me -by a slave; and subsequently coffee by the fair -hands of Conjefèm Hanoum, but my poor young -friend was still excluded from the courtesy. -Water is never offered in the presence of a great -personage.</p> - -<p>I had not been half an hour with the Minister -ere I was convinced that he was rather a good -than a great man. There was a gentleness and -benevolence about him that were delightful; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">266</a></span> -as he stroked down his white beard, and looked -towards me with a smile of mingled amusement -and curiosity, I thought that I had never seen -a more “green old age;” but although he -touched on a variety of subjects, and asked a -variety of questions, they were of the most -commonplace description; and he appeared -infinitely more gratified by the admiration which -I expressed of the magnificent marriage festivities -of the Princess, than by the compliments -that I paid to the rapid progress of civilization -and improvement among the people.</p> - -<p>The only subject in which he took a marked -interest, was the degree of popularity enjoyed by -the present Turkish Ambassador in London.</p> - -<p>He asked if I had known Nourri Effendi, and -I answered affirmatively: upon which he immediately -inquired if he were popular in London.</p> - -<p>I replied candidly that since he did me the -honour to ask my opinion, I should say, judging -from what had fallen under my own observation, -decidedly not. That I believed Nourri Effendi -to be a very good man; but that he was extremely -ill-calculated to make his way in England; -or to give so favourable an impression of -the nation which he represented, as, since I had -resided among the Turkish people, I felt anxious -should be produced on the minds of my own -countrymen. That he could not speak any European -language, had forbidding manners, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">267</a></span> -made no attempt to identify himself with the feelings -and habits of the people among whom he -resided.</p> - -<p>He next mentioned Namik Pasha, and said -laughingly: “I know that the ladies of England -preferred him; and I have heard that the -ladies are very influential in your country—Yes, -yes—the Pasha was young, well-looking, -and gallant; and spoke French fluently. Nourri -Effendi will never make his way among you as -his predecessor did, but he is, nevertheless, a good -man; and perhaps they were not aware in England -that he was Secretary to the Porte.”</p> - -<p>I observed that Namik Pasha lent himself -willingly to European customs, and made himself -acceptable to every society into which he -entered; and that, in so far, he was consequently -infinitely better fitted than his successor for the -post of Ambassador at a foreign Court. The -Minister looked steadily at me for a moment, -and then said playfully; “You are half a diplomatist -yourself. I had heard as much before—this -is the first time in my life that I ever conversed -with a Frank female; and since we have -fallen upon this subject, I should like to ask you -one more question before we abandon it. You -have now been many months in the country; -and were you at liberty to select the next Turkish -Ambassador to England, tell me frankly -whom should you choose?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">268</a></span>I could not forbear smiling in my turn: but I -replied without hesitation; “Reschid Bey—the -present Minister at Paris.—It is such individuals -as Reschid Bey who prove to Europe what the -Turks already are, and what they are capable -of becoming—Men of fine mind and gentlemanlike -manners, as well as of sound judgment and -high character.—Had the Sublime Porte sent -Reschid Bey to London, a year or two ago, the -English would have had a more exalted opinion -of its diplomacy than they now have.”</p> - -<p>Little did I imagine when I thus undisguisedly -gave my opinion of the Turkish Minister to -Youssouf Pasha, that the Firman would be so -soon despatched which contained his transfer to -the Court of England; and I was not a little -amused when I was told some time afterwards -that the Reiss Effendi, in giving the information -of Reschid Bey’s arrival in London to a friend -of mine, added with a quiet smile: “You may -as well tell your Frank friend that the new -<em>Ilchí</em> is in England before her. She will perhaps -be glad to hear that he is the individual whom -she would have herself selected.”</p> - -<p>From the Turkish Ambassador he digressed -to the King of England, and assured me that -there was no European Monarch for whom the -Grand Seignior entertained a more affectionate -regard. Indeed, he talked so long and so fondly, -not only of our good Sovereign, but of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">269</a></span> -people also, that had I not previously known -him to be deeply in the Russian interest, I -should have believed him to be as sincere an -Anglo-Turk as any individual throughout the -Sultan’s dominions.</p> - -<p>An apology for having received me in his -morning dress, rather than keep me waiting, -led us to the subject of costume generally; for I -could not offer a better reply to his politeness -than by expressing my admiration of that which -he wore, and declaring how much I considered -it preferable to the European frock-coat. He -appeared gratified by the assurance, and took -this opportunity of desiring Conjefèm Hanoum to -bring out his decorations, in order that I might -judge of the taste and magnificence of the Sultan; -and truly I never beheld anything more costly.</p> - -<p>The first, which had been delivered to him -with his diploma of Vèzir, was an elaborately -mounted medal of gold, inscribed with the cipher -of the Sultan, and the rank of the wearer, splendidly -framed with brilliants. But the diploma -itself interested me much more; it was enclosed -in a wrapper of white satin, fastened with a -cord and tassels of gold, and occupied an immense -sheet of stout paper; the name of Allah -stood at the head of the page, and immediately -beneath it, but in much larger characters, figured -the cipher of the Sultan; these were written in -gold, as were also the name of the Vèzir him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">270</a></span>self -which occurred in the body of the document, -and the word Stamboul at the foot of the -page on the left hand. The remainder of the -contents were simply traced in ink, but the -characters were beautifully formed; and at the -back of the sheet were the signatures of Nourri -Effendi who had drawn up the document, as a -voucher for its accuracy, and that of the Pasha -himself, as an acknowledgment of the duties to -which it pledged him.</p> - -<p>Having replaced the diploma, the Minister -next put into my hands a miniature portrait of -the Sultan, surrounded by a wreath, of which -the flowers were diamonds, and the leaves -wrought in enamel; enclosed within a second -frame-work of the same precious gems, formed -into emblematical devices, and dazzlingly brilliant. -This magnificent decoration was appended -to a chain of fine gold, and secured by a -diamond clasp.</p> - -<p>When I had sufficiently admired it, the gallant -old man begged me to wear it for an instant -in order that it might acquire an additional -value in his eyes; and the gentle Conjefèm Hanoum -flung it over my head, and entangled the -chain in my ringlets, to the great delight of the -Vèzir, who watched the progress of its release -with genuine enjoyment, and told me that he -had never before seen his decoration to so much -advantage.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">271</a></span>The only drawback to these costly ornaments -exists in the fact that they are insecure possessions; -as in case of death, or dismission from -office, they are returned to the Sultan. It was -consequently with even more pride, that the -Minister exhibited to me a smaller, and perhaps -more elegant order, bestowed upon him by his -Sovereign as an acknowledgment of his faithful -services to the Porte; accompanied by an -intimation that on his decease it was to be transferred -to his eldest son, in order that it might -serve to record the regard and gratitude of his -master for the exemplary manner in which he -had ever done his duty to his country.</p> - -<p>I was not a little amused at the epicurean -manner in which the Vèzir smoked. Every ten -minutes his chibouk was changed by one or -other of his wives, by which means he merely -imbibed the aroma of the tobacco, while he had -an opportunity of displaying the variety and -costliness of his pipes, without being guilty of -any apparent ostentation; but, handsome as -several of them undoubtedly were, that of which -he was making use when I entered was infinitely -the most beautiful.</p> - -<p>When I rose to take my leave, my courteous -entertainer begged that I would remain as long -as I found any amusement in the Palace, assuring -me that every effort should be made to render my -visit agreeable; and that the Salemliek should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">272</a></span> -be as free for me as the harem, if I desired to see -it. Of course I accepted the offer; and, on leaving -the Pasha, I found Emin Bey and a negro waiting -to conduct my friend and myself through -the mysterious passages which connect the two -portions of the establishment. In the Salemliek -itself there was nothing remarkable. It was a -handsome house, well fitted up, and exquisitely -clean; the greatest charm to me existed in its -open windows, which, after the closely-latticed -and stifling apartments of the women, were -truly agreeable; nor was the feeling of enjoyment -lessened by the sight of a crowd of birds, -that, entering through the wide casements, with -the sunshine glittering on their wings, and the -song of liberty gushing from their throats, sailed -to and fro the vast apartments, as though -they could appreciate their magnificent comfort.</p> - -<p>But the garden was a little paradise, with its -fountains of white marble, its avenues of orange -trees, its beds of roses, and verbena, and geraniums, -formed into a thousand fanciful devices! -And before I could make up my mind to leave it, -the young Bey had so loaded me with the fairest -flowers he could select, that I breathed nothing -but perfume.</p> - -<p>We were greatly amused, on passing one of -the marble bridges which are flung over the -street to connect the grounds, at the astonish<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">273</a></span>ment -of a party of worthy Musselmauns who -chanced to look up as we were crossing, attracted -by the unwonted sounds of female voices; -and the “Mashallàhs!” with which they greeted -our apparition. “Who can they be?” asked -one: “And how came they there?” “She with -the fair hair is a Frank as well as a Giaour;” -was the reply of a second: “I would swear it on -the Prophet’s beard.—The infidels are making -way among us indeed when their women are -thus at liberty to shew their unveiled faces in -the Salemliek of one of our great Pashas—but -it is no affair of mine—Mashallàh—I trust in -God!”</p> - -<p>The Kiosk of the Reiss Effendi was by far the -most beautiful that I had yet seen—A painted -dome, representing the shores of the channel, -occupied the centre of the roof; and beneath it -a graceful <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">jet d’eau</em> threw up its sparkling waters, -which fell back into a capacious bason. The -walls were washed by the Bosphorus on the -one side, and covered with parasites on the -other; and it was floored with marble of the most -dazzling whiteness. Here were collected the -younger sons of the Minister, and three or four -other children, amusing themselves by running -barefooted round the basin, and suffering the -glittering dew of the fountain to fall upon them -in its descent; while each was laughing out in -his young joyousness as he marked the dripping<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">274</a></span> -condition of his companions, and forgot that he -was himself in the same predicament.</p> - -<p>On our return to the harem we found the -breakfast served; and sat down, attended by Conjefèm -Hanoum and ten female slaves, to partake -of a repast, of which the dishes had been sent -from the table of the Minister, who was also -about to make his morning meal. Confectionary, -pillauf, and stewed meats, were succeeded by -some delicious fruits; and when these had been -removed, and I had emptied a goblet of sherbet -the colour of amber, we joined the party in the -great saloon.</p> - -<p>And a numerous party it was! About a -dozen Hanoums, all splendidly dressed, and -with their turbans sparkling with diamonds, -were squatted in a group upon the sofa; and in -an instant I took my place in the very midst of -them, with my feet doubled under me, to watch -the departure of the Pasha, whose barge, -manned by ten rowers, and covered with Persian -carpets, was waiting to convey him to the -Sublime Porte.</p> - -<p>Away he went at last in fine style, attended -by his secretary, his chiboukjhe, three officers -of his household, and two soldiers; and as soon -as he was fairly out of sight, the curiosity of all -the party centered upon me. They ran their -hands along the satin of my pelisse, asked me if -the brooch that confined my collar was gold,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">275</a></span> -whether I made my own gloves, and if I would -teach them to curl their hair. Having satisfied -them on all these points, I looked round the -circle in my turn, and made an acquaintance -with the young and bright-eyed Nèsibè Hanoum, -the sister-in-law of the Minister, and her lovely -infant.</p> - -<p>As the supreme high breeding of the harem -is no longer its perpetual idleness, several of the -ladies were engaged in needlework, principally -in embroidering handkerchiefs, and knitting a -coarse kind of lace for trimming the bosoms of -their chemisettes; and when each had settled -herself to her employment, Conjefèm Hanoum -proposed giving me a lesson in the art of arranging -a yashmac, an achievement sufficiently -difficult.</p> - -<p>A slave was accordingly despatched into her -chamber in search of the long scarf of muslin -necessary to the operation; and in five minutes -I had undergone so perfect a metamorphose -that I could scarcely recognize myself when I -glanced into the mirror. The delight of the -whole party was unbounded; and nothing would -satisfy them but my adding a feridjhe to my -veil, and presenting myself to the Buyuk Hanoum. -The voluminous cloak of dark cloth -was accordingly thrown over me, and with considerable -difficulty I was taught to manage it -with some degree of grace; after which the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">276</a></span> -laughing girl dragged me towards the apartment -of the venerable lady; and entering before -me, announced that a <em>mussafir</em>, or guest, desired -to be admitted.</p> - -<p>On the invitation of its occupant, I advanced, -making the <em>temina</em><a name="FNanchor_6" id="FNanchor_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">6</a> with all the ceremony necessary -to continue the deceit; and it was not until -I had kissed the hand of the Buyuk Hanoum, -and stood upright before her, that she detected -the masquerade; but when she did so, I was -overwhelmed with exclamations and intreaties—I -was beautiful—resistless—I should turn the -head of every True Believer in Stamboul—Why -did I desire to return to England, when there -was not a Pasha in Constantinople who would -not consider me ‘the Light of the Harem’—Would -I become a Turk?—and a thousand other -ejaculations of like import.</p> - -<p>When the sensation had partially subsided, I -returned to the saloon; and as the yashmac had -previously been arranged in the manner in which -it is worn by the ladies of the Seraï, I took a -second lesson, to enable me to put it on in the -more general fashion; and I then amused -myself for five minutes in watching the manœuvres -of a slave who was purchasing some -water-melons from a fruit-caïque. Nothing could -be more ludicrous: the great gate of the harem -was ajar, and one of the caïquejhes stood on -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">277</a></span> -the terrace, and took the fruit from his companion; -after which he advanced towards the -entrance, and rolled it through the open space -on to the marble floor beyond: the slave running -after each as it appeared, and grasping it with -both hands, as she held it to her ear, to ascertain -if it would give out the splashing sound without -which it is of no value—laying aside those -that she approved, and rolling back the others -with a velocity that gave her the appearance -of being engaged at a game of bowls with the -Greeks on the terrace; talking, moreover, all the -time with an earnestness worthy of the occasion.</p> - -<p>I loitered away another hour with my amiable -hostesses, and then, looking at my watch, I -urged a previous engagement, in order to overcome -their kindly entreaties that I would spend -the remainder of the day with them; and having -bade adieu to the Buyuk Hanoum and her numerous -guests, and promised to pay her another -visit before I left Constantinople, I once more -quitted the hospitable halls of the Reiss Effendi; -carrying away with me the liveliest feeling of -gratitude for all the attentions which I had experienced -from every member of his family.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">278</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Imperial Gratitude—The Freed Woman—A Female Cœlebs—Hussein -the Watchmaker—Golden Dreams—Arabas and Arabajhes—Maternal -Regrets—A Matrimonial Excursion—Difficult Position—The -<em>Sèkèljhes</em>—A Young Husband—The Emir—The Officer of the -Guard—The Emir’s Daughter—First Love—Ballad Singing—A -Salutation—Moonlight—Rejected Addresses—Ruse de Guerre—The -Arrest—A Lover’s Defence—Munificence of the Seraskier Pasha.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> Sultan occasionally recompenses the -faithful services of the slaves of the Imperial -Seraï by giving them their liberty, accompanied -by a donation sufficiently liberal to enable them -to establish themselves in an eligible manner. -On a late occasion, he emancipated an elderly -woman, who had secured his favour by her unremitted -attentions to one of his wives during a -protracted illness; and, being light of heart at -the moment, and perhaps curious to learn how -she would act on such an emergency, he desired -her to put on her yashmac, and to take a boat -to Stamboul, where she was to hire an araba, -and drive slowly about the city, until she saw an -individual whom she desired for a husband; -when, if he could be identified, she should be his -wife within the week.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">279</a></span>His Imperial Highness was obeyed on the -instant. One of the Palace caïques rowed to the -door of the harem; and the freed slave, accompanied -by an aged companion, stepped in, and -was rapidly conveyed to Stamboul. On landing at -“the Gate of the Garden,” she walked into the -house of Hussein the watchmaker, with whose -wife she was acquainted; and while the stripling -son of the worthy Musselmaun was despatched -for an araba, she took her place upon the sofa, -and partook of the grape-jelly and coffee which -were handed to her by her officious hostess. -These were succeeded by the <em>kadeun-chibouk</em>, or -woman’s pipe; and she had not flung out half -a dozen volumes of smoke from her nostrils, ere -all the harem of Hussein the watchmaker knew -that she was free, and about to chuse a helpmeet -from among the tradesmen of the city.</p> - -<p>At every “Mashallàh!” uttered by her auditors, -the self-gratulation of the visitor increased; -and she, who a day previously had not wasted a -thought on matrimony, smoked on in silence, -absorbed in dreams of tenderness and ambition.</p> - -<p>The araba was, of course, a full hour ere it -appeared, for the arabajhe had to smoke his -<em>narghïlè</em>, or water-pipe; and the arabajhe’s assistant -had to repair the damages which the last -day’s journey had done to the harness, and to -wash away the mud that yet clung about the -wheels; and after that there were comments to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">280</a></span> -be made upon the horses, as they were slowly -attached to the vehicle; and on the unusual -circumstance of a Turkish woman hiring a -carriage, without previously bargaining with -the owner for the sum to be paid.</p> - -<p>But Yusuf, the son of Hussein, who found -more amusement in watching the slow motions -of the arabajhe than in keeping guard over his -father’s chronometers, put an end to the astonishment -of the party by informing them that -the person who had engaged the vehicle was a -slave of the Imperial Seraï; a piece of information -which tended considerably to expedite the -preparations of the coachman, and to excite the -curiosity of his companions.</p> - -<p>The female Cœlebs, meanwhile, had emptied -three chibouks; and as the ashes of each was -deposited in the little brass dish that rested -on the carpet, brighter, and fairer visions rose -before her; and on each occasion that she drew -from amid the folds of the shawl which bound -her waist, the cachemire purse that contained -her tobacco, and replenished her pipe, she indulged -in a more flattering augury of her day’s -speculation.</p> - -<p>To render the circumstance more intelligible -to the European reader, it may be as well to -state that there are few tradesmen in Stamboul -who would hesitate to marry an Imperial slave, -whatever might be her age or personal infirmi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">281</a></span>ties, -as she is sure to bring with her a golden -apology for all her defects: and thus it was not -astonishing that the wife of Hussein sighed as -she remembered that her son Yusuf was yet -a child, and that, consequently, she could not -offer his hand to her visiter; and the more -sincerely that the worthy watchmaker did not -stand high in the favour of fortune; the “accursed -Giaours,” as the angry Hanoum did not -hesitate to declare, selling for the same price -demanded by the Turkish artisan for his inferior -ware, watches that were as true as the muezzin, -and as enduring as the Koràn.</p> - -<p>At length the araba drew up beneath the -latticed windows; and the two friends, resuming -their slippers, shuffled across the matted floor -of the harem, followed by the compliments and -<em>teminas</em> of their hostess; mattresses and cushions -were arranged in the vehicle by the hands -of Hussein himself; and their yashmacs having -been re-arranged, they were ere long jolting -over the rough pavement of the city of Constantine.</p> - -<p>They first bent their course to the Charshees; -and the confidant pointed out many a grave-looking, -middle-aged Mussulmaun to the admiration -of her companion; but the freed-woman -only shrugged her shoulders, uttered a contemptuous -“Mashallàh!” and turned away her -eyes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">282</a></span>The stream of life flowed on beside their path. -Turbans of green, of white, and of yellow passed -along; but none of the wearers found favour in -the sight of the husband-seeking fair one. Hours -were wasted in vain; she was as far removed -from a decision as when she stepped into the -caïque at Beglierbey; and the patience of her -companion was worn threadbare; she became -silent, sullen, and sleepy—and still the araba -groaned and drawled along the narrow streets—Human -nature could endure no more; and -after having been jolted out of a quiet slumber -three several times, the confidant digressed from -weariness to expostulation.</p> - -<p>“May the Prophet receive me into paradise! -Is there not a True Believer in Stamboul worthy -to become the husband of a woman whose hair -is gray; and who has long ceased to pour out -the scented sherbet in the garden of roses? Had -it been my <em>kismet</em><a name="FNanchor_7" id="FNanchor_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">7</a> to come hunting through the -thoroughfares of the city on the same errand, -I should have chosen long ago.”</p> - -<p>The freed-woman only replied by desiring the -arabajhe to drive to the quarter inhabited by -the <em>sèkèljhes</em>, or sweetmeat-makers; the finest -race of men in Constantinople. When they -entered it, she began to look about her with -more earnestness than she had hitherto exhibited; -but even here she was in no haste to come -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">283</a></span> -to a decision; and although she passed many a -stately Musselmaun whom she would not have -refused in the brightest days of her youth, she -“made no sign” until she arrived opposite to -the shop of a manufacturer of <em>alva</em>, a sweet -composition much esteemed in the East; where -half a dozen youths, bare-legged, and with their -shirt sleeves rolled up to their shoulders, were -employed in kneading the paste, previously to -its being put into the oven.</p> - -<p>“<em>Inshallàh</em>—I trust in God! He is here—” -said the lady, as she stopped the carriage; “See -you not that tall stripling, with arms like the -blossom of the seringa, and eyes as black as -the dye of Khorasan?”</p> - -<p>“He who is looking towards us?” exclaimed -her companion in astonishment; “The Prophet -have pity on him! Why, he is young enough -to be your son.”</p> - -<p>The answer of the freed-woman was an angry -pull at her yashmac, as she drew more closely -together the folds of her feridjhe. The young and -handsome sèkèljhe was summoned to the side -of the araba, and found to improve upon acquaintance; -upon which he was informed of the -happiness that awaited him, and received the -tidings with true Turkish philosophy; and in -a few days the bride removed into a comfortable -harem, of which the ground-floor was a handsome -shop, fitted up with a select stock of sweet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">284</a></span>meats -at the expence of the Sultan; and those -who desire to see one of the principal actors in -this little comedy, need only enter the gaily-painted -establishment at the left-hand corner of -the principal street leading into the Atmeidan, -to form an acquaintance with Suleiman the -sèkèljhe.</p> - -<p>Another occurrence, equally authentic, and -still more recent, is deserving of record, as being -peculiarly characteristic of the rapid progress -of enlightenment and liberality. An Emir of -the city, celebrated for his sanctity and rigid -observance of all the laws of Mahomet, had a -fair daughter who sometimes indulged, in the -solitude of the harem, in softer dreams than -those of her austere father. Unfortunately for -the stately priest, a guard-house, tenanted by -a dozen armed men, under the command of an -officer whose personal merits exceeded his years, -was established not a hundred yards from his -house; and, as the youthful commander paced -slowly to and fro the street to dispel his ennui, -it so chanced that he generally terminated his -walk beneath the windows of the Emir’s harem.</p> - -<p>The first time that the pretty Yasumi<a name="FNanchor_8" id="FNanchor_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">8</a> Hanoum -peeped through her lattice at the handsome -soldier, the blood rushed to her brow, and -her heart beat quick, though she knew not -wherefore. The young beauty led a lonely life, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">285</a></span> -for she was motherless, and her father was a -stern man, who had no sympathy with womanly -tastes; and, satisfied with providing for her -daily necessities, never troubled himself further. -It was by no means extraordinary, therefore, -that she amused her idleness with watching the -motions of the stranger; nor that, by dint of -observing him, she ere long discovered that he -was rapidly becoming an object of interest to -her heart.</p> - -<p>Then followed all the manœuvres of an Eastern -beauty, who has no means of communication -with the other sex, save those which her -woman-wit enables her to invent. A shower -of lavender buds, flung from the narrow opening -of the lattice upon his head, first attracted the -attention of the gallant Moslem to the Emir’s -harem; nor was it diminished by a glimpse of -one of the whitest little hands in the world, -which, ere it closed the aperture, waved a graceful -salutation that could be meant only for -himself.</p> - -<p>But the youth knew that he was playing a -dangerous game, and he consequently moved -away without making any answering gesture; -and resolved to stroll in the other direction, -rather than encourage the advances which had -been made to him. Once or twice, he accordingly -walked as far as the slipper-stall of a -Jew merchant; but this uninteresting individual<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">286</a></span> -squinted hideously, and smoked tobacco of so -odious a quality that it half suffocated the more -fastidious Osmanli. Of course there was no persevering -in such an encounter, and he was -consequently compelled to resume his original -line of march; being the more readily induced -to do so by importunate memories of the little -white hand which had showered down upon him -the sweet-scented lavender buds; although he -did not suffer himself to suspect that such was -the case; and lest he should be addressed from -the dangerous lattice, and thus become more -deeply involved in the adventure, he amused -himself by singing one of Sultan Mahmoud’s -ballads in his best style.</p> - -<p>But, unfortunately for the success of this laudable -intention, the Imperial poet has written -none but love-ditties; and the young soldier -chanced inadvertently to fix upon one in which -an anxious suitor calls upon his mistress to -reveal to him the beauty that he has hitherto -beheld only in his dreams—he invokes the moon -from behind the clouds that veil it—the hidden -leaf from the heart of the rose where it is folded—and -loses himself in hyperbole on the subject -of the concealed loveliness on which he longs to -look.</p> - -<p>No wonder that the imprisoned Yasumi -Hanoum listened until she believed that the -Prophet’s paradise was opening about her—No<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">287</a></span> -wonder that on the morrow a lock of hair as -black as midnight fell at the feet of the minstrel, -as he paced his accustomed beat;—and still -less wonder that the white hand and the dark -tress began to trouble the dreams of the gallant -Moslem, and to bewilder his imagination.</p> - -<p>He was smoking his evening chibouk seated -on a low wicker stool at the door of the guard-room, -when chancing to look up, he perceived -a female rapidly approaching from the direction -of the Emir’s house. There was nothing remarkable -in such a circumstance, for the street -was a great thoroughfare, and many women had -traversed it during the day; and yet his attention -was irresistibly attracted to the stranger; -and as she reached his side, their eyes met:— -“<em>Shekiur Allah!</em>—Praise be to God! I may -speak to you at last;” murmured a low soft -voice; “Perhaps I should not tell you that I -love you, but who can war against fate?”</p> - -<p>The deep dark eyes were averted—the light -figure moved away—He had looked upon the -Emir’s Daughter!</p> - -<p>Prudence was at an end; and many a midnight -hour did the young soldier spend beneath the -latticed casement of the enamoured beauty. At -length her adventurous hand raised the envious -jalousie; and as the moonlight fell bright upon -her, the lover looked upon the fair face which -was destined never more to be forgotten; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">288</a></span> -from that moment he vowed that death alone -should make him relinquish his suit.</p> - -<p>But, alas! what hope could be indulged that a -saintly Emir would bestow his daughter upon -a soldier—upon an individual doubly obnoxious -both from his profession, and from the fact that -it had grown to power upon the ruin of the -Janissaries? The youth asked, supplicated, -and was answered with contempt and loathing.</p> - -<p>But the tears of the fair girl when she learnt -from his own lips the failure of his suit, only -strengthened him in his determination of success; -and having confided his adventure to -a friend who was devoted to his interests, he -resolved either to compel the consent of the -Emir, or to incur the penalty of exile, rather -than exist near the woman whom he loved -without a hope that she could be his. Accordingly, -having summoned half a dozen of his men, -he informed them that he had a quarrel with -the Emir which he was determined to decide; -and instructed them to loiter about the house of -the Priest, and should they hear any disturbance, -to enter as if by accident; and, in the event -of the Emir desiring them to seize their officer, -and carry them before the Seraskier, to obey -without hesitation.</p> - -<p>This arrangement made, the lover once more -intruded on the seclusion of the Priest, and with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">289</a></span> -all the eloquence inspired by sincere affection, -besought him to revoke his resolution, and to -give him his daughter. But the haughty Emir -only added insult to refusal; and the enraged -suitor, casting back the injuries which were addressed -to him, sprang towards the door that -communicated with the harem, and vowed that -he would force his way, and carry off his bride -despite every Priest in Stamboul. The affrighted -father, shrieking forth sacrilege and murder, -clapped his hands, and a couple of stout slaves -entered, to whom he issued orders to seize the -madman, and put him forth; but the suitor was -young and vigorous, and he had already beaten -down one of his antagonists, when the soldiers, -perceiving from the clamour that was going -on above, that the critical moment had arrived, -rushed up stairs, and demanded the occasion of -the outcry.</p> - -<p>The Emir, breathless with terror, and trembling -with rage, only pointed to the lover, -as he exclaimed; “To the Seraskier! To the -Seraskier! <em>Inshallàh!</em> I will have justice.”</p> - -<p>He was instantly obeyed. The soldiers surrounded -their commander, and hurried him off, -followed by the panting Priest; and in ten minutes -more the whole party stood before the -Seraskier.</p> - -<p>The fateful moment had arrived; and the -heart of the young man beat high with a thou<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">290</a></span>sand -conflicting feelings as the Emir told his -tale, and implored vengeance on the miscreant -who had dared to beard him beneath his own -roof, and to attempt a violation of his harem; -but he was re-assured by the tone of the -Pasha, as he turned towards him, when the -angry father had ceased speaking, and bade -him explain his motives for such unheard-of -violence.</p> - -<p>“Noble Pasha,” said the lover, “may your -days be many!—I will hide nothing from you. -I love this old man’s daughter; and I have -asked her of him for a wife. I have won her -heart, no matter where nor how; but may my -hours be numbered if I pollute your ears with -falsehood. He has spurned me with insult because -I am a soldier—He has declared the uniform -of the glorious Sultan (May his shadow -ever lie long upon the earth!) to be the brand -of obloquy and disgrace; and had I not loved -the girl more than perhaps it is altogether -seemly for a True Believer to love a woman, I -should have given him back scorn for scorn. -But I could not do this without regret; and it is -through my own agency that I now stand before -your Excellency, to plead my cause, and to teach -this hoary Priest that the soldier of the Sultan -is not to be taunted to his teeth, even by a white-turbaned -Emir. I could not force myself into -your presence, noble Pasha, to talk to you of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">291</a></span> -woman; and thus I played the part of a madman -in order that I might be dragged hither as a -culprit, and learn from your own lips whether -the crescent upon my breast is to make me an -outcast from society.”</p> - -<p>“Did he indeed demand your daughter for his -wife?” asked the Seraskier, as he removed the -chibouk from his lips, and glanced towards the -Priest. He was answered doggedly in the affirmative.</p> - -<p>“Take heed, then, Emir”—pursued the Pasha, -“This looks like disaffection to his Highness: -(May his end be glorious!) See that the girl become -the wife of this young man ere many days -roll over your head, or the holy turban that you -wear shall not protect you. What? is it for you, -and such as you, to sow divisions among the -subjects of the most gracious Sultan? Look to -this ere it be too late.”</p> - -<p>And as the baffled Emir turned away, the -Seraskier bade one of his officers take steps to -secure to the victorious suitor the rank of Captain; -and to pay to him five thousand piastres -from his (the Pasha’s) own purse, as a marriage -present.</p> - -<p>The step was a bold one, for it was the first -instance in which an Emir’s daughter had -ever been permitted to become the wife of a -soldier. A thousand long-existing prejudices -had hitherto rendered such an alliance impos<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">292</a></span>sible; -and it was a great stroke of policy to -break down the strong barrier of habit and -fanaticism, and to create a bond of union between -two jarring and jealous portions of the -population.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">293</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XX.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Turkish Madhouses—Surveillance of Sultan Mahmoud—Self-Elected -Saints—Lunatic Establishment of Solimaniè—The Mad Father—The -Apostate—The Sultan’s Juggler—The Slave Market—Charshee.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">No</span> traveller who can string his nerves to the -trial; or rather who will not suffer himself to -be scared by the idea of a Turkish madhouse, -should fail while at Constantinople, to visit the -Timerhazè, or Lunatic Establishment, dependent -on the mosque of Solimaniè. He will encounter -nothing to disgust, and comparatively -little to distress him; for all is cleanly, quiet, -and almost cheerful. For myself, morbidly sensitive -on such occasions, I shrank from the task -which I was nevertheless resolved to achieve, -until the eleventh hour; and my only feeling -when I looked around me</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">“Where laughter is not mirth, nor thought the mind,</div> -<div class="line">Nor words a language, nor even men mankind,”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>in the Madhouse of Solimaniè, was one of intense -relief, on finding that my own diseased fancy had -so far outrun the reality.</p> - -<p>It is, however, to the universal surveillance -of Sultan Mahmoud that the unfortunates who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">294</a></span> -tenant the building are indebted for the only -comforts which they are still capable of enjoying; -for but a few years ago they were unapproachable -to the stranger, from the filthy and -neglected state of both their cells and their -persons. By an Imperial order, cleanliness and -care have been secured to them; and the calm, -and in many instances, affectionate manner, in -which they conversed with their keepers, was a -convincing proof that they were kindly treated. -The Turks have, moreover, a superstitious reverence -for the insane. They believe that the -spirit has been recalled by its <span class="smcap">God</span>, and the hallucinated -being is regarded as almost saintly; a -beatification, however, of which filth appears to -be almost a concomitant part in the East; for -whenever you encounter in the streets a wild-looking -wretch, half Dervish, and half mendicant; -so wretchedly filthy, that you dare not -suffer him to come in contact with you as you -pass him—with a beard matted with dirt, and -elf-locks hanging about his shoulders, of which -the colour is undistinguishable; ragged, swarming -with vermin, and apparently half stupified -with opium; should you, amid your disgust, -make any inquiry as to his identity, you are -told that he is a saint!</p> - -<p>This extraordinary race of men (for there are -numbers of them about the streets of Constantinople) -are self-elected in their holiness; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">295</a></span> -take up the trade as less ambitious individuals -establish themselves in commerce. They affect -absence of thought, concentration of mind, and -having progressed gradually to a certain point, -they finish with partial aberration of intellect; -and this last may, in truth, be often real, for -the years of unwashed and uncombed misery to -which they condemn themselves are enough to -produce madness. Ragged and wretched as I -have described them, these miserable men are, -nevertheless, objects of great veneration to the -mass of the people; and the poorest <em>calmac</em>, or -porter, will seldom refuse his <em>para</em> to one of these -saintly mendicants.</p> - -<p>The Lunatic Establishment of Solimaniè -occupies an inner court of the mosque, whose -centre is overshadowed by several magnificent -plane trees, planted round a spacious fountain. -Three sides of the court are furnished with -arches, through which the apartments of the -lunatics are entered, while each is ventilated by -a couple or more of large grated windows; the -number of patients in each cell never exceeding -that of the windows. The most painful -object connected with the scene, was the heavy -chain and collar of iron worn by each of the -lunatics, which kept up a perpetual clanking -as the unfortunate moved in his restlessness -from place to place within his narrow limits. -The bedding was cleanly, comfortable, and pro<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">296</a></span>fuse; -and many of the tenants of the cells were -eating melons, or smoking their chibouks, as -tranquilly and as methodically as though they -had been under a very different roof.</p> - -<p>Among the whole number there was not one -furiously mad, as is so frequently the case in -Europe; and I was assured that such patients -were extremely rare. Melancholy appeared to -be the prevailing symptom of the disease among -these hallucinated Osmanlis; a deep, but by no -means sullen, melancholy; for very few of them -refused to reply to an expression of interest or -commiseration; and the feeling of social courtesy, -so strong among the Turks, had in no one -instance been destroyed, even by the total aberration -of intellect which had prostrated every -other bond of union between them and their -fellow-men.</p> - -<p>I have mentioned elsewhere the surpassing -love of the Turks for their children; and I never -saw a more beautiful illustration of parental -affection than was exhibited by the first unfortunate -before whose cell we paused. Several -Greek ladies accompanied us; and the madman, -whose head was pillowed upon his knees as we -approached him, turned his dim, stony eyes -upon each with a cold unconsciousness that was -thrilling, until he met the soft, tearful gaze of -a pale, delicate girl who was leaning upon my -arm. When he caught sight of her he started<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">297</a></span> -from his recumbent posture, and almost shrieked -out his gladness as he exclaimed—“My child! -my child! they told me that you had abandoned -me, but I let them say on without a murmur, -for I knew that you only tarried; and you are -come at last—Why do you weep? I see you, -and I am happy. I have not been alone—look -here—” and he thrust his hand into his breast, -and drew forth a dove which was nestling there; -“I have held this upon my heart, and, as I slept, -I dreamt that it was you.”</p> - -<p>After a moment’s silence he resumed: “I would -give you this trembling bird, for you are my -child, and I love you; but it will not abandon -me. It is my friend, my playfellow, my child -when you are away. It will not leave me, though -I am mad—And yet, why do they tell you that -I am mad? It is not so—Do I not know you? -Am I not your father? Is it because I am sorrowful -that they have told you this?” And -again the pale face was bowed down; and one -heavy sob which seemed to rise from the very -depths of a crushed spirit terminated the sentence. -We hurried on—it was profanation to -make a spectacle of such an agony—mindless -though it was.</p> - -<p>Nor was the next individual with whom we -came in contact less painfully interesting. Strikingly -handsome, and not above five-and-thirty, -he had already passed four miserable years in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">298</a></span> -the Madhouse of Solimaniè. An Armenian by -birth, and a Catholic by faith, he had been -induced to embrace Mahomeddanism, but he -had paid with his reason the price of his apostacy; -and this one memory haunted him in his -wretched lunacy. As we paused before the -grating of his cell, he bowed his head upon his -breast, and murmured out; “<em>In Nomine Patri, -et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus, Amen.</em>”</p> - -<p>His look was fastened upon my father, and -some faint and long-effaced image seemed to -rise before him, for he smiled sadly, and extended -towards him his white and wasted hand; -nor could any other of the party succeed in -diverting his attention. Twice, thrice, the same -words were uttered, and always in an accent of -the most thrilling anguish. Surely his sin will -be expiated on earth, and forgiven at the last -day!</p> - -<p>Some were merry, and exhausted themselves -in song and jest; and some, with a latent leaven -of worldliness, asked alms, and laughed out their -soulless joy as the coins which we flung to them -rang on the stone-work of the window. The -Juggler of Sultan Selim—He who had taught -the great ones of the land to believe him gifted -with a power more than human—He who had -raised the laughter of amusement, and the exclamation -of wonder—whose very presence had -awakened mirth and merriment—He, too, was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">299</a></span> -here—caged, and chained—the mad prisoner -of three-and-thirty weary years!—the palest, -the saddest, and the most silent of the whole -miserable company. His beard fell to his girdle—his -matted locks half concealed his haggard -countenance—his hands were clasped upon his -breast—and he did not turn his head as we -approached him.</p> - -<p>From the madhouse we proceeded to the slave-market; -a square court, three of whose sides are -built round with low stone rooms, or cells, beyond -which projects a wooden peristyle. There -is always a painful association connected with -the idea of slavery, and an insurmountable disgust -excited by the spectacle of money given in -exchange for human beings; but, beyond this, -(and assuredly this is enough!) there is nothing -either to distress or to disgust in the slave-market -of Constantinople. No wanton cruelty, -no idle insult is permitted: the slaves, in many -instances, select their own purchaser from among -the bidders; and they know that when once -received into a Turkish family they become -members of it in every sense of the word, and -are almost universally sure to rise in the world -if they conduct themselves worthily. The Negroes -only remain in the open court, where they -are squatted in groups, until summoned to shew -themselves to a purchaser; while the Circassians -and Georgians, generally brought there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">300</a></span> -by their parents at their own request, occupy -the closed apartments, in order that they may -not be exposed to the gaze of the idlers who -throng the court. The utmost order, decency, -and quiet prevail; and a military guard is -stationed at the entrance to enforce them, should -the necessity for interference occur, which is, -however, very rarely the case.</p> - -<p>I expected to have had much to write on the -subject of the slave-market, but I left it only -with an increased conviction of the great moral -beauty of the Turkish character. I am aware -that this declaration will startle many of my -readers; but I make it from a principle of justice. -I knew that the establishment existed—I never -thought of it without a shudder, nor shall I -ever remember it without a pang; but I am, -nevertheless, compelled to declare that I did -not witness there any of the horrors for which -I had prepared myself. The Turks never make -either a sport or a jest of human suffering, or -human degradation. Not a word, not a glance -escaped them, calculated to wound the wretched -beings who were crouching on the ground under -the hot sunshine—They made their odious bargain -seriously and quietly; and left the market, -followed by the slaves whom they had purchased, -without one act of wanton cruelty, or -unnecessary interference.</p> - -<p>I felt glad when, escaping from this painful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">301</a></span> -scene, bitter and revolting even under the most -favourable aspect, we found ourselves in the -Charshee, surrounded by all the glittering temptations -of the East, and deep in the mysteries -of tissues and trinkets. The morning had been -a trying one, and I rejoiced to be enabled to -divert my thoughts from the scenes through -which we had passed. A thousand brilliant -baubles were spread out before us—a thousand -harangues replete with hyperbole were exhausted -on us—all was bustle and excitement; -and I forgot for a while the weeping father and -the spirit-stricken apostate of Solimaniè.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">302</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXI.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Castle of Europe—The Traitor’s Gate—The Officer of the Guard—Military -Scruples—The State Prison—The Tower of Blood—The -Janissaries’ Tower—<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Cachots Forcès</em>—Guard-room—The Bow-string—Frightful -Death—The Signal Gun—The Grand Armoury—Flourishing -State of the Establishment—A Dialogue—The Barracks -of the Imperial Guard—The Persian Kiosk—Courts and Cloisters—The -Kitchen—The Regimental School—A Coming Storm—The Tempest—Dangerous -Passage—Turkish Terror—Kind-hearted -Caïquejhe—Fortunate Escape.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Having</span> obtained an order of admission from -one of the Ministers, my father and myself -started early one morning to visit the Fortress -of Mahomet, commonly called by the Franks -the Castle of Europe.</p> - -<p>I have already stated elsewhere that this was -the first <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">pied-à-terre</em> of the Prophet on the European -coast; and that the entire pile, forming the -characters of his name, was erected in six days. -The strength of the fortress is much greater -than its peculiar construction would lead you to -believe when seen from the sea; and it is altogether -an object of extreme interest.</p> - -<p>When our caïque touched the landing-place -opposite the Traitor’s Gate, our dragoman -landed to obtain the authority of the officer on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">303</a></span> -guard, who was sitting on his low wicker stool -at the door of the guard-house, which is built -upon the shore of the Bosphorus at the foot of -the exterior wall of the fortress; and his surprise -on ascertaining our errand was so great, -that he scarcely removed the chibouk from his -lips, as he declared the impossibility of his admitting -us into a stronghold, within which no -Frank had hitherto set his foot—The first European -Fortress of the Prophet—The prison of the -Janissaries—The—— I know not what else -he might have added, for, in the midst of his -harangue, he suddenly remembered that one of -the two applicants for admission on the present -occasion was not only a Frank, but, worse still, -a woman; and he was just beginning to reason -upon the fact, when our dragoman stepped in -with the announcement of our order.</p> - -<p>His scruples were silenced at once, and he -immediately very civilly sent a corporal and a -soldier of the garrison to point out to us the -different localities; and two most intelligent -men they proved to be, who, having been two -years on the castle guard, were perfectly competent -to do the melancholy honours of the place.</p> - -<p>The Traitor’s Gate is the only seaward entrance -to the fortress; and, when we had -stooped to pass its low, wide arch, we found ourselves -in a large court, having on our right hand -one of the four principal towers; and precisely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">304</a></span> -that which has hitherto served as a state prison -for persons of distinction.</p> - -<p>In the lower cell of this tower, which contains -several ranges of dungeons, (none of them, however, -subterranean), is a stone tunnel, descending -deep into the sea; and beside its mouth is placed -a block of marble, against which the victim -knelt to receive the fatal stroke; when the severed -head, and the gory stream that accompanied it, -fell into the tunnel, and were carried by the -current far beyond the walls of the fortress; the -body, thus rendered irrecognisable, being afterwards -thrown into the channel. A deep ditch -passes near the entrance of this tower, which -opens into an inner court; and, as we ascended -a steep acclivity, and passed beside a ruined -mosque, we traced the moat to the foundation of -a second and lower tower, square in form, and -castellated on the summit; distinguished by the -fearful appellation of the “Tower of Blood!” -The ditch opens immediately beneath a low -archway, excavated in the foundation of the -tower; and its use is similar to that of the -tunnel in the lower prison, being intended to -convey away to the sea all, save the bodies of -the criminals executed within its walls, who -were invariably the Aghas, or chiefs of the -Janissaries, whom it would not have been safe -to have dishonoured in the eyes of that formidable -body, as it was customary to insult the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">305</a></span> -remains of the less distinguished of their comrades.</p> - -<p>In this ditch one of the soldiers informed us -that near four hundred cases of ammunition had -been discovered buried beneath the soil, for the -private use of the Janissaries, in the event of -their requiring such an auxiliary during any -popular commotion; and it was singular enough -that the deposit was revealed by the very individual -who informed us of it, and who pointed -out the spot where his pickaxe struck against -the cover of one of the chests, when employed -with a fatigue party to cleanse the moat from -its accumulated filth.</p> - -<p>Hence we ascended to the Janissaries’ Tower, -the principal object of our curiosity. Built on -the highest point of land within the walls, even -from the base of this tower you command one -of the noblest views in the world; having on -one hand the whole stretch of the channel, to -the opening of the Sea of Marmora; and on the -other, the entrance to the Black Sea; the most -sublime coup d’œil in the Bosphorus.</p> - -<p>Here two additional attendants with lights -were added to the party; and, having first visited -a recess, or cell, in the masonry of the tower, -which we entered by a low, narrow archway, -that had been lately discovered, we stood within -the secret magazine of the Janissaries, where -they had built in upwards of six hundred cases<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">306</a></span> -of powder: and we then commenced our survey -of the dungeons.</p> - -<p>Throughout the whole Tower, which is of -great height, and contains seven ranges of cells, -all of them tolerably lofty, there were but two -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cachots forcés</em>, or dark dungeons; every apartment -being furnished with a narrow, grated -aperture for the admission of air and light, and -a small marble cistern for containing water. I -wished to explore one of the two, but was withheld -by the soldiers, who assured me that, since -the destruction of the Janissaries, no one had -ventured to enter them, and that they might be, -and probably were, <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">oubliettes</em>, where one false -step would plunge me headlong to destruction.</p> - -<p>Thus warned, I desisted reluctantly from my -purpose; and, sooth to say, we were sufficiently -surrounded by horrors, to be enabled to dispense -with one more or less. Our next point was the -guard-room; an extensive apartment, with a -floor boarded transversely with narrow planks, -forming a lattice-work, through which the guard -could both see and hear the prisoner beneath; -and roofed in the same manner. Having traced -the tower nearly to its summit, we descended, -and passing onward a few paces at its base, we -found ourselves in a compartment of the covered -way that connects the towers throughout the -fortress; and which was furnished with large<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">307</a></span> -arched doorways on either side. Here, within -a recess, hung an old Roman bow of such -strength that no modern arm can bend it; and -to this, as we were informed, the cord was attached -used in strangling the condemned Janissaries. -I confess that I thrilled less at the sight -of this instrument of torture, than at the idea -of the refinement of cruelty, which, in a locality -replete with gloom, had selected such a spot for -the work of death.</p> - -<p>Hither was the victim dragged from his twilight -cell. Here, where the fresh breeze of Heaven -came lovingly to his forehead, quivering among -the broad leaves of the wild fig-trees; and dancing -on the sunlighted waters. Hither, where -the bright day-beam shed over the world a light -which to him was mockery! What had he to -do with the fresh breeze and the genial beam? -His knee was upon the earth, and the cord was -about his neck. One gaze, one long, wild, -withering gaze, while his executioners were -busied with the fatal noose; one sigh, the deep -concentrated inspiration of despair; a shriek, a -struggle; the last grappling of the strong man -with his murderers, and all was over; the cord -was transferred from the throat to the feet of -the victim; and they who were lately his comrades -and his friends, seized the extremity of the -fatal rope, and, dragging after them the yet quivering -body, it was thus hurried ignominiously<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">308</a></span> -down the rough and steep stone stair which -traverses the fortress, ere it arrived at the -Traitor’s Gate.</p> - -<p>But I will pursue the revolting image no -further. As the mangled body was hurled into -the sea, the long gun which occupies an embrasure -near the entrance of the fortress was fired, -to announce to the authorities at Constantinople -that justice had been done upon the guilty.</p> - -<p>Early morning and noon were the periods -usually selected for these executions; and few -are the individuals who have been long resident -in Turkey, who can fail to remember the dismal -report of the solitary gun as it came booming -over the Bosphorus!</p> - -<p>The few houses built within the walls of the -fortress are surrounded by cheerful gardens, -and are kept in tolerable repair. As we left the -castle, we were politely accosted by the officer -on guard, who inquired whether we desired to -visit the fortress on the opposite coast, which -was formerly used as a prison for the Bostangis, -or Imperial Body Guard; the order with which -we were furnished sufficing for both. But I had -become so heart-sick among the dungeons of -the Janissaries, that I prevailed on my father to -decline the proposal; and we accordingly reembarked, -and proceeded to the Grand Armoury -at Dolma Batchè.</p> - -<p>Here again we were obliged to avail ourselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">309</a></span> -of our order, no female ever having been hitherto -admitted within the gates of the establishment; -but it was merely the delay of a moment, and, -having passed the entrance, we stood within a -spacious court forming the centre of the quadrangle, -surrounded by the entrances of the -several workshops, and furnished with an immense -marble reservoir containing water for the -supply of the artificers.</p> - -<p>The greatest activity and order prevails -throughout the whole establishment. Fifteen -hundred men are constantly employed within -the walls; and their wages vary from one to two -shillings a day, according to the difficulty of the -work, and their ability to execute it creditably. -No distinction either of creed or nation operates -against the reception of an artificer; Turks, -Greeks, Armenians, Bulgarians, and Jews are -alike eligible, if capable of performing their -allotted duties; but the most difficult and -finished branches of the different departments -are almost universally confided to Armenian -workmen, who are the best artificers of the -East.</p> - -<p>The nominal head of the establishment is a -Turk, but he does not interfere beyond making -a weekly survey to ascertain that all is progressing -satisfactorily; while his deputy, who is -an Armenian, enters into the detail of the labour, -makes the contracts for timber and metal, pays<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">310</a></span> -the workmen, and performs every other responsible -duty. The number of firelocks completed -daily, and sent across each evening to the Armoury -within the walls of the Seraï Bournou, -was stated to us to average seventy; but this -was probably an exaggeration.</p> - -<p>The musket-barrels are at present bored by -hand-machinery, and between forty and fifty -men are constantly employed at this labour -alone; but a substantial and handsome stone -edifice is now constructing in the immediate -neighbourhood, under the superintendence, and -according to the design, of an English architect, -to which this branch of the establishment is to -be transferred, and where the work is to be done -by steam; by which means a great ultimate -saving will be effected.</p> - -<p>One of the muskets furnished with a spring -bayonet was shown to us, which, although not -equal in finish, and more heavy in form than those -of Europe, was, nevertheless, very creditable to -an establishment, that is yet comparatively in -its infancy. I was much amused by the astonishment -of a respectable old Turk who was -superintendent of the finishing department, when -he saw me engaged with my father in examining -this musket. “What pleasure can a Frank -woman find in looking at fire-arms?” he asked -the Dragoman; “One of our females would be -afraid to touch such a thing. Where does she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">311</a></span> -come from? and how came they to let her in -here?” The reply of the interpreter surprised -him still more.</p> - -<p>“Mashallàh!” he exclaimed, approaching me -with a look of comic earnestness. “Did the -Pasha send her? Why, she is but a girl. How -should she know how to write books better than -our women who never do so?”</p> - -<p>“Because your women are shut up”—replied -the Dragoman.</p> - -<p>The Turk nodded assent; “True enough, -true enough; they cannot learn of the walls. -The Franks see and hear, and travel over land -and sea; and that is why they know more than -we who remain at home, and ask no questions.”</p> - -<p>I give this little dialogue, because it strikes -me as being very characteristic. How often -have I been reminded by the Turkish women -that if I had learnt many things of which they -were ignorant, I had taken a great deal of -trouble to acquire them, while they had remained -comfortably at home without care or fatigue.</p> - -<p>From the Armoury we crossed over to the -barracks of the Imperial Guard at Scutari, -where my appearance created as much astonishment -among the troops as though I had come to -take the command of the garrison; and once -more I was stopped by the officer on guard; -but, as Achmet Pacha had prepared the Commandant -for our visit, he was immediately sum<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">312</a></span>moned -by the Dragoman, and received us with -the greatest politeness.</p> - -<p>This magnificent barrack is nearly quadrangular, -the centre of the fourth side being occupied -by low workshops, and a noble gateway -opening upon an exercise ground, at whose extremity -on the edge of the rock overhanging the -sea stands the Persian Kiosk of the Sultan. -Nothing can be conceived more grand than the -view from this graceful summer pavilion whence -you command the port, the channel, the city of -Constantinople, Pera, Galata, and every object -of interest and beauty in the neighbourhood of -the capital; the picturesque Seraï Bournou; and -far, far away, the Sea of Marmora, and the dark -mountains of Asia. The prevalence of northerly -winds had prevented any vessel from entering -the Golden Horn during the three preceding -weeks, and a little fleet of about thirty merchant-men -were lying at anchor under the very -windows of the Kiosk, giving the last touch of -loveliness to the scene spread out before us.</p> - -<p>The whole interior extent of the barrack is -furnished with arched cloisters along each story -of the building; by which means a sufficient -space is ensured for the purposes of drill -and exercise during inclement weather. The -cleanliness of the rooms was beautiful; and -here, as elsewhere, we had occasion to remark -the extremely orderly conduct of the troops.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">313</a></span> -We were standing in the yard of a barrack containing -five thousand men, and there was not -sufficient noise to have annoyed an invalid. The -barrack was constructed to accommodate fifteen -thousand, but it is at present garrisoned only by -four regiments, and a brigade of artillery, whose -stabling is situated under the lower range of -cloisters. The kitchen is fitted up with steam; -and the steam-tables are of white marble, with -which material the vegetable store is entirely -lined. Meat and pillauf are furnished daily to -the troops in ample quantities; and all their -clothing is supplied by the government, while -the sum allowed as pay, for the purchase of -coffee, fruit, and similar luxuries, is greater than -that given to Russian soldiers, who are moreover -obliged to furnish themselves with several -articles of clothing. The workshops were -thronged; that of the shoemakers contained a -hundred and sixty individuals, who were making -shoes of every description, from the coarse slipper -of the private, to the neatly-finished boot of the -Pasha. Every member of the Imperial Guard is -furnished from these workshops, and five hundred -men are instructed in each trade, who relieve -one another in the event of duty or sickness.</p> - -<p>The Regimental School was a model of neatness -and order, and the number of pupils very -considerable; all the children of the Imperial -Guard being expected to attend it, whatever<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">314</a></span> -may be the rank of their fathers. Many of the -sergeants and corporals were studying geography; -and on a table in the centre of a second -and smaller apartment, stood a handsome set of -Newton’s globes. Of the imitative talent of the -Turks I have already spoken; and on this occasion -we were shown a map of Iceland, etched by -a corporal of the guard, in as good style as any -pen and ink drawing that I ever saw from the -college at Sandhurst.</p> - -<p>The arms, as I have already remarked to be -universal with the Turkish troops, were in the -most admirable order, and the stores containing -clothing were well filled, and very neatly -arranged. We declined visiting the Hospital, -as three recent cases of Plague had occurred -there; added to which we discovered certain -threatenings in the sky which denoted a coming -storm; and, as the passage from Scutari to -Topphannè is, though comparatively short, -extremely dangerous in the event of a sudden -tempest, we spent half an hour with the Commandant -in his apartment, where we partook -of some exquisite sherbet, made from the juice -of the green lemon; and hurried thence to the -pier, laden with a basket of the delicious grapes -and melons of Asia. But we had already lingered -too long: the wind was blowing briskly from the -Black Sea; and the distant shores were veiled in -dense and heavy vapour.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">315</a></span>We had just reached the Maiden’s Tower -when the gust caught us. Of all the environs -of the Bosphorus this is the most dangerous, for -the current runs madly out into the Sea of Marmora; -and the wind, released from the Asian -mountains which hem it in to the point of -Scutari, is suddenly set free in all its violence. -Hence it arises that, in the immediate neighbourhood -of the Maiden’s Tower, more caïques are -wrecked during the year than in the whole of -the channel; and there we were, every wave -dashing angrily against the side of the frail -boat, and pouring over us its foaming waters; -the wind driving us down the current, and the -Turkish boatmen scarcely able to ejaculate their -“Mashallàhs!” and “Inshallàhs!” from the -terror which made their teeth chatter in their -heads.</p> - -<p>It was a frightful moment. At one instant we -made way; at the next we were carried back by -the force of the current; we could not guess -how the affair would terminate; but meanwhile -the venerable old caïquejhe who pulled the after-oars, -amid all his alarm sought to comfort me: -“Tell her,” he said perpetually to the dragoman, -“tell her that there is no danger; she is a -woman, and the fear may kill her. My heart is -sick and I can scarcely pull, for my hand -trembles, and my breath fails; but console her—tell -her that we shall soon be across the -channel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">316</a></span>—that -I will put her ashore somewhere—anywhere—tell -her what you will, for she is a -woman, and I pity her.”</p> - -<p>But, grateful as I was for his consideration, I -did not require comfort; I had already escaped -from so many dangers at sea, that I never for a -moment contemplated drowning on the present -occasion; and I took some credit to myself for -upholding the honour of my sex for courage in -the eyes of the kind-hearted old Turkish caïquejhe. -With considerable difficulty we at length -made the pier at Topphannè, and, a voyage -homeward being perfectly out of the question, -we ascended the steep hill to Pera, wet and -weary as we were; and passed the night under -the roof of a worthy and hospitable Greek friend, -listening to the wild gusts which swept down -the channel, and congratulating ourselves on -our escape from a danger as unexpected as it -was imminent.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">317</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Plague—Spread of the Pestilence—The Greek Victim—Self-Devotion—Death -of the Plague Smitten—The Widow’s Walk—Plague -Encampments—The Infected Family—The Greek Girl and her -Lover—Non-Conductors—Plague—Perpetuators—Vultures—Melancholy -Concomitants of the Pestilence—Carelessness of the Turks—The -Pasha of Broussa—Rashness of the Poorer Classes—Universality -of the Disease in the Capital.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Every</span> one who has even heard of Constantinople -is aware that it is a city of Plague and -Fires. Of the latter I have already spoken, -although slightly; for it is a singular fact that, -although several extensive conflagrations occurred -during our residence in the East, not -only in the Capital but in its environs, it never -was our fortune to witness one.</p> - -<p>Of the still more frightful visitation of the -Plague, I could not perhaps make mention at a -more fitting moment than the present (the commencement -of September) when, contrary to the -prognostics of the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">soi-disant</em> conversant in such -matters, it has broken out with renewed violence -in every direction. The Imperial Palace of -Beglierbey is deserted in consequence of its -having been visited by the Pestilence—The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">318</a></span> -“Seven Towers” have become a Plague-Hospital -for the Greeks. We presented ourselves -with an order for admittance at the celebrated -Seraglio at the Point, and found that here the -scourge had preceded us, and that the gates -were closed—Even Therapia, seated on the edge -of the shore, and open to the healthful breezes -from the Black Sea, is adding daily to the list -of victims; and we were received by a friend at -the extreme opposite end of the sofa on our return -thence, (and even that reluctantly,) from a -dread that we might prove to be Plague-conductors, -and infect her family.</p> - -<p>To the honour of our common nature it may -be stated that even this direful visitation tends -at times to bring out some of the noblest qualities -of which frail humanity is susceptible. If -man may be pardoned a feeling of absorbing -selfishness, it is surely in the hour when he has -before him the prospect of one of the most frightful -of all deaths; but, even in the short month -which has elapsed since the disease deepened, -examples have not been wanting of that utter -absence of selfishness—that self-sacrifice for the -security of others—which gives to the fate of the -victim almost the character of martyrdom.</p> - -<p>Only a day or two since, a poor Greek inhabitant -of Therapia was suddenly attacked with -sickness, and, thinking that he recognised the -symptoms of the malady, he immediately pro<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">319</a></span>ceeded -to his cottage; and, stopping ere he -touched the threshold, called to his wife, who, -astonished on seeing him at so unwonted an -hour, and struck by the change in his appearance, -was about to approach him, when he desired -her to stand back; and then, calmly telling -her that he was unwell, though he knew not -from what cause, and that he was unwilling -during a time of Plague to run the risk of infecting -his family, or of compromising his house, -he desired her to throw him his furred pelisse. -“If it be a mere passing sickness,” he added, -as he prepared to depart, “it will only cost me -a night in the open air—If it be the Plague, you -will at least save our few articles of clothing, -and the few comforts of the cottage—Recommend -me to the Virgin and St. Roch.”</p> - -<p>And thus he left his home; and wandered, -weak and heart-sick, to the mountains. He felt -that the brand was on him; and he went to die -alone, he knew not how—whether as a wild and -frantic maniac, gathering strength from the -fever which would turn his blood to fire, and -howling out his anguish to the winds of midnight, -without one kind voice to comfort, or one -fond hand to guide him, until at length he -dropped down to die upon the damp earth—or, -as a shivering and palsied wretch, fainting from -thirst, and quivering with sickness, to gaze hour -after hour from his bed of withered leaves, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">320</a></span> -parched-up turf, upon the blue bright sky, and -the myriad stars, until they went out one by -one as his sight failed, and his pulse ebbed——</p> - -<p>On the morrow the wife hastened to the -mountains with food, in search of her husband. -She had not taught herself to believe that the -Plague had touched him, and she feared that -he might suffer from hunger. She led one of -her children by the hand—his favourite child—and -they were long before they found him—for -although the young clear voice of the boy shouting -out his name was borne far away upon the -elastic air of the mountain, there was no answer -to the call—alas! there could be none—the -father lay cold and stiff in a gully of the rock,-the -Plague-smitten had ceased to suffer!</p> - -<p>The anguish of the unfortunate woman may -be conceived—In her first agony she sprang -towards the body, but the shriek of her child -recalled her to a sense of her peril, and the fate -that she would entail upon her little ones. The -struggle was long and bitter; and at length she -turned away with the weeping boy, and returned -into the village to proclaim her widowhood.</p> - -<p>I have already mentioned the fact of my having -on one occasion inadvertently ridden into the -midst of a Plague-encampment. Such occurrences -are, however, rare; as, in the event of several -families being compromised and sent to the -mountains, there is generally a military guard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">321</a></span> -stationed at every avenue leading to their temporary -dwellings, to prevent the approach of strangers, -and to form their medium of subsistence.</p> - -<p>A melancholy tale was related to me by a -lady at Therapia, who had watched from day to -day the proceedings of one of these little mountain -colonies through a telescope. It consisted -of a miserable family; the father gray-haired -and feeble, and the mother bent and palsied—The -children died first, one by one, for the disease -drank their young blood more eagerly than -the chill stream which moved sluggishly through -the veins of the aged parents; and at length the -old couple were left alone.</p> - -<p>They used to sit side by side for hours under -a tree facing their village—the birth-place of -their dead ones, whom they had put into the -earth with their own hands—but within a week -the childless mother sickened in her turn and -the gray old man dragged a wretched mattress -to the foot of the tree from beneath which his -stricken wife had no longer power to move; and -he held the water to her lips, and he put the -bread into her grasp; but all his care availed -her nothing—and with his lean and trembling -hands he scratched her a grave under the -shadows of the tree that she had loved in life; -and, when the earth had hidden her from his -sight, he lay down across the narrow mound -to die in his turn. His worldly toils were ended!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">322</a></span>Scarcely less affecting was the devotion of a -young Greek girl, whose lover, smitten with -plague, was conveyed to the temporary hospital -at the Seven Towers. No sooner had she ascertained -whither they had carried him, than without -saying a word to her parents, who would, as -she well knew, have opposed her design, she left -her home, and presented herself at the portal of -the infected fortress as the nurse of the young -Greek caïquejhe who had been received there -on the previous day. In vain did the governor, -imagining from her youth, and the calm and -collected manner in which she offered herself -up an almost certain victim to the pestilence, -that she was not aware of her danger, endeavour -to dissuade her from her project. She was -immoveable; and was ultimately permitted to -approach the bedside of the dying sufferer.</p> - -<p>Not a tear, not a murmur escaped her, as she -took her place beside his pillow, and entered -upon her desperate office. In the paroxysms of -his madness, as the poison was feeding upon -his strength, and grappling at his brain, he -spoke of her fondly—he talked to her—he -stretched forth his arms to clasp her—and then -he thrust her from him as he yelled out his -agony, and his limbs writhed beneath the torture -of the passing spasm.</p> - -<p>And she bore it all unshrinkingly; and even -amid her misery she felt a thrill of joy as she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">323</a></span> -discovered that pain and madness had alike -failed to blot her image from his memory. But -there were moments less cruel than these, in -which reason resumed her temporary sway, and -the devoted girl was pressed to the fevered -bosom of her fated lover; and in these, brief as -they were, she felt that she was over-paid for all.</p> - -<p>But the struggle even of youth and strength -against the most baneful of all diseases could -not last for ever—The patient expired in the -arms of his devoted mistress; and as he breathed -his last, bequeathed to her at once his dying -smile, and the foul poison which was coursing -through his veins. She saw him laid in his narrow -grave; and then she turned away with the -conviction that she, too, was plague-smitten!</p> - -<p>She did not return to her home: but she stood -a few paces from one of the companions of her -youth, and bade her bear to her aged parents -her blessing and her prayers: and this done she -fled to the mountains, and sought out a solitary -spot wherein to die—None knew how long she -lingered, for she was never seen again in life; but -her body was found a few days afterwards beneath -a ledge of earth, in a doubled-up position, -as though the last spasm had been a bitter one.</p> - -<p>She who had sacrificed herself to smooth the -last hours of him whom she had loved, perished -alone, miserably, in the wild solitude of the -Asian hills; and her almost Roman virtue has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">324</a></span> -met with no other record than the brief one in -which I have here attempted to perpetuate the -memory of her devotion and her fate.</p> - -<p>It seems as though men apprehended contagion -in the very name of the plague, for they -have adopted terms that render its repetition -needless. Should you inquire for a family which -has become compromised, you are told that -“they are gone to the mountains,” and you -understand at once that they are infected; and -when numbers are daily dying about you, in -reply to your desire to learn the amount of the -evil, you are answered that there are so many, -or so many “accidents.”</p> - -<p>Every respectable house, and every public -establishment, has in its court, or its outer hall, -a small wooden erection, precisely like a sentry -box raised on rollers, into which you are obliged -to enter during a period of plague, before you -are admitted into the interior of the building; -and where you stand upon a latticed flooring, -while aromatic herbs are burnt beneath, whose -dense and heavy vapour soon envelops you in a -thick smoke, which is said to prevent contagion.</p> - -<p>Every competent authority declares the disease -to be propagated by contact; and it is -singular to see the care with which every individual -passing along the public streets avoids -all collision with his fellow-passengers. The -lower order of Turks are the greatest sufferers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">325</a></span> -from the plague, in consequence of the filthy -personal habits of the men employed as street-porters -and labourers; their law only requiring -them to wash their hands and feet before entering -their mosques, or repeating their prayers; -while I have good authority for stating that this -class of individuals purchase an inner garment -of dark and coarse material, which they retain -day and night without removing it, until it falls -to pieces.</p> - -<p>If filth be a plague-conductor, it is not, consequently, -surprising, that great numbers of these -persons are invariably carried off during the -year; and the same cause doubtlessly accounts -for the excessive mortality among the Jews; -who frequently increase the spread of the evil -by possessing themselves of the garments of the -plague-victims, which they buy secretly from -the relatives; reckless, in the event of a good -bargain, of the fatal consequences which may -ensue alike to themselves and to others.</p> - -<p>This may appear to be an excess of madness -almost incredible; but it is, nevertheless, an incontrovertible -fact.</p> - -<p>I know not whether it be a common occurrence -for vultures to haunt the environs of the -city during the prevalence of plague, but it is -certain that we never saw one until its commencement; -and that before we left they were -to be met with in numbers, in the very centre<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">326</a></span> -of the shipping, preying upon the offal that had -been flung into the port, or winging their heavy -flight along the mountains, as though scenting -their revolting banquet.</p> - -<p>There is, to me, something frightful in the -terror with which, in a season of virulent pestilence, -each individual avoids all human contact, -and looks upon his best friends as vehicles -of destruction.—In the shrinking of relatives -from each other, and the unwonted selfishness -of usually free and generous spirits. Nor is -the sensation a comfortable one, with which -you remember that you are yourself considered -as infected, and treated with distrust -accordingly; and in moments of depression -find yourself speculating in your own mind the -probability of the fear being well-grounded. -Does your head ache?—It is a symptom of -plague—Are you sick and faint from heat?—It -is even thus that the pestilence frequently -declares itself in the first instance—If you take -cold upon the Bosphorus, you have laid the -corner-stone of the malady—and over-fatigue -may induce the exhaustion which lends strength -to the incipient evil. It is impossible to describe -the effect of this continual necessity for caution: -but even this is trifling beside the constant -dread of contact with infection. It is vain to -affect a mad courage leading you to set at defiance -these accumulated dangers; there are mo<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">327</a></span>ments -when an unconquerable dread will creep -over the heart, and sicken the spirit.</p> - -<p>There are many who do not fear death; but -they are habituated to associate it in their minds -with an accustomed home, and watching friends, -and anxious tenderness; all accessories tending -to soften the pang of disease, and to smooth the -path of dissolution—Few are they who could -contemplate calmly the death-hour of the -plague-smitten—the hunted from his home—haunting -the hills in his polluted solitude; and contaminating -the pure air of Heaven by the fetid -breathings of pestilence—shrieking out his madness -to the mocking moon,—and dying in his -despair on the bare earth; a loathsome thing, to -which even a grave is sometimes denied!</p> - -<p>And yet, terrible as is the picture which I -have drawn almost despite myself, it is surprising -how little caution is observed by the -Turks to escape from so direful a visitation. -They have an absurd superstition that all True -Believers who die, either by the hand of the -Sultan, or by the visitation of the plague, go -straight to Paradise, and to the arms of the -Houri, without the intervention of any purgatorial -quarantaine; and they account very satisfactorily -for the infrequency of plague-cases -among the Franks, by declaring that Allah does -not love them sufficiently to grant them so -desirable a privilege; without troubling them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">328</a></span>selves -to remark the precautions taken by Europeans -to prevent the spread of the disease, -all of which are utterly neglected by the natives -of the country. It is indeed astonishing how -blindly the Orientals run the greatest risks, in the -most unnecessary and apparently wilful manner.</p> - -<p>The Pasha of Broussa was informed by his -family physician that his <em>Chiboukjhe</em>, or pipe-bearer, -who had been in his service from his -boyhood, and to whom he was much attached, -had discovered symptoms of plague, which -would render it necessary for his Excellency to -take such precautions as might tend to ensure -the safety of the other members of his family; -and accordingly he gave immediate orders for -the removal of the harem to a village in the -mountains; and ordered all the linen of the -inmates of the salemliek to be washed, and their -woollen clothing carefully aired and fumigated, -ere it was transported thither, together with the -male members of his establishment.</p> - -<p>The Chiboukjhe, hearing of the intended -removal of the household, begged to see his -master once more ere he left the city; and the -Pasha complied with his request without scruple, -as a couple of yards intervening between the -plague-patient and his visitor are sufficient to -prevent contagion. But the kind-hearted Pasha -had not calculated upon his own powers of resistance; -and, when the favourite domestic up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">329</a></span>braided -him with his cruelty in leaving him to -die alone, and recalled to his memory a score -of circumstances in which he had proved his -attachment and devotedness to the welfare of -his master; the Pasha, with a recklessness perfectly -incomprehensible, ordered that fresh linen -should be put upon the patient: that his own -garments should be destroyed and replaced by -new ones; and that he should be forthwith comfortably -placed in an araba, and conveyed to the -village whither all the rest of the establishment -had been previously removed.</p> - -<p>The order was obeyed; and the infected man -arrived on the evening of the second day at the -mountain-retreat, bringing with him the deadly -disease which was rapidly sapping his life-blood. -Four-and-twenty hours had not elapsed when -the favourite wife of the Pasha, a beautiful girl -of sixteen, expired, in a fit of raging madness, -upon her cushions: the pestilence had wrought -so rapidly in her young and delicate frame that -no time had been afforded for precaution or -help; the weak blindness of the Pasha had -sacrificed his wife, compromised his house, and -endangered the whole family. He rushed from -one apartment to another like a maniac, but -the bolt had fallen; and at midnight his youngest -child lay a corpse on its dead mother’s bosom.</p> - -<p>They were buried hurriedly beneath the tall -trees of the garden; and the earth was but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">330</a></span> -newly scattered over their graves when another -of the Pasha’s wives breathed her last—Suffice -it that in the space of ten days, out of a harem -consisting of nineteen persons, there remained -only an aged negress and two infant children; -while the salemliek had also suffered severely, -although not in the same proportion.</p> - -<p>I could pile anecdote on anecdote upon the -same melancholy theme, but my heart sickens -as I record them; and that which I have just -narrated will sufficiently demonstrate the improbability -of this terrific scourge ever being -expelled the country by the precautionary measures -of the natives. On the subject of the -plague the Turks appear to possess neither prudence -nor judgment. Their belief in predestination -deepens their natural want of energy; and -thus the malady is suffered to run its deadly -course almost unchecked, and to sweep off its -thousands yearly, amid pangs at which humanity -shudders.</p> - -<p>Another circumstance which must tend to perpetuate -the pestilence in the East, exists in the -fact that, when the local authorities have ascertained -the existence of plague in a dwelling, the -house becomes what is termed “compromised;” -and after the family of the smitten has been -ejected, and sent to the mountains, it is painted -throughout its whole interior, cleansed, and -fumigated; a process which, owing to the risk<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">331</a></span> -incurred by the individuals employed in the -work, and the species of quarantaine to which -they are subjected during its continuance, is -sufficiently expensive to deter the poorer portions -of the population from declaring the -presence of the disease in their families; as, -combined with their forty days of exile in the -mountains, during which time they are, of course, -unable to earn any thing for the future support -of the survivors, it subjects them to want -and misery, which they seek to evade by running -a greater, but, as they fondly hope, less -certain risk. They trust to their <em>felech</em>, or constellation, -that the infection will not spread, -and are undoubtedly, in many cases, the more -readily induced to do this, that they have at -least the melancholy satisfaction of closing the -eyes of their dead, and of seeing them expire -amid their “household gods;” instead of knowing -that their last hour was one of despairing abandonment, -as well as of acute agony; and having -to search for their bodies in the desolate spots -to which their wretchedness might have driven -them.</p> - -<p>It has been ascertained that atmospherical -changes have no influence on the plague. It -rages amid the snow-storm as virulently as -beneath the scorching suns of summer. Diet -does not affect it—The street-porter, living upon -black bread, and fruit frequently immature, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">332</a></span> -the Effendi, whose tray is spread with culinary -delicacies, are alike liable to be smitten.</p> - -<p>Its origin and its cure are both unknown—It -is the hair-suspended sword ever ready to do its -work of death; and none can foretell the moment -in which the blow may come.—It chases the -haughty Sultan from his Palace; and the labourer -from his hut—It is in the close and -thickly-peopled streets of the city, and on board -the majestic vessels that ride the blue waves of -the Bosphorus—And there is not a sojourner in -the East who can forget the first occasion on -which, when he asked the meaning of the gloom -that hung upon men’s brows, and the mysterious -murmur that ran through the crowd on a -new outbreak of the malady, he was answered -by some passer-by,—“<span class="smcap">It is the Plague!</span>”</p> - -<p>There can be no doubt that at the present -time,<a name="FNanchor_9" id="FNanchor_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">9</a> the pestilence has spread farther and -faster than it might otherwise have done from -the extreme scarcity, indeed, I may almost say, -want of water in the Capital. The poorer classes, -whose means render them unable to purchase this -necessary of life at an exorbitant price from the -individuals who established an extemporaneous -trade, by freighting their caïques with water at -the European villages on the Channel, and vending -it in the city, being necessitated to make -use of foul and stagnant pools for the purpose -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">333</a></span> -of preparing their food; and to dispense almost -entirely with a beverage generally taken to excess -by both sexes.</p> - -<p>As the wells and tanks of the nearest hamlets -failed, the water-sellers extended their voyages -even to Therapia; and their demands became -comparatively extravagant. Men watched the -clouds in vain—the sun set in a blaze of gold -and purple; and morning broke in blushes from -behind the Asian mountains—the noon-day sky -was blue and bright—not a vapour passed across -its beauty—and no rain fell. Women crowded -about the fountains in the vain hope that each -moment the exhausted spring might well out -afresh—Children wept, and asked vainly for -their accustomed draught; the marble basins -of the city remained empty, and the bright -sunbeams played upon the smooth surface of the -glittering stone.</p> - -<p>On the Asian shore, the waters had not yet -failed; and the famous fountain of Scutari, fed -by a mighty volume descending from the dusky -mountain of Bulgurlhu, still poured forth its -flashing stream; but, from some superstition, -whose nature I was unable to ascertain, the -authorities did not permit the transfer of water -from the Asiatic to the European shore; and -this noble fountain, which would have supplied -all the wants of the city, was suffered to flow -on, and waste its stream in the channel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">334</a></span>I shall not easily forget the constant succession -of busy human beings, who, from day-dawn -to dusk, thronged the mouth of a well not a -hundred paces from our residence at Yenikeuÿ. -Every cistern in the lower quarter of the village -had become exhausted; but this solitary well, -fed from a mountain source, still held out; and -it was only by the necessity of lengthening the -ropes to which the buckets were affixed, and -the consequent increase of labour required to -raise them, that any diminution of the water -could be perceived.</p> - -<p>Children of ten or twelve years of age could -no longer, as heretofore, accomplish this portion -of the household toil: nor would they, even had -their strength sufficed to the effort, have been -able to make it: for as the demand for water increased -on all sides, the battle was truly to the -strong at the village well. Men who met as -friends, and greeted each other kindly as they -approached it, strove and struggled for precedence, -until they at length parted in wrath, and -frequently with blows; while the owners of the -neighbouring cottages, to whose exclusive use -this spring had hitherto been considered sacred, -murmured in vain at the intrusion on their -privileges, and were fain to strive and struggle -like the strangers.</p> - -<p>The reason adduced by the Greeks for the -abundance of water in this well, was the sanc<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">335</a></span>tity -conferred on it by the priesthood at the -close of the previous vintage; when they had -made a solemn procession to its mouth, and -flung in a handful of small silver coins, contributed -for the purpose by the poorer inhabitants -of the village, a small vase of holy water, -and a pinch of consecrated salt!</p> - -<p>While the drought was at its height, a community -of Turning Dervishes made a pilgrimage to -the Sweet Waters; where the Barbyses, always -a very inconsiderable stream, had shrunk to -half its accustomed volume; and there, having -previously prostrated themselves in prayer, they -performed their evolutions round the principal -cistern of the valley; and at a certain point -of the ceremony flung into the air small vessels -of red clay, fresh from the potter’s hands, while, -as they fell back, they besought that every empty -tank might overflow, and every goblet be filled.</p> - -<p>The spectacle was a very striking one; and -it was followed by the observance of another -yet more touching. At dusk the village children, -walking two and two, and each carrying a -bunch of wild flowers, drew near the cistern in -their turn; and sang, to one of the thrilling -melodies of the country, a hymn of supplication; -while at the conclusion of each stanza, they scattered -a portion of the blossoms over the shattered -fragments of the vases flung into the basin -by the Dervishes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">336</a></span>Nothing could be more affecting! Man, -shrinking under a consciousness of his unworthiness, -put his prayer into the mouth of -innocent infancy; as though he trusted to the -supplication uttered by pure lips and guileless -hearts, when he dared not hope for mercy -through his own agency. Every evening during -the drought, that “linked chain” of childhood -repaired to the same spot, and raised the -same song of entreaty to an all-powerful Creator; -and the echoes of the Valley flung back -the infant voices of the choir as they swelled -upon the wind of evening with a pathos which -affected me to tears. It was only on the day -preceding that of our departure from Constantinople -that the prayer was answered; and, as -the light vapoury rain fell upon the parched and -yawning earth, my thought instantly reverted -to the infant choristers of the Sweet Waters; -whose artless hymn may be freely translated as -follows:—</p> - -<p class="center">HYMN OF THE TURKISH CHILDREN.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">Allah! Father! hear us;</div> -<div class="line i1">Our souls are faint and weak:</div> -<div class="line">A cloud is on our mother’s brow,</div> -<div class="line i1">And a tear upon her cheek.</div> -<div class="line">We fain would chase that cloud away,</div> -<div class="line i1">And dry that sadd’ning tear;</div> -<div class="line">For this it is to-night we pray—</div> -<div class="line i1">Allah! Father! hear. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">337</a></span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line">We seek the cooling fountain,</div> -<div class="line i1">Alas! we seek in vain;</div> -<div class="line">The cloud that crowns the mountain</div> -<div class="line i1">Melts not away in rain.</div> -<div class="line">The stream is shrunk which through our plain</div> -<div class="line i1">Once glided bright and clear;</div> -<div class="line">Oh! ope the secret springs again—</div> -<div class="line i1">Allah! Father! hear.</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line">We bring thee flowers, sweet flowers,</div> -<div class="line i1">All withered in their prime;</div> -<div class="line">No moisture glistens on their leaves,</div> -<div class="line i1">They sickened ere their time.</div> -<div class="line">And we like them shall pass away</div> -<div class="line i1">Ere wintry days are near;</div> -<div class="line">Shouldst thou not hearken as we pray—</div> -<div class="line i1">Allah! Father! hear.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">338</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">A Greek Marriage—The Day before the Bridal—The Wedding Garments—Cachemires—Ceremony -of Reception—The Golden Tresses—Early -Hours of the Greek Church—Love of the Greek Women -for Finery—The Bridal Procession—The Marriage—The Nuptial -Crowns—Greek Funerals.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> are few ceremonies more amusing (for -that is really the correct term) than a Greek -marriage. All is glitter and gossipy; and so -many ancient and classical usages are still retained, -that it is a curious as well as an interesting -sight to a stranger.</p> - -<p>Having received an invitation to the wedding -of a fair neighbor, I joined a party of friends -who were about to visit her, according to custom, -on the previous day; to offer their congratulations, -and to give their opinions with regard to -the bridal gear, as well as to assist in weaving -the golden tresses by which a Greek bride is -always distinguishable.</p> - -<p>We found one of the daughters of the family -waiting to receive us on the terrace; and, as she -stood smiling and blushing in reply to our salutations, -her bright black eyes dancing with joy,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">339</a></span> -under the shadow of an overhanging vine, whose -clusters of rich purple grapes fell temptingly -through the open trellises, she formed as pretty -a picture of young, gay, light-hearted beauty, -as the eye ever lingered on. When we had exchanged -compliments, she led us through the -center saloon to an inner apartment, where we -found the bride elect; a fair, dove-eyed girl, -who was sitting upon the sofa with her hand -clasped in that of one of her young companions.</p> - -<p>On one side of the room were displayed the -bridal dresses; and on the other were collected -all the smaller articles of her toilette. It was a -confusion of blonde, and gauze, and flowers, and -diamonds; satin slippers, embroidered handkerchiefs, -and cachemire shawls; and I really -pitied the owner of all this finery when I remarked -how much she was harassed and oppressed -by the commotion which surrounded -her, and the crowd of company that came and -went in one endless stream.</p> - -<p>Sweetmeats and coffee having been served, -every article of the bridal costume was exhibited -separately to the guests, commented on, and -replaced. The shawls and jewels were examined -with the most earnest attention, for these gauds -are the glory of the Greek women, who, in -speaking of a married acquaintance, seldom tell -you that she is happy from being the wife of a -man of amiability and high principle; but in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">340</a></span>variably -reply to your inquiry by the assurance -that she is a most fortunate person, to whom her -husband has given six or seven cachemires; -or that she is, poor thing! very much to be -pitied, having been thrown away upon an individual -who can only afford to allow her a couple -of shawls! To such a height, indeed, do the -Greek ladies carry their love for this article of -dress, and their desire to display it, that they -will suffocate in a cachemire during the hottest -day in summer, and even wear it in a ball-room!</p> - -<p>When all the bridal paraphernalia had been -exhibited, the mother of the bride entered the -room, carrying in one hand a fillagreed silver -essence bottle, and in the other a censer of the -same material, in which were burning aloes, -myrrh, and perfumed woods. Making the tour -of the apartment, she flung the perfume over -each individual, varying her address according -to the circumstances of the guests. To the -unmarried she accompanied the action by saying, -“May your own bridal follow!”—while to the -matrons of the party she said, “May you also -see the bridal of your children!”</p> - -<p>When the old lady had withdrawn, all the -more youthful of the visitors formed a group in -the center of the floor. One laughing girl held a -pair of diminutive scales; and another was laden -with the glittering skeins of flat gold thread, of -which were to be woven the singular head-dress<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">341</a></span> -to which I have already made allusion. The -gallantry of the bridegroom had induced him -to send forty drachms of this expensive gewgaw -to his fair mistress, instead of ten; the -largest quantity that the laws of the Greek -Church allow to be worn; and the first care of -the party was, consequently, to separate the -skeins, and to weigh out the portion destined for -the bride. When this had been accomplished, -a score of us were employed at once. The threads -were drawn out singly, in lengths of about three -yards, and were then woven together at the -end into a sort of coronet, whence they fell in a -golden shower to the floor.</p> - -<p>When this pretty and amusing occupation -was over, we took our leave, each embracing the -bride in turn, who still retained her place upon -the sofa; and every individual, as she passed the -bridal gear, flinging over it a handful of small -silver coin.</p> - -<p>I was summoned on the morrow at an early -hour; for all the religious ceremonies of the -Greeks are performed at most unseasonable -times. Even their Sunday mass, when the -poorer portions of the population, after having -toiled throughout the previous six days, might -be excused a little sluggishness, commences at -daybreak; and no one who has spent four months -in a Greek village, as we did, can have failed to -be awakened at dawn by the rattling together<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">342</a></span> -of the two cedar sticks, which are the substitute -for a bell; followed by the frightful drawl of the -inferior priest, who traverses the streets, and -utters a second invitation to prayer, half growl -and half shriek; infinitely more calculated to -frighten away the pious from his vicinity, than -to induce them to seek it.</p> - -<p>But the call is, nevertheless, answered. Every -cottage pours forth its inhabitants; and even at -daybreak the females deck themselves out in all -the finery of which they are possessed. Here it -is a red gown, and a yellow shawl—there a blue -turban, and a pair of pink shoes—in short, there -is nothing more laughable than the idea that -the poorer class of Greek women entertain of a -becoming toilette. Your maid answers the -clapping of your hands, (for bells there are none -in Eastern houses) in a turban of colored -muslin or gauze a yard square, and half a yard -high; or, if she be an elderly woman, in a little -red woollen cap with a purple silk tassel, bound -to her head by a painted handkerchief, over -which is twisted a thick plait of hair, generally -false—the shortest of petticoats, the most showy -of stockings, the smartest of aprons, and a pair -of earrings frequently hanging to her shoulders; -and poor indeed must be the female servant in a -Greek family who is not the happy possessor of -three or four gold rings!</p> - -<p>But I have, meanwhile, forgotten the pretty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">343</a></span> -bride, who was to be married at the house of an -intimate friend of our’s; and who, on my arrival -there, was momentarily expected. The center of -the great saloon was covered by a Turkey carpet, -on which stood a reading-desk, overlaid by a -gold-embroidered handkerchief, and supporting -a Bible and the two marriage rings; the whole -bright with the profusion of silver money that -had been scattered over them. The lady of the -house was to officiate as “Godmother” to the -bride, an office somewhat similar to that of -bride’s-maid; and she was even at that early -hour sparkling with jewels.</p> - -<p>At length the sounds of music announced the -arrival of the marriage train; and we hastened -to a window to watch for their approach. The -procession was an interesting one. The musicians -were succeeded by the bridegroom elect, -walking between his own father and the father -of his bride; the fair girl followed, accompanied -by a couple of her young companions; and the -two mothers, attended by “troops of friends,” -closed the train.</p> - -<p>They were met at the threshold by the Archbishop -of Nournaudkeüy and a party of priests, -who immediately commenced chanting the marriage -service; and, as they ascended the stairs, -showers of money were flung over them from -above.</p> - -<p>In five minutes, the spacious saloon was filled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">344</a></span> -to suffocation; the young couple were placed -upon the edge of the carpet; the nuptial crowns, -formed of flowers, ribbons, and gold-thread, -were deposited on the reading-desk; and the -rector of the parish, in a robe of brocaded -yellow satin fringed with silver, began a prayer, -that was caught up at intervals by the choral -boys, and repeated in a wild chant. At the -conclusion of this prayer, which was of considerable -length, the attendant priests flung over -the Archbishop his gorgeous vestments of violet -satin, embroidered with gold, and girdled with -tissue; and he advanced to the reading-desk, -and took thence the two brilliant diamond rings, -with which he made the cross three times, on -the forehead, lips, and breast of the contracting -parties; and then placed them in the hand of the -“Godmother,” who, putting one upon the finger -of each, continued to hold them there while the -Prelate read a portion of the Gospel: after -which she changed them three times, leaving -them ultimately in the possession of their proper -owners. This done, the Archbishop put the -hand of the bride into that of her husband, and -went through the same ceremonies with the -nuptial crowns that he had previously enacted -with the rings; they were then placed upon the -heads of the young couple; and, a goblet of wine -being presented to the Archbishop, he blessed -it, put it to his lips, handed it to the bride and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">345</a></span> -bridegroom, and thence delivered it up to the -“Godmother.”</p> - -<p>The crowns were next changed three several -times from the one head to the other; and, several -wax candles being lighted, as I have described -them to have been during the Easter ceremonies -at the Fanar, the whole party walked in -procession round the carpet; and then it was -that the silver shower fell thick and fast about -them: the floor was literally covered.</p> - -<p>When the chanting ceased, the bride raised -the hand of her new-made husband to her lips; -after which every relative and friend of either -party approached, and kissed them on the forehead. -The Archbishop cast off his robes; the -children scrambled for the scattered money; the -band in the outer hall burst into an enlivening -strain; and such of the company as were of -sufficient rank to entitle them to do so, followed -the bride, and the lady of the house to an inner -saloon; where a train of servants were in attendance, -bearing trays of preserved fruits and delicate -little biscuits, which were given to each -person to carry away. Liqueurs were then offered, -and subsequently coffee; after which each married -lady made a present to the bride of some -article of value, previously to her departure for -her home, whither we all accompanied her in -procession; and took our leave at the portal to -return to the house of her friends, and join in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">346</a></span> -cheerful morning-ball which was about to commence.</p> - -<p>The effect of the golden tress that I had assisted -to weave was very beautiful, binding as -it did the rich dark hair of the bride upon her -fair young brow, and then falling to her feet; -and her whole costume would have been eminently -graceful, had she not been sinking under -the heat and weight of the eternal cachemire. -The nuptial crowns which I have mentioned are -about a foot in height, and shaped like a beehive; -when they were removed from the heads -of the young couple, they were carefully enveloped -in a handkerchief of colored gauze, -and borne away to be hung up in the chapel of -the bridegroom’s house; where they will remain -until the death of either of the parties, when the -deceased is crowned for the second and last time, -in the open coffin in which he is borne to the -grave.</p> - -<p>The Greeks make almost as much toilette for -a funeral as for a marriage. Where the deceased -is young and pretty, she is decked out in -her gayest apparel, and not unfrequently has -her eyebrows stained, and a quantity of rouge -spread over her cheeks, to cheat death for a few -brief hours of his lividness; her gloved hands -are carefully displayed; she is tricked out in -jewels; and this frightful mockery is rendered -still more revolting by the fact that she is thus<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">347</a></span> -paraded through the streets, followed by her -female relatives, who weep, and shriek, and bewail -themselves with a transient violence truly -national. At the grave-side all the finery is -stripped from the stiffened corpse: the friends -carry it away; a cover is placed over the coffin; -and the poor remains, that were only a few instants -previously so lavishly adorned, are consigned -to the earth of which they are so soon to -form a part.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">348</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Fèz Manufactory—Singular Scene—A Turk at Prayers—Pretty -Girls—Progress of Turkish Industry—Mustapha Effendi—Process -of Manufactures—Omer Effendi and the Arabs—Avanis Aga, the -Armenian—The Fraud Discovered—The Imperial Apartments— -Departure for the Seraï-Bournou—The Outer Court—The Orta -Kapoussi—The Pestle and Mortar of the Ulémas—The Garden of -Delight—The Column of Theodosius—Arrival of the Sultan—Ancient -Greek Inscriptions—Confused Inscription—The Diamond—Memories -of Sultan Selim.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">No</span> traveller should leave Constantinople -without paying a visit to the Fèz Manufactory -of Eyoub, where all the caps for the Sultan’s -armies are now made. The building, which is -entirely modern, and admirably adapted to its -purpose, stands in the port, near the palace of -Azmè Sultane, on the site of an ancient Imperial -residence. It is under the control of Omer -Lufti Effendi, late Governor of Smyrna, a man -of known probity and talent:<a name="FNanchor_10" id="FNanchor_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">10</a> and its immediate -superintendence has been intrusted to Mustapha -Effendi; whose ready courtesy to strangers -enables European travellers to form an accurate -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">349</a></span> -idea of the state and progress of the establishment.</p> - -<p>After a delightful row from Galata, we landed -at the celebrated pier of Eyoub; and, accompanied -by a personal friend of Mustapha Effendi, -proceeded to the manufactory, which we entered -by the women’s door. As we passed the threshold -a most curious scene presented itself. About -five hundred females were collected together in -a vast hall, awaiting the delivery of the wool -which they were to knit; and a more extraordinary -group could not perhaps be found in the -world.</p> - -<p>There was the Turkess with her yashmac -folded closely over her face, and her dark feridjhe -falling to the pavement: the Greek woman, with -her large turban, and braided hair, covered -loosely with a scarf of white muslin, her gay-coloured -dress, and large shawl: the Armenian, -with her dark bright eyes flashing from under -the jealous screen of her carefully-arranged veil, -and her red slipper peeping out under the long -wrapping cloak: the Jewess, muffled in a coarse -linen cloth, and standing a little apart, as though -she feared to offend by more immediate contact; -and among the crowd some of the loveliest girls -imaginable.</p> - -<p>At the moment of our arrival, Mustapha Effendi -was at prayers; and we accordingly seated -ourselves to await him in an inner apartment,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">350</a></span> -well-carpeted, and occupied by half a dozen -clerks, who were busily employed in recording -the quantity of wool delivered to each applicant: -their seats were divided from the women’s -hall by a partition about breast-high; and I -remarked that the prettiest girls were always -those whose accounts were the most tedious.</p> - -<p>On the other side of this spacious office was -a wool-store, where a score of individuals were -busily employed in weighing and delivering out -the wool; and all were so active, and so earnest -in their occupation, that the most sceptical European -would have been compelled to admit, when -looking on them, that the Turk is no longer the -supine and spiritless individual which he has -been so long considered.</p> - -<p>Immediately that his prayer was completed, -Mustapha Effendi invited us to pass into his -private room; a pleasant apartment opening to -the water, and most luxuriously cushioned. Here -coffee and chibouks were served; after which -a couple of the knitters were introduced, in order -that we might see the different qualities of wool, -necessary to the manufacture of the various -kinds of fèz.</p> - -<p>During their performance, Mustapha Effendi -asked many questions relatively to Europe; and -particularly how the English government were -now disposed towards the Turks; and expressed -his curiosity to learn the impression which the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">351</a></span> -present state of the people had made upon ourselves. -He appeared to have been piqued by -some American travellers who had visited the -establishment; for at the close of the conversation -he said earnestly; “Europe begins to know -us better; and the Franks to judge us more -honestly—<em>Inshallàh</em>—I trust in God, that the -day will yet come when we shall be able to convince -even the Americans, that we are not wild -beasts anxious to devour them.”</p> - -<p>When we had passed an hour with the Superintendent, -we proceeded to inspect the establishment, -which is on a very extensive scale, three -thousand workmen being constantly employed. -The workshops are spacious, airy, and well-conducted; -the wool, having been spread over -a stone-paved room on the ground-floor, where -it undergoes saturation with oil, is weighed out -to the carders, and thence passes into the hands -of the spinners, where it is worked into threads -of greater or less size, according to the quality -of fèz for which it is to be made available. The -women then receive it in balls, each containing -the quantity necessary for a cap; and these -they take home by half a dozen or a dozen at a -time, to their own houses, and on restoring them -receive a shilling for each of the coarse; and -seventeen pence for each of the fine ones.</p> - -<p>The next process is the most inconvenient, -although perhaps the most simple of the whole.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">352</a></span> -As soon as spun, the caps are washed with cold -water and soap; but, there being no rush of -water sufficiently strong in the immediate vicinity -of the capital, they are obliged to be sent -to Smit, distant about ten leagues, where they -are scoured and dried, and ultimately returned -to Eyoub, in order to be completed. Each fèz -then undergoes three different operations of -clipping and pressing; and at the termination -of the third has no longer the slightest appearance -of knitted wool, but all the effect of a fine -close cloth. The next process is that of dyeing -the cap a rich deep crimson; and herein existed -a difficulty which has been but lately overcome, -and of which I shall give an account when I have -sketched the whole routine of the manufacture.</p> - -<p>Having been immersed during several hours -in large coppers constantly stirred, and kept -upon the boil, the caps are flung into a marble -trough filled with running water, where they are -trodden by a couple of men; and afterwards -given to the blockers, who stretch them over -earthen moulds to enable them to take a good -shape. They are subsequently removed to -the drying-room, where they are kept in a perpetual -current of air until all the damp is removed; -and thence delivered up to the head -workmen, who raise the nap of the wool with -the head of the bullrush, and then clip it away -with huge shears; precisely as cloth is dressed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">353</a></span> -in England. Pressing follows, and the fèz is -ultimately carried to the marker, who works -into the crown the private cypher of the manufacture, -and affixes the short cord of crimson -which is to secure the <em>flock</em> or tassel of purple -silk, with its whimsical appendage of cut paper. -The last operation is that of sewing on the tassels: -and packing the caps into parcels containing -half a dozen each, stamped with the Imperial -seal.</p> - -<p>The whole process is admirably conducted. -The several branches of the establishment are -perfectly distinct; and the greatest industry -appears to prevail in every department. The -manufactory was suggested and founded by -Omer Lufti Effendi, in consequence of the extremely -high price paid by the Sultan to the -Tunisians, with whom this fabric originated, -for the head-dress of his troops. Having induced -a party of Arabian workmen from Tunis -to accompany him to Constantinople, he established -them in the old palace, which has since -been replaced by the present noble building; and -under their direction the knitting and shaping of -the caps acquired some degree of perfection.</p> - -<p>But the dye was a secret beyond their art; -and the Turkish government, anxious to second -the views of the energetic Omer Effendi, made -a second importation of Tunisians with no better -success, although they were chosen from among<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">354</a></span> -the most efficient workmen of their country. -The caps, while they were equal both in form -and texture to those of Tunis, were dingy and -ill-coloured; and the Arabs declared that the -failure of the dye was owing to the water in -and about Constantinople, which was unfavourable -to the drugs employed.</p> - -<p>As a last hope, a trial was made at Smit, but -with the same result; and the attempt to localise -the manufacture was about to be abandoned, -when Omer Effendi, suspecting the good faith -of the Arabian workmen, disguised a clever -Angorian Armenian, named Avanis Aga, as a -Turk, whom he placed as a labourer in the dye-room. -Being a good chemist and a shrewd -observer, Avanis Aga, affecting a stupidity -that removed all suspicion, soon made himself -master of the secret which it so much imported -his anxious patron to learn; and, abandoning -the ignoble besom that he had wielded -as the attendant of the Tunisian dyers, immediately -that he discovered the fraud which, -either in obedience to the secret orders of their -Regent, or from an excess of patriotism, they -had been practising ever since their arrival; he -set himself to work in secret; and, with the -water of Smit, dyed two caps, which, having -dried, he presented to Omer Effendi, who was -unable to distinguish them from those of Tunis.</p> - -<p>Delighted at the successful issue of his ex<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">355</a></span>periment, -Omer Effendi summoned the Arabs to -his presence, and shewed them the fèz; when, -instantly suspecting the masquerade that had -betrayed them, they simultaneously turned towards -the Armenian, and, throwing their turbans -on the ground, and tearing their hair, they cried -out: “Yaccoup! Yaccoup!” (Jacob! Jacob!)</p> - -<p>The Superintendent having dismissed them, -after causing them to be liberally remunerated for -the time which they had spent at Constantinople, -sent them back to Tunis; while Avanis Aga, -elected Head Dyer of the Imperial Manufactory -of Eyoub, now enjoys the high honour of deciding -on the exact tint to be worn by Mahmoud the -Powerful, the “Light of the Sun,” and “Shadow -of the Universe.”</p> - -<p>Fifteen thousand caps a month are produced -at the fabric of Eyoub; and they are said to equal -those of Tunis. The finest Russian and Spanish -wools are employed, and no expense is spared in -order to render them worthy of the distinguished -patronage with which the Sultan has honoured -them. The Imperial apartments at the manufactory -are elegantly fitted up, and sufficiently -spacious to accommodate a numerous suite; and, -as the building faces the Arsenal, His Highness -is a frequent visitor to the establishment -of Omer Effendi, where he sometimes passes -several consecutive hours.</p> - -<p>When we had made the tour of the manufac<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">356</a></span>tory, -we returned to the apartment of Mustapha -Effendi, where we partook of coffee and sherbet; -and after expressing the sincere gratification -we had experienced in our survey, we took -our leave; and once more nestling ourselves into -the bottom of our caïque, we darted off to the -Seraï Bournou, where an officer of the Sultan’s -household was waiting to admit us, <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en cachette</em>; -the prevalence of plague having added to the -jealousy with which His Highness ever forbids -the ingress of strangers within its walls.</p> - -<p>The first court of this celebrated seraglio does -not convey any idea of regality to the visitor. It -is rather an excrescence than an appendage to -the Palace: containing on the right hand the infirmaries, -the bakehouses, and the wood-stores; -and on the left, the Greek church of St. Irene, -now converted into an arsenal. On a line with -this desecrated temple is the Mint, in which are -lodged the <em>Taraf-hanè</em>, or Inspector, and the -<em>Chehir Encine</em>, or Superintendent, of the Public -Buildings.</p> - -<p>Passing along beside a high wall, we arrived -at the <em>Orta Kapoussi</em>, or Middle Gate, which is -flanked by two towers forming a <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">saillie</em>; and -close beside it the <em>Dgillat Odossi</em>, or Executioner’s -Room, was pointed out to us, where the -Viziers who are condemned to death or exile -are generally arrested: hence the expression, -“arrested between the two doors.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">357</a></span>Above the gateway is a line of spikes, on -which the forfeited heads were exposed, to -blacken in the sunshine. And here used formerly -to be exhibited the pestle and mortar with -which the Muftis and Ulemas were destroyed. -Having themselves framed the laws by which -the country was to be governed, and fearing to -suffer sooner or later by their own agency, these -“second Daniels” decided that their own body -could not legally suffer death either by the bowstring, -the sword, the bullet, water, or famine: -thus destroying, as they believed, all power over -their lives. But there were other spirits awake -as wily as their own; and the pestle and mortar -of the <em>Orta Kapoussi</em> were adopted, in which the -unhappy wretches, taken in their own toils, were -literally pounded to death! Whether these extraordinary -and revolting instruments of torture -are still in existence, I know not; but it is certain -that they are no longer exhibited as objects of -curiosity.</p> - -<p>Within the middle gate commences the splendour -of the Seraï. Elaborate gilding and curious -arabesques are profusely lavished on its inner -side; whence an avenue of beeches leads to the -third door, opening into the kiosk-crowded -“Garden of Delight,” wherein former Sultans -were wont to receive the European Ambassadors.</p> - -<p>Beyond the vast and golden-latticed building -formerly appropriated to this purpose, the eye<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">358</a></span> -is bewildered by the confusion of many shaped -and glittering pavilions scattered about on all -sides; and I, unfortunately, had not time to -examine them at my leisure; as I was requested -previously to my survey to visit one of the officers -of the household, who possessed the power of introducing -me into the harem. Thither we accordingly -went; and found the courteous Effendi -smoking his chibouk in a sort of garden parlour, -overlooking the enclosure in which stands the -Column of Theodosius.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="f15" id="f15"></a><img src="images/i_p358.jpg" width="400" height="485" -alt="COLUMN OF THEODOSIUS." title="" /> - -<p class="caption">COLUMN OF THEODOSIUS.</p></div> - -<p>As soon as we were seated, I requested permission -to sketch this interesting monument,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">359</a></span> -which he at first refused from a dread of being -compromised by my entrance into the Seraï, but -after a little reluctance he complied, and I -hastily availed myself of his politeness. Well -was it for me that I did so, for I had scarcely -replaced my pencils, when an attendant, breathless -with haste, entered the room, exclaiming, -“Hide the lady! Hide the Franks!—The Sultan -has just arrived in the second court!”</p> - -<p>All was instantly confusion. We made a hasty -retreat by another gate; and, passing along to -the water’s edge, traced upon the mouldering -walls several inscriptions in ancient Greek. One -ran thus: “Theodosius, King by the grace of -Christ;” another; “The Illustrious Theodosius, -the great King by the Grace of Christ;” while -numberless crosses and half-obliterated sentences -still remain, which are beyond solution.</p> - -<p>Altogether I brought away from the Seraï -Bournou, a mere confused impression of gilding -and splendour; of domes, and kiosks, and -gardens; of lofty walls and gleaming lattices. -On passing under what is called the Gate of -Constantine, the spot was pointed out to me on -which a boy, being a few months ago engaged -in play with a party of children of his own age, -had dug up a brilliant, weighing between twenty -eight and thirty carats; since which period that -narrow passage has also been closed against -the public. As our caïque darted past the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">360</a></span> -golden gate of the Imperial harem, I lost myself -in reveries of all the guilt, and suffering, and -despair, which had made the celebrated Palace -of the Point the theme of story, and an object of -undying interest to the curious. I seemed to -see the quivering body of the unfortunate Selim—the -Sardanapalus of the East—flung from the -walls in mockery; and to hear the taunt of his -murderers as they cast him forth—“Traitors -and Rebels! there is your Sultan—Do with him -as you will!”</p> - -<p>This was the most recent tragedy of the Seraï -Bournou, and perhaps one of the saddest; and, -as I glanced around me, and remembered how -many of his works had outlived him, I forgot -my own disappointment in commiserating the -fate of a Sovereign, who, sensual and supine -though he was, yet possessed qualities both of -the heart and the head, which should have -arrested the weapons of his assassins, and -secured to him the affections of his adherents.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">361</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXV.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Social Condition of the Eastern Jews—Parallel between the Jews of -Europe and the Levant—Cruelty of the Turkish Children to Jews—A -Singular Custom—Religious Strictness of the Jews—National Administration—The -House of Naim Zornana of Galata—Costume of -the Jewish Women—Hebrew Hospitality.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">I never</span> saw the curse denounced against the -children of Israel more fully brought to bear -than in the East; where it may be truly said -that “their hand is against every man, and every -man’s hand against them,”—Where they are -considered rather as a link between animals and -human beings, than as men possessed of the -same attributes, warmed by the same sun, chilled -by the same breeze, subject to the same feelings, -and impulses, and joys, and sorrows, as their -fellow mortals.</p> - -<p>There is a subdued and spiritless expression -about the Eastern Jew, of which the comparatively -tolerant European can picture to himself -no possible idea until he has looked upon it. -The Israelite of Europe has a peculiar physiognomy; -a crouching, self-humbling, constrained -manner; but there is “a lurking devil in his eye,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">362</a></span> -which at once convinces you that it is the hope -of gain rather than the fear of insult, which -teaches him that over-acted subserviency of -carriage. You may detect the internal chuckle -of self-gratulatory success; the stealthy glance -of calculating caution; the sudden flashing out -of the spirit’s triumph, as transitory as it is -vivid. But the Jew of Turkey knows not even -the poor enjoyment of these momentary outbreaks -of our common nature; “he eats his -bread in bitterness,” and comes forth from beneath -his own roof-tree with fear and trembling, -to pursue his calling; and to mingle, even unequally, -in the avocations of his task-masters.</p> - -<p>It is little to be wondered at, therefore, that -the bitterness of hatred is blent with the terror -of the Jew, in his commerce with his Moslem -lords; nor that his heart burns as he treads their -highways, and wanders through their cities. -But this is a secret and impotent revenge; and, -even while his spirit pours forth “curses not loud, -but deep,” he only crouches the more servilely -beneath the power that crushes him, lest the -yoke should be pressed down yet more heavily, -and the burthen be doubled.</p> - -<p>It is impossible to express the contemptuous -hatred in which the Osmanlis hold the Jewish -people; and the veriest Turkish urchin who may -encounter one of the fallen nation on his path, -has his meed of insult to add to the degradation<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">363</a></span> -of the outcast and wandering race of Israel. -Nor dare the oppressed party revenge himself -even upon this puny enemy, whom his very name -suffices to raise up against him.</p> - -<p>I remember, on the occasion of the great festival -at Kahaitchana, seeing a Turkish boy of -perhaps ten years of age, approach a group of -Jewesses, and deliberately fixing upon one whose -delicate state of health should have been her -protection from insult, give her so violent a blow -as to deprive her of consciousness, and level -her to the earth. As I sprang forward to the -assistance of this unfortunate, I was held back -by a Turk of my acquaintance, a man of rank, -and I had hitherto believed, divested of such -painful prejudices; who bade me not agitate, -or trouble myself on the occasion, as the woman -was <em>only a Jewess</em>! And of the numbers of -Turkish females who stood looking on, not one -raised a hand to assist the wretched victim of -gratuitous barbarity.</p> - -<p>Very shortly before our departure from Constantinople, -my father and myself were ascending -the hill of Topphannè, on our way to Pera, -followed by a Jewish lad of sixteen or seventeen -years of age, heavily laden with linen drapery, -which he was hawking for sale. About mid-way -of the rise we passed a house upon whose doorstep -a party of Turkish boys were amusing -themselves; but they no sooner saw the Jew,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">364</a></span> -who was quietly pursuing his way in the centre -of the street, than they simultaneously quitted -the sport with which they were engaged, and, -springing upon the poor youth, they commenced -beating him, and endeavouring to drag from -his back the merchandize with which he was -laden.</p> - -<p>The terror of the lad was frightful. The -street was, as usual, so filthy as to entail ruin upon -every thing that fell to the ground; and, as he -struggled against the pain of the blows that -were showered upon him on all sides, and the -efforts which were made to destroy his goods; -the big tears rolled from his eyes. But the contest -was soon terminated by my father, whose -cane liberated the unfortunate Jew from his -tormentors in a very short time; and procured -for himself a volley of abuse, the most <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">piquante</em> -of which was: “See the Giaour! the Giaour -who fights for the Jew!”—a specimen of wit -that appeared to be greatly relished by a -couple of grave-looking old Turks, who had -been unmoved spectators of the whole scene—the -poor lad, meanwhile, like an animal which -has been beaten, and rescued by a passer-by, -following crouchingly upon our footsteps until -he entered the High Street.</p> - -<p>A common custom with both the Turks and -the Greeks when they pass a caïque on the -water laden with Jews, is to raise one hand, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">365</a></span> -with outstretched finger to count their number, -which is supposed to bring some heavy misfortune -on the last of the party. The Jews, who -have firm faith in the effect of the spell, writhe -with agony as they remark the action, and never -fail collectively to yell forth: “May the curse -fall back upon yourself!” After which the -caïques dart onward, each upon its own errand; -the one gay with the subdued mirth of the tormentors, -and the other freighted with new and -unnecessary bitterness.</p> - -<p>The Jews of the East, like their brethren of -Europe, are the people of the country who spend -their sabbath the most strictly; and who are -the most conscientious in the exercise of their -religious observances, and the most obedient to -its professors. Even accustomed as they are to -habits of chicane and extortion, the Jews are -seldom guilty of wilful error in their contributions -to the National Chest, for relieving the -wants of the poorer portion of their people; -which is supplied from a tax levied on the provisions -consumed by each family, thus falling -the most heavily on the wealthiest of their community.</p> - -<p>The Levantine Jews individually live in the -hope, and with the intention, of terminating their -lives at Jerusalem; and, as this speculation is -an expensive one, their energies are quickened -by the necessity it entails of making a gra<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">366</a></span>dual -provision for so extensive an outlay; and -instances have been frequent in which the -father of a family, feeling that from his advanced -age and his failing powers, he was no longer able -to benefit his children by his personal exertions, -has resigned to his sons all his worldly wealth, -save the sum necessary to defray the charges of -his pilgrimage; and sometimes alone, and, sometimes -accompanied by his wife, has bidden a -last adieu to his children, and departed to die -in the chosen city.</p> - -<p>In order not to be ruined by any political -convulsion, or beggared by any stretch of despotic -power, the Jews have a law regulating -the division of their property into three equal -proportions. One consists of floating capital; -another is secured in jewels; and the third is -retained in the coin of the country; an arrangement -which proved highly beneficial to that -portion of their nation that was compelled -from ecclesiastical persecution to evacuate Portugal -and Spain, at the instigation of Torquemada -and other influential members of the clergy: -and to establish themselves in Constantinople; -where, through the long series of years which -has succeeded, they have retained the language -of the countries whence they were banished, with -such tenacity, that most of their women are -altogether ignorant of the Turkish.</p> - -<p>The Constantinopolitan Jews, who wear a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">367</a></span> -dingy-coloured white cap, surrounded by a cotton -shawl of a small brown pattern, are raïahs, or -vassals to the Porte, and are also distinguishable -by their dark purple boots, and black slippers; -while those who cover their heads with a <em>calpac</em>, -somewhat similar to that of the Greeks, but -surmounted by a scarlet rosette at the summit -of the crown, are either under foreign protection; -or subjects of another country trading temporarily -in the Levant, and enjoying all the prerogatives -of that portion of the community whose -costume they adopt; these invariably wear yellow -boots, and slippers similar to those of the Turks. -The raïahs, as well as the strangers, are under -the jurisdiction of the Grand Rabbin; the difference -of their position acting only on their external -relations, and not being recognised by their -own rulers.</p> - -<p>The Levantine Jews formerly visited the infidelity -of their women with death; but the present -Sultan has forbidden to them the exercise -of so severe a law, and the crime is now punished -by exile. They marry their sons at fifteen, and -their daughters at ten years of age; and if a -father desires to chastise his child, he is obliged -to obtain the concurrence of the seven Deputy -Counsellors, charged with the religious administration -of the nation; who refer the matter to the -Grand Rabbin; whose order in its turn must, ere -it can be made available, receive the sanction of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">368</a></span> -the Porte. The same rule is observed with individuals -charged with any crime, save that -these are imprisoned during the deliberation.</p> - -<p>Having expressed to a friend my desire to -visit one of the principal Jewish families, in -order to see the costume of their women, of -which I had heard a great deal; he accompanied -my father and myself to the house of Naim -Zornana, with whom he had held some commercial -relations. Nothing could be more miserable -than the approach to his dwelling; for, in order -to reach it, we were compelled to traverse the -entire length of the Jew’s Quarter at Galata; -nor did the appearance of the house itself, as we -crossed a miserable yard into which it opened, -tend to give us a very favourable idea of the -establishment. The window-shutters were -swinging in the wind upon their rusty hinges; -the wooden balustrade of a dilapidated terrace, -whose latticed roof was overgrown by a magnificent -vine, was mouldering to decay; the path -to the house was choaked with rubbish; and -the timber of which it was built was blackened -both by time and fire.</p> - -<p>The first flight of stairs that we ascended, -together with the rooms on the ground-floor, -were quite in keeping with the exterior of the -dwelling: but when we reached the foot of the -second, we appeared to have been suddenly acted -upon by magic: the steps were neatly matted,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">369</a></span> -the walls were dazzlingly white, and at the -entrance of the vast <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">salle</em> into which the several -apartments opened, lay a handsome Persian -carpet. Here we were met by the females of -the family, and greeted with the lowliest of all -Eastern salutations, ere we were conducted to -the scrupulously clean and handsomely arranged -saloon appropriated to the reception of visiters.</p> - -<p>Never, during my residence in the East, had -I looked on any costume which equalled in -richness, and, their head-dresses excepted, in -elegance, the dress of these Jewish females. It -was a scene of the Arabian Nights in action; -and for a few moments I was lost in admiration. -The mistress of the house stood immediately in -front of the sofa on which we were seated: she -was a tall stately woman, who looked not as -though she belonged to a bowed and rejected -race; she had the eagle eye, the prominent nose, -and the high pale forehead of her nation, with a -glance as fiery as it was keen.</p> - -<p>Such as I have described her, she was attired -in a full dress of white silk, confined a little -above the hips by a broad girdle of wrought -gold, clasped with gems; both the girdle and the -clasps being between five and six inches in width. -Above this robe, she wore a pelisse of dove-coloured -cachemire, lined and overlaid with the -most costly sables, and worth several hundred -pounds; the sleeves were large and loose, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">370</a></span> -fell back, to reveal the magnificent bracelets -which encircled her arms, and the jewelled rings -that flashed upon her fingers. Her turban, of -the usual enormous size worn by all Jewish -women, was formed of the painted muslin handkerchief -of the country, but so covered with -gems that its pattern was undistinguishable; -while, from beneath it, a deep fringe of pearls, -dropped with emeralds of immense size and -value, fell over her brow, down each side of her -face, and ultimately upon her shoulders.</p> - -<p>Behind her were grouped her three daughters-in-law, -in dresses nearly similar, save that, not -being widows, they did not wear the heavy -pelisse; and that the gold and pearl embroidered -sleeves and bosoms of their silken robes were -consequently visible. The prettiest woman -of the party was her own and only daughter, -who had been summoned from the house of her -husband on the previous day, to welcome the -return of her younger brother from Europe, -where he had passed five years. She was nearly -fourteen, with an expression half pensive and -half playful; a something which seemed to indicate -that her nature was too sad for smiles, -and yet too gay for tears; as though the -young bright spirit had been chilled and withered -ere it had felt its freshness, and that it still -struggled to free itself from the thrall.</p> - -<p>Her dress was gorgeous; the costly garniture<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">371</a></span> -of gold and jewels, which almost made her -boddice appear to be one mass of light, was -continued to the knee of her tunic, where it -parted to form a deep hem, that entirely surrounded -the skirt of the garment. The jewelled -fringe of her turban was supported on either -temple by a large spray of brilliants, and fell -upon a border of black floss silk that rested on -her fair young brow. Her arms were as white -as snow, and seemed almost as dazzling as the -gems which bound them; while her slender -waist was compressed by a golden girdle similar -in fashion, but richer in design, than that of her -mother.</p> - -<p>In their girlhood, the Jewish females take -great pride in the adornment of their hair, but -from the moment of their marriage it is scrupulously -hidden; so scrupulously, indeed, that -they wear a second handkerchief attached to -the turban behind, which falls to the ground, in -order to conceal the roots of the hair that the -turban may fail to cover.</p> - -<p>A sweet little girl of about nine years of age, -the affianced wife of one of the brothers, was -introduced, in order to show me the difference -of head-dress; and assuredly her <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coiffure</em> was a -most elaborate affair. She must have worn at -least fifty braids, each secured at the end by a -knot of pearls and ribbon; while her little chubby -hands were literally covered with jewelled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">372</a></span> -rings; and her feet, like those of the elder -females, simply thrust into richly embroidered -slippers.</p> - -<p>The courtesy and hospitality of the whole -family were extreme. They appeared delighted -at the unusual circumstance of receiving Christians, -who appreciated their kindly intentions; -and when I promised, in compliance with their -earnest request, that I would repeat my visit, I -had no intention to fail in the pledge.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">373</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Hospitality of the Armenians—An Impromptu Visit—The Bride—Costly -Costume—Turkish Taste—Kind Reception—Domestic Etiquette -of the Schismatic Armenians—Armenian Sarafs—The National -Characteristics.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">I cannot</span>, perhaps, give a better idea of the -hospitable feeling of the Armenians, than by -relating a little adventure which happened to a -friend and myself, a few weeks previously to my -departure from the East.</p> - -<p>We left home with the intention of paying a -visit to the amiable sisters of Tingler-Oglou, at -their residence on the Bosphorus; and, after a -short walk, rang at a great gate which we imagined -to be that of their grounds. The summons -was immediately answered; and a lovely girl of -about sixteen having followed the servant to -the gate to ascertain the identity of the visitors, -replied to our inquiry for the ladies we sought, -by an invitation to enter. Supposing, from the -extreme splendour of her dress, and the perfect -ease of her manner, that she was some relative -of the family whom we had not hitherto met, we -at once obeyed her bidding, and found ourselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">374</a></span> -on a terrace overshadowed by lime trees, on -which a party of ladies, entirely unknown to us, -were whiling away the time, surrounded by a -crowd of attendants.</p> - -<p>Both the place and the persons being strange, -we drew back, and apologised for our unintentional -intrusion on the privacy of the family; -when an elderly female, evidently the mistress -of the house, motioned us to seat ourselves on -the cushions beside her, telling us that she had -been long desirous of making our acquaintance, -and was rejoiced that her daughter-in-law had -possessed wit enough to profit by the opportunity -afforded by our mistake. Of course we -availed ourselves of the courtesy; and the more -readily as we immediately discovered that we -were in the grounds of a wealthy Saraf, who -was the neighbour of Tingler-Oglou; and who -had lately built the magnificent mansion which -lay below the terrace on the edge of the channel; -and married the beautiful girl who stood beside -us, smiling at the success of her harmless deceit.</p> - -<p>She was the bride of a week; and, as I had -never before had an opportunity of seeing the -costume of a newly-married Armenian female, I -looked at her with considerable curiosity. Her -hair, which was perfectly black, and extremely -luxuriant, hung in a number of glossy braids -upon her shoulders, being bound back from her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">375</a></span> -brow by a handkerchief of gold gauze, deeply -fringed, and thickly covered with diamonds.</p> - -<p>Between her eyebrows was affixed an ornament -composed of small brilliants, and forming -the word “bride” in Armenian characters. Her -chemisette was of blue crape, fringed with silver; -and her antery of Broussa silk, worked and -edged with gold, bound about her waist with a -costly cachemire. She wore trowsers of figured -silk, of a pale blue; thread stockings, and slippers -of pink kid. Her rings and bracelets were a -little fortune in themselves; and, had she known -how to adjust her costume with the intuitive -taste of a Turkish woman, she would have been -beautiful; but the Armenian lady is as inferior in -elegance to the fair Osmanli, as the Perote to -the European. They wear the same description -of dress, and employ the same materials, but -they may, nevertheless, be distinguished at a -glance, from the mere manner of its adjustment. -The one is almost a caricature of the other. I -remained long enough in the East to think the -yashmac the most coquettish and becoming of -all head-dresses; but to be either the one or -the other it must be arranged by the fair fingers -of a gentle Turk; for when put on as the Armenians -wear it, it is the greatest disfigurement in -the world. The same may be said of the whole of -their costume. The inmate of the Turkish harem -is as willow-like and graceful as a swan—the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">376</a></span> -Armenian lady, on the contrary, overloads herself -with shawls and finery; and is, consequently, -fettered in her movements.</p> - -<p>Nothing could be more courteous than our -reception by the family with which we had -become so unexpectedly acquainted. The most -delicate sweetmeats and the finest Mocha coffee -were served to us by the fair hands of the bride -herself, which were deeply stained with henna; -and, as I have before remarked, blazing with -jewels.</p> - -<p>When the refreshments were removed, we -made a tour of the grounds; and were laden by -our new friends with tuberoses, orange-blossom, -and green lemons. There was not a courtesy -that they did not shew us; not a flattering -epithet which they did not lavish on us; and, as -they led us by the hand from terrace to terrace, -they pointed out with intuitive taste every fine -point of view as it opened upon them—lingered -beneath each little garden pavilion wreathed -with parasites, where the passion-flower blossomed -beside the creeping rose, and the violet -nestled at the root of the tiger lily—playfully -sprinkled us with the limpid waters of each -sparkling fountain, whose marble basin looked -like a glistening lotus in the sunshine—seated -us in the painted kiosks which overhung the -water—and selected for us the most tempting -produce of the orangeries.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">377</a></span>When we at length reluctantly took our leave, -the pretty bride kissed our hands with a graceful -humility, perfectly charming; and we were -followed to the gate by entreaties that we would -renew our visit. To these I replied by an invitation -which was instantly accepted; and on -the morrow my room was a blaze of jewels and -gold embroidery.</p> - -<p>The etiquette of a Schismatic Armenian family -is infinitely more rigid than that observed by the -Turks. With the latter, the daughter or daughter-in-law, -when in the harem, can seat herself unbidden; -although not, indeed, where she pleases, -for her proper place is assigned to her, and she -is not permitted to intrude into those of her -elders. But the young Armenian wife, who may -have brought to her husband the dowry of a -million of piastres, and the fair girl who is the -heiress of her father’s house, must remain meekly -standing, with folded hands and patient brow, -until the lady-mother gives the gracious signal -which authorises her to occupy a corner of the -sofa or the cushion.</p> - -<p>The Armenian Catholics do not enforce so -rigorously this domestic slavery, although they -also are fettered by a thousand inconvenient and -inconsequent observances. It is the Schismatics -who cling jealously to all the absurd ceremonials -which render their existence as uncomfortable -as they can contrive to make it. The eldest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">378</a></span> -son can smoke before his father, it is true; but -the chibouk is placed in such a position as to -be invisible to the chief of the family, the smoker -being obliged to turn his head backward to press -the amber mouthpiece; and, moreover, to select -for this fleeting enjoyment the brief moments -when the eyes of his parent are averted.</p> - -<p>The younger sons dare not produce a chibouk, -nor even utter an opinion before either of these -august personages—The mother alone, among -the females of the family, has the privilege of -occupying a place on the sofa, and appropriating -a share of the conversation: the younger -ladies only appear before their male relatives -when they are summoned, or compelled to intrude -in the performance of some household duty. On -all other occasions they inhabit the harem, -which is usually a noble apartment most luxuriously -fitted up, where they knit, embroider, or -idle, as best suits their inclination. Like the -Turkish women, they are passionately fond of -flowers, and cultivate them with great assiduity; -their gardens being as remarkable for -their neatness, as are the interior of their dwellings -for that extraordinary cleanliness to which -I have borne testimony elsewhere.</p> - -<p>On the arrival of a male visiter, should any -of the ladies be wandering amid the bright -blossoms in which they so much delight, the -alarm is instantly given; and they shuffle away<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">379</a></span> -to their pretty prison-room as fast as their heelless -slippers will enable them to move. Perhaps -the guest may be a suitor; but if so, the case is -not altered one iota. The lady still runs away, -without any attempt to indulge her curiosity -by a peep at her destined lord; while the gentleman, -on his side, takes his seat in the great -saloon, and, after smoking a score of pipes, and -making a thousand <em>teminas</em> to the father or -brother of his bride elect, mounts his horse, or -resumes his place in his caïque, and departs; in -full possession of all the particulars of the lady’s -property; and in contented ignorance of all that -relates to her character or person.</p> - -<p>“Will you take this woman, whether she be -halt, or deaf, or humped, or blind?" asks the -priest on the bridal day, as the happy bridegroom -stands opposite to a mummy-like mass -of gold threads and cachemire, with his own -monstrous calpac tricked out in the same glittering -finery, until he looks like a male Danaë; -and with true stolid Armenian philosophy he -answers: “Even so I will take her.”</p> - -<p>The European young lady associates the idea -of marriage with tenderness, and indulgence, and -domestic enjoyment; emancipation from maternal -authority, and comparative personal liberty. -She smiles in the stillness of her own spirit at -the fair visions of happiness that rise before -her; and there is no bitterness in the tears with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">380</a></span> -which she quits the home of her infancy. But -the Armenian maiden only exchanges one tyranny -for another—she is transported to the -home of a stranger, whom a priest has told her -that she is to love, and whom she has never -seen—beneath the roof-tree of a man whom, -henceforward, she is bound to honour, though -her heart may loathe the mockery. To obey is -her least difficult duty, for she has been reared -in obedience; but yet she cannot escape the -pang of feeling how much more easy was that -blind submission to another’s will, when it was -enforced by the mother who had laid her to -sleep upon her bosom in her infancy, and on -whose knee she had sported in her girlhood; -than when she is suddenly called upon to bow -meekly beneath the dictation of a new and -strange task-mistress, knit to her by no tie, -save that new and unaccustomed link which has -just been riveted by the church; and by which -she has become the slave not only of her husband, -but of his parents also.</p> - -<p>Has she fortune, beauty, rank, they avail her -nothing; for two long years she must not speak -before her step-mother, save to reply to some -question that may be put to her; and, should -she herself become a parent, she has yet a -sterner and a more difficult task to learn; for -she cannot even fondle her infant before witnesses; -but must fly and hide herself in her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">381</a></span> -own chamber when she would indulge the outpourings -of maternal love.</p> - -<p>How melancholy a contrast does this Armenian -barbarism afford to the beautiful devotedness -of every inmate of a Turkish harem to the -comfort and happiness of infancy! There it -is difficult to decide which is really the mother -of the rosy, laughing, boisterous baby that is -passed from one to the other; and welcome to the -heart and arms of all. The little plump, spoilt, -mischievous urchin, whose life is one long holyday -of fun and frolic; and whose few fleeting tears -throw all around him into commotion. An infant -is common property in a Turkish harem—a -toy and a treasure alike to each; whether it -be the child of the stately Hanoum whose will -is law, or of the slave whose duty is obedience; -and, it is certain that, if children could really be -“killed with kindness,” the Ottoman Empire, -in as far as the Turks themselves are concerned, -would soon be a waste.</p> - -<p>There can, I think, be no doubt that the life -of cold, monotonous, heart-shutting ceremony -led by the Armenians among themselves, has -been in a great degree the cause of the stolidity -of character with which I have elsewhere reproached -them. It would, perhaps, be difficult -to find a finer race of men in the world, as far -as their personal appearance is concerned: while -it is certain that no where could they be exceeded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">382</a></span> -in mental, or I should rather say, moral inertness. -In all affairs of commerce, where the -subject may be reduced by rule, and decided by -calculation, they are competent alike to undertake -and to comprehend it: but once endeavour -to while them beyond the charmed circle of -their money-bags; to detach their thoughts for -a moment from their piastres; and they cannot -utter three consecutive sentences to which it is -not a waste of time to listen.</p> - -<p>That they are a most valuable portion of the -population admits of no dispute; their steady -commercial habits, their unquestioning submission -to “the powers that be;” their plodding, -unambitious natures, fit them admirably for -their position in Turkey. Had they more mental -energy, more self-appreciation, and more moral -development, they could not continue to be the -tame listless imitators, and idolaters of their -masters that they now are.</p> - -<p>The Armenian holds the same position among -the bipeds of the East as the buffalo among the -quadrupeds. He bears his load, and performs his -task with docility, without appearing conscious -that he can be capable of any thing beyond this; -and, even the Sarafs, or Bankers to the Pashas, -a class of men in whom I expected to encounter, -at least occasionally, an individual of general -acquirements and information, as far as my own -experience went, scarcely formed an exception<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">383</a></span> -to the rule. I knew many among them who -were exceedingly amiable, and possessed of great -shrewdness, but it was all professional subtlety; -it extended not beyond the objects on which -their personal interests were hinged. Not one in -a score can speak five words of any European -language, or be induced to exhibit the slightest -wish to acquire one. In a word, I should say -that the Armenians, as a nation, were worthy, -well-meaning, and useful, but extremely uninteresting -members of society; possessing neither -the energy of the Greek, nor the strength -of character so conspicuous in the Osmanli—A -money-making, money-loving people, having a -proper regard for the “purple and fine linen” -of the world; and quite satisfied to bear the -double yoke of the Sultan and the Priesthood.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">384</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXVII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Season-Changes at Constantinople—Twilight—The Palace Garden—Mariaritza, -the Athenian—A Love-tale by Moonlight—The Greek -Girl’s Song—The Palace of Beglierbey—Interior Decorations—The -Bath—The Terraces—The Lake of the Swans—The Air Bath—The -Emperor’s Vase—The Gilded Kiosk—A Disappointment.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">We</span> had landed at Constantinople amid the -snows of winter: we had danced through the -Carnival at the Palaces of Pera: seen the early -primroses spring in the Valley of the Sweet -Waters, and the first violets blossom among the -tombs in the Cemetery of Eyoub. We had -hailed the brightening summer as it wrote its -approach with flowery fingers amid the bursting -roses of the terrace-gardens, whispered its -gentle promises in the low murmuring breezes -which curled lovingly the clear ripple of the -Bosphorus, and made mystic music among the -leafy plane-trees. We had glided over that -ripple by moonlight in a fairy-bark, whose golden -glitter flashed back the sweet light that touched -it, and whose broad-bladed oars flung the light -spray from them at every stroke, like mimic -stars.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">385</a></span>We had dropped down with the tide under -the “hill of the thousand nightingales,” when -they made night vocal with their melody. I -shall never forget that hour! It was in the -very heart of summer, and, in the West the -twilight lingers lovingly upon the earth, as -though it were loath to leave a scene of so much -beauty: and, in the dim light the wanderer, -who moves slowly among the sights and scents -of the most luxurious of seasons, may see the -chalices of the reviving flowers opening to receive -the dew-offering poured forth as if in -homage to their beauty; and the tinted lip of -every orient blossom uplifted to the grateful -touch of the tears of night.—It was at the last -hour of daylight; but, in the East, the Giant -Darkness overshadows the earth only for an -instant in his approach, ere he lays his sable -hand on the landscape, and effaces its outline.</p> - -<p>I had been passing the day in one of the -Palaces that skirt the channel. It was a -season of festivity, and my father and myself -had shared, with about fifty other guests, the -princely hospitality of its owner; we had met -early, and, after many hours of excitement and -exertion, I felt that craving for mental repose -always the most imperative after a lapse of -time in which the spirit has been more taxed than -the physical strength.</p> - -<p>From the supper-room I accordingly strolled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">386</a></span> -into the garden. Daylight was just looking its -last over the waters; and already the shadows -of the Asian hills were looming long upon their -surface. I turned listlessly from the broad path -which, overhung with trellised roses, divided the -parterre almost in the centre; and, striking into -a screened way hedged on either side by a deep -belt of evergreens and flowering shrubs, retreated -with a rapid step from the immediate -neighbourhood of the illuminated saloons that -gave upon the garden; and from whose open -casements the light laughter and mirthful tones -of the guests rang through the evening air. A -slight dew was already falling, and the blossoming -trees among which I passed were giving -out a cool fresh scent as the moisture touched -them;—an occasional tuft of violets nestling at -their roots flung a rich perfume to the sky; and -the faint odour of the far-off orangery which -was already invisible in the fading light, came -occasionally on the breeze like a gush of incense -wafted by the hand of Nature in homage to her -God.</p> - -<p>Another breath! and down came the darkness, -above and about me. The stern mountains -were faintly pencilled against the horizon—the -breeze sighed through the blossom-laden -branches as though it mourned the loss of the -daylight; and conjured, as it seemed, by that -soft sound, up sprang a single star into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">387</a></span> -Heavens—clear, full, and glittering as though -it had been formed of one pure and perfect -diamond; and was reflected back from the calm -bosom of the Bosphorus, in bright but tempered -brilliancy.</p> - -<p>It was a moment of enchantment! And as my -eye became accustomed to the sudden gloom, -the whole horizon appeared changed. It was -not blackness that veiled the sky; night wore -no sables; but a far-spreading vestment of deep -dense blue, without a vapour to dim its intensity—And -slowly, beautifully, into this empurpled -vault, rose the soft moon, whose silver -circle was almost perfect; casting, as she clombe -her mysterious path, a long line of light across -the channel which glittered like liquid gems.</p> - -<p>I was still gazing on this glorious spectacle, -motionless, and almost breathless, when I was -startled by a deep sigh so near me that I involuntarily -started back a pace or two; but, -recovering myself on the instant, I looked -earnestly in the direction whence it had appeared -to come; and, detecting amid the branches the -glimmer of a white drapery, I approached the -spot, and found myself standing beside a dark-eyed -girl, who, seated on a broken column under -the overarching boughs of a magnificent cedar -tree, was plucking to pieces a branch of orange-blossom -which she had torn from her brow.</p> - -<p>She was dressed in deep mourning, but over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">388</a></span> -her head she had flung the long loose veil of -soft white muslin common to her countrywomen—for -Mariaritza was a Greek—I scarcely know -how to describe her, and I quite despair of -making my portrait a likeness, for her’s was not -a face that words can mirror faithfully. I -had heard much of her before we met—much -which had excited alike my curiosity and my -interest; and, although since our acquaintance -had commenced, that interest had grown almost -into affection, my curiosity still remained ungratified. -She must have been about two and -twenty; her stature was low, and her complexion -swarthy; she was limbed like an Antelope; and -her coal black hair was braided smoothly across -a brow as haughty as that of an Empress. I -am not quite sure that she had a good feature -in her face, except her eyes; although there have -been moments when I have thought her not -only handsome, but even radiantly beautiful—And -her eyes—they can be described like those -of no other person—you could not look into -them for a moment without feeling that you -were thralled. They were as black as midnight; -long, and peculiarly-shaped, set deeply -into the head, and somewhat closer together -than is usual.</p> - -<p>But all this is commonplace. It was not the -form and fashion of Mariaritza’s eyes which -made them so singular—it was their extraordi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">389</a></span>nary -and contradictory expression—I have seen -them soft and liquid as those of infancy; and, -an instant afterwards, almost fierce in their -blinding brightness.</p> - -<p>As I reached her side she looked up, and the -flash of blended ire and bitterness was in those -dark wild eyes, as she exclaimed, without changing -her position: “Ha! Is it indeed you who are -cheating yourself into a belief that you can love -the silent night better than the laughter and -the flatteries of yonder empty-hearted fools?” -and she jerked her veiled head impatiently in -the direction of the Palace: “You, the courted, -and the caressed; whom they idolise and worship -because you can record them and their’s, and -make them subject for song and story in your -own far-off land? Go, go—The night air may -chill you—It is not for such as you to be abroad -when the dew is on the earth.”</p> - -<p>I saw that the dark mood was on her. I had -known her thus more than once; and I only answered -by drawing a part of her long veil over -my own head, and sitting down on the earth -beside her.</p> - -<p>“Nay, if you will really forsake them awhile -for <em>my</em> companionship,” she murmured, while -the moonlight that streamed upon her face was -not more soft than the gaze which met mine as -I looked up at her: “let us free ourselves for -a while from all risk of intrusion—I have been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">390</a></span> -in the lime-avenue, but I had well nigh intruded -on a love-tale; and when I would fain have -taken refuge in the ruined temple, and found it -tenanted by a Saraf and his pipe-bearer——”</p> - -<p>“And I”—and as I spoke I raised her hand -playfully to my lips; “I am to chace you hence?”</p> - -<p>“You shall, if you so will it;” said Mariaritza: -“and if you will trust yourself with me for a -couple of hours——”</p> - -<p>“Any where—everywhere——”</p> - -<p>The young Greek answered only by rising, -and moving hastily towards the house. In a -moment I heard the clapping of her small hands; -and in five minutes more her caïque awaited us -at the terrace-gate which opened on the channel.</p> - -<p>“The sternmost caïquejhe is deaf;” whispered -Mariaritza; as we established ourselves -on the yielding cushions at the bottom of the -arrow-like boat, and wrapped the furred pelisses -with which it was profusely supplied -carefully about us—“we have but to converse -in a low voice, and we shall be safe, even -although we should whisper treason of Mahmoud -himself!”</p> - -<p>I answered with a similar jest; and we darted -out into the centre of the channel, and on until -we glided beneath the Asian shore. No! I -shall never forget that night—and could I impart -to my readers the tale to which I listened -from that passionate Greek girl, in a flood of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">391</a></span> -moonlight, and to the music of the myriad -nightingales, as we crept along under the -shadows of the mighty hills, I might spare the -asseveration. That night I heard all her secret; -and from that hour I loved her!</p> - -<p>Mariaritza was an Athenian; proud of her -unsullied descent, and of the loved land of her -birth. She was on a visit to a rich relative at -Constantinople; but she sighed for Greece as -the captive sighs for liberty; and the rather -that a wealthy suitor had presented himself, -whom her friends persecuted her to receive.</p> - -<p>“Did they know what is hidden <em>here</em>!” she -exclaimed, as she alluded to this new lover, -pressing her small hand over her heart while -she spoke; “Could they guess the tale which I -have confided to no ear save your’s—But you -are weeping—your tears are bright in the moonlight—<span class="smcap">God</span> -forgive me! but I did not think that -you knew how to weep.”</p> - -<p>“Mariaritza!” I whispered reproachfully.</p> - -<p>“Pardon! pardon!” murmured the wayward -girl, winding her arm about my neck; “Our -Lady have mercy on me! It is my fate ever to -pain those I love. But I will talk of myself -no more—Let us speak of Greece—my own -beautiful Greece!—or, listen—I will sing to you -a song that I ought long to have forgotten, for -<em>he</em> wrote it—Did I tell you that he, too, was an -Athenian?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_392" id="Page_392">392</a></span>And without waiting for a reply, she warbled -to a plaintive melody some Greek stanzas, of -which the following is a free translation:</p> - -<p class="center">THE GREEK GIRL’S SONG.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line i1">My own bright Greece! My sunny land!</div> -<div class="line i2">Nurse of the brave and free!</div> -<div class="line i1">How bound the chords beneath my hand</div> -<div class="line i2">Whene’er I sing of thee—</div> -<div class="line">The myrtle branches wave above my brow,</div> -<div class="line">And glorious memories throng around me now!</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">Thy very name was once a spell,—</div> -<div class="line i2">A watchword in the earth—</div> -<div class="line i1">With thee the Arts first deigned to dwell—</div> -<div class="line i2">And o’er thy gentle hearth</div> -<div class="line">The social spirit spread her gleaming wings;</div> -<div class="line">And made it the glad home of pure and lovely things.</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">The snowy marble sprang to life</div> -<div class="line i2">’Neath thy Promethean touch;</div> -<div class="line i1">The breeze with sunny song was rife:</div> -<div class="line i2">(Where now awakens such?)</div> -<div class="line">All that was brightest, best, with thee was found,</div> -<div class="line">And thy sons trod in pride thy classic ground.</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">The burning eloquence which dips</div> -<div class="line i2">Its torch in living fire,</div> -<div class="line i1">Flowed, like a lava-tide, from lips</div> -<div class="line i2">That, from the funeral-pyre</div> -<div class="line">Of by-past ages plucked a burning brand,</div> -<div class="line">To shed new light o’er thee, thou bright and glorious land. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">393</a></span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">They tell me thou art nothing now—</div> -<div class="line i2">I spurn the unholy thought!</div> -<div class="line i1">The beam is yet upon thy brow</div> -<div class="line i2">Which erst from Heaven it caught—</div> -<div class="line">Let then the baneful, blighting mockery cease!</div> -<div class="line">Still art thou beautiful, my own fair Greece!</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line i1">Firm hearts and glowing souls remain</div> -<div class="line i2">To love thee, glorious one!</div> -<div class="line i1">And though no hand may clasp again</div> -<div class="line i2">Thy once celestial zone,</div> -<div class="line">Better to worship at thy ruined shrine,</div> -<div class="line">Than bend the knee at one less proud and pure than thine!</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>But the wild-eyed Mariaritza has betrayed me -into a digression in which I thought not to -indulge when I commenced this chapter; and I -must lead back my reader to the opening sentences, -wherein I was noting the sweet season-changes -that we had witnessed in the East. -The summer, with its luxury of leaves and -flowers, had passed away; and we saw the -bright green of the Asian woods grow into gold -beneath the touch of autumn. Our days of -pilgrimage were numbered; and Stamboul, with -its mosques and its minarets, its domes and -its palaces, was soon to be only a gorgeous -memory.</p> - -<p>Already had we said our farewell to many a -fond and valued friend, never, probably, to be -looked upon again in life; and as we wandered -amid scenes and sights to which we had become<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_394" id="Page_394">394</a></span> -familiarised, we felt that indescribable sadness -with which an object is ever contemplated for -the last time. The heart may have been wrung, -the spirit may have been pained, during a foreign -sojourn; deep shadows may have fallen over the -landscape; but there must ever be sunny spots -on which the memory lingers, and to which the -affections cling.</p> - -<p>The freshness had passed away from the -Valley of the Sweet Waters, and the turf had -withered beneath a scorching sun; yet to me -it was still beautiful. The sparkling Barbyses -was shrunken to a silver thread; but in my -mind’s eye I yet saw it filling its graceful channel, -and gliding like a snake through the silent -glen. The cemetery of Eyoub was glorious! The -lordly trees which overhang the tombs were -rainbow-like in their tints; and the gilded head-stones -appeared to be over-canopied by living -gems.</p> - -<p>Every hour passed in the solemn Necropolis -of Scutari was a distinct mine of thought—Its -deep, dense shadows, its voiceless solitude, its -melancholy sublimity—all remained as I had -first felt them—The seasons effect no change -on this City of the Dead—The long dim avenues -of cypress put on no summer livery to flaunt in -the garish sunshine—amid the snows of winter, -and the skies of spring, they wear the same -dark hues—the autumnal beams shed no golden<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">395</a></span> -tints over their dusky foliage; nor do the summer -heats betray them into blossoming. The grave-tree, -nourished by the mouldering remnants of -mortality, dank with the exhalations of the -tombs, and rooted in a soil fed with corruption, -drinks not the dews, and revels not in the day-beam, -like the changeful child of the sunshine, -which flings its leafy and light-loving branches -over a painted kiosk, or a marble fountain—It -is dark and silent, as the dead above whom it -springs; and the wind moans more sadly among -its boughs, than when it sweeps through the -leaves of the summer woods.</p> - -<p>The very streets, narrow, difficult, and even -plague-teeming as they were, acquired a new -interest when we remembered that in a few weeks -we should tread them no more. The columns of -the Atmeidan—the “Tree of Groans” beside the -mosque of Sultan Achmet—the gorgeous Fountain -of Topphannè—each claimed a longer look -than heretofore, as we felt that it was the last.</p> - -<p>These were our chosen haunts; and the steam-vessel -that was to convey us to the Danube, -by which route we had decided on returning to -England, already lay in the port, when an Officer -of the Imperial Household bore to us the gracious -permission of the Sultan to visit his palaces; -coupled with the injunction that we were to be -unaccompanied by any other Frank. Not a -moment was to be lost! We had not a week<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">396</a></span> -to remain in the country; and we accordingly -appointed the morrow for crossing to the gilded -summer Palace of Beglierbey.</p> - -<p>Our caïque was at the pier of Yeni-keuy at -ten o’clock; and we shot athwart the channel -which was steeped in sunshine, like wild birds. -At the marble gate we were met by the courteous -individual who was to act as our guide -through the saloons of the Sultan; and, having -made our bow to the Kiara, who was also awaiting -us, we stepped across the threshold, followed -by the gaze of the astonished guard; and skirting -the rainbow-like garden, we passed along -the line of gilt lattices which veil the seaward -boundary of the pleasure-grounds; and entered -the hall.</p> - -<p>The first glance of the interior is not imposing. -The double staircase, sweeping crescent-wise -through the center of the entrance, contracts its -extent so much as to give it the appearance of -being insignificant in its proportions; an effect -which is, moreover, considerably heightened by -the elaborated ornaments of the carved and -gilded balustrades and pillars. But such is far -from being the case in reality; as, from this outer -apartment, with its flooring of inlaid woods, -arabesqued ceiling, and numerous casements, -open no less than eight spacious saloons, appropriated -to the Imperial Household.</p> - -<p>Above this suite are situated the State Apart<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">397</a></span>ments; -gorgeous with gilding, and richly furnished -with every luxury peculiar alike to the -East and to the West. The Turkish divans of -brocade and embroidered velvet are relieved by -sofas and lounges of European fashion—bijouterie -from Geneva—porcelain from Sèvres—marbles -from Italy—gems from Pompeii—Persian -carpets—English hangings—and, in the -principal saloons, six of the most magnificent, if -not actually <em>the</em> six <em>most</em> magnificent, pier glasses -in the world; a present to the Sultan from the -Emperor of Russia, after the treaty of Unkiar -Skelessi.</p> - -<p>Upwards of twelve feet in height, and about six -feet in width, of one single plate, and enclosed -in a deep frame of silver gilt, bearing the united -arms of the two empires; these costly glasses -reflect in every direction the ornaments of the -apartment; and produce an effect almost magical. -While the highly elaborated ceiling, richly -ornamented with delicate wreaths of flowers; -and the bright-patterned carpet covering the -floor, combine to fling over the vast saloon an -atmosphere of light and gladness, which is increased -by the dazzling glories of the parterre -spread out beneath the windows; with its flashing -fountain, golden orangery, and long line of -gleaming lattices.</p> - -<p>The Reception-Room is small, and remarkable -only for the comfortably-cushioned divan on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_398" id="Page_398">398</a></span> -which the Sultan receives his visitors; and -the noble view that it commands of the channel, -from the Seraglio Point to the Castle of -Mahomet.</p> - -<p>The Banquetting Hall is entirely lined with -inlaid woods of rare and beautiful kinds finely -mosaiced; the ceiling and the floor being alike -enriched with a deep garland of grapes and -vine-leaves, flung over groups of pine-apples of -exquisite workmanship.</p> - -<p>Hence, a long gallery conducted us to the -private apartments of the Sultan; and on every -side were graceful fountains of white marble, -whose flashing waters fell with a musical sound -into their sculptured basins. In one, the stream -trickled from a plume of feathers wrought in -alabaster; and so delicately worked that they almost -appeared to bend beneath the weight of the -sparkling drops—in another, the stream gushed -forth, overflowing a lotus-flower, upon whose lip -sported a group of Cupids. The private apartments, -which separated the harem from the state -wing of the Palace, were the very embodiment of -luxurious comfort; two of them were lined with -wicker-work painted cream colour; the prettiest -possible idea, executed in the best possible -style.</p> - -<p>The harem was, of course, a sealed book; for, -as the ladies of the Sultan’s household have -never been allowed to indulge their curiosity by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">399</a></span> -a survey of that portion of the Palace appropriated -to Mahmoud himself, it can scarcely be -expected that any intruder should be admitted -beyond the jealously-barred door forming their -own boundary.</p> - -<p>The Bath was beautiful. As we passed the -crimson door with its crescent-shaped cornice, -we entered a small hall in which two swans, -the size of life, and wrought in pure white -marble, were pouring forth the water that supplies -the cold stream necessary to the bathers. -The cooling-room was richly hung with embroidered -draperies; and the mirror was surmounted -by the Ottoman arms wrought in gold -and enamel. The Bath itself realized a vision -of the Arabian Nights, with its soft, dreamy -twilight, its pure and glittering whiteness, and -its exquisitely imagined fountains—and the -subdued effect of our voices, dying away in -indistinct murmurs in the distance, served to -heighten the illusion.</p> - -<p>Altogether, the Summer Palace of Sultan -Mahmoud is as fair within, as without; and I -have already said that it is the most elegant -edifice on the Bosphorus.</p> - -<p>The gardens, which rise to the summit of the -steep height immediately behind the Seraï, are -formed into terraces, each being under the -direction of a foreign gardener, and laid out in -the fashion of his own land. Thus there are a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_400" id="Page_400">400</a></span> -Spanish, an Italian, an English, a German, and -a French garden. The deepest terrace is occupied -by a fine sheet of water, called the Lake -of the Swans, on which about thirty of these -graceful birds, the Sultan’s peculiar favourites, -were disporting themselves in the clear sunshine. -Weeping willows, and other graceful -trees, were mirrored in its calm bosom, and a -couple of gaily-painted pleasure-boats were -moored under the shadow of a magnificent -magnolia.</p> - -<p>About fifty yards from the water, stands a -graceful edifice of white marble denominated -the “Air Bath;” in which his Sublime Highness -passes many a delicious hour during the summer -heats. The saloon is paved, roofed, and lined -with marble; and exquisitely imagined fountains -fling their waters from the lotus leaves that -are carved on the cornice of the apartment, -through a succession of ocean-shells, fantastically -grouped, and delicately chiselled, which -divide the stream into a hundred slender threads, -and ultimately pour their volume into the basins, -whence it escapes to the lake without, keeping -up a continual current of cool air, and murmur -of sweet sound, which produce an effect almost -magical. In the centre of this saloon, -whence several inferior apartments branch off -on either side, stands a magnificent vase of -verd-antique, about eight feet in height; a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_401" id="Page_401">401</a></span> -present to the Sultan from the Emperor Nicholas.</p> - -<p>The hill is crowned by a gilded kiosk, glittering -among cypresses and plane trees; and the -whole establishment is more like a fairy creation, -than the result of human invention and labour.</p> - -<p>On the morrow, we decided on paying another -visit to the Seraï Bournou; as the following day -was that fixed for our departure. But alas! when -that morrow came, we had reason to congratulate -ourselves on having already penetrated beyond -the “Golden Gate;” for the waves of the channel -were running mountain high, and the opposite -coast was lost in a dense vapour of sleet and -rain. The disappointment was extreme; but, as -there was no alternative, we were compelled to -submit. For once “our star was bankrupt;” and -we were fain to console ourselves with the reflection -that our last day in Asia had been so -worthily spent.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_402" id="Page_402">402</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Bosphorus in Mist—The Ferdinando Primo—Embarkation—Tardy -Passengers—The Black Sea—The Turkish Woman—Varna—Visit -to the Pasha—Rustem Bey—Mustapha Najib Pasha—Turkish -Gallantry—The Lines—Sunset Landscape—Bulgarian Colonies—Discomforts -of a Deck Passage.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">I never</span> beheld the Bosphorus to less advantage -than on the morning of our departure from -Constantinople; for, as if to lessen our regrets -on leaving it, its shores were concealed by mists -formed of small light rain, which effectually -veiled their beauty. As cloud after cloud rolled -by, each succeeded by a denser and darker -vapour than its predecessor, we lost sight of -every accustomed object; and, though I flung -back the casement, and turned “a last, long, -lingering look” along the channel, I was unable -to distinguish even the most prominent points -of view.</p> - -<p>The steam vessel <em>Ferdinando Primo</em>, in which -we had secured our passage, was to arrive at -Yenikeuÿ at mid-day; and we spent the earlier -hours of the morning with some Greek friends<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_403" id="Page_403">403</a></span> -whose summer residence overhung the stream; -and from whose windows we had hitherto been -enabled to see the fairy-like Palace of Beglierbey, -and the hill-seated Castle of Mahomet. -But, alas! for our parting associations—the -gilded glories of the Imperial Seraï, and the -ancient towers of the Prophet’s Fortress, were -alike invisible; despite the glitter of the one, and -the whitewash which had recently been profusely -and provokingly lavished on the time-tinted -walls of the other.</p> - -<p>Onward crept the mist as the day advanced; -and at length the opposite shore became veiled -by a vapour so dense that even the little village -of Sultanïè, immediately facing the terrace, -disappeared; and nothing was distinguishable -through the darkness save the foamy crests -of the waves, as they were driven onward by the -force of the current; and the white gleam of the -seagull’s extended wings, as he dipped his -bosom for an instant in the troubled waters, and -then rose, with a wild cry, into the murky atmosphere.</p> - -<p>It was an hour of tears; and I am not quite -sure whether at the moment I repined that no -garish sun shone forth to mock them; while I -am nevertheless certain that a more comfortless -sensation never oppressed me, than that with -which I contemplated the approach of the vessel -through the turbid waves; her column of sable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_404" id="Page_404">404</a></span> -smoke lending a deeper tint to the angry clouds; -and her prow dashing aside the current in -streaks of foam. As she lay-to in front of the -house, we hurried into the caïque that was -already freighted with our luggage; turned a -last look towards the kind ones who thronged -the terrace in despite of the fast-falling rain; -and pushed out into the channel.</p> - -<p>When we reached the packet, we were miserably -wet, and had to despatch our cloaks, -shawls, and coats to the engine-room to dry; -while our trunks and portmanteaux were lifted -dripping upon the deck, giving the last touch -of discomfort to our embarkation for a long and -tedious voyage. In one respect I was, however, -fortunate; as, from being the only lady on board, -(and, indeed, the first who had yet undertaken the -passage) I found myself in possession of a commodious -and comfortably arranged cabin; well -fitted with every requisite for lessening the inconvenience -of ship-board.</p> - -<p>In twenty minutes we were off Therapia; and -in ten more we entered the Bay of Buyukdèrè. -By the time we reached this point, the fog had -deepened so much as to render it uncertain -whether we should be enabled to leave the Bosphorus -until the following morning; a resolution -to which the Russian steamer, the Nicholas I., -had already come the more readily, as she had on -board the mother and sister of Madame de Bou<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_405" id="Page_405">405</a></span>tinieff, -who were not anxious to tempt the perils -of the Black Sea at so unpropitious a moment. -Mr. Ellis, our late Ambassador in Persia, was -also among her passengers; and, like the ladies, -he was quietly preparing for a comfortable -dinner at the Russian Palace.</p> - -<p>As we lay alongside, these tidings were communicated -by the Captain of the Nicholas, who -naturally endeavoured to induce our own to -follow his example, and remain in the bay until -daylight; but the Commander of the Ferdinand -had too much energy to yield to the suggestion; -and at seven o’clock in the evening, the weather -having somewhat moderated, he summoned on -board one of his passengers who had delayed -his embarkation until the last moment, and set -the steam on; when away we went to the great -chagrin of the rival establishment: leaving behind -us two or three of the deck passengers who -had failed to pay attention to the signals which -were made to announce to them our instant -departure.</p> - -<p>Our party was a pleasant one. We had a -Prussian Baron, tall, serious, and highly-bred; -a German noble, gay, voluble, and <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tant soit peu -gourmand</em>; a Colonel of the Coldstream Guards; -an Hungarian Cavalier, holding a distinguished -rank in the Austrian service; a Russian-Greek -Artist, bound on a tour of Italy, -and full of enthusiasm both for himself and his -art; the Captain of the Levant Steam-boat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_406" id="Page_406">406</a></span> -on a survey of the Danube Navigation; my -father, and myself. The deck was crowded -with Turks, Greeks, and Jews; and among the -rest by some poor old Turkish women on their -way to Varna; and a couple of pretty young -Greek girls bound for Galatz.</p> - -<p>All went on tolerably well until a couple of -hours had elapsed, when one by one all the -party began to disappear. The rude billows of -the Black Sea replaced the comparatively smooth -channel of the Bosphorus,—the light-houses of -Fanaraki loomed through the fog,—we were -fairly “at sea,”—and the spray began to fall in -showers over the paddle-boxes, inundating all -the shivering Orientals who had spread their -mats and mattresses on that part of the deck.</p> - -<p>I never beheld a more perfect picture of -wretchedness than one old Turkish woman, who, -having resisted all the kindly attempts of the -Captain to induce her to change her position, -and having been fairly soaked through by a -succession of the heavy seas which we were constantly -shipping, at length permitted herself to -be removed, and led aft to the tiller; where she -instantly buried herself among the folds of the -wet awning that had been flung there out of -the way, and resigned herself to her misery.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="f16" id="f16"></a><img src="images/i_fp406.jpg" width="500" height="318" -alt="NEAR FANARAKI IN ASIA." title="" /> -<table summary="fanaraki" width="100%"><tr> -<td class="left f06">Miss Pardoe del.</td> -<td class="right f06">Day & Haghe Lith.<sup>rs</sup> to the King.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f08" colspan="2">NEAR FANARAKI IN ASIA.</td> -</tr><tr> -<td class="center f06" colspan="2"><i>Henry Colburn, 13 G.<sup>t</sup> Marlborough St 1837.</i></td> -</tr></table></div> -<p class="caption"></p> - -<p>What a night we passed! I thought that it -would never end; and what rueful faces I encountered -in the morning, when with some difficulty, -and a great deal of assistance I dragged -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_407" id="Page_407">407</a></span> -myself on deck! The wind was directly in our -teeth; and as the vessel rolled from side to side, -we continued to suffer direfully from the violence -of the motion. It was an unspeakable -relief when, at half past four in the afternoon, -we anchored off Varna, where we were to land -three hundred bags of coffee; and where Colonel -H——, Captain F——, my father, and myself -accompanied the Captain of the Ferdinand on -shore, to pay a visit to the Pasha.</p> - -<p>The surf was breaking so violently against -the pier that we were for a few moments undecided -as to the most eligible spot on which to -land,—nor was it without difficulty that we ultimately -effected our purpose; and almost immediately -on entering the main street of the town, -we encountered Rustem Bey, the Commandant, -a fine, intelligent young Italian Officer in the -service of the Porte, who speaks several European -languages, as well as the Turkish, most -fluently; and who would ere this have been -created a Pasha, could he have been induced to -embrace Islamism.</p> - -<p>The answer that he is reported to have -made when the terms of his promotion were explained -to him, is worthy of record; “I feel all -the honour which I refuse; but I am nevertheless -compelled to forego it—I can dispose of my -services, but I am not at liberty to sell my conscience.”</p> - -<p>Under his guidance we traversed the town,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_408" id="Page_408">408</a></span> -and passed the ruined citadel, on our way to the -Palace of Mustapha Najib Pasha, the present -governor; who was removed from his post at -Tripoli, in order to take possession of this important -charge. The Palace is a handsome and -somewhat extensive modern building, commanding, -from one of its fronts, an excellent view of -the fortifications; and separated only by a high -wall from the barracks, which are capable of -accommodating several thousand men.</p> - -<p>With an extent of courtesy unusual in the -East, Najib Pasha received us standing; and -welcomed us with the cordial <em>Bouroum</em>, as he -motioned us to the sofa on which he had himself -been sitting. He is a remarkably animated -looking man of about five and forty, with a -quick eye, and a most agreeable smile. He was -surrounded by papers; and beside the chibouk -that he had been smoking, lay a small model for -mounting guns upon their carriages.</p> - -<p>The most costly pipes were introduced for -the gentlemen, and offered to myself; and the -procession of “blue-coated serving men” was -quite amusing, as they entered with the long -chibouk in one hand, and in the other the little -brass dish, in which, as they knelt, they deposited -the bowl of the pipe. Coffee succeeded, -and was replaced by raisin sherbet; and as we -shortly afterwards expressed our desire to see -the fortifications, we were instantly offered -horses to enable us to ride round the lines. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_409" id="Page_409">409</a></span> -gentlemen were thus provided for at once; but, -as I was not prepared for such an excursion, I -was about to resign myself to what I considered -an inevitable disappointment, when the Pasha -courteously expressed his regret that he could -not provide me with an European saddle; and -begged me to accept his carriage as a substitute. -I gladly availed myself of his kindness; -and while the equipage was preparing, listened -with as much surprise as interest to the conversation -with which he beguiled the time. Among -other things, he mentioned his extreme disappointment -at the non-receipt from Europe of -some able works on fortification that he had been -long expecting; and expressed his earnest desire -to possess models of all the new inventions -tending to perfect the works upon which he was -engaged. He inquired whether he could offer -to us any thing that would be acceptable on -board; and even enumerated milk, fruits, and -sweetmeats, which he pressed upon us with an -earnestness perfectly demonstrative of his sincerity.</p> - -<p>On our rising to take leave, he said that he -should expect us back to dinner, and that he -would cause it to be prepared against our return; -and he appeared much hurt at our assurance of -the impossibility of our availing ourselves of -his hospitality. As we were preparing to make -our parting salutation, he left the room, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_410" id="Page_410">410</a></span> -moved forward to the head of the stairs; where -he saluted us individually as we passed him, in -the kindest and most gracious manner, wishing -us a fortunate voyage, and assuring us of the -pleasure that he had derived from our visit.</p> - -<p>A troop of servants followed us to the door; -where we found the <em>kavashlir</em> of the Pasha stationed -on either side the entrance to do us -honour. But a still more agreeable object was -the German Britscha drawn by four gray Tatar -horses, which was awaiting me at the Palace -gate. The carriage held forth such goodly promise, -that Colonel H—— and Rustem Bey -only were firm in their original purpose of riding -round the lines; the rest of the party immediately -being of opinion that they should prefer -a drive. Nor had they any reason to repent the -arrangement, for the spirited little Tatars carried -us along at a surprising pace over all the rough -and uneven ground, and through all the ditches -of the neighbourhood, as though they had been -cantering across a bowling-green. The fortifications -are proceeding rapidly, and most -creditably; five thousand men are constantly -employed on the works, and the number is occasionally -doubled.</p> - -<p>As the evening was closing in ere we regained -the town, the scene was extremely singular. The -huts of the Bulgarian labourers, built of branches, -and huddled together in clusters, were revealed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_411" id="Page_411">411</a></span> -by the camp-fires that blazed up among them, -and revealed the flitting figures of those who -were engaged in the culinary preparations of -the little colonies to which they belonged; while -the appearance of the carriage drew to the -entrances of their primitive dwellings all the -unoccupied inhabitants of the temporary village.</p> - -<p>Upon its outskirts herds of cattle were to be -seen, slowly returning from their mountain -pastures to the vicinity of the town; and driven -by ragged urchins, with sheepskin caps and -gaiters. The sun, meanwhile, was setting gloriously; -and the outline of the fortifications cut -darkly against a background of orange and -crimson clouds, that stretched far along the -west, and were pillowed upon two dark and -stately mountains. Altogether the scene was one -of enchantment; and I believe that there was -not an individual of the party who did not regret -the necessity of exchanging it for the “floating -prison” that awaited us on the Euxine: and -which we regained under a heavy swell that -rendered our passage from the shore the very -reverse of agreeable.</p> - -<p>During our visit, the deck of the Ferdinand -had been nearly cleared of its passengers; and -the poor old Turkish woman whom I have -already mentioned, had, with some difficulty, -crawled forth from her awning, shivering with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_412" id="Page_412">412</a></span> -cold, and looking the very picture of wretchedness. -I had endeavoured in vain during the day -to induce her to bathe her hands and feet with -brandy; for she no sooner smelt it than she put -it from her, exclaiming, “Sin—sin;” nor could -I prevail on her to follow my advice. The only -thing that she would receive was a cup of coffee, -and on that she seized as a famishing man would -have clutched food. It was really a relief to me -when I saw her safely embarked on board the -boat which was to land her at Varna.</p> - -<p>On our departure from Buyukdèrè, we had -been half amused and half annoyed by the -efforts of a young Turkish officer, to appear -unconcerned at the rough treatment that we -were experiencing from the tempest-chafed -waves of the Black Sea. He sang, he shouted, -he tossed his arms above his head, and yelled -forth his <em>Mashallahs</em> at every roll of the vessel; -but ere we had been tossing about many hours, -the exulting tones died away in a querulous -treble, which announced that his exultation was -destined to be short-lived; and on the morrow -I remarked that he walked the deck with a step -as tremulous as that of a lady; and was one of -the first to make his escape on shore.</p> - -<p>The two little Greek girls who were bound -for Galatz were still lying upon the deck, rolled -in their fur pelisses: in that state of hopeless and -resigned misery which is the last stage of sea<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_413" id="Page_413">413</a></span>nausea; -and when we retired for the night their -young brother was sitting beside them, with -a pale cheek and heavy eyes, as though he, -too, had not escaped a portion of their suffering.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_414" id="Page_414">414</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXIX.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Danube—Cossack Guard—Moldavian Musquitoes—Tultzin—Galatz—Plague-Conductors—Prussian -Officer—Excursion to Silistria—Amateur -Boatmen—Wretched Hamlet—The Lame Baron—The -Salute—Silistrian Peasants—A Pic-Nic in the Wilds—The -Tortoise—Canoes of the Danube—The Moldavian State-Barge—Picturesque -Boatmen—The Water Party—Painful Politeness—Visit -of the Hospodar—Suite of His Highness—Princely Panic—The -Pannonia.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">At</span> three o’clock on the following day, we -entered the Ghiurchevi mouth of the Danube, -which is only two hundred fathoms in width; -and extremely difficult of access for sailing -vessels. The shores at this opening are low, -marshy, and treeless, presenting as desolate an -appearance as can well be conceived; and are -only relieved at intervals of about a mile, by the -rude mud huts of the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cordon sanitaire</em> of Cossacks, -placed along the Moldavian coast to -enforce the quarantaine. The appearance of -these reed-roofed hovels was beyond expression -wretched; and the long lances of the guard, -stuck into the earth along the front of the tenement, -and the apparition of a mounted Cossack -appearing and disappearing among the tall reeds<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_415" id="Page_415">415</a></span> -which were the solitary produce of the land, -were almost requisite to convince us that they -could really be the habitations of human beings.</p> - -<p>Beside many of these hovels an extraordinary -erection attracted our attention; it consisted of -four tall wooden stakes driven into the ground, -and supporting, at about the height of eight -feet from the earth, a small platform of wicker-work, -thatched in some two feet higher; which -we ascertained were constructed as sleeping-places, -wherein the unhappy dwellers in the -Moldavian marshes took refuge against the -clouds of musquitoes that infest the Danube; -and which, being of immense size, inflict a sting -that is far from contemptible. Fortunately for -their human victims, these voracious insects fly -low, never trusting themselves to the current -of wind that, as it sweeps along, might overcome -their strength of wing; and thus this -solitary medium of escape from their virulence -is adopted all along the river.</p> - -<p>At ten o’clock at night, we arrived off Tultzin, -where we remained only an hour; and then profited -by the moonlight to pursue our voyage to -Galatz, which we reached at five in the morning, -and anchored beside the Quarantaine ground; -a small space railed off for the exclusive use of -the steam company, and separated from the -road leading into the town by a double palisading -of wood about breast-high.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_416" id="Page_416">416</a></span>Here commenced our land miseries! We were -looked upon as a society of plague-conductors, -and treated accordingly. Parties of the Galatzians -collected along the outer fence to contemplate -the infected ones whose contact they -dreaded; and meanwhile we enjoyed the privilege -of walking up and down an avenue formed -of coals on the one side, and tallow packed into -skins on the other.</p> - -<p>We were visited at the palisades by the British -and Austrian Consuls; and by a Prussian -gentleman, who, on our arrival at Constantinople, -had been in the service of the Sultan, which he -had now exchanged for that of the Hospodar of -Moldavia. We had made his acquaintance at -the Military College, and he had been long on -the look-out for us at Galatz.</p> - -<p>He appeared perfectly satisfied with his new -speculation, and talked much of his enjoyment -of the liberty of this new locality; a liberty in -which we were unfortunately not permitted to -share. And such being the case, we bade adieu -to our friends on the town side of the fence; -and, after having ascertained that the Pannonia -steamer, which should have been on the spot -ready to receive us, would not reach Galatz -until late at night, we determined on rowing -across to the opposite shore of Silistria, in order -to relieve our <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ennui</em>.</p> - -<p>Bread and wine having been provided, we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_417" id="Page_417">417</a></span> -accordingly prepared for our excursion; the captain’s -gig was lowered; and I had the honour -of being rowed across the Danube by the most -aristocratic boat’s crew that had probably ever -“caught crabs” in its muddy waters; all the -seamen belonging to the vessel being employed -in lading and unlading merchandize.</p> - -<p>Nothing could exceed the wretchedness of the -little hamlet that was seated along the edge of -a creek, into which we passed when we had -gained the Silistrian side of the river. The low -hovels, rudely built of mud, and roofed with -reeds, were lighted by windows of oiled lambskin; -the floors were of earth; and nothing -more cheerful than twilight could penetrate into -the single apartment which served for “kitchen, -and parlour, and hall.” Not the slightest attempt -at a garden was visible, though the village -stood upon the verge of an extensive wild, -stretching away far as the eye could reach, and -covered with redundant, although stunted, vegetation. -The ground-ash, the caper-tree, the -gum-cistus, the wild hollyhock, the flag-reed, and -the water-willow were abundant; while patches -of white clover and vetches were scattered about -in every direction.</p> - -<p>As the Baron E—— was lame, and unable -to undertake a long walk, he with some difficulty -procured a horse that had just been released from a -waggon, the ragged peasant to whom it belonged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_418" id="Page_418">418</a></span> -not being proof against the sight of a purse, -which was shook before him as the most efficient -language that could be employed to enforce the -demand: and, when the laughing German had -mounted the packsaddle, armed with his meerschaum -and cane, and grasped the knotted rope -that served as a substitute for a bridle, he was -by no means the least picturesque of the party.</p> - -<p>We had not long pursued the path leading to -the village whither we were bound, when we -heard the salute fired at mid-day by the Ferdinand, -in honour of His Highness the Hospodar -of Moldavia, who chanced to be residing temporarily -at Galatz; and to whom, as he was -particularly solicitous to facilitate by every -means in his power the local arrangements of -the steam-company, they were careful to pay all -due honour; and indeed somewhat more, as they -gave him a salute of one-and-twenty guns, that -came booming along the wild through which we -were wandering, and echoing over the waters of -the little stream that bordered it; startling the -birds by which the river-willows were tenanted, -and dispelling momently the deep silence of the -wide solitude.</p> - -<p>When, after a walk of considerable length, we -reached the hamlet that was the object of our -excursion, we excited universal attention and -astonishment among the women and children -who crowded the cottage doors, and who were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_419" id="Page_419">419</a></span> -universally clad in coarse white linen; the -females wearing huge silver earrings, round -bracelets of coloured glass, and rings of every -dimension. All were barefooted; and the children, -who huddled together in groups to gaze -upon the passing strangers, were wretched-looking -little mortals, with their light hair hanging -in elf-locks about their ears, and their rags -fluttering in the breeze. The hovels were universally -built of mud, and roofed with reeds and -the long leaves of the Indian-corn; with chimneys -of basket-work. In short, I never beheld -a more thorough demonstration of the fact that -human necessities actually exceed but little -those of the inferior animals, and that the thousand -wants which grow up around civilization -are merely factitious. These isolated individuals -were scantly and coarsely clothed; fed almost -entirely upon vegetables and the black wheaten -bread, of which the grain was grown in their -own gardens; Indian corn that supplied them -at once with food, fuel, and bedding; lodged in -hovels better suited to cattle than to human -beings: and yet they were not merely healthful -and happy, but, as I have already noticed, they -had their innocent vanities, and indulged in all -the glories of coloured glass trinkets.</p> - -<p>The only men whom we saw in the hamlet -were engaged in packing water-melons into the -wicker bullock-cars destined to convey them to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_420" id="Page_420">420</a></span> -the market at Galatz; and of some of these we -immediately possessed ourselves. A shawl flung -over the tall stems of some flag-reeds, and propped -by a rake, was soon converted into an awning -for me, and we made a most primitive and delicious -meal, seated on the fresh grass among the -wild flowers. As we sauntered quietly back to -the river-side, we collected some of the shells that -had been driven up the creek by the river tide; -and captured a fine tortoise that was sunning -itself on the turf, which we carried on board; -where we returned tolerably fatigued with our -ramble in the wilds of Silistria.</p> - -<p>We were amusing ourselves on deck after -dinner by watching the passage of the canoes -which the natives impel by a wooden paddle precisely -after the manner of the Indians, when we -observed half a dozen men rushing down upon a -little wooden pier immediately under the stern -of the Ferdinand, where we had previously remarked -two gaudy-looking boats, painted in immense -stripes of red and blue. Nor were the -group who sprang into the largest of them less -remarkable than the boats themselves; and we -had some difficulty in persuading ourselves that -they were the boatmen of the Prince, and not a -party of Tyrolean ballet-dancers. They wore -broad flapped hats, bound by a ribbon of red and -blue, hanging in long ends upon their shoulders, -and ornamented in front by a large M, worked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_421" id="Page_421">421</a></span> -in gold: their shirts and trowsers were of white, -with braces and garters of red and blue; while -wide scarlet sashes, fringed at the extremities, -completed their costume. The Moldavian banner -was hastily affixed to the stern of the boat; and -then a party of servants thronged the pier, who -were succeeded by a couple of aides-de-camp, and -a grave elderly gentleman in an oriental dress; -and lastly arrived the Princess, a middle-aged, -plain-looking person, attended by three ladies, -who were duly cloaked and shawled by the -obsequious aides-de-camp.</p> - -<p>During this process the guns of the Ferdinand -were once more prepared; and the fantastically-clad -boatmen had not dipped their oars thrice -into the stream, and Her Highness the Hospodar<em>ess</em> -was yet under the stern of the ship, when -bang went the first gun, with a flash and a peal -that somewhat discomposed her nerves; and she -raised her arm deprecatingly towards the Captain, -who stood bare-headed near the wheel; -but the gesture was unheeded.</p> - -<p>“She wishes you to desist, Captain Everson;” -I remarked, as I detected the action.</p> - -<p>“Can’t help that, Ma’am;” answered the -commander of the Ferdinand: “she’s the -Prince’s wife; and she shall have her thirteen -guns, whether she likes them or not.”</p> - -<p>She “had” them accordingly, and they were -fired in excellent style; while the two boats of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_422" id="Page_422">422</a></span> -the Principality flaunted their party-coloured -glories across to the other shore. I do not know -whether Her Highness anticipated the probability -of being compelled to “smell powder” on -her return, as well as on her departure; but it is -certain that she did not land near the Ferdinand -when she repassed to the Moldavian side of the -river.</p> - -<p>On the following morning, it was announced -to us that His Highness the Hospodar intended -to honour the vessel with a visit; and we were -particularly requested to avoid coming in contact -with himself or suite, lest we might bequeath -the plague to his Principality in return -for his politeness. Of course we promised compliance; -and as the Pannonia had not yet made -her appearance, we were glad of any excitement -to relieve the tedium of our detention. At eleven -o’clock the wretched drums and fifes of the garrison -announced that the Prince was approaching. -The guard at the entrance of the quarantaine -ground was turned out; officers, covered -with tags, aiguilettes, and embroidery passed -and repassed the palisade; a crowd of idlers -lined the road; the Tyrolean boatmen were -once more at their post; the trading vessels -in the port, which were lading with wheat, -had their decks clean washed, and their colours -hoisted.—In short, the harbour of Galatz was in -the full enjoyment of “a sensation,” when the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_423" id="Page_423">423</a></span> -gates of the enclosure were thrown back, and into -the infected space walked His Highness, a little -sandy-haired man, with huge whiskers and -mustachioes, perfectly matched in tint to the -enormous pair of golden epaulettes that he wore -on a plain blue frock coat.—On his right stood -his Russian Dragoman, covered with a dozen -ribbons, clasps, and medals; who never opened -his mouth without lifting his cap, and uttering -“Mon Prince” in an accent of the most fulsome -adulation: and on his left walked his physician, a -fine young man of very gentlemanlike manners -and appearance. Immediately behind him came -the Moldavian Minister of the Interior, all furs -and wadded silk; and the procession was closed -by a score of Aides-de-camp, Officers of the -Household, and hangers-on.</p> - -<p>The party remained a considerable time in -the quarantaine-enclosure ere they came on -board; and I suspect that His Highness began -to repent that he had volunteered so perilous a -visit; but as it was too late to recede, he at -length ventured to trust “Caesar and his fortunes” -to the temporary keeping of the Plague-ship; -and advancing to the stern of the vessel -where our party were standing, he very graciously -expressed his regret that he could not avail -himself, as he should have been delighted to do, -of our presence in the Principality, by claiming -us as guests during our stay, owing to the un<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_424" id="Page_424">424</a></span>happy -prevalence of plague in the country that -we had left. After this he talked very solemnly -of the necessity of strictly observing the quarantaine; -made two or three more bows in a peculiarly -ungraceful style; declined the champaigne -that had been prepared for him in the -great cabin; and made his exit with infinitely -more alacrity than he had made his entry; only -pausing in the enclosure to lift his hat as the -first gun was fired, of the salute which celebrated -his visit.</p> - -<p>When His Highness had departed, and that -the last scene of this Moldavian comedy had -been enacted, we had nothing left to do but to -walk the deck, and contemplate the muddiest-looking -of all rivers. Unlike the Pasha of -Varna, the Hospodar made no inquiry into our -wants and wishes, and no offer of the local milk -and honey that might have tended to increase -our comfort on board; although the Captain of -the Ferdinand sent him a bushel basket of magnificent -grapes, which, after they had been subjected -to repeated immersion, were declared to be -non-conductors, and were admitted to <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">pratique</em> -accordingly.</p> - -<p>It was not until five o’clock in the afternoon -of the second day, that the Pannonia anchored -beside us; and, as she had to take her coals on -board, she could not sail until eight and forty -hours after her arrival. The transfer of pas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_425" id="Page_425">425</a></span>sengers -did not take place until late on the morrow; -for when the inferiority of her accommodations -became apparent, we of the Ferdinand -were in no haste to change our quarters.</p> - -<p>We had left Constantinople in a fine, well-kept -ship; where a barrier was erected which -preserved the after-deck from the intrusion of -the inferior passengers: and where the cabins -were comfortably fitted up, and supplied in the -most liberal manner with every thing that could -contribute to the convenience of their occupants; -and, although we were quite prepared for less -space in the Pannonia, from the fact of her -being merely a river boat, we were by no means -satisfied on discovering the confusion that existed -on her decks; where groups of dirty Turks, -and noisy Greeks, were squatted from her funnel -to her stern; blocking up the path of the cabin-passengers, -and filling their clothes with vermin, -and their atmosphere with the fumes of bad -tobacco; nor the cheerless discomfort below, -where not even a washing-stand had been provided; -and we were suddenly thrown upon our -own resources for all those little comforts, that -from the arrangement of the vessel in which -we left the port of Constantinople, we were entitled -to expect throughout the voyage. Thus -much for the disarray of the Pannonia; and I -mention it in order to prepare future travellers -on the Danube not to be misled, as we ourselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_426" id="Page_426">426</a></span> -were by the satisfactory aspect of the Ferdinand, -into a belief that such will continue to -gladden them on the river; while on the other -hand I am bound in justice to add that the table -is infinitely better served than that of the first -vessel; a fact that may perhaps compensate to -many individuals for the absence of those personal -comforts of which our own party so bitterly -felt the want.</p> - -<p>Nor must I omit to make honourable mention -of the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</em> to whom this department was confided. -An Italian by birth, and a wit by nature, -as well as a cook by profession, we were indebted -to him and his guitar for many a pleasant -hour that would otherwise have passed -heavily enough. As the dusk grew into darkness, -he used to come upon deck with his instrument, -and sing Neapolitan <em>buffo</em> songs, with a -spirit and <em>gusto</em> that almost convulsed us with -laughter. And as we stood about him, listening -to his minstrelsy, and looking on the bright -moonlight silvering along the river-tide, where -it was not overshadowed by the tall trees that -fringed the bank beside which we were gliding; -and startling with our somewhat noisy merriment -the deep silence of those scantily-peopled -shores; the effect upon my mind was most extraordinary.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_427" id="Page_427">427</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXX.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Hirsova—Russian Relics—Town of Silistria—Bravery of the Turks—Village -of Turtuki—Group of Pelicans—Glorious Sunset—Ruschuk—Cheapness -of Provisions—The Wallachian Coast—Bulgaria—Dense -Fog—Orava—Roman Bath—Green Frogs—Widdin—Kalifet—Scala -Glavoda—Custom House Officers—Disembarkation—Wallachian -Mountains—A Landscape Sketch—Costume of the Servian -Peasantry—The Village Belle—Primitive Carriages—The Porte de -Fer—The Crucifix—Magnificent Scenery—Fine Ores.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">At</span> half past eleven in the morning we were -off Hirsova, where we embarked some more -deck-passengers, greatly to our annoyance and -discomfort. The few straggling villages that -we had passed since our departure from Galatz -were of the most wretched description; and -Hirsova itself is in a ruined state, having been -besieged and taken by the Russians after a gallant -resistance of fifty days. It is situated in a -gorge between two rocks, and on the lower of -the two stand the ruins of the Turkish fortress, -of which only a few crumbling walls and a solitary -buttress now remain. This fortress was unfortunately -commanded by the opposite height on -which the Russians threw up fortifications, under -whose cover they kept up an incessant fire upon -the town and the fort, and ultimately destroyed -both. Scores of balls are still imbedded in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_428" id="Page_428">428</a></span> -bank of the river, and along the shore; and, -knowing what I do of the Turks, I have no doubt -that it would be impossible to prevail on them -to touch them, even for the purposes of traffic.</p> - -<p>Wherever the boat stopped, crowds of the -peasantry flocked to the edge of the water, and -stood gazing at her in admiring wonder; for, as -this was only her twelfth voyage, their curiosity -and astonishment had not yet subsided. From -Hirsova the landscape began to improve on the -Bulgarian side. Groups of trees just touched -with the first autumnal tints; and at intervals a -glimpse of higher land in the distance, relieved -the eye.</p> - -<p>At two o’clock in the morning we arrived -at Silistria, a small town surrounded by outworks, -and celebrated for the brave resistance -of its garrison of twelve thousand men, to an -army of fifty thousand Russians. A resistance -so obstinate, or I should rather say, so heroic, as -to endure for nine long months; and to be terminated -only by the utter destruction of the -town, and the partial demolition of its defences. -Ruin still cowers among its desolate dwellings, -and Silistria is now peopled only by three thousand -inhabitants; but it has earned for itself a -place in the page of history, which could not be -more worthily filled up.</p> - -<p>At half past two in the afternoon we were off -Turtuki; a very extensive village, presenting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_429" id="Page_429">429</a></span> -a most singular appearance; almost every cottage -having a large haystack within the little -garden fence, as large as the dwelling itself; -and many of the cottages being hollowed in the -rock; while strings of red capsicums wreathed -most of the doorways, and gave a holyday aspect -to the scene. A numerous population thronged -the shore and the streets, who only paused in -their several occupations for a moment as we -passed, to watch our progress; and then resumed -their primitive occupation of reed-thatching the -cottages, or driving forth their cattle to the high -lands in search of pasturage.</p> - -<p>Such herds of horses, oxen, buffaloes, and -pigs; such flocks of goats and sheep, as are -scattered along the whole of the Bulgarian shore, -I never saw in my life! The land in the immediate -vicinity of Turtuki was highly cultivated, -and abounded in corn-fields and vineyards; -giving evidence of much greater energy and industry -in its peasantry than any locality that -we had yet witnessed. About half a mile above -the village a row of water-mills, six in number, -were moored across the current; each mill was -supported on two floating barges of very curious -construction, and as they were all at work they -presented a singular appearance.</p> - -<p>Shortly after we had passed Turtuki, we saw -about twenty pelicans congregated on a bar of -sand which projected into the river. And during<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_430" id="Page_430">430</a></span> -the day we remarked several eagles on the -wing; and numbers of the beautiful white -aigrette herons, whose gleaming plumage glistened -in the sunshine.</p> - -<p>I never beheld a more glorious sunset than -on this evening. We had passed several wooded -islands, fringed with river-willows, and forming -points of view that almost appeared to have -been artificially produced; and we were just -sailing past one of these, when the sun disappeared -behind the high land by which it was -backed, and shed over the sky tints so richly -and so deeply marked, as to make the river-ripple -sparkle like liquid gems; and to give to -the stream the appearance of diluted amethysts -and topaz. At this moment a sudden bend in -the Danube brought us beneath a rock crowned -with the crumbling ruins of a Genoese castle, -at whose base a flock of goats were browsing on -the green underwood that clothed its fissures. -Nothing more was requisite to complete the -beauty of the picture; and from this moment -we all began to entertain hopes of an improvement -in the aspect of the country through which -we had yet to pass.</p> - -<p>The next town we reached was Ruschuk, which -is of considerable extent, walled, and surrounded -by a ditch. It contains only three thousand inhabitants, -though it formerly boasted thirty thousand, -but exhibits no symptom of that desolation<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_431" id="Page_431">431</a></span> -we had remarked in several other towns on the -river. It possesses nine mosques; and its main -street is wider and more carefully paved than any -in Constantinople. Its principal trade is in salt -from Olenitza, sugar, iron, and manufactured -goods; its exports are livestock, grain, wool, and -timber; and its industry comprises sail-making -by the women, and boat-building by the men.</p> - -<p>The extreme cheapness of food at Ruschuk -struck me so much that I took some pains to -ascertain the price of the most common articles -of consumption; and I subjoin the result of my -inquiries as a positive curiosity. Eggs were -two hundred for a shilling—fowls were considered -exorbitant; and the high value which -they constantly maintained was accounted for -by the fact that the market of Constantinople -was in a great degree supplied from thence; -they were twopence each—ducks and geese, -from the same cause, cost two pence halfpenny; -turkeys averaged tenpence, being a favourite -food with the Orientals; beef three halfpence the -oke, of two pounds and three quarters; mutton -the same price—the wine of the country one -piastre the quart—grapes a halfpenny the oke; -melons and pasteks of immense size, three farthings -each; bread equally cheap, but bad.</p> - -<p>Shortly after leaving Ruschuk, I was amused -for a considerable time in watching some cormorants -that were diving for fish; while every<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_432" id="Page_432">432</a></span> -sand in the shallows of the river was covered -with hundreds of blue plover. Wild ducks and -geese also flew past the vessel in clouds; and -we purchased small sturgeon and sword-fish -from a boat with which we came in contact.</p> - -<p>The Wallachian coast still continued to present -one swampy and uninteresting flat, save -at distant intervals, when a scattered and treeless -village, built upon the slope of a slight rise, -broke for an instant upon its tame monotony. -But Bulgaria grew in beauty as we approached -its boundary. Noble hills, well clothed with -trees gay in all the rainbow tints of autumn, -and contrasting the deep rich umber hues of -the fading beech, and the bright yellow of the -withering walnut, with the gay red garlands of -the wild vine, which flung its ruby-coloured -wreaths from tree to tree, linking them together -in one glowing wreath—Snug little villages, with -each its tiny fleet of fishing-boats, and its sandy -shore covered with groups of gazers; the better -classes clad after the Asiatic fashion—the men -wearing their turbans large and gracefully arranged, -and the women suffering the yashmac -to hang nearly to their feet above the dark -feridjhe; and the poorer among them clad in -shapeless woollen garments, and high caps of -black sheep skin—Herds of horses bounding over -the hills in all the graceful hilarity of freedom—Droves -of buffaloes lying in the deep mud of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_433" id="Page_433">433</a></span> -the river, basking in the sunshine—Vineyards -overshadowed by fruit trees; Fields neatly fenced -from the waste, and rich with vegetables and -grain, in turn varied the prospect; nor had we -wearied of the scene when, at two o’clock, <span class="smcap">P.M.</span>, -we arrived at Sistoff, a small, but flourishing -town; with the ruin of an old castle perched -on a height immediately above it. Here, greatly -to our satisfaction, we landed most of our deck -passengers; and a little after seven in the -evening we found ourselves abreast of Nicopolis; -but owing to the darkness we could only trace -the outline of the town as it cut against the -horizon, and discovered that it was tolerably -extensive, and surrounded by high bluff lands.</p> - -<p>Having been detained several hours by the -fog, which was extremely dense at daybreak, we -did not reach Orava until near mid-day. This -town, which was destroyed by the Russians -during the reign of Catherine, appears to be of -considerable extent; but is only partially fortified. -It possesses five or six mosques, some of -which are scarcely visible from the river, owing -to the very high land that intervenes between a -portion of the town and the shore. The ruins of -an old castle on the summit of a rock, and of -a Roman bath on the water’s edge, give a picturesque -effect to the locality. Some hours -later we anchored on the Wallachian side to -take in coals, which were obtained from Hungary,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_434" id="Page_434">434</a></span> -and said to be of very excellent quality; the -little enclosure that contained them was situated -close to one of the sanatory stations, and -we were not permitted to approach within a -hundred yards of the white-coated Wallachians. -We revenged ourselves, however, by wandering -over the plain, gathering wild flowers and -blackberries; and giving chase to some of the -most beautiful little green frogs that ever were -seen—they looked like leaping leaves! Eight -pelicans passed us on the wing during the day.</p> - -<p>Another dense fog prevented our progress -after seven in the evening, as the pilot refused -to incur the responsibility of the vessel; and we -accordingly anchored until three o’clock the following -morning, when we started again in a -bright flood of moonlight; and in about four -hours we arrived opposite to Widdin, where we -anchored. It is a large and handsome town, -strongly fortified with a double line of works -of great importance. The fortifications are in -good order, and extend, as we are told, about -twelve hundred yards along the bank of the -river; while the lines on the landward side are -kept with equal care, and are of similar extent. -The walls are protected by four strong bastions; -and the guns are all said to be in an efficient -state. The Pasha’s Palace, based on the outer -walls, looks as bleak and comfortless as a -barrack; but its windows command a noble -view of the river. The minarets of twelve or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_435" id="Page_435">435</a></span> -fourteen mosques relieve the outline of the picture; -and, immediately opposite, on the Wallachian -side, stands the low, flat, rambling town -of Kalefat, whence the country assumes a new -and more interesting character. A graceful -curve in the river carried us past the quarantaine -establishment; a group of wretched buildings -erected close to the water’s edge, and enclosed -within a rude wooden paling, backed by a lofty -cliff that runs far along the shore, riven into -a thousand fantastic shapes; while here and -there we had distant glimpses of cultivated -valleys and wooded hills.</p> - -<p>The aspect of the country improved throughout -the whole day; abrupt and precipitous -heights, wooded to the very summits—stretches -of corn and pasture land—multitudinous herds -of cattle—and laughing plains, gay with grass -and wild flowers, flitted rapidly by; while the bold -cloud-crested mountains above Orsoru formed -a noble background to the picture. At noon we -were abreast of Florentin, the last Bulgarian -village on the bank of the river; and decidedly -the most picturesque locality on the Lower -Danube. The hamlet was nestled beneath a -rock, three of whose sides were washed by the -river, while the fourth was protected by a deep -ditch; and the tall, bluff, perpendicular rock itself -was crowned by a Gothic castle, whose gray -outline, apparently nearly perfect, cut sharply -against the sky; and completed a tableau so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_436" id="Page_436">436</a></span> -strikingly beautiful as to elicit an universal exclamation -of delight.</p> - -<p>We ran past Scala Glavoda in the night, from -which circumstance I lost the opportunity of -seeing Trajan’s Bridge, whose arches may be -distinguished beneath the level of the water; -and at midnight we anchored at a straggling -village about half a league above it. Here we -took leave of the Pannonia; and, as the river is -not navigable for a considerable distance for any -thing but flat-bottomed boats, whose wearisome -course against the current is secured by the assistance -of oxen, who tow them lazily on their -way; we were obliged to proceed to Orsova by -land. Custom-house officers came on board to -examine the merchandize with which the vessel -was freighted, but they did not interfere with the -luggage of the passengers; and, as soon as bullock-cars -had been secured, we despatched our -packages on shore, whither we shortly followed -them.</p> - -<p>On the opposite shore rose the mountains of -Wallachia, just touched upon their summits with -the brilliant tints of the newly-risen sun, and -clothed with many-coloured foliage. The hills, -beside which we had passed during the previous -day, had closed upon us in the rear; and the chain -which terminates in the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Porte de Fer</em>, or Iron -Door, a bar of rock that nearly traverses the -Danube, and over which its waters toss and boil -in impotent violence, shut in the forward view.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_437" id="Page_437">437</a></span>In the bottom of the gorge ran the river, -whence arose the column of steam escaping -from the chimney of the Pannonia; and the -Servian shore was scattered over with the multifarious -properties of the passengers. The -village ran along the bank of the river, and consisted -of log huts, most ingeniously constructed, -lined with a cement formed of clay, and thatched, -like those in Bulgaria, with reeds, and the straw -of the Indian corn; interspersed with small -tenements of wicker-work raised on poles, and -serving as store-houses for fruits and grain.</p> - -<p>The difference of costume between the peasantry -of Servia and those of the adjoining -country, was remarkably striking. The men had -added a wide sash of rich scarlet to the dress of -the Bulgarians, and wore their woollen greaves, -and the sleeves of their shirts worked with dark-coloured -worsteds; while the women were attired -in the most singular manner that can well -be imagined. They universally retained the -wrapping-dress of white linen that we had -remarked all along this shore of the Danube; -but above it they had placed a couple of aprons -of thick woollen stuff, striped or checked with -dark blue; one of which they wore before, and -the other behind, leaving the linen garment -uncovered on either side to the waist; but -their head-gear was yet more extraordinary, -and, at the same time, singularly picturesque.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_438" id="Page_438">438</a></span>The younger among them wore their hair -confined by a simple band across the forehead; -to which were attached branches of bright-coloured -flowers, such as marigolds, hollyhocks, -and the blossoms of the scarlet bean; intermixed -with strings of small silver coin, in -greater or less quantities. I remarked that even -the youngest of the girls, children of five and -six years of age, were thus decorated; some of -them not possessing, however, more than half a -dozen little para pieces; and as each of these -girls was twirling her distaff with all the gravity -of a matron, I imagine that, precisely as the -Asiatics accumulate strings of pearl by the slow -produce of their industry, so, in like manner, -the female peasantry of Servia increase their -ornaments through the medium of their own -individual exertions; and I was the more confirmed -in this opinion, by observing that in every -instance save one, the number of coins worn -upon the head appeared to preserve an equal -proportion with the years of the wearer.</p> - -<p>The exception to which I allude was on the -person of a young girl of about seventeen, from -whose braided tresses coins of considerable size -fell in every direction nearly to her waist; while -her throat was encircled by a succession of the -same ungraceful ornaments, descending like -scale-armour low upon her bosom. There was -an elastic spring in her movements, as her small<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_439" id="Page_439">439</a></span> -naked feet pressed the sandy path; and an expression -bordering upon haughtiness in her -large dark eyes, which betrayed the daughter -of the village chief. I would peril the value of -every coin she wore that I read her fortune -aright!</p> - -<p>The elder women wore linen cloths bound -about their heads with a grace which would -have suited the draping of a statue; the long -ends of the scarf being secured behind the ear, -and forming deep folds that looked, at a short -distance, as though they were hewn in marble; -and above this drapery, rows of coins were disposed, -helmet-wise, in such profusion that, as -the sunlight glanced upon them, they were perfectly -dazzling. Nor did the matrons dispense -with the gaudy knots of flowers so general -among their younger countrywomen; and the -gay effect of a group of Servian females may -consequently be imagined. Some among them -were tolerably pretty; nearly all had fine bright -black eyes, and they were universally erect and -finely made; with a step and carriage at once -firm and graceful.</p> - -<p>Ranged along the road stood the line of -bullock-waggons, intended for the transport of -our luggage; and beside them a nondescript -carriage of wicker-work drawn by two gray -horses, for the accommodation of such of the -party as preferred driving to walking. We were,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_440" id="Page_440">440</a></span> -however, some time before we were fairly <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en route</em>; -and still longer before any one felt inclined to -forego the pleasure of wandering through the -long grass that bordered the edge of the plain, -through which wound the road leading to Orsova.</p> - -<p>For a brief interval we lost sight of the river, -and continued to advance along the rude path, -scaring the wild birds from their resting-places -among the stunted branches of the dwarf oaks -and beeches that clothed it; or thredding along -the boundaries of the wide patches of Indian -corn which had been redeemed from the waste. -But as the day advanced, the heat became so -great as to render any further progress on foot -too fatiguing to be pleasurable; and four of our -party accordingly taking possession of the -carriage, we started at a brisk pace along the -smooth and easy road; and after a precipitous -descent, down which the horses galloped at a -pace infinitely more speedy than safe, we found -ourselves once more on the shore of the Danube, -where it is separated in the centre by a long bar -of sand, terminating in a small island of rock, -now cumbered with the remnants of a ruined -fortress.</p> - -<p>Twenty minutes more brought us to the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Porte -de Fer</em>; which does not, however, extend all -across the river, as there is a sufficient width of -sand left free of all rock, on the Servian side, -to render the formation of a canal sufficiently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_441" id="Page_441">441</a></span> -extensive to ensure the safe passage of moderately -sized vessels extremely easy. Nothing -in nature can be more lovely than the landscape -at this point of the river; it is shut in on all -sides by majestic rocks overgrown with forest -trees; and tenanted by the wild boar, the wolf, -and the bear. Eagles soar above their pinnacles; -and singing birds make the air vocal -at their base; while beneath them rushes the -chafed and angry river, foaming and roaring -over the line of rock that impedes the accustomed -onward flow of its waters.</p> - -<p>Another turn in the road, and the Danube is -hidden from view by a wooded strip of land, -which has forced a portion of the river from its -natural channel, as if to accompany the traveller -upon his way, as he follows the chain of rock -along a road so narrow, that there is not half -a foot of earth between the wheels of the carriage -and the edge of the bank that is washed -by the little stream; while delicious glimpses of -the Danube are occasionally visible between the -trunks of the tall trees that fringe the intervening -islet.</p> - -<p>About a quarter of a mile onward stands a -Crucifix; the first symbol that we had yet remarked -of Christianity; and which we hailed -as the parched desert-wanderer welcomes the -spring whereat he slakes his long-endured and -withering thirst. It was erected beneath the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_442" id="Page_442">442</a></span> -shadow of a fine old beech tree; and immediately -beside a crazy bridge flung across the channel -of a mountain torrent. The scene increased in -beauty as we proceeded. The great variety of -tint among the forest foliage heightened the -effect of the landscape; and I have rarely, if -ever, seen a more gorgeous locality than that -through which we travelled to Orsova. Nature -had poured forth her treasures with an unsparing -liberality; and every mountain-glen was a spot -that a painter would have loved to look upon.</p> - -<p>We passed through one straggling village, -built like that at which we had landed, of -timber and mud, where we stopped for a few -moments to procure a glass of water; and I was -agreeably impressed by the eager courtesy with -which the request was met. A portion of the -road proving too steep to enable the horses to -drag us to the summit of the rise along which -we had to pass, we descended from the carriage, -and pursued our way on foot; when we were -much struck by the appearance of the soil, impregnated -as it was so strongly with metallic -particles, that it had the appearance of diamond -dust. I collected several specimens of ore that -were truly beautiful; and I have no doubt, even -from my own very slight geological knowledge, -that a scientific person might find ample employment -within a couple of miles of Orsova for at -least as many months.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_443" id="Page_443">443</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXXI.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Orsova—Castle of the Pass—Turkish Guard—Quarantaine Ground—Village -of Tekia—Awkward Mistake—Pretty Woman—Gay Dress—A -Visiter—Servian Cottagers—A Discovery—Departure—A -Volunteer—Receiving House—A Forced March—The Grave-Yard—The -Quarantaine—A Welcome to Captivity—A Verbal Coinage—Pleasant -Quarters—M. le Directeur—The Restaurant—Pleasant -Announcement—Paternal Care of the Austrian Authorities—The -Health-Inventory—The Guardsman’s Sword—Medical Visits—Intellectual -Amusements—A Friendly Warning.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">We</span> reached Orsova after a drive of about -three hours; and passed through the court of the -castle that guards the pass on the Servian side, -and which must have been of great strength -when in repair. A buttressed tower, perforated -from its base to its summit with loop-holes for -musketry, occupies the side of the hill immediately -above the fort; and the site of this -stronghold is so cunningly chosen, that it is invisible -from the Viennese side of the river until -you come close upon it, owing to its being built -in a gorge between two boldly-projecting rocks. -A couple of Turks, armed to the teeth, were -lounging at the outer gate, who uttered a courteous -“Bouroum” as we passed the archway;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_444" id="Page_444">444</a></span> -while a man, stationed on the roof of the tower, -gave out a wild shrill cry, evidently intended as -a signal.</p> - -<p>The town and fortress of Orsova occupy -an island of considerable length, and have a -very picturesque appearance; the gleaming -minaret of the solitary mosque cutting against -the party-coloured foliage that clothes the hills -by which it is overshadowed; and the castellated -and buttressed wall of the town reflecting itself -in the river-tide. Much of this wall is now in -ruin, although it may still be traced entirely -along the bank. The island was fortified by the -Austrians, but was afterwards ceded to the -Turks, together with the fortress of Belgrade by -the Emperor Leopold.</p> - -<p>From this point we could distinguish the -Quarantaine establishment, niched in at the -foot of the Banût mountains, and distant from -the town of Alt Orsova about a mile. But we were -obliged to overshoot it by nearly half a league, -from the fact of there being no boats for hire -until we reached the village of Tekia, situated -by the river side, whence the embarkations of -the “condemned” universally take place.</p> - -<p>As we had considerably out-travelled our companions -who had remained with the luggage-waggons, -we resolved to await them here; and, -the gentlemen having discovered what they supposed -to be a coffee-kiosk, I gladly availed my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_445" id="Page_445">445</a></span>self -of the cool, clean apartment to which they -summoned me; and the more readily that I was -welcomed on the threshold by one of the prettiest -women imaginable. She must have been about -eighteen; and she had all the bloom of youth, -combined with all the grace of womanhood.</p> - -<p>I have already remarked on the erect carriage -of the Servian females; and our new acquaintance -was no exception from the rest of her countrywomen. -Her eyes and hair were dazzlingly dark -and bright; and she had a lovely glow upon -her cheek that told a tale of health and happiness. -Her rich tresses were wound about her -head above a small Smyrniote fèz, with a falling -tassel of purple silk; and the smooth braids -that pressed her fair young brow were partly -shrouded beneath a painted muslin handkerchief. -Her dress of violet silk was made precisely -like those of the Constantinopolitan -Jewesses, and girt about the waist by a girdle -of pale yellow; and above it she wore a scarf of -pink muslin embroidered with gold, crossed -upon her bosom; and a jacket of wadded green -sarsenet with wide sleeves; stockings she had -none, but her feet were shrouded in purple slippers; -and altogether she was as pleasant a -specimen of Servian beauty as the eye could -desire to look upon.</p> - -<p>As we were self-deluded into the conviction -that we were in a coffee-kiosk, and as we were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_446" id="Page_446">446</a></span> -suffering severely from heat and thirst, we unhesitatingly -ordered coffee and wine, which were -instantly brought; and to which our pretty -hostess added sweetmeats and water, presented -by herself with a blush and a smile that quite -verified the sentiment of the old song, which -says:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">“If woman be but fair,</div> -<div class="line">She has the gift to know it.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>We were shortly joined by an important-looking -personage, clad in a richly-furred and embroidered -jacket and greaves of bright scarlet: -who seated himself in the midst of us, called for -wine, replenished his pipe, and made himself -so thoroughly at home, that when the pretty -hostess chanced to leave the kiosk, we inquired -whether she were his daughter: expressing at -the same time our admiration of her beauty. It -was not without some surprise that we learnt -from the plain middle-aged individual to whom -we addressed ourselves, that the young beauty -was his wife; and moreover the adopted daughter -of Prince Milosch, who had bestowed her upon -him in marriage, as a mark of his peculiar regard. -He did not appear in the least annoyed -by the glances of unequivocal admiration which -the gentlemen, who had so long inhabited a land -of lattices and yashmacs, could not refrain from -turning on her as she moved among them busied -in the offices of hospitality; but appeared to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_447" id="Page_447">447</a></span> -treat her rather as a spoiled child, than as the -partner of his fortunes.</p> - -<p>A tour of the village being proposed by one of -the party, we started on an exploring expedition; -but met with nothing particularly interesting. -The peasantry were remarkably respectful and -courteous, every one rising as we approached -their cottage door, and saluting us with a smile -of perfect good-humour; while we won the -hearts of the mothers by dividing among the -numerous children who were sporting on all -sides, a collection of copper coins made during -the journey, of which we knew neither the names -nor the value. They were a plain race, coarsely -formed, and universally disfigured by feet of an -unwieldly size; but, nevertheless, the women all -carried themselves like empresses; and their -glittering head-dresses, and large silver earrings, -rendered their appearance almost attractive.</p> - -<p>When the rest of our caravan arrived, we discovered -the error into which we had been betrayed -by our ignorance of the locality; being informed -by the agent who had accompanied us -from Scala Glavoda, in order to deliver us up to -the quarantaine authorities, that we were the -guests of the chief man of the village; to whom -it was utterly impossible that we could offer any -remuneration for all the trouble that we had -given in his house. Such being the case, we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_448" id="Page_448">448</a></span> -could only overwhelm him with acknowledgements -and compliments; with which he was so -well satisfied, that he declared his intention of -accompanying us down the river as far as the -station at which we were to land, in order to -proceed on foot to our temporary prison.</p> - -<p>When the large flat-bottomed barge in which -we were to be conveyed thither, was freighted -with our packages, and that we were about to -push off, we were detained for an instant by the -declaration of the little Servian beauty that she -had determined to be of the party; and on board -she accordingly came, having flung over her -house-costume a magnificent pelisse of grey -cloth, edged with sable, and worked with gold.</p> - -<p>In half an hour we reached a long wooden -shed, built as a receiving house for the quarantaine; -and here we were detained until our -patience was fairly outworn, and that our hunger -had become positively painful. A double -partition of wood parted us from the authorities, -who graciously welcomed us to the horrors of -incarceration; and we were obliged to seat ourselves -on the luggage, and await the arrival -of the bullock-carriages that were to convey -our travelling-gear to its destination.</p> - -<p>All was at last accomplished; and after taking -leave of our pretty Servian companion, who -laughed heartily at my pressing invitation to -her to share our imprisonment; we followed the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_449" id="Page_449">449</a></span> -train of waggons; the rear of the party being -brought up by an Austrian soldier, armed with -a loaded musket, and a fixed bayonet. We were, -however, in no mood to yield to gloomy ideas -or feelings. We had a blue sky above us, a fine -turf beneath our feet, and the prospect of another -half hour of comparative liberty; and we were -straggling gaily about the plain, laughing and -speculating on our approaching imprisonment, -when we were called to order by the guard; -and compelled to keep to the high road, lest we -should contaminate the grass and thistles among -which we were wandering.</p> - -<p>Before we reached the quarantaine-ground, we -passed the grave-yard destined to receive those -who die of plague during their incarceration. It -was closely fenced; and rendered still more -gloomy by a tall crucifix, painted red, and -supporting a most revolting effigy of Our -Lord.</p> - -<p>On ringing a bell the great gates of the establishment -were flung “hospitably” back, and -we were requested to allow the waggons to enter -before us, lest we should contaminate the oxen -by our contact; and, after passing through a -couple of walled yards, surrounded by warehouses -for receiving merchandize, we entered a -third enclosure wherein we were met by the -governor and surgeon; who, keeping at a respectful -distance, invited us to enter a dark,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_450" id="Page_450">450</a></span> -whitewashed, iron-grated cell, in order to have -our passports examined.</p> - -<p>A wooden lattice separated us from our new -hosts; and the peasant who had conducted us -from the river side, stood in front of a small -opening made for the purpose, and held at -arm’s length the papers which were demanded. -Much bowing and scraping ensued between -M. le Directeur, the foreign Noblemen, and the -Hungarian Chevalier; and we had reason to -congratulate ourselves on their companionship, -as it produced a visible increase of courtesy -on the part of the local authorities: a courtesy -which did not, however, exempt us from the -“locks, bolts, and bars” of the Lazaretto. As -I was only the second lady who had been unfortunate -enough to come under his keeping, the -Governor very politely resolved to commence -his arrangements by providing me with as good -a cell as he had then vacant—not that he called -the space into which he was about to consign -me, a <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cachot</em>—by no means—the word “cell” -being somewhat grating, another term has been -invented; and the dens of the Lazaretto of Orsova -are designated <em>colleves</em>, which signifies—nothing.</p> - -<p>But before we could take possession of our -prison, another gate had yet to be unlocked; -which admitted us into a large space enclosed -within a high wall, and containing the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">élite</em> of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_451" id="Page_451">451</a></span> -the accommodations. The cells, like those of a -madhouse in Turkey, were built round the four -sides of a garden; and each had a small entrance-court, -paved with stone. As none of the buildings -were capacious enough to contain our -whole party, it was at length arranged that five -of us should take one of them, in which we might -make such arrangements as we preferred; and -that the three others should be accommodated -as near to us as possible. Upon which understanding -M. le Directeur, a plump, good-natured-looking -little old man, with a bit of soiled red -ribbon displayed in the button-hole of a threadbare -gray frock-coat, a ruffled shirt, and the -funniest of all forage-caps, led the way to cell, or -I should rather say <em>colleve</em>, No. 2: and when -one of his followers had unlocked the yellow and -black gate of the court, he bowed ceremoniously -to me, as he pointed to two melancholy-looking -trees, which had contrived to exist amid the -rude paving, and exclaimed with a tone and gesture -perfectly dramatic: “<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Soyez la bien-venue, -Madame; voyez les beaux arbres que vous avez!</em>”</p> - -<p>It was extremely fortunate that the day -chanced to be one of cloudless sunshine, and -that we consequently saw every thing under its -most favourable aspect; for there was nothing -particularly exhilarating in the interior of the -buildings. Windows both barred and grated; -walls whitewashed and weather-stained; chairs,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_452" id="Page_452">452</a></span> -tables, and sofa all of wood, which is a “nonconductor,” -and whitewashed like the walls; -were the only objects that met our eyes. But -as we were all both tired and hungry, we welcomed -even these; and only begged to learn -where we must address ourselves, in order to -procure some food with as little delay as possible.</p> - -<p>This brought us to the second feature of our -position; for a window whose shutter was padlocked -up, was unfastened; a bell was rung, and -at a casement grated like our own appeared the -Restaurateur of the Lazaretto to receive his -instructions. Dinner was instantly ordered; -bread and wine were speedily procured; and -we were waited upon by a very gaily-dressed, -conceited individual, who announced himself to -be “our keeper;” a piece of intelligence which -once more carried back my thoughts to the -<em>Timerhazès</em>, or madhouses of Constantinople; -and I began half to apprehend that we had indeed -intruded into one of those melancholy establishments. -At five o’clock we were furnished with -a very bad dinner; bedding was brought in; and -at sunset we were locked up.</p> - -<p>On the morrow we were somewhat disconcerted -to learn that the court of the <em>colleve</em> was -to be our boundary during the ten days of our -imprisonment; and our officious “keeper” very -carefully locked the gate every time that he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_453" id="Page_453">453</a></span> -thought proper to make his escape. But this -was a trifling annoyance to that by which it was -succeeded; and which consisted of an announcement -that at mid-day the Surgeon of the Lazaretto, -and the Examining Officer, would visit us, -in order to take an inventory of every thing in -our possession. Each trunk, portmanteau, and -basket was to be unpacked; in short, we were -even to declare the contents of our purses!</p> - -<p>We were already aware that the Austrian -was the most paternal of all Governments; -taking an interest in the private affairs, not -only of its own subjects, but also in those of -strangers; yet I confess that for such a proceeding -as the present we were totally unprepared.</p> - -<p>There was, however, no remedy: and the -“secret recesses” of every package were laid -bare before the “authorities.” The reason given -for this inconvenient and revolting stretch of -power, is the desire of the Government that, in -the event of a decease, the friends of the dead -person may receive every part of his property -upon demand; the inventory held by the proper -officers effectually preventing the keeper of the -<em>colleve</em> from plundering the trunks; but certain -little circumstances which we remarked during -the investigation rather tended to weaken our -faith in the disinterestedness of the arrangement.</p> - -<p>When the possession of any Turkish article<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_454" id="Page_454">454</a></span> -was mentioned, there was a visible excitement. -Even a lantern exhibited by my father was entered -on the list; and the number of chibouk-tubes, -of tobacco purses, and other trifles, which -could have been of no value to the survivors of -a deceased person, were registered with equal -exactness.</p> - -<p>In my own case they were peculiarly inquisitive; -counting my rings, and recording my bracelets -and necklaces. Not a pocket-handkerchief, -nor a waist-ribbon escaped; and I was more than -once asked if I had really exhibited the whole -of my wardrobe. My books and drawings were -seized without ceremony, and carried off to be -examined by the proper officer; and the worthy -functionaries at length departed in full possession -of all which related to our peripatetic properties.</p> - -<p>It required a couple of hours to soften down -the “chafed humours” of the gentlemen of the -party; which were not rendered more gentle by -the demand of the keeper, that they should deliver -up all their arms, of whatever description -they might be; on the understanding that they -were to be restored to them on the day of their -own delivery. But the request did not meet with -the ready acquiescence which had been anticipated. -Colonel——had travelled with the whole -of his uniform; and when our attendant advanced -to lay sacrilegious hands upon his sword, which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_455" id="Page_455">455</a></span> -was hanging over a chair, all the quick sense -of honour of the British soldier was roused -at once; and, as the indignant blood rushed to -his brow, he vowed that he would fell to the -earth the first man who dared to meddle with -his side-arms. In vain did the keeper insist, -and the Chevalier explain; the English heart -beat too high to heed either the one, or the -other: and the pistol-laden functionary was -obliged to depart without the sword of the gallant -Guardsman. Of course he made his report -to the Governor; but the worthy little old gentleman -had too much good sense to persist in -the demand; and no allusion was afterwards -made to the subject.</p> - -<p>Twice each day we were visited by the medical -officer, who just popped his head in at the -door, and smiled forth: “Ah! quite well, quite -well, I see—impossible to be better—good morning,” -and away he went, without affording us -time to complain had we been so inclined. -M. le Directeur also paid us several visits, always -carefully pointing his cane before him, as -a warning to us not to approach him too closely: -and never failing to commence the conversation -by the ejaculation of, “<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Madame, je vous salue—ha! -les beaux arbres que vous avez!</em>” It was -really worse than ludicrous.</p> - -<p>As a signal mark of favour, we were occasionally -permitted to walk, under the charge of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_456" id="Page_456">456</a></span> -the keeper, from the gate of our own <em>colleve</em>-court -to that of our friends, and to receive their -visits in return, when we had always a very -laughable interview; the incarcerated individuals -amusing themselves by rocking to and -fro behind the bars of their prison-gates, and -roaring like wild beasts in a menagerie.</p> - -<p>There are two descriptions of persons to whom -I would particularly recommend an avoidance -of the Quarantaine at Orsova—The <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ennuyé</em> and -the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">bon vivant</em>. For the first there is no refuge -save sleep, and the few doggrel attempts at -poetry which may be partially traced through -the whitewash; the outpourings of an impatient -spirit weary of its thrall; with the occasional -society of the “keeper,” who is as cold -and as impracticable as his own keys. The -very books of which the wanderer has made his -travelling companions; and some of which would -bear a second perusal, at all events in a quarantaine -cell, are carried off and sealed up, as -though every volume were redolent of high -treason; and he is left to his own resources as -ruthlessly as if he were indeed “the last man;” -and that he had done with the world, and the -world with him.</p> - -<p>To the second I need only hint that the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">restaurant</em> -is a Government monopoly, where you -are provided for at a fixed sum per day; and fed -upon whatever it may please the Comptroller of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_457" id="Page_457">457</a></span> -the Kitchen to serve up. Nor can you procure -any wine save the sour and unpalatable <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">vin du -pays</em>, however liberally you may be disposed to -pay for it.</p> - -<p>Those travellers are fortunate who, like ourselves, -can meet the captivity of quarantaine -with pleasant companions, light hearts, and -unfailing spirits; finding food for mirth in their -very miseries; and forgetting the annoyance of -present detention in the anticipation of future -freedom.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_458" id="Page_458">458</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXXII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">The Last Day of Captivity—Quarantaine Enclosure—Baths of Mahadia—Landscape -Scenery—Peasantry of Hungary—Their Costume—Trajan’s -Road—Hungarian Village—The Mountain Pass—The -Baths—A Disappointment—The Health-Inventory—Inland Journey—New -Road.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> last day of our captivity was the most -tedious portion of the whole, for the prospect of -speedy emancipation kept us in a constant state -of irritation. Our luggage was collected and -arranged with a haste which by no means added -to its comfort or convenience, and which only -left us an additional hour of unoccupied restlessness; -while the servants were urged to -a continual commotion that robbed us even of -the tranquillity which might have made our -prison-house somewhat more endurable.</p> - -<p>The morning of the fifteenth of October was -that of our release. We were all ready to depart -at daybreak; and after the necessary ceremonies -had been gone through, we assembled in a large -grassy space, bounded on one side by the -Danube, and skirted on the other by the Quarantaine -buildings. This enclosure was crowded -with oxen, waggons, and bales of merchandize;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_459" id="Page_459">459</a></span> -and about fifty peasants were employed in lading -such goods as were admitted to <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">pratique</em>, -after their period of purification had been accomplished. -Here we also found carriages for -hire, two of which we immediately engaged to -convey some of our party to the celebrated -Baths of Mahadia; which, being situated off our -road, we were anxious to reach as speedily as -possible, in order to enable us to secure our -passage on board the Steam Packet, that was -to leave Drinkova at daybreak the following -morning.</p> - -<p>Three of the party accordingly took possession -of a Calèche, drawn by a trio of wiry-looking -little chesnut ponies, harnessed in the most -inartificial way in the world, with bridles, traces, -and reins of stout cord; while the others -mounted one of the country waggons, filled with -hay, and dragged by a couple of wild-looking -horses.</p> - -<p>Never was there a more sincere exhibition of -self-gratulation than that with which we passed -the boundary gate of the Quarantaine ground; -and found ourselves beside the tall stone cross -that is erected on its outskirt, as if to claim -the thanksgiving of the newly-liberated. We -had majestic hills rising before, and beside us, -clothed with forest-timber, now rich in the -thousand hues of autumn—The river-tide running -rippling—would, for the sake of my land<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_460" id="Page_460">460</a></span>scape -sketch, that I could say <em>sparkling</em>—in the -sunshine; but, alas! the lordly Danube throughout -its entire length looks like diluted dirt; and -the beam must be full and fierce indeed which -can lend a brightness to its waters.—The vapours -that had during the night been pillowed -on the hill-tops, or had cinctured them with a -fleecy girdle, were just beginning to roll back -beneath the influence of the sun, which was -rising like a golden globe into a horizon of the -faintest pink; and as the halo widened round -its disk, deepening the clouds to amber.</p> - -<p>The hardy Hungarian peasantry were all -astir; and very picturesque they looked as they -drove forth their flocks to the green and goodly -pastures on the mountain-side; or yoked the -docile oxen to their light waggons of wicker-work, -which resemble huge baskets raised on -wheels. To us everything was delightful; for -like long-caged birds suddenly set free, we were -pruning our wings for a fresh flight. Ten days -of happiness go by like an Eastern twilight, or -the down of the thistle; but ten days of Quarantaine—ten -days of wood and whitewash—of -locks and bolts—of walls and weariness!—No -one who has not passed ten days in a <em>colleve</em>, -and its narrow court can understand all the delight -of the first bound back to freedom.</p> - -<p>There is one of Sir Walter Scott’s ballads -which from my earliest girlhood I have always<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_461" id="Page_461">461</a></span> -loved; it first touched my heart by its plaintiveness, -but in the quarantaine of Orsovar I learned -to value it still more for its surpassing nature—its -masterly delineation of the feelings of the -human mind under captivity; the captivity, not -of despair, but of impatience—the wail of the -bounding spirit held back—and often, very -often, as I paced up and down the paved court -of our plague-prison, did I murmur out my own -irritation in the words of the Mighty One of -Song:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">“My hawk is tired of perch and hood,</div> -<div class="line">My idle greyhound loathes his food,</div> -<div class="line">My horse is weary of his stall,</div> -<div class="line">And I am sick of captive thrall.”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>But even had we looked on the peasantry of -Hungary at a less joyous moment, we could not -have failed to be struck with their extremely -picturesque costume. The men were dressed -like those of Servia, even to the ungainly sandal -of untanned leather, laced above a short stocking -of checked worsted; though many among -them had discarded the rude conical cap of -sheepskin, for one neatly made of white flannel, -and bound with black ribbon, which had a very -cleanly and smart appearance; but the women -were in a costume which would have produced -its effect at a fancy ball. Like the maidens of -Scotland, the young girls wore their hair simply<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_462" id="Page_462">462</a></span> -bound by a silken snood, into which they had -stuck marigolds or wild roses; while the matrons -covered their heads with a handkerchief placed -very backward, and secured by bodkins, flowers, -and coins, to a cushion worn low in the neck, -and concealed by a thick plait of hair. A band -of linen, a couple of inches in width, was fastened -round the brow, and completed the head-dress; -and many of these were elegantly wrought with -beads and coloured worsteds; I also remarked -one which was decorated with small white -cowries.</p> - -<p>Herein alone existed any distinction of dress -between the oldest matron and the youngest -maiden; the garments varying only in the richness -of their material. A chemisette of white -linen reaching to the throat, where it was confined -by a band worked with coloured worsteds, -continued down the front of the bosom, and -along the tops of the large, full sleeves, was girt -about the waist with two woollen aprons worn -like those of Servia, but falling only to the knee; -where they terminated in a deep fringe of the -same colours as the apron, that descended to the -ancle. Some few made use of the same unsightly -sandals as those of the men, but they were principally -barefooted.</p> - -<p>The Hungarian peasantry are all soldiers -when their services are required, but resume -their agricultural and domestic duties imme<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_463" id="Page_463">463</a></span>diately -that the necessity has ceased to exist; -hence they are all erect, and smart-looking; and -as they are a remarkably fine race of men, their -appearance is very striking. Of the women I -cannot in candour say so much, as they are, -generally speaking, very plain; with flat features, -and expressionless countenances. There -were, however, several startling exceptions; and -I know not whether in such cases it be actually -the intrinsic degree of beauty possessed by the -individual, and that in a land of plain women, -Nature lavishes on the few all that she has withheld -from the many; or that the dearth of good -looks in the many may lead a stranger involuntarily -to heighten to himself those of the few; but -it is certain that I saw in Hungary, as I thought -at the time, half a dozen of the loveliest girls -imaginable.</p> - -<p>We had left Orsova only a few miles behind -us, when, descending a short but precipitous declivity, -we entered upon a road skirting the -mountain ridge on the one hand, and bounded -on the other by the bed of a torrent; whose -waters, now in a state of comparative repose, -brawled over the masses of rock with which -their own violence had cumbered the channel -during the winter storms; and ran dancing in -the light, as their course was further impeded by -the fishing-dams of the peasantry; and, after -forming a thousand pigmy cascades, fell flashing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_464" id="Page_464">464</a></span> -back into the depths of the ravine, to form a -mirror for the overhanging hills.</p> - -<p>Another hour of rapid travelling brought us -to the ruins of Trajan’s road. Six of the arches, -built against the solid rock, still remain nearly -perfect; and hence this stupendous work may -be traced for several miles, as well as the massy -fragments of a bridge across the torrent.</p> - -<p>A lovely valley succeeded, hemmed in by hills, -and dotted over with little villages, seated on -the banks of the mountain stream; looking, from -the peculiar formation of their small reed-thatched -huts, like gigantic apiaries. Every -narrow shelf of rock that could be redeemed from -the forest, for such the whole line of heights, -(gigantic as they were), may literally be called, -was in a high state of cultivation. Patches of -Indian corn, flourishing vineyards, green pasture -lands, and thriving orchards, were to be -seen on all sides; while the effects of the flitting -light upon the autumn-touched timber were so -magical, so various, and so brilliant, that words -are inadequate to paint them. Here and there, -among stretches of foliage, varying from the -faint silvery green of the river-willow, and the -white lining of the aspen-leaf, to the bright gold -of the decaying beech, and the rich brown of the -withering oak, stood out a huge mass of bare -calcareous rock; looking like a giant portal -closed upon the hidden treasures of the moun<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_465" id="Page_465">465</a></span>tain’s -heart. And amid all these glorious hills, -this jewel-like foliage, and these flashing waters, -we travelled on with the speed of lightning, -through an avenue of fruit-trees several miles -in length.</p> - -<p>A second stretch of the mountain-road conducted -us to a spot where a descent had been -made to the bed of the torrent; and here, -leaving the direct line to the town of Mahadia, -we forded the stream, and struck into a byway, -which, traversing a dense wood, led immediately -to the Baths. It was but an exchange of beauty. -And, as we entered the gorge of two stately -mountains draped in forest-foliage, and lifting -to the sky their high and leafy heads; and saw -the eagles planing above them in majestic -security, while flowers bloomed beside our path, -and small birds twittered among the branches; -while the sound of the shepherd’s reed-pipe came -sweeping down into the valley from the giddy -heights on which his flock were browsing; and -the luxurious cattle standing mid-way in the -stream, lowed out their enjoyment to their fellows, -as if to lure them from the mountain glades -amid which they were wandering; I thought -that I had never traversed a country so lovely -as this corner of Hungary. I would not have -missed that morning landscape for another term -of quarantaine!</p> - -<p>We were quite unprepared for the scene that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_466" id="Page_466">466</a></span> -awaited us at the Baths. The gorge in which -they are built is so narrow that the rocks on -either side almost overhang the houses; and the -torrent rushes brawling along at their base, fed -by continual springs. The establishment, which -is becoming every year more popular, is on a -very large and handsome scale; and the whole -aspect of the place is so enchanting, so bright, -so calm, and so delightful, that, could we have -woven the web of our day to a week’s duration, -I am quite sure that not one of our party would -have wearied of it.</p> - -<p>The Baths are of Roman origin; and in the -wall of one of the principal apartments a stone -is imbedded which still bears most legibly the -following inscription: “To Venus, Mercury, and -Hercules, these springs, conducive to Beauty, -Activity, and Strength, are dedicated.” They -are strongly impregnated with sulphur, and -produce on a first trial extreme and almost -painful exhaustion; but they are considered to -be so very efficacious, particularly in chronic -diseases, that the government have erected an -Invalid Hospital and Bathing House at the extremity -of the mountain, for the use of the troops.</p> - -<p>We partook of an excellent dinner at the -Table d’Hôte on leaving the Baths; and, greatly -to our regret, were then compelled to retrace -our steps in order to reach Orsova before dusk. -But we had already lingered too long; and, on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_467" id="Page_467">467</a></span> -arriving in the court of the hotel where the -post-waggons were awaiting us, we were met by -the declaration of the drivers that they would -not stir until daylight; the road to Drinkova -being cut along the brink of the mountain precipices, -and so slightly protected as to be even -dangerous at noon-day.</p> - -<p>We were, one and all, extremely annoyed at -their decision, not knowing if we could afford a -loss of time on which we had not calculated; -and we almost began to ask ourselves whether -the more incurious portion of the party, who -had quietly mounted the luggage-waggons at the -quarantaine-gate, and pursued their direct road -to the steam-station, had not been also the most -prudent. For myself, despite the fatigue that -I had undergone during the day, and the enervating -effect of the sulphuric bath, I had so -nerved myself for the night-journey, that I was -sincerely disappointed when assured that it was -quite impracticable; but, as there was no alternative, -we resolved on retiring early to our -apartments, whose cleanliness and comfort were -enhanced tenfold in our eyes by our recent endurance -of the disarray and desolation of the -quarantaine cells.</p> - -<p>We were, however, obliged, ere we parted for -the night, to receive the Agent of the Steam-Company, -and two officers of the Austrian Customs; -who, for “a consideration,” returned our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_468" id="Page_468">468</a></span> -books carefully sewed up in linen, and sealed -with this government-stamp in lead, accompanied -by an injunction not to remove it until we -had passed the Austrian frontier. We next paid -a duty for the Turkish articles we had brought -with us, and which they did not trouble us to enumerate; -as, thanks to the “Health-Inventory” -taken at the Lazaretto, they were thoroughly -acquainted with the extent of our possessions.</p> - -<p>The official train had no sooner departed, than -we busied ourselves in superintending the arrangement -of the provisions that were to accompany -us on the morrow’s journey; nothing -edible, save Indian corn bread, being purchaseable -between the town of Orsova, and the station -of the steam-boat.</p> - -<p>Few circumstances can be more provoking -than the necessity which exists of abandoning -the course of the river at this particular point; -as the scenery for several successive miles is of -the most majestic and striking description. Piles -of rock hem in the current, and almost overhang -it; caverns, hollowed by some fearful convulsion -of nature, tempt the venturous foot of the -curious traveller; and far-spreading forests, -sweeping away into the distance, fringe the -summits of the mountains, and cast their deep -shadows over the river tide.</p> - -<p>Superadded to this disappointment, is the -increase of fatigue consequent on the compul<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_469" id="Page_469">469</a></span>satory -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">détour</em>; the distance occupied by the shoal -being more than doubled by the overland -journey that is made across the loftiest of the -Banût mountains, and performed in the country -carriages (the basket-work waggons already -mentioned); which, although so lightly constructed -as to travel very rapidly, yet, being -without springs, are extremely fatiguing.</p> - -<p>To obviate this inconvenience, the Steam Company -have commenced the construction of a road -at the foot of the mountain-chain, the whole -length of the shoal; and it was progressing rapidly -at the period of our visit, under the auspices -of the Austrian Government.<a name="FNanchor_11" id="FNanchor_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor">11</a> The necessary -outlay was said to be very great, owing to the -difficult nature of the locality, and the labour of -penetrating the living rock. An entire mile of this -singular undertaking was already completed; -and really afforded an extraordinary proof of -the effects produceable by human ingenuity and -perseverance. In particular spots it is entirely -artificial; and is a solid stretch of masonry -based on the bed of the river—in others, it -hangs on the side of the mountain like a goat-path—and -at others, again it is a tunnel, walled -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_470" id="Page_470">470</a></span> -and roofed with rock, and torn from the heart -of the mighty mass by blasting.</p> - -<p>This road is intended to facilitate the passage -of travellers and merchandize, from one steam-vessel -to the other, by means of flat-bottomed -boats, to be towed by horses along the hitherto -impassable portion of the river—an arrangement -which will supersede the necessity of -abandoning the direct line; and save the traveller -the expense, fatigue, and inconvenience of -the inland journey.</p><hr /><p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_471" id="Page_471">471</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXXIII.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Departure from Orsova—Daybreak—The Mountain-pass—Village of -Plauwischewitza—Austrian Engineers—Literary Popularity—The -Rapids—Sunday in Hungary—Drinkova—Holyday Groups—Alibec—Voilovitch—Panchova—River-Shoals—Wild -Fowl—Semlin—Fortress -of Belgrade—Streets of Semlin—Greek Church—Castle of -Hunyady—Imperial Barge—Agreeable Escort—Yusuf Pacha—Belgrade—Prince -Milosch—Plague-Preventers—General Milosch—Servian -Ladies—Turk-Town—Ruined Dwellings—The Fortress—Osman -Bey—Gate of the Tower—Fearless Tower—Rapid Decay of -the Fortifications—Sclavonian Garden—Vintage-Feast—Sclavonian -Vintage-Song.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">At</span> four o’clock the following morning we left -Orsova, lighted by a perfect galaxy of stars; but -shivering from the damp vapours which were -hanging in dense folds about the Danube. The -light was just breaking as we reached the foot -of the mountains, and began to ascend a precipitous -road, slightly guarded on the outer edge -by a wooden railing; whence we looked down -into rifts and chasms filled with the most profuse -foliage; at whose bottom rippled along the -pigmy streams which in the winter season swell -to torrents, and awake the depths of the forest-fastnesses -with their brawling voices.</p> - -<p>It is impossible to give the faintest picture of -this mountain-pass, with its bridges of rude<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_472" id="Page_472">472</a></span> -timber flung over almost unfathomable gulfs—its -bold, overhanging paths, along which the -narrow wheels have scarcely space to pass—its -dense masses of forest foliage, linked together -by the graceful wreaths of the wild vine with -its blood red leaves, and the clinging tendrils of -the wild cotton plant with its snowy tufts of -down—its herds of cattle—its flocks of goats—and -its green grassy glades, laughing in the -sunshine—its ever-recurring effects of light and -shade—its mysterious silence—and its surpassing -majesty.</p> - -<p>As we travelled on, the day-beam grew -brighter in the heavens, and the horizon became -one rich canopy of pink and violet. There were -moments when I was breathless with awe as we -traversed that leafy solitude. I never thought -of danger; even when the half wild animals that -drew us were galloping at their greatest speed -down the mountain-side, with a shelf of rock -walling us up on the one hand, and a deep precipice -yawning over against us on the other. I -had not an instant to spare to the possible peril -of our position; I saw only, I felt only, the glory -which surrounded me. I could at that moment -fully understand why the mountaineer clung to -liberty as to existence—how he who had once -breathed the pure air of heaven from the rocky -brow on which the clouds of night were wont to -rest, and the sunshine of day to sport, must pine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_473" id="Page_473">473</a></span> -amid the gloom of the valley, and the monotony -of the plain. And when we once more descended -to the river’s edge, where all was safe and level, -I only felt regret that I could not call back the -mystery and the magnificence of the rock-seated -forests, even although there might be peril in -their paths.</p> - -<p>The road into which we passed at the foot of -the mountain-chain led us along fields of Indian -corn, to the village of Plauwischewitza; where -we were compelled to remain a couple of hours, -in order to rest the horses. It was nine o’clock -when we reached it; and as the little hamlet -boasted no wine-house, at which we could satisfy -the keen appetite that we had acquired by four -hours of rapid travelling among the mountains, -we were preparing to breakfast in one of the -waggons; when the Chevalier Peitrich was -recognized by an Officer of Austrian Engineers, -who immediately invited us to a very comfortable -house that had been built for himself and -his brother-officers, during their superintendence -of the road to which I have already alluded.</p> - -<p>We availed ourselves of his politeness most -readily, and were received with the greatest -courtesy by the whole party; who showed and -explained to us several beautifully-coloured -plans of the Danube, and the projected roads -and canals. In their bookcase I found Bulwer’s -“England and the English,” and Marryat’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_474" id="Page_474">474</a></span> -“Naval Officer;” both published by Baudry of -Paris. It was like meeting old friends in a -strange land, to turn over the leaves of these -well-remembered volumes in an obscure Hungarian -village!</p> - -<p>At eleven o’clock we resumed our journey, -which lay along the bank of the river, but at a -considerable height above the water. In one -or two places we wound round the base of rocks -that jutted into the bed of the stream, and which -were rent and riven in an extraordinary manner; -one mass resting upon another, and so apparently -insecure as to appear ready to loosen -their hold with the next blast of wind. By this -picturesque route we passed the rapids called -Izlas; a singular ridge of rock extending nearly -across the river, at a spot where the shores are -extremely bold and beautiful; and at three -o’clock in the afternoon we again halted in -another small hamlet.</p> - -<p>The scene was a very cheerful one, as, owing -to its being Sunday, all the peasants were in -their holyday garb; and were clustered at the -doors of their cottages, enjoying the pure air -and the genial sunshine. I was much amused -at the method adopted by the Hungarian mothers -of nursing their infants; they carry a -small box, in shape not unlike a coffin, slung -over their shoulders, in which the child lies upon -a mattress; and when the little being requires<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_475" id="Page_475">475</a></span> -their care, they sit down upon the first stone, or -piece of timber in their path, swing the box to -their knees, and quietly attend to the wants of -their nursling; the suspended cradle is then -restored to its original position, and their own -occupations are resumed.</p> - -<p>On our arrival at the steam station at Drinkova, -which is simply a large block of building -containing apartments for the resident agent and -stores for the housing of merchandize, we learnt -that, owing to the long drought, the water had -become so low in the Danube that the vessel -could not descend beyond Alibec, the next station; -and consequently, fatigued as we were with -a journey of sixty-five miles in rough carriages -over steep roads, we were compelled to continue -our route at all speed; and in about twenty minutes -we reached the pretty and extensive village -of Drinkova, in which we found an Austrian regiment, -occupying a commodious barrack in the -principal street. We remained here an hour, -in order to rest the unfortunate horses, which -we were obliged to take on, as there were no -means of procuring others; and we started -again just as the sun was setting, and throwing -fairy lights upon the mountain crests.</p> - -<p>Many a gay group did we encounter as we -pursued our way, hurrying home to the village -after a day of recreation among the hills; and -we even passed one party who had lingered so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_476" id="Page_476">476</a></span> -long that the blaze of the fire that they had -kindled in the woods streamed across our path.</p> - -<p>At nine o’clock we reached Alibec by the -light of a bright young moon, which just disappeared -behind the hills as we were hailed -from the vessel. At daylight the next morning -we were under weigh; and about noon the -Francis I. was abreast of the extensive monastery -and dependencies of Voilovitch on the -Hungarian side of the river; and shortly afterwards -we passed the town of Panchova, seated -on the Temes, which here empties itself into -the Danube. About a mile and a half beyond -Panchova, we entered a shoal, and the steam -was almost entirely stopped, while we glided -over the treacherous surface of the stream; the -boat scarcely appeared to make any way; but -there was a slight tremulous motion that seemed -as though her heart still beat, while her progress -was impeded.</p> - -<p>These shoals, which are by no means without -danger even by daylight, are not, however, -the only impediment to night-travelling on the -Danube—the violence of the current, particularly -after a gale at sea, frequently carrying -away immense masses of the light sandy soil of -the islands that are scattered along the whole -line of the river; and with them enormous trees, -which come sweeping down the stream, with -their wide branches spreading on all sides, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_477" id="Page_477">477</a></span> -choking the passage. We encountered at least -a dozen of these uprooted forest giants during -our voyage.</p> - -<p>In the course of the afternoon we were off -Semendri, an extensive Turkish fortress, occupying -a very commanding position on the Servian -shore, at the junction of the Jesava with the -Danube; and defended by twenty-seven towers, -of which twenty-three were square, two round, -and two hexagonal; but extremely exposed on -all sides, and apparently not in the best state -of repair.</p> - -<p>At sunset we passed a group of islands thickly -wooded, principally by river-willows; and surrounded -by long narrow necks of land, from -which the approach of the vessel aroused such -a cloud of aquatic birds as I never beheld before -in my life. They must have amounted to several -thousands; and being wild swans, geese, ducks, -and plover, they filled the air with a discord, to -which the monotonous beat of the steam-paddles -was music. During the whole day we were -earnestly talking of Belgrade—the far-famed -fortress of Belgrade—which we were anxious to -reach before dusk. It was, however, eight o’clock -before we were abreast of this last stronghold of -the Turks in Europe; and in half an hour more -we anchored at Semlin; where we were to remain -the whole of the next day to take in coals, -and to embark passengers and merchandize.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_478" id="Page_478">478</a></span>On the following morning immediately after -breakfast, we went on shore to see the town; -but previously to landing we stood awhile on -deck contemplating the interesting scene around -us. The Save, which here empties itself into the -Danube, forms the boundary between the possessions -of the Moslem, and those of the Christian. -On one side its ripple reflects the belfried towers -and tall crosses, the walls and dwellings, of the -Christian population of Semlin—on the other -it mirrors the slender minarets and bristling -fortifications of the followers of Mahomet. -Barges, filled with water-patroles, passed and -repassed the vessel; all was activity along the -shore of Semlin; while a dead stillness hung -over the dark outworks of the opposite bank.</p> - -<p>A walk of ten minutes brought us to the gate -of Semlin, which terminates a long, wide, clean-looking -street, forming the main artery of the -town. The tide of life was, however, flowing -through it sluggishly; a few knots of military, -belonging to the Italian regiment by which it -was garrisoned, were grouped at distances, or -lounged idly along, gazing into the shop windows; -but we did not meet half a dozen peasants; a -circumstance that was afterwards explained by -the fact of our having made our incursion on the -day of a great annual market, which had attracted -nearly all the inhabitants of the town -and the surrounding country to an extensive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_479" id="Page_479">479</a></span> -square at the back of the main street; where we -found a dense crowd of horses, waggons, merchandize, -busy men, and plain women.</p> - -<p>Among its public buildings, Semlin boasts a -Quarantaine Establishment, considerably more -extensive than that of Orsova; and also, as we -were informed, infinitely preferable in point of -comfort and convenience. Our curiosity, however, -did not tend in that direction; and we -were quite satisfied with a view of the exterior -walls.</p> - -<p>In our stroll through the airy and well-kept -streets, we visited the Greek Church, which was -handsomely fitted up. The door was opened to -us by a magnificent-looking priest, who did the -honours with great politeness; save that he -would not admit me into the Sanctuary to examine -the enamelled bible which he displayed -with great pride to the gentlemen; little imagining, -holy man! that I had penetrated behind -the veil of the church at the Fanar; and seen -the most costly of all their copies of the Sacred -Writings in the thrice blessed hands of the -Patriarch himself!</p> - -<p>From the Church we ascended a height above -the town, to explore the ruins of the celebrated -Castle of Hunyady, the father of Matteas Corvinus; -the most renowned of all Hungarian -heroes. It is now rapidly passing away, to be -numbered with the things that were, and are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_480" id="Page_480">480</a></span> -not. It is a square erection, with a round tower -at each angle; and is no where left standing -more than ten feet from the level of the earth; -but the walls are extremely massive, measuring -nearly eighteen feet in thickness; and the situation -is commanding, as the acclivity on which -it is built sweeps the river to a considerable -distance on both sides.</p> - -<p>Having sauntered through the town, and -made a few purchases, in order to recall to us -hereafter our first ramble in Sclavonia, we returned -on board to a mid-day dinner; the Chevalier -having assured us that he possessed sufficient -interest with the General commanding at -Semlin, to secure to us the permission to visit -Belgrade; which, being a Turkish fort, was unapproachable -to the Quarantaine-cleansed, without -special authority. He had calculated justly; -and in the course of the afternoon an Imperial -barge put off, with the plague-flag flying at her -stern, and took us on board, attended by two -keepers from the Quarantaine Establishment, -and a Custom-house officer. Under this cheerful -escort we departed for Belgrade; the last minareted -town in Europe, and the residence of -Yusuf Pasha; who, in the event of hostilities, will -probably acquit himself at Belgrade as honourably -as he did at Varna.</p> - -<p>The position of this extensive fortress is most -imposing; seated as it is upon the banks of two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_481" id="Page_481">481</a></span> -noble rivers: its walls being washed on two -sides by the Danube, and on a third by the Save. -Its appearance is very formidable, and had it -been bestowed upon an European power, it -must have proved a dangerous present; but its -noble outworks and stately walls are crumbling -to decay; and in its present state it is -scarcely more than a colossal feature in the -landscape.</p> - -<p>On the first cession of the Fortress of Belgrade -to the Turks by the Emperor Leopold, the occupation -of the town was reserved exclusively to -the Servians, whose Prince, Milosch, has a handsome -residence in the principal street; but since -the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi, the Osmanlis -have poured into the town; and, as the natives -resisted the innovation, have formed themselves -into a distinct colony which may be called Turk-town, -where they live with the Jews in tolerable -harmony; a circumstance that to a person conversant -with the Musselmaun prejudice against -the outcasts of Israel, is altogether inexplicable. -The two people have a population of eight thousand -souls; while the Servians average about -twelve thousand.</p> - -<p>Nothing could be more irksome than our passage -through the streets of Belgrade! We -landed beside the New Custom-house, a large and -rather handsome building; and thence passed -the gate of the town, which was guarded by a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_482" id="Page_482">482</a></span> -sentinel who could have been barely fourteen -years of age. Just within the barrier stood the -guard-house, where an officer sat smoking his -chibouk, and talking with his men, with all the -<em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">bon-hommie</em> and laxity of discipline, common to -the Turks.</p> - -<p>It must have been a comedy to see us pass -along, all crowded together, and flanked and -followed by our vigilant guardians; who with -their long canes threw aside every fragment of -linen, woollen, or paper, that chanced to lie in -our path, as well as chasing thence every passenger -who happened to cross it. The Turks -smiled a quiet smile as we passed them, for they -believe all Europeans to be impregnable to the -plague, and consequently consider their precautions -as the mere result of a love of excitement -and bustle; and I confess that to me the extreme -watchfulness of our attendants was so -irritating, that, although it amused me for a time, -and that I smiled with the Turks at the pains -taken to prevent our contact with the inhabitants -of a town in which no plague-case had -happened during the season, and who had therefore -more reason to avoid our own proximity, it -finished by making me perfectly nervous.</p> - -<p>Thus guarded, and rendered sensible that it -is sometimes more troublesome to be out of -quarantaine than to be in it, we made our way -to the residence of the Austrian Consul, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_483" id="Page_483">483</a></span> -whom our friend the Chevalier was acquainted; -and who joined our party at a respectful distance, -having sent his dragoman to request the -Pasha’s permission for us to visit the interior of -the fortress. While we awaited his reply we -determined on accompanying our new and -courteous acquaintance to pay a visit to General -Milosch, the brother of the Prince, who is a resident -in Servia. By the way he pointed out to -us the house of the Prince’s daughter, who is -married to a wealthy brewer; and to whom he -gave a herd of ten thousand oxen as a marriage -portion. And, what was infinitely more interesting, -the dwelling of Cerny George; a single-storied -building of some extent, but of most -unpretending appearance.</p> - -<p>A servant having been despatched to apprise -the General of our intended visit, he received us -most politely at the door of his house, and conducted -us up stairs to a marble hall; being kept -at arm’s length during the ascent by our plague-preventing -keepers; who, having themselves -placed a line of chairs for us along one side of -the hall, graciously permitted us to be seated. -The General, attended by two or three servants, -then took possession of a green silk fauteuil at -the other extremity of the apartment; and the -lady of the house shortly afterwards made her -appearance, followed by her eldest daughter; a -remarkably fine girl, with a noble forehead, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_484" id="Page_484">484</a></span> -full dark eyes. The costume of these ladies was -extremely elegant and picturesque; confirming -an opinion which I had often expressed, that the -Greek dress, if carefully arranged, and judiciously -chosen as to colours, must be one of the -most becoming and effective in the world. Here -I saw the realization of my idea; for the small -fèz, confined by the dark tress of hair, and fastened -with a diamond clasp; the pelisse of pale -blue satin, lined and edged with sables; and the -full robe of silk, delicately embroidered on the -bosom and wrists with gold, were all Greek; -while the extreme <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tenue</em> and taste of their arrangement, -the slight waist, and careful <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">chaussure</em>, -were essentially Servian.</p> - -<p>Nothing could exceed the courteous attention -of the whole family. Coffee, pipes, and sweetmeats -were served; and our trusty guardians, -satisfied with handing them to us themselves, -and thus heroically incurring the risk of becoming -the medium of contagion in their own -proper persons, allowed us to make use of the -silver spoons, although we had been obliged to -deliver up our money in the quarantaine, in order -that it might be washed by the keeper—Metals -being voted plague-conductors at Orsova, -though they were admitted to <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">pratique</em> at Belgrade!</p> - -<p>The permission of the Pasha to our entrance -into the fortress was not so readily accorded as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_485" id="Page_485">485</a></span> -had been anticipated; and we were accordingly -detained nearly an hour ere it arrived. It came, -however, at last; and, after taking leave of the -interesting family who had so hospitably received -us, we once more set forth, traversing a -considerable portion of the Servian town, in -order to reach the glacis; when, diverging a -little from our direct route, we ascended one of -the outworks, in order to look down upon the -Turk quarter, and the shores of the river.</p> - -<p>Hence we had a lovely view of Semlin, and of -a portion of the extensive Hungarian plain, -which, studded with villages, and masses of -forest timber, extends for a distance of six and -thirty leagues. In Turk-town the Consul pointed -out to us the ruins of several fine buildings -erected by the Austrians; and, amongst others, -the remains of the residence of Prince Eugene.</p> - -<p>Descending the outwork, whence we had a -perfect insight into the dilapidated state of the -exterior walls and bastions of the once lordly -fortress; we proceeded to the gate, and, having -passed it, were obliged to progress for a considerable -distance along the palisade, ere we reached -the bridge by which we were to enter the fort. -The palisades were in melancholy keeping with -the rest of the defences; and traces of fire were -perceptible on the few that still remained -erect.</p> - -<p>The interior of this celebrated stronghold did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_486" id="Page_486">486</a></span> -not belie its promise from without. A <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ci-devant</em> -barrack had a stunted minaret built against its -wall, and was converted into a very dilapidated-looking -mosque. The citadel, now denominated -the Palace of the Pasha, had much the appearance -of a barn, weather-stained and neglected, -with broken windows and swinging shutters. -The kiosk of the harem was a temporary wooden -building; pitched, and repaired with unpainted -timber. And, had I been on my way <em>to</em> Constantinople, -instead of <em>from</em> it, my pre-conceived -and highly-wrought ideas of Oriental splendour -would have inevitably suffered utter prostration -at the sight of this “princely” establishment.</p> - -<p>The Fortress of Belgrade, which is the most -extensive, as well as the strongest military position -possessed by the Turks, is garrisoned -only by four hundred men, or rather men and -boys, for a portion of them are mere youths; -and when to this fact is added another still -more startling, that since it passed into the -hands of its present masters, all the cisterns -have been suffered to fall into utter decay; and -that the whole of the water necessary for the -supply of the inhabitants is carried into the -fort daily in carts, it will be seen at once that a -future “Siege of Belgrade” would be a bloodless -one; as the garrison must inevitably be -starved out by drought.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_487" id="Page_487">487</a></span>I must not, however, omit to mention that the -gentlemen of our party were much struck by -the very soldier-like and efficient manner in -which the troops (if thus I may be permitted -to designate the mere handful of men collected -in the drilling-ground) were performing their -exercise; and whom they declared to excel in -precision of movement, and cleanliness of appearance -any Turkish regiment that they had -seen in the capital; and to do great credit to the -military talent of Osman Bey, their Lieutenant-Colonel; -who, as well as Ismaèl Bey, a subaltern -officer in the same corps, is a son of the Pasha.</p> - -<p>Osman Bey, who is rather a fine-looking man, -greeted us very politely as we crossed the exercise-ground, -in order to leave the fortress by a -handsome gate, above whose massy columns -are still emblazoned, in <em>alto relievo</em>, the arms of -Austria, in a shield surrounded by military emblems, -and supported by two colossal suits of -armour.</p> - -<p>Beside the moat that protects this gate, -stands an hexagonal tower, built by the Turks, -and called the “Fearless Tower,” from the pertinacity -with which they defended it during a -siege; and the heroic actions performed in its -immediate vicinity by one of their Pashas. This -tower, and two or three rude bridges of timber -over the moat; a couple of ill-proportioned -minarets, and the wooden kiosk attached to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_488" id="Page_488">488</a></span> -citadel, are the only Turkish erections perceptible. -Ruin is rapidly progressing on all -sides; the walls are giving way; the ditches are -in many places cumbered with the fallen rubbish; -the covered ways are laid open; and the -guns that yet remain within the weed-grown -embrasures are so ill-mounted, as to be perfectly -innoxious.</p> - -<p>Such is, at this moment, the condition of the -far-famed Fortress of Belgrade—the boundary-fort -of Servia—the last spot of European land -subject to the sway of the Moslem—And here, -as we re-entered our barge to pass to the opposite -bank of the Save, whence we were to return -to Semlin in the carriage of a friend of the Chevalier’s, -we looked our last on the graceful -minarets which indicate the religion of Mahomet, -and form so elegant a feature in the Oriental -landscape.</p> - -<p>Ere we returned on board, we drove to the -garden of the Austrian dragoman, whence you -are said to command the finest view in the -neighbourhood of Semlin; and although the -river-vapours effectually prevented us, on this -occasion, from seeing a hundred yards beyond -the spot where we stood, we were amply repaid -for the détour that we had been induced to -make, by the opportunity which it afforded to -us of spending half an hour in one of the most -charming and well-kept gardens imaginable; a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_489" id="Page_489">489</a></span> -great treat at all times, but doubly agreeable -to individuals like ourselves, who had been so -long wanderers on the waters. The walks ran -through avenues of vines, whose purple clusters -did not invite our touch in vain; and so neatly -trained as to form the greenest and most level -hedges that can be imagined; while not a weed -nor an unsightly object was to be seen from one -end of the enclosure to the other. The Sclavonians -are, indeed, considered such proficient -gardeners, that forty-five out of fifty of those -employed in Constantinople are of that nation; -and we had consequently been curious to see a -gentleman’s grounds in their own land, and laid -out entirely in their own manner.</p> - -<p>We were about to re-enter the carriage, in -order to return to the vessel, when a flight of -rockets ran shimmering along the sky; and immediately -afterwards we were overtaken by a -procession of peasants, celebrating the last day -of the vintage.</p> - -<p>It was one of the prettiest sights that I ever -remember to have seen. The train was headed -by about thirty youths dressed in white garments, -and wearing large flapping hats of black -felt, nearly similar to the <em>sombreros</em> of Spain, -into whose narrow bands they had wreathed -bunches of wild-flowers; each carrying across -his shoulder a long pliant pole, with a basket -piled with grapes at each extremity. These<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_490" id="Page_490">490</a></span> -were followed by as many young girls, in the -usual picturesque costume of the country, with -a profusion of marigolds fastened among their -dark tresses; walking two and two, and bearing -baskets of grapes between them. And the procession -terminated with a crowd of children -waving in their little hands long branches of the -vine; and lending their clear and joyous voices -to the wild chorus of the vintage-song that their -elders were pealing out; and which ran, as -nearly as I can render it from the hurried and -imperfect translation given to me as we journeyed -on, somewhat in the following manner:—</p> - -<p class="center">THE SCLAVONIAN VINTAGE-SONG.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">Around the oak the wild-vine weaves</div> -<div class="line">Its glittering wreath of blood-red leaves;</div> -<div class="line">But it pays not back the peasant’s cares;</div> -<div class="line">No gold it wins, and no fruit it bears.</div> -<div class="line">It may flaunt its glories on the breeze,</div> -<div class="line">We have no time to waste on these;</div> -<div class="line">Our’s is the Vine near whose goodly root</div> -<div class="line">We seek, and find the jewelled fruit!</div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line">The wild-vine springs on the mountain’s crest,</div> -<div class="line">By every wind are its leaves caress’d;</div> -<div class="line">But it sickens soon in the garish ray</div> -<div class="line">That rests on its beauty all the day.</div> -<div class="line">Let it joy awhile in the breeze and sun,</div> -<div class="line">A lovely trifler to look upon;</div> -<div class="line">Our’s is the Vine that, with worthier pride,</div> -<div class="line">Gems with its fruit the fair hill-side! -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_491" id="Page_491">491</a></span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line">Our’s is the Vine! Our’s is the Vine!</div> -<div class="line">Our’s is the source of the rich red wine!</div> -<div class="line">Flowers may be fair on the maiden’s brow—</div> -<div class="line">Streams may be bright in their sunny flow—</div> -<div class="line">But dearer to us is the joyous spell</div> -<div class="line">Which our clustering grape calls up so well;</div> -<div class="line">Of purple and gold our wreaths we twine—</div> -<div class="line">Our’s is the Vine! Our’s is the Vine!</div> -</div></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_492" id="Page_492">492</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XXXIV.</h2> - -<p class="indent f08">Carlowitz—Peterwarradin—Bridge of Boats—Neusatz—The Journey -of Life—The Chevalier Peitrich—Austrian Officers—The Hungarian -Poet—Illok—The Ancient Surnium—Peel Tower—Intense Cold—Flat -Shores—Mohasch—Földvar—Pesth—German Postillion—A -Few Last Words.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Early</span> on the morrow we were off Carlowitz, -a cathedral town beautifully situated; of which, -owing to the abrupt windings of the river, we -had two distinct views. The Cathedral is a handsome -edifice, with two light and graceful spires; -having from a distance very much the appearance -of minarets. The prevailing religion on the Sclavonian -shore of the Danube is that of the Greek -Church, which has also obtained considerably in -Hungary; but the Roman Catholic worship is -to be found everywhere along its banks. Carlowitz -contains about twelve thousand inhabitants; -and its shore was crowded with passage -and fishing boats—while the whole height beneath -which it is built was covered with vineyards -and orchards, in the finest state of cultivation; -the latter being principally composed -of trees bearing a small blue plum, used in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_493" id="Page_493">493</a></span> -distillation of brandy; which, we were told, -was of a very fine quality. A short distance -beyond the city, the tributary river Thuss empties -itself into the Danube; offering extraordinary -facilities for the transport of produce, in -the very heart of a rich and prolific country.</p> - -<p>A sudden angle of the river immediately after -leaving Carlowitz, brought us within sight of -Peterwarradin, a very fine fortress with strong -and extensive outworks; and in its position -greatly resembling Belgrade. It is garrisoned -by three thousand Austrian troops; and on -arriving opposite to the height on which it is -seated, we observed the remains of an outwork, -on an island in the centre of the river, that has -been abandoned, owing to its annual destruction -by the ice; the outlay necessary to preserve its -efficiency having been considered greater than -its probable utility was thought to warrant.</p> - -<p>A second bold sweep of the Danube, which -winds like a girdle about the hill-seated fortress, -disclosed to us the bridge of boats that links -Peterwarradin with Neusatz, a cheerful-looking -town containing six churches; and here the -Francis I. fired her three pigmy guns, ere she -passed on to the wooden pier where she was to -take on board her new passengers; and, greatly -to our regret, to land our courtly and amiable -friend the Chevalier, whose estate was situated -within three leagues of the river.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_494" id="Page_494">494</a></span>A long voyage resembles a long life—Friends -and associates fall from you on all sides as you -advance; and those who join company more -tardily, generally fail to fill up the void occasioned -by the loss of the earlier and better -known. Both in the one and the other, you set -forward with high hopes and unexhausted energies; -and you lend yourself readily to the companionship -of those among whom your fate has -flung you. But as you become accustomed to the -scrip and the staff; and learn by experience the -weariness, and the withering, incident to your -pilgrimage, you turn not with the same joyousness -to greet the new wayfarer who joins your -company. You may indeed share with him your -loaf of bread and your cruise of water; but the -heart no longer goes forth with the hand, to -mingle in the gift.</p> - -<p>Long will the Chevalier Peitrich live in the -memory of the party with whom he travelled -up the Danube; and shared the captivity of the -quarantaine. He did the honours of his country -so gracefully and so graciously—his patience -and his politeness were so untiring—and he was -in himself so agreeable and intelligent a companion, -that the greatest deprivation which we -had been called upon to suffer since our departure -from Constantinople, was that of his -society.</p> - -<p>Our influx of passengers from Neusatz was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_495" id="Page_495">495</a></span> -considerable; and for the first time since I left -the Bosphorus, I found myself compelled to share -the after-cabin with two ladies; while the gentlemen’s -party was increased by half a dozen -young Austrian officers on their way to a new -quarter; all very noisy, and very good-natured; -great smokers, great talkers, and great card-players; -and as many civilians; among whom -was a lame, benevolent-looking, elderly Hungarian, -who spent the whole of his time in reading -Horace, and writing poetry.</p> - -<p>Late in the afternoon we reached Illok; a fine -town, crowned by the ruins of a very extensive -castle, whose castellated remains stretch for a -considerable distance along the brow of the -hill. This noble property belongs to Il Principe -Odeschak, the Pope’s nephew; and is distant -only three miles from the Ancient Surnium.</p> - -<p>At night-fall we passed another ruined pile, -apparently a peel-tower; perched on an abrupt -rock; which had a beautiful effect as the moonlight -touched its mouldering walls. Near it -stood a small castle, also in ruin, but we could -not distinguish more than its outline, owing to -the lateness of the hour, and the rapid gathering -of the darkness. We anchored for the night at -the small town of Vacova, having been seventeen -hours under steam.</p> - -<p>The following morning we passed three more -feudal and picturesque remains; and about noon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_496" id="Page_496">496</a></span> -arrived off the mouth of the Drave, a considerable -river dividing Sclavonia from Hungary -Proper: and pouring forth its tributary waters -in a noble stream to the all-absorbing Danube. -But the cold was so extreme, and had come -upon us so suddenly, that we were unable to -keep the deck for any length of time—a circumstance -which we regretted the less, however, as -both the banks of the river had become flat, -swampy, and uninteresting—the beautiful mountains -of the Banût having given place in Hungary -to the far-stretching and monotonous plain -to which I have already alluded; and the Sclavonian -shore being a mere line of sand and -marsh-willows; with here and there a village -scattered along its edge. In the evening at sunset -we reached Mohasch, where the coals were -wheeled on board by women, while groups of -men lounged on the wooden pier watching their -labours.</p> - -<p>The steam was on at daybreak the following -morning, and during the whole day we remained -prisoners in the cabin, the cold being so intense -as to drive even the sturdiest of the party below. -The country continued to present one unvaried -flat; and books, pens, and pencils, were in requisition -until sunset; when we anchored a little -below Földvar on the Hungarian side of the -river, and remained there quietly until the -morrow.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_497" id="Page_497">497</a></span>The evening of that morrow was to see us at -Pesth; and the transition was so great from the -overpowering heats to which we had for so many -months been accustomed in the East, to the -heavy and clinging damps of the Danube, that -we resolved on abandoning the river at that -point, and pursuing our journey by post to -Vienna—a determination in which we were -strengthened by the discovery that there was a -detention of six days at Pesth, ere the vessel continued -her voyage.</p> - -<p>The approach to the city was between an -avenue of floating mills, of nearly half a mile in -length, producing an extraordinary effect to an -unaccustomed eye; and, as the day was falling -before we reached it, the myriad lights of the -streets were reflected like lines of stars in the -river-ripple. The situation of Pesth is beautiful; -and the town itself well-built, cleanly, and -cheerful. The Opera House is a handsome pile, -and the <em lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artistes</em> are far from contemptible; the -Hotels are spacious and comfortable; the Palace -of the Palatinate is finely seated on an eminence, -and in extremely good taste; and there is a -<em>business look</em> about the inhabitants as they hurry -to and fro, which gives an air of animation to -the scene essentially European.</p> - -<p>A bridge of boats, four hundred yards in -length, links the more modern city of Pesth to -the ancient Hungarian capital of Buda on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_498" id="Page_498">498</a></span> -opposite shore, and now called Offen. The hill -of Blocksburg on this bank of the Danube is -crowned by an observatory; and the gently undulating -heights which hem in the town, on the -south and east sides, are covered with vineyards, -and celebrated for the superior quality of -their produce.</p> - -<p>We left Pesth in the afternoon, two hours -later than we had intended, owing to the difficulties -started with regard to our luggage, but -these were ultimately overcome by the potent -argument with which English travellers generally -contrive to carry a point. When we -issued from the gate of the <em>Jägerhorn</em> in our -heavy and lumbering carriage, we were infinitely -amused by the appearance of the postillion; a -youth of about eighteen, who wore a sort of -hussar jacket, with a small bugle hung about -his neck; jack boots, and a formidable cocked-hat -and feather. We travelled, however, at a -tolerable pace; and, as we bade adieu to the -Hungarian Capital, and saw the laughing vineyards -spreading away into the distance, we congratulated -ourselves on our emancipation from -the damps and delays of the river-voyage; even -purchased as it was by the fatigue of six-and-thirty -hours of German posting.</p> - -<p>A few words may now close the Volume. -I had believed that I should rejoice when my -task was ended; but it is not so. I cannot part<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_499" id="Page_499">499</a></span> -from the reader who has lingered with me in -strange lands without a feeling of regret; and, -as I look back upon the pages that I have -written, and the scenes that I have sketched; a -heaviness of heart comes over me, as though -I were looking upon the face of a dead friend. -As I traced the one and the other, the images of -the past rose up before me; and, even although -the vividity of each was lost, enough yet remained -to me; for there was still a tie, though -every hour weakened it. May I be permitted to -pursue the melancholy fancy that I have conjured -up? I have been as one who watched a -death-couch; clinging to the fast-failing remnant -of that which once was bright, and was soon to -pass away.</p> - -<p>My vigils now are ended. The pleasant spell -is broken; I turn my face towards Mecca, and -remember my pilgrimage; but the distant landscape -is veiled in mist.</p> - -<p>The Propontis is but a memory; the glorious -Bosphorus is seen only in a dream; the “Sea -of Storms” no longer bears the roar of its -breakers to my ear; and the Danube rolls along -in sullen majesty, bathing rock and mountain, -islet, and city, in its proud waters; but I ride -not upon its tide.</p> - -<p>It is midnight. The tall houses of a dense city -rise before me; the hum of many voices comes -upon the wind; a bright firelock flashes in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_500" id="Page_500">500</a></span> -guard-fire; a stern voice challenges the strangers -as they pass; the jaded horses, conscious -of approaching rest, put forth their failing -power; and ere many moments pass, the heavy -carriage rattles under the arched gateway of -the Stadt-London in Vienna.</p> -<hr /> -<h2>FOOTNOTES</h2> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">1</span></a> Professional Story-tellers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">2</span></a> Street-porter.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3" id="Footnote_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3"><span class="label">3</span></a> It is an extraordinary coincidence that at the moment in which -this work is passing through the press, intelligence has arrived -in Europe of the disgrace of this hitherto-favoured individual: the -prostration of a life-long ambition.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4" id="Footnote_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4"><span class="label">4</span></a> It is not without pain that I have, on passing my work through the -press, to record the death of this amiable and gifted man. He perished -by Plague a few weeks subsequently to our departure for England.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5" id="Footnote_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5"><span class="label">5</span></a> Some of the more distinguished harems have their arabas drawn by -oxen of so pale a colour as to be almost white: and their sleek skins are -painted all over in patches of orange colour, which give them a most -extraordinary appearance.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6" id="Footnote_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6"><span class="label">6</span></a> The Eastern salutation.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7" id="Footnote_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7"><span class="label">7</span></a> Fate.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8" id="Footnote_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8"><span class="label">8</span></a> Jasmin.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9" id="Footnote_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9"><span class="label">9</span></a> The September of 1836.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10" id="Footnote_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10"><span class="label">10</span></a> I have again to record a plague-victim in this distinguished man; -the intelligence of whose death has reached me since my return to -England.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11" id="Footnote_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11"><span class="label">11</span></a> Since our return to England, we have learnt that, for political -reasons, the Austrian Government have withdrawn, or at least suspended, -their assistance to this undertaking; as well as discountenanced -the formation of the canals destined to perfect the navigation of the -Danube.</p></div> - -<hr /> - -<p class="center f08">THE END.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="center f06">LONDON:<br /> -F. SHOBERL, JUN., LEICESTER STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE.</p> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td> - Transcriber's Note:<br /> - <br /> - The book cover image was created by the transcriber - and is placed in the public domain. - </td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CITY OF THE SULTAN; AND DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE TURKS, IN 1836, VOL. 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