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CONSTANTINOPLE OF TO-DAY.

FOU.ST*IK OF SULTVN SEnsf,

By Theophile Gautirh.

LONDON : DAVID BOGUE, 80, FLEET STKEET.

CONSTANTINOPLE

OF

TO-DAY.

By Theophile Gautier.

TRANSLATED PROM THE FRENCH,
Bt EOBEBT HOWE GOULD, Esq., M.A.

n,LU8TRATET) WITH ENOBATINOS FROM PHOTOOBAPHIC PICTnRP.S,

LONDON :
DAVID BOGUE, 86, FLEET STREET.

i.ONr.ON ;
DENRY TIZETELLT, PRINTElt AND ENGRAVER,
GOUGH SaUAEE, FLEET STREET.

PREEAOE.

It is with travellers as with artists : — Many artists may
paint the same landscape, and paint it with fidelity ; yet
no two shall present it in the same light, or from the same
point of view. Each will portray it in his own way ; but
still, if among the whole number, there lurk the eye and
the hand of the master, they will display themselves. He
will show the landscape in its happiest light, and imder its
most effective aspect.
Thus, in those descriptions of scenes and adventures,
which make up a " book of travels," no two writers will
treat the same subject aUke ; and, on the other hand, how
ever famiUar the subject, the man of genius will tlirow a
fresh light upon it, bring out points before undetected,
and give, in fact, the master-touch to that which, in other
hands, had been tame and lifeless.
Among Erench writers of travels, Th6ophile Gautier
holds the highest rank; and much as has been written
about Turkey, his work wiU still be found replete with
interest, with originality of thought, force of description,
and elegance of language.
a2

4 PREFACE.
One peculiarity, however, which will early impress
the reader, is, the pre-eminently pictorial nature of his
style. He writes, as it were, with the pencil of a painter;
and dips his pen in the colours of the palette, rather than
in the sombre and monotonous depths of the ink-stand.
Perhaps no writer ever wrote, to whose eye everything,
animate and inanimate, so promptly resolved itself into
colour and form, and was, in that view,, so rapidly and
skilfully transferred to the paper. But powerful as this
faculty is with Gautier, it is, perhaps, indulged almost
to excess ; for he not only paints man and beast, rock and
river, mountain and sea, sky and cloud, but almost re
duces human intellect and emotion to the same mode of
illustration, and gives colour and outline to thought and
feeling. I venture to offer these observations, because they are
preliminary to a few words, declaratory of the great diffi
culty, attendant upon the task of properly translating a
writer whose peculiarities of style are so marked as those
of Gautier. That style is purely and pre-eminently
Gallic; and those peculiarities adapt themselves to the
idioms and phraseology of the French language, with a
nicety, which renders them only the more difficult to ren
der effectively into English.
I have not, therefore, attempted a verbal translation,
uor adhered slavishly to the exact phraseology of the ori
ginal. Should any one do me the honour to read this
book, who also knows it in the French, he will find that I
have, at least, attempted to do hetter than give the bare

PREFACE. &
words of the author ; — that I have sought to transfuse his
spirit and meaning into the English version ; aud instead
of adhering to mere phrases, which the difference in the
genius of the two languages would rob of half their force,
have sought to say in English what the author wo^uld have
said, had he written in that language, instead of in the
tongue which he, better even than most Frenchmen, knows
how to render at once forcible and elegant.
The result of my efforts I leave to the indulgence of
the public, with the consciousness of having done my best
to deserve their approval, and the satisfaction of know
ing, at least, that the work itself has merits, which even
an inferior translation cannot altogether conceal.
THE TEANSLATOR.

The Engravings that illustrate this Volume, havo heen copied from
Photographic Pictures hy Robertson, kindly lent for this purpose by
the Proprietors of the Photographic Institution, 168, New Bond
Street.

CONTENTS.

FACE

I. At Sea - - 9
II. Malta . 2,5
III. Syra - . - 39
IV. Smtrna . - 64
V. The Troad. — The Dardanelles - - - 08
VI. The Golden-Horn 82
VII. A Night of the Ramadan - - 93
VIII. The Capes - - . 105
IX. The Shops 113
X. The Bazaars - - 122
XI. The Dancing Dervishes 134
XII. The Ho-wling Dervishes 145
XIII. The Cemf.tery of Scutari 168
XIV. Karagheuz - 170

8 CONTENTS. F^aB
XV. The Sultan at the MosauE. — ^A Turkish Dinner 181
XVI. The "Women . . - . 195
XVII. The Termlntation op the Fast - - 208
XVIII. The "Walls of Constantinople 222
XIX. Jewish Quarter. — Greek Quarter. — Turkish
Bath - - . - 234
XX. The Bairam 246
XXI. The Charlemagne. — Fires - - 259
XXII. Saint-Sophl4..— The MosauBS - - 273
XXIII. The Seraglio . . - . 287
XXIV. Palace of the Bosphorus. — MosauE op Mah
moud. — The Dervish - 298
XXV. The Atmeidan - - - 308
XXVI. The Elbioei-Atika - 319
XXVII, Kadi-Keui - 327
XXVIII. Mount Bougourlou. — The Isles of Princes 337
XXIX The Bosphorus - - 348
XXX. Buyuk-Debe. — Sweet-waters op Europe 357

CONSTANTINOPLE.

" Who has drunken, will drink ;" — so the proverb assures
us — and it is easy to modify tbe formula, and say, with
certainly no less truth," Who has travelled, will travel."
The thirst of sight-seeing, like natural thirst, is often
augmented rather than quenched by indulgence.
Thus, behold me at Constantinople, and already I
dream of Egypt, of Cairo, of Spain, Italy, Africa, England,
Belgium, Holland, a part of Germany, Switzerland, and
the Greek Isles, and certain ports on thc Asiatic coast ;
my visits to which, at various epochs, and with divers
renewals, have simply augmented this thirst for world
wide vagabondage.
Travel is a dangerous element to introduce into our
course of life, for it disturbs it profoundly, and creates an
habitual impatience of inaction ; and, in the case of a
projected journey accidentally .delayed, a restlessness,
comparable only to that exhibited by bii'ds of passage,
made prisoners at the moment of migration.
He who proposes to travel, well knows that he is about
to expose himself to fatigue, to privations, to annoyances ;
B

10 CONSTANTINOPLE.
nay, even to dangers ; that he must forego his cherished
habits, and the accustomed interchange of thought and
affection ; he must abandon his family, his friends, his
relatives, and all the sweet intimacies of home, for the
distant and the unknown ; and yet, one feels it impossible
to pause, or to resist this restless instinct ; and even those
who love you, seek not to prevent your journey, but
silently clasp your hand from the step of the carriage.
And truly, is .it not right to traverse somewhat the
surface of this planet, upon which we, in turn, aro travei's-
ing immensity, until the mysterious Author shall transport
us to some new world, there to peruse another page of
the Eterual Volume ? Is it not a culpable indolencfe, to
be al\va)'s spelling the same word without ever tur ling
the leaf ? What poet would be content with a rea der,
who should peruse but one of his stanzas ? Thus, e" 'ery
year, instead of nailing myself, by an assumed necessity,
to one spot, I read a page, a country of this vast Universe,
which seems less vast and immeasurable as I go over lit;
and, as it disengages itself from the vague cosmogm,-
pliics of the iraagination, takes more definite force arid
localisation. Without going actually to the Holy Sepui,
chre, to St. James of Compostella, or to Mecca, I make,
nevertheless, a pious pilgrimage to those spots of Earth,
where the beauty of the scene renders God most visible.
This time, I sh,ill behold Turkey and Greece, and
snatch a glimpse of that helleiiic Asia, wherc beauty of
outline and form is gilded by the surpassing splendours of
the Sun of the Orient. But let us close this short preface —
the shortest are ever the best — aud put ourselves en route
without more delay.
If I were a Chinese or an Indian, arriving from Nankin
or Calcutta, I should describe to j'ou Avitli care and pro-

-AT SEA. 11
lixity the road from Paris to Marseilles ; the railwaj'
of Chalons, the Saone, the Rhone, and Avignon. But
J'OU know them as well as I do ; and besides, really to
travel in a country, it is necessary to bc a stranger — the
comparison of differences produces remarks. Which of
us Frenchmen would observe, that, in France, a gentleman
gives his arm to a lady ? And yet, this is a peculiarity
which would strangely " astonish the natives" in the
Celestial Empire. Scarcely less, indeed, than would the
Chinese mode of salutation — where two gentlemen, at
meeting, " rub noses" together — amaze the passengers in
one of our crowded streets !
Suppose, then, without goiug through the process of
transition, that I am on the quay, and that thc Leonidas
has her steam up for Constantinople. The South declares
itself aheady, by a bright sunshine, which warms the flag
stones, or sets a-chirping the hundreds of exotic birds, in
the cages which hang in front of the stalls or shops ofthe
numerous bird-fanciers. These little people flap their
wings, and gaily give forth their choicest melodies, de
luded by the wannth iuto a belief that they arc at home
again. Multitudes of little raonkeys are also capering
about their cages, or pausing to scratch their hairy sides,
with a certain grotesque gravity ; regarding you, mean
while, with their almost human eyes, or offering you,
amicably, their little cold hands, through the bars of their
habitations ; careless as yet of that consumption, which will
by-and-by make them cough and wheeze in beds of wad
ding, among the wintry saloris of Paris. Only the frigid
turtles seem insensible to the vivifying rays of this sum
mer-like sun.
In less than forty-eight hours, I have passed from
pouring rain, and leaden skies, to a blazing noontide, and
a sky of stainless azure. I have left winter beliind me,
B 2

12 COKSTANTINOPLE.
and found summer, ardent and glowing. I am about to
take an ice ; an idea which would have congealed me the
day before yesterday, on the Boulevard de Gand.
I enter the " Cafe lure." I owe it to myself, to give
preference to the Turkish cafe, because I am bound for
Constantinople. By my faith, it is a superb cafe ! But at
present, I will not talk to you about it as such ; despite its
profuse magnificence of mirrors, of gilding, of colonnades,
multiplied by reflection, and arcades rendered intermin
able by the same optical delusion ; or of that one exqui
site saloon, which, decorated ^with pictures exclusively
Marseillaise, forms a sort of local museum, at once curious
and interesting.
, Some of my readers may have encountered the droll
remarks made by M. Mery upon Marseilles, and the me
lancholy look of the fountains, which endeavoured, by
the mere power of architecture, to hide the awkward
fact, that tJicy were not supplied with water. At present,
however, the water-works being completed, every villa
about Marseilles prides itself upon a basin and a fountain ;
and there are those, who push the matter to the fatuity of a
water-flill ! Marseilles will soon be encircled with a crowd
of Versailles, Saint Clouds, and Marlys, in miniature ;
and before long, I greatly fear that these superb plains,
calcined by sunlight, these noble rocks of rich brown,
will be covered with vegetation by dint of irrigation ; and
that masses of "green spinach," — that delight uf pro
prietors, and terror of landscape painters — will sujipiy
the place of this glowing and sparkling aridity.
But, como on ! The anchor is up ; the jimldles strike
the water. Behold us gping out of the harbour. We pass
the shores, escarped, barren, and naked, liku those of the
other coast of the Mediterranean. I know not if it has
been remarked, but Marseilles and its environs are mucli

AT SEA. 13
more "southern" in their character, than their latitude
would seem to warrant. You have thcrc African asjiects,
rough aud warm as those of Algiers itself; and the physiog
nomy of the South disjilays itself in an emphatic manner.
Many countries, situated five or si.\ hundred miles farther
south, have an air much more northern. This line of craggy
nnd broken rocks, ofwhich the base plunges into a sea ofthe
deepest blue, opens occasionally, and gives a glimpse of
the distant town surrounded by its villas, which dot the
landscape with a thousand spots of purest white, and
render the whole aspect tropical.
As we proceed, we meet here and there a few ships
with swelling sails, making towards the harbour, which
they hope to reach before nightfall ; these lose them
selves in the receding distance, and solitude begins to bc
felt. Thc shores disappear, the large waves begin to
heave beneath the ship ; and all around, there is to be seen
only the sea and the sky. Some light crests of fleecy
foam, known in French as moutons (sheep), float at in
tervals upon the blue pasturage of the waters. An
ancient poet would have seen in these marine " sheep,"
the herds of Proteus. The sun, unaccompanied by a
single cloud, plimges in thc west like a ball of fire, and
appears to smoke as it sinks in the water. The night
comes — a mooniess night — a salt dew falls upon the deck,
and penetrates one's clothing with its^ acrid humidity.
Cigars fall slowly in aslies, sraoked by lips where nausea
threatens to declare itself at the flrst plunge which the
vessel may give a little too severely or inconsiderately.
The passengers go below, one by one, and accommodate
themselves as they best can, in the chests of drawers which
sei-v-e them for beds. Although rocked by the waves,
more regularly than ever was infant by its nurse, you do
not necessarily sleep the better for it ; and you dream the

1-1 CONSTANTINOPLE.
most extravagant dreams, broken into fragments by the
perpetually-recurring sound of the bell, which strikes the
hours and marks the quarters for the crew.
With the first glimpse of dawn I am astir. Nothing
still to be seen but the circle of two or three leagues, of
which the vessel is the centre, that moves as she moves ;
and which, by a stale conventionality, we are accustomed
to style the " immense expanse of ocean," and the type of
the Infinite ; although I do not well know why, for the
horizon which we grasp from the height of the smallest
tower, or the most insignificant mountain, is by far the
more vast.
The day breaks fully, and on the left the captain indi
cates land, which he says is Corsica. I can see, although
with a glass, only a light mist, with difficulty distinguish
able from the pale tints ofthe morning sky. But the captain
was right. The vessel proceeds ; the gray vapour con
denses itself ; it closes up ; the undulations of mountains
become perceptible ; certain points grow clearer ; touches
of yellow mark the naked escarpements ; masses of black
indicate the forests and the spots darkened by vegetation.
To the north, near that point, should be the Isola-Rossa ;
farther on that mass of chalky whiteness is Ajaccio. But
the ship is sailing at too great a distance from the island
(which vexes me much), to permit me to discern anything
in detail. We coast thus, for the whole day, at distance,
this Corsica, energetic and savage ; with manners poetically
ferocious ; with eternal feuds ; but which " progress" will
soon render similar in character to the environs of Paris,
or any other locality most commonplace and fi^miliar.
This would be the place in which to introduce a bril
liant episode about Napoleon ; but I prefer to avoid this
beaten track, and simply allow myself to remark, in pass
ing, the singular influence which islands seem to have ex-

AT SEA, 10
ercised over the career and destiny of this hero, already
almost fabulous ; and the legends and traditions respect
ing whom, we see formed under our own eyes, instead of
deriving them from our ancestors, — as in the case of heroes
of whom they in turn were contemporaries. / A.n island !
gave birth to Napoleon ; — arrested in his career, he seeks
shelter in an island, and from that island returns again to
shake the world with the thunder of his tread ; — fallen, he
is sent from an island, to die on an island, killed by an island
power. He issues from the sea, to begin his course ; and
that course fulfilled, sinks again in the ocean. What '
myth may not the future found upon these curious coin
cidences, when ephemeral history shall have disappeared,
and given place to immortal poetry !
But just now, we see the " seven monks ; " being seven
peaks of rock, having the appearance of capuchins hooded
and ranged in file; and now we approach the nnnow
strait which separates Corsica from Sardinia, on the side
of Bonifaccio. ,
" Grfece qu'on connait trop ; Sardaigne qu'on ignore."
A very narrow channel divides these two islands ;
which plainly have formed but one, before the action of
floods and volcanic convulsions tore them asunder. It is
easy to see distinctly the shore of each countiy, as j-ou
pass ; you see on both sides hills boldlj' escarped and
almost mountainous in elevation, but without graudeur ;
some occasional houses with yellow walls and tiled roofs
sprinkling the shore, which without this would resemble
that of a deserted island — for there is no trace of culture —
and two or three vessels with lateen sails, sailing like sea-
mews from oue coast to the other.
On the Sardinian coast, some one points out the prin
cipal curiositj- of the locality ; namely, a singular aggre-

16 CONSTANTINOPLE.
gation of rocks, on the summit of a hill, forming with re
markably exactitude, by their angles and their sinuosities,
the shape of a gigantic polar-bear. It is easy to see,
without any forcing of the imagination, the back, the legs,
and the elongated head of the animal. The bearing, the
attitude, the colour, are all there. As the beholder ap
proaches, the outlines fade ; the shape becomes confused
or altered, the " bear" is re-transformed into rock; and
the passage is left free from its terrible guardian.
The voyager follows at length the coast of Sardinia
whieh faces Italy, as during the day he had traversed the
coast of Corsica which faces France. Unfortunately night
comes, and we are deprived of this view. Sardinia passes
near us like a dream in shadow. I know nothing in the
world more provoking, than to pass, in the night, a place
which you have long wished to see. These misadventures
occur frequently, now that the traveller is but the accessory
of the voyage, and a man is intrusted, like a b.ale of mer
chandise, to the vehicle of ti-ansport.
On waking after another night, the broad sea appears
of a blue so deep, that the sky itself seeins pale by
comparison. Some porpoises frolicking in the wake of the
ship, swim with a rapidity which out-speeds the steamer
and seems to defy her. They chase each other, tumble
one ovcr the other, and dash about beneath our bows.
Then they drop lazily astern, and disappear after a few
farewell tumbles and plunges. On the left of the vessel,
at some distance, there appears an enormous fish, of a
leaden colour, armed with a black dorsal fin, pointed like
a spear. But he dives and appears no more ; and these,
with the appearance in the distance of three or four sails,
pursuing their courses in different directions, form the
sole events of the day. The weather is fresh ; they
hoist the mizen and the jib, which accelerate our speed by

AT SEA. 17
some knots. In the evening we see Cn]ie Maritimo, form
ing one of the points of that island wliich the ancients
called Trinacria, an account of its form ; and which is now
rnther more familiarly known, perhaps, ns Sicily. Again,
in the dark we pass the length of this ancient aud pic
turesque coast ; but to-morrow we shall be at Malta in
the daylight.
At about two o'clock in the morning, I discern, under
a band of striped clouds, a stratum somewhat more opaque
than the rest : it is the island of Goza. Presently the
stl/ioueffe cuts itself out more sharply. There are immense
peaks of rock, at the foot of which the sea boils
tumultuouslj', and which lift themselves from the bosom
of the waters, like the summits of mountains immersed
at their base ; and it is said, that these vast white
rocks can be distinguished for hundreds -of feet beneath
the blue transjiarence of the waters in which thej' bury
themselves ; a circumstance which produces nn effect suffi
ciently startling to those who may happen, in frail vessels, to
graze the face of these rocks, and havc tho jiowcr in some
degree to estimate the depth of the abyss into which thej-
are in danger of being plunged. From the front of these
gigantic cliffs, rising like the walls of some mighty sea
side fortress, there hang fishermen, suspended by a rope,
fastened around the waist (in the same way as the
Italians suspend themselves to whitewash the fi-onts of
houses), throwing their lines with perfect composure, and
catching fish. The breaking of 'a rope, or an ill-con-
stmcted knot, would precipitate them to the depths of the
fathomless gulf below !
We proceed. Undulations rather less precipitous,
permit somewhat of cultivation,. Low walls of stone,
which from a distance resemble the lines traced upon a
map, inclose and separate the fields. JThe clouds have

IS CONSTANTINOPLE.
disappeared. A beautiful colour, warm and glowing,
wraps the earth in a mantle of gold. A heap of white
Spanish loaves, above which tower certain rounded domes,
blazing under a blinding sun, rising to the height of a
hill, or almost of a mountain ; — that is Goza, the capital of
the island. The curiosities of the locality are, some
caverns, excavated on the verge of the sea, at the entrances
of which whirl clouds of aquatic birds, who make their
nests within ; a clifi' where springs a species of mushroom,
much prized, and of which the knights of ilalta have a
monojioly ; and the salt-pit of the clockmaker, — a strange
hydraulic phenomenon, of whioh I append a brief ex
planation. A Maltese clockmaker, having conceived the
idea of making some salt-pits on the coast of Zebug, where
he possessed some lands near the sea, caused the rocks to
be excavated, in order to retain and evaporate the salt
water ; but the sea having mined undemeath, without his
concurrence, began, at a certain stage ofhis works, to dis
charge itself upward through one of his wells, like a water
spout, or like one of the watery volcanos of Iceland, to
the height ofmore than sixty feet, deluging all the neigh
bouring countiy. With great labour and difficultj', the
mouth of this marine volcano was stopped ; but still from
time to time it makes a partial eruption. I did not see
"the clockmaker's salt-pit; " but this histoiy of it was
related to mc as authentic.
Goza and Malta are situated, relatively, exactly like
Corsica and Sardinia ; a narrow strait divides them, and in
former times they, also, must have formed but a single
island. The aspect of the two coasts (Goza and Malta) is
identical. There is an obvious continuation, from one to
the other, of the same rooks, the same soil, and the same
geological formation.
The climate «u which we are travelling has changed

AT SEA. 19
greatly since yesterday. The sky has taken a tint of
ultra-marine. The burning wind of Africa begins to make
itself felt. IMalta produces oranges ; the fig and the aloe
flourish there.
And now wc begin to discern the fortifications of the
city of La Valette ; made conspicuous by two windmills,
in the form of towers, and with their wheels supplied with
eight wings, instead of our accustomed four ; a form, how
ever, common throughout the East ; but so striking that
Hoguet, the Raphael of windmills, ought to make the
journey expressly to paint them. So many wings, multi
plied like the spokes of a wheel without fellies, have
a peculiarly original physiognomy.  The blue water
becomes green as we approach the land, and double Cape
Dragut. The steamer makes a half-circuit, and enters the
narrow mouth of the harbour, passing the castle of Saint
Elmo and Fort Ricazoli.
The fortifications, with their precise angles and bold
ridges, illumined by a brilliant light, are thrown up, al
most geometrically, between the deep blue of the heavens
and the dull green of the sea. The slightest details of the
shore stand sharply out. To the left, arises an obelisk, to
the memory of CokiMl Cavendish, and beyond you see the
extreme angle of the victorious city and the suburb of La
Sangle ; to the right, La Valette, presents itself, in form of
an amphitheatre. Thc h.arbour, which bcnrs the local
name of the Marse, runs inland at two points, divided by a
strip of land, like the head of the Red Sea. Ships of all
nations — linglish, Sardinian, Neapolitan, Greek — are lying
at anchor at various distances from the shore, waiting for
a' sufficient depth of water. Upon tho quaj', on the side
of La Valette, the English soldiers are to be seen, in their
scarlet coats, and immaculate white trousers ; and some
wagons with enormous red wheels, recalling the ancient

20 CONSTANTlNOri E.
cnrriculi of Naples. All this stands relieved against the
white walls, with startling clearness. Although the
situations are by no means the same, there is in this
redundance of fortifications, in the British type blended
with the Southern, something which recalls Gibraltar ;
and this resemblance seems to strike all who have visited
these two British possessions ; these keys which open and
shut thc Mediterranean.
We are seen from the shore. A whole fleet of small
boats rowed at full speed, bears down upon tho steamer.
We are surrounded, hemmed in, invaded ! A pacific on
slaught takes place, and we are boarded at all points. In
a moment the deck is covered with a crowd, pushing,
shouting, and elbowing; and uttering a jargon of all
conceivable languages and dialects; till one might fancy
himself at Babel, on the day of the dispersion of the
workmen by the confusion of tongues. Before knovring
to what nation you belong, these facetious polyglots
" try " upon you English, Italian, French, Greek, — nay,
even Tm-kish, — until they ascertain the tongue in which
they can be understood. The couriers, the waiters from the
hotels, pursue you, hunt you down, — naj', fairly assassinate
you with offers of service. They stuff the cards of their
respective hotels into your hands, your overcoat, your
waistcoat, your trousers pockets — actually into your hat
band ; the boatmen pull you about, right and lelt, by the
arm, by the collar of the coat, or the skirt of the paletot,
at the risk of tearing you to pieces ; a trifling circumstance,
which they don't seem to care about ! Thej' quarrel about
J-ou, and fight ovcr j'ou, vociferating, gesticulating, stam])-
ing, behaving like men possessed, — but, in short, " as
much killed as wounded," and there seem to bc very few
quite dead; so that, in fact, this scene of tumult, like
Shakspere's play, may be entitled, "• Much ado about

AT SEA. 21
Nothing." At length the "row" abates; the travellers
are distributed into "lots," over each of which a boatman
exercises an ab.<Jolute right of propertj-, and prepares to
transfer it to his boat. To the boatmen and the commission
aires or waiters of the hotels, one must not forget that
there are added a throng of vendors of cigars, who offer
you packets enormously large, at prices diminutively small.
(It is true, thcy are execrable.)
I remarked, among this motley crowd, some " types "
eminently characteristic. Bronze faces, with long ringlets
of glossy black hair, small mouths, and sparkling eyes
(a type, in fact, almost African, upon the basis of a re
gularity of feature almost Grecian), presented themselves
frequently, and appeared to be proper to the Maltese race.
These heads, planted upon muscular throats and massive
busts, which have apparently not yet been reproduced by
the painter, would furnish novel and striking models.
As to costume, nothing could be more simple : — linen
trousers, tightened at the waist by a woollen cord, a
full shiit, a red cap cocked over one ear, and neither shoes
nor stockings.
While the passengers, in their haste to land, encumber
the ladder, I take a look at the boats flocking around the
ship's quarters, like small fish around a whale ; and observe
tlieir peculiarities of construction and ornament. Destined
to harbour duty only, where the water is ordinarily still,
these boats have no helm ; the bow and the stern are
indicated by a raised bulwark, somewhat resembling the
"beak" ofa Venetian gondola, without that indented
iron which looks like the handle ofa violin. At the bow,
are painted two staring eyes, as in the skiffs of Cadiz and
Oporto ; and beside these eyes, a hand, with the index finger
extended, seems to point the way. Are these a sj'mbol of
vigilance, or a preservative against the kttatura and the

2'2 CONSTANTINOPLE.
evil- eye? This is what I cannot precisely tell j'ou; but
these eyes, so placed, give to the boats a vague sort of
resemblance to fish swimming above water, which is odd
enough. On the bow are also painted the arms of England,
with the lion and unicorn displayed in flaring colours ;
or perhaps a ferocious hussar making au impossible horse
])rance in an equallj' impossible manner, — a creation due
to the fancy of some artistic house painter. Boats more
modest, content themselves with the repuesentatiou of a
simple pot of flowers, singularly full-blown.
The crowd lessens ; I get into a boat ; I land, and pass
under a dark gateway. A flight of steps, forming the
entrance to a street, present themselves ; I mount at a
venture, according to a habit which I have, of walking
about strange towns without a guide, following a certain
topographical instinct, which rarely misleads me; and after
a few zigzags I corae out upon the Governraent Square,
just at the hour when they are about to beat the " retreat "
for the soldiers. This retreat merits a special description.
I have no wish to cast ridicule upon the British army
(even were it easy to do so), but this music is singularly
comic in its manner of performance. The little drums,
the big drum, aud the fife, range themselves silently at one
side of the square : at a sign from the drum-major, the
drummers lift their sticks, and the fifer his fife, but wilh a
movement so mechanical, and so strictly simultaneous,
that it woidd seem to be produced by springs, rather than
muscles. Eight white-trouser-legs rise and fall together
wilh geometrical precision, and in a moraent a savage
tempest of discoidancy breaks loose.
The big drum groans, like a bear in a passion ; the
little drums rattle fit to split themselves ; and the fife,
screwed up to an impossible pitch, screams out the most
extravagant shrillnesses ; but the performers, despite all

AT SEA. 23
this fury of sounds which they are uttering, maintain none
the less their wooden and immoveable aspect, inert, frozen ;
upon which the south wind has not been able to melt the
frost of the north. Arrived at the other end of the
square, the musicians briskly retrace their steps, continuing
to make the same uproar.  You have, doubtless, seen
those German toys, worked by a crank, which pulls a wire,
and causes a soldier to come out of a sentry-box, to the
sound of a small squeaking pretence of music. The sol
dier advances in a groove, to the extreme end of the box,
right-about-fiices, and returns td his starting point. En
large and multiply this German toy, and you will have a
most perfect idea of the performance which I witnessed.
I could never have believed, that a man could be made so
closely to resemble a figure of painted wood. It is a grand
triumph of discipline !
Re-descending towards the sea, I observe the reflection
of the light of a wa.x taper at the door of a church. I
enter. Draperies of crimson damask, louped up with
golden cords, envelop thc pillars. Upon an altar, plated
with silver, shine stars of gold filagree and false diamonds.
A few lamps spread a mysterious twilight in the side
chapels. Before a Madonna, enclosed by a grating, are
suspended several ex votes in wax or in silver ; some stem
' pictures in the Spanish stj'le are vaguely discernible iu
the dim light of the tapers. I seem to be in a church in
Spain, in an unmixed atmosphere of sincere and fervent
Catholicism. vSome boys, seated in rows upon wooden benches,
chaunted in guttural tones a canticle, which was " toned"
by an aged priest. I retired, more edified by the in
tention than by the music.
Night has fallen absolutely. Torches are burning at
the comers of the streets, before the images of virgins

24 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and saints. The shops of vendors of comestibles and re
freshments are lighted by candles, which twinkle among
the verdm-e of the vegetables, like glow-worms in the
grass. Hooded females ascend and descend the stairs at
the end of the streets, creeping mysteriously under the
walls, like bats of the twilight of love.
I fancy that I hear the musical clash of the brass
ornaments of a tambourine ; it is a practised hand beating
a la tambour upon the body of a guitar. , Am I at Malta,
an English possession, or at Granada in Spain ? It is long
since I have seen feet tripping to music in the open street ;
and I begin to think, despite my two joumeys in Spain,
that such a thing was never seen, except in the frontis
pieces of novels or poems. But this has rejuvenated my
heart many years, and I remount the deck of the Leonidas,
humming with as little incorrectness as possible the in
spiriting air to which I have just been listening.
To-morrow, I shall come again, to see in broad day
light what I have now dimly observed under shade of
night ; and I shall endeavom- to give you some idea of the
city of La Valette ; that stronghold of the knights of the
Order of St. John, who have played so bold and brilliant
a part in history, but who have passed away, like all
ancient institutions when they have no longer an object ;
and of whom there now remains, only the memory of
former a-lories.

MALTA, 25

II.

I HATE found again, at Malta, that exquisite Spanish
sky, of which Italy herself, with her so-much-vaunted
heavens, offers but a weak and pale reflex. The atmo
sphere of Malta is really clear, and does not form one of
those "twilights," more or less pale, which are dignified
by the name of " daj'light" in the climates of the north.
Again to-daj-, the boat lands us upon the quay, and I
enter the city of La Valette bj' the Lascaris-gate, as it is
named in the inscription visible above its entrance. This
Grecian name, and this English word, soldered together
by a hyphen, have a singular effect. All the history of
Malta is, however, contained in those two words ; or rather
in the manner in which they are blended into one phrase.
Under the arch of this gatewaj', in the passage, as in
the Gate of Judgment at Grenada, there is a chapel dedi
cated to the Virgin ; at the extremity of which, trembles
a tnper behind a grating, before the image of the saint ;
and the threshold of which is literallj- obstructed by mendi
cants, who for the picturesqueness of their rags, might
vie with those of Albacino. The warm countries gild
these beggars' rags, and colour them for the pallette of
the painter.
By this gate goes and comes a crowd, motley and
cosmopolite. Tunisians, Arabs, Greeks, Turks, Smymiotes,
and Levantines of every shade, are there in their national
c

26 CONSTANTINOPLE.
costumes ; without even counting the Maltese, the English,
the French, and the other Europeans.
I remember one gigantic negro, wrapped, in default of
all other clothing, in a blanket, which he folded majes
tically about him, while he escorted a j'oung English
woman, whose dress was so correct and so English, that
it would have borne the severest criticisms of the crowds of
Hyde Park or Piccadilly. He had an air so composed, so
safe in its self-confidence, that it was quite evident he
would not have changed his primitive and scanty gar
ment for the whole bran-new equipment of a dandy of
the Boulevard de Gand !
The Orientals, even the inferior classes, have a sur
prising amount of natural dignity. Some Tm-ks pass
this gate, whose whole clothing would not command
one penny, and who might, nevertheless, be taken for
princes in disguise. This natural aristocracy of look and
bearing, would seem to spring from their religion, which
causes them to regard all other nations as dogs.
As we stand here, the large-wheeled red carts already
mentioned are passing along, intermingled with vehicles
of a singularly droll shape, having the wheels thro\\'n far
behind the body, and which recall in some degree the
carriages of Louis XIV., as shown in the landscapes of Van
der Meulen. I believe vehicles of this kind to be peeuliar
to Malta, for I certainly have never seen them elsewhere.
Their circulation is, however, restricted to certain of
the principal streets, the others being rendered im
passable for carriages, by flights of steps, or precipitous
descents. Inside the Lascaris-gate, there is a market, singularly
full of life and vivacity ; where, under tents and sheds,
you see picturesquely exhibited ropes of onions, sacks of
dried peas, heaps of tomatoes and cucumbers, baskets ofred

MALTA. 27
fruit, and all sorts of vegetables, rich in local colouring,
picturesquely displayed. A beautiful fountain, with a
marble basin, surmounted by a gigantic bronze Neptune
resting upon a trident, produces a singular but charming
effect, amidst all these shops.
Among the cafes, the taverns, and the eating-houses,
one meets here and there a regular English " public-
house," placarded in true cockney style, with its " Porter,,
simple and double ; Old Scottish ale ; East India pale beer ;
Gin, WisJ<y, Brandwine,"^ and other vitriolic mixtures, for
the use of the subjects of Great Britain ; whieh liquors
contrast oddly enough with the lemonades, the cherrj'
syrups, and the iced drinks which the sherbet merchants
sell so rapidly.
The policemen, armed with a short staff, blazoned with
the British arms, march with a measured step through
this southern crowd, and enforce order. Doubtless,
nothing can be more wise and expedient ; but these men —
grave, impassive, conventional in the fullest sense of the
word, inflexible representatives of the law — have a strange
effect, moving among this exotic throng, and between this
bright sky and glowing earth. Their outline seems made
expressly to define itself upon the fogs of High Holbom
and of Temple Bar.
The city of 'Valetta, founded in 1566, bv the grand
master whose name it bears, is the capital of Malta. The
city of La Sangle, and the city of Victoria, which occupj'
two points of land on the other side of the harbour of the
Marse, together with the suburbs of Floriana and Bur-
mola, complete the town ; encircled by bastions, ramparts,
counterscarps, forts, and fortifications, to an extent which
' The author's idea of a literal transcript of the English spelling
of these commodities is so very characteristic, that I could not forhear
to copy it, precisely as he has given it in the original work. — Trans.
C 2

28 CONSTANTINOPLE.
renders siege impossible ! If you follow one of the streets
whioh surround the town, at each step that you take, you
find yourself face to face with a cannon. Gibraltar itself
does not bristle more completely with mouths of fire.
The inconvenience of these extended works, is, that they
enclose a vast radius, and demand to defend them, in case
of attack, an enormous garrison ; always difficult to main
tain at a distauce from the mother country.
From the height of the raraparts, one, sees in the dis
tance the blue and tr'ansparent sea, broken into ripples by
the breeze, and dotted with snowy sails. The scarlet sen
tinels are on guard from point to point, and the heat of the
sun is so fierce upon the glacis, that a cloth stretched
upon a frame and turning upon a pivot at the top of a pole,
forms a shade for the soldiers, who, without this precau
tion, must inevitably be roasted on their posts.
On mounting towards the second gate, j'ou find a
church in the same taste as those of Madrid ; but which
offers nothing curious in the interior. This gate, which
is reached by a drawbridge, is surmounted by a triumphal
blazon of the English arms ; and the moat, transformed
into a garden, is obstructed by a profusion of tropical
vegetatiou, of a green absolutely metallic ; lemons, oranges,
figs, myrtles, and cypresses, planted pell-mell, in bushy
and charraing disorder. Above the circle of fortifica
tions, beyond thc terraces of houses, j'ou catch a glimpse
of the blue sky, between white arcades which enclose the
proraenade of the Piazza Regina, situated at the summit
of the town, and affording a view of surpassing magnifi
cence. The city of Valetta, although built with regularity,
aud, so to speak, all in one " block," is not, therefore, the
less picturesque . The decided slope of the ground neu
tralises what thc accurate lines of the streets inight other-

M.ALTA. 29
wise have of monotonj', nnd the town mounts by degrees
and by terraces thc hillside, which it forms into an
amphitheatre. The houses, built very high like those of
Cadiz, terminate in flat roofs that their inhabitants may
the better enjoj' the sea view. They are all of white
Maltese stone; a sort of sandstone easy to work, and
with which, at small expense, one can indulge various
caprices of sculpture and ornamentation. These rectilinear
houses stand well, and have an air of grandeur, which
they owe to the absence of (visible) roofs, cornices, and
attics. They stand out sharply and squarely against the
azure of the heavens, which their dazzling whiteness
renders only the more intense; but that which chiefly
gives them a character of originality, is the projecting
balcony hung upon each front, like the moucharabys of
the East, or the miradores of Spain. These glazed cages,
enriched with flowers and shrubs, and which resemble
miniature conservatories projecting from the houses, are
supported by consoles and brackets, carved and convoluted ;
decorated by battlements, by entwining foliage carved in
stone, and by innumerable ornamental chimeras, achieved
in fantasies the most various.
* These balconies break gracefully the line of fagades,
Eind, seen from the end of a street, present the happiest
outlines. Thc shadows thrown by their bold projec
tions, cut appropriately the continuous brightness of the
fronts. The tendrils of sweet peas, the red stars of
geranium, aud the brilliant flowers of other profuse plants,
overhanging from the open lattices, enrich with their gay
colours the blue and white, which form the general tone
of the picture. It is in these balconies, that the ladies of
the independent classes of Malta pass their lives, watching
for the faintest whisper of the sea breeze, or listlessly
yielding to the enervating influence of the sirocco. One

30 CONSTANTINOPLE,
catches from the street a glimpse of a snowy arm resting
upon the sill of the lattice, or a glance from the, corner of
a superb black eye, forming an agreeable interruption to
all these architectural contemplations.
The Maltese women do what is rare with their sex,
who generally govern their toilette more by fashion than
bj- taste : they have the good sense to adhere to their
national costume ; at least, they do so in the streets.
The distinctive feature of this costunie» is a garment
entitled a faldetta, consisting of a sort of mantle of a
peculiar cut, and which is made to act also as a hood, by
enlarging or contracting an opening, regulated by a
little stick of whalebone, according as the wearer desires
to let more or less of her features be seen.
The faldetta is uniformly black, like a domino, of which
garment it possesses all the advantages, added to a grace
refused to those shapeless sacks of satin which hover at
carnival time about the crush-room of the opera. The
wearer ofthe faldetta hides one cheek and one eye, on the
side nearest the person by whom she does not wish to be
seen, while the other eye flashes upon a person more
favoured ; or she can throw the faldetta back entirely, or
r^ise it to hide all but the eyes, as circumstances or
caprice may dictate. It is a masquerade transported into
the open street. Under this mantle of black silk, is worn
habitually a flowing dress of rose or lilac, which completes
the costume.
So far as I could judge, when an occasional propitious
breeze blew aside for an instant this mysterious veil, the
Maltese women approach the oriental type, by their largo
Arabian eye, colourless complexion, and nose ordinarily
aquiline. As I have seen no entire face, but only the eye
of this, the nose of that, and the cheek of the other ; and,
thanks to the faldetta, not a single chin anywhere, except

MALTA, 31
at the windows, and fatally foreshortened to my upward
gaze ; I do not offer a definitive opinion on the subject,
but give the result of my casual observation, for what it is
worth. The " Guides for Travellers," and the works upon
geography, pretend that the Maltese women are coquettish
in humour, and somewhat too susceptible in temperament.
I am not a sufficiently transcendental Don Juan, to have
assured myself personally of the verity of this assertion,
during a sojourn of a few hours ; but the houses have two
or three ranges of balconies; the ladies wear invariably
upon the head a garment, which is the equivalent of the
ancient Venetian mask, and the modern Spanish mantilla;
the sirocco blows for three days in every four ; the ther
mometer usually indicates a temperature of about ninety
degrees ; they play on the guitar in the streets in the
evening ; and vespers are very generally attended. More
over, one hardly expects to find puritanically frigid
manners and morals, between Sicily and Africa.
This somewhat too great alleged ease of manners, is
attributed always, in the above-cited philosophical works,
to " the corrupt morals of the knights of Malta ! " —
although the poor knights thus rudely accused, have
slept for these many years beneath their tombs of mosaic,
in the church of St. John; and the fault, if fault there
be, is chargeable solely upon the ardent sun of this glowing
clime. All I can add is, that the ladies seemed to me
singularly attractive thus dressed, and as it were popping
their noses out of window, through the opening of the
faldetta. Wandering at random, I encounter charmingly pic
turesque comers of streets, which would delight the heart
of an artist. The balconies round off the angles, and form
successive ranges of galleries ; while a Madonna or a Saint,

32 CONSTANTINOPLE.
of life size, the head under a canopy of stono, and the
feet upon an enormous pedestal, ornamented with carved
shells and spiral flutings, presents itself abmptly to the
adoration of the pious, and the pencils of the caricatu
rists. Large lanterns, suspended from gibbets of compli
cated construction, light up these religious images, and
afford charming subjects for sketches. I certainly had
not expected to find in English Malta, localities so tho
roughly Catholic.
Beneath most of these statues are written inscriptions,
similar to the following : —
" Monseigneur Fernando Mattei, Bishop of Malta (or his Excel
lency the Most Reverend Don Felix Saverio), bestows forty days of in
dulgence upon aU those who will say a Fater, an Avc, and a Oloria,
hefore the image of the Most Holy Virgin, or of Saint Francis Borgia,
placed here by his commands."
As I have alluded to the subject of sacred sculpture,
I will mention a particular object which I remarked over
the doorway of a church, consisting of a death's-head
furnished with butterflies' wings. This hieroglyphic of
the brevity of life, seemed to me to associate in a novel
manner the emblems of the boudoir with the ornaments of
the tomb. It were difficult to be more gallantly sepulchral,
and the idea must have been cherished by some merry
little abbe of the court. If the sense of this funereal riddle
was clear to me, the same was not true of a small ha.s-
relief which I saw over the doors of several houses, and
which represented the nude figure of a woman, plunged
in flames to the waist, and raising her arms towards
heaven, while a scroll beneath bore the inscription
Valetta. A Maltese, however, whom I consulted, in
formed me that the rents of these houses revert to
the " Brotherhood of the souls in Purgatory," at the
death of the proprietors; for whom the brotherhood

MALTA. 33
are then bound to say prayers and masses. This female
figure symbolises the soul.
The palace of the grand-masters — to-day the palace
of tlie governinent — has nothing remarkable in thc way
of architecture. Its date is recent, and it responds but
imperfectly to the idea one would form of the residence of
Villiers de I'Ue Adam, of Lavalette, and of their warlike
successors. Nevertheless, it has a certain monumental
air, and produces a fine effect upon this great Place,
of which it forms one entire side. Two doorways,
with rusticated columns, break the uniformity of the
long fagade ; while an immense balcony, supported by
gigantic sculptm-cd brackets, encircles the building at the
level of the first floor, and gives to the edifice the stamp
of Malta. This detail, so strictly local in its character,
relieves what might be heavy and flat in this architectm-e ;
and this palace, otherwise vulgar, becomes thus original.
The interior, which I visited, presents a range of vast halls
and galleries, decorated with pictures representing battles
by sea and land, sieges, and combats between Turkish
galleys and the galleys of the " Religion."^ Many of
these pictures are by Matteo da Lecce ; and there are
others by Trevisan, Spagnoletti, Guido, and Michael
Angelo di Carravaggio.
The guide leads you through grand apartments, with
floors covered with matting, with columns of stucco or
marble, with tapestries after Martin de Voos or Jouvenet,
and carved or painted ceilings accommodated with more
or less taste to their present uses ; while the arms and
the portraits of the grand-masters, here and there recall
the aneient inhabitants of these chivalric palaces, now
' La Religion is the pbrase used in Malta to designate coUectiTely
the Order of St, John.— Trans,

34 CONSTANTINOPLE.
become English residences. I was surprised to find a
portrait by Lawrence — a George III. or IV. — all satin
and scarlet, facing a Louis XVL, well enough painted,
although not quite so much bespangled as the English
monarch. One of these enormous halls had been turned into a ball
room ; and from one ofthe pillars stillhung aprintedcard of
waltzes, quadrilles, etc. This little circumstance, although
natural enougli, made us smile. It would.have enlivened
the ghosts of the young warriors, if by chance they had
visited in the night their ancient abode. The crabbed
elders alone would have been displeased, if even they ;
for after all, these same military monks led a joyous life
enough, and their "inns" more resembled taverns than
monasteries. The Throne of England, with its dais, its emblazonings,
and its canopy, lifts itself proudly in the place where
once stood the chair of the grand-master of the Order ;
and lithographed portraits of the numerous progeny of
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, are su.spended from
the astonished walls of this home of celibacy.
I had wished to see the museum of arms, to touch the
helmets dinted by the blade of Damas, and the breast
plates, battered by the stones of catapults, under which had
throbbed such noble and daring hearts — those shields em
blazoned with the Cross of the Order, against which had
splintered the lances of the Saracens — but after an hour
of waiting and inquiry, we learned that the keeper
had " gone into the . country, and taken the keys tvith
him.'" At this superb response, I thought myself again in
Spain ; where, seated before the door of some monument,
I had waited until the keeper should finish his siesta, and
find it convenient to admit me. It was necessaiy, there-

MALTA, 35
fore, to forego the inspection of these iron relics of
heroism, and direct my course elsewhere.
To finish with the knights, I turned my steps toward
the church of St. John; — the Pantheon of the Order,
Its fagade, with a triangular porch flanked by two towers
terminating in stone belfries, having for ornament only
four pillars, and pierced by a window and door, without
sculpture or decoration, by no means prepares the traveller
for the splendour within.
The first thing which arrests the sight, is an immense
arch, painted in fresco, which runs the whole length of
the nave. This fresco, unhappily much deteriorated by
time, is the work of Matteo Preti, called the Calabrese ;
one of those great second-rate masters, who, if they have
less genius, have often more talent, than the princes of
the art. What there is of science, facility, spirit, ex-'
pression, and abundant resource, in this colossal picture,
is beyond description.
Each section of the arch contains a scene from the
life of St. John, to whom the church is dedicated, and
who was the patron of the Order. These sections are
supported, at their descent, by groups of captives —
Saracens, Turks, Christians, and others — half-naked, or
clad in the remains of shattered armour, and placed in
positions of humiliation or constraint, who form a species
of barbaric caryatides strikingly suited to the subject.
All this part of the fresco is full of character, and has a
force of colouring very rare in this species of picture.
These solid and massive effects, giv* additional strength
to the lighter tone of the arch, and throw the skies into
a relief and distance singularly profound. I know no
similar work of equal grandeur, except the ceiling
by Fumiani in the church of St. Pantaleone at Venice,
representing the life, martyrdom, and apotheosis of that

36 CONSTANTINOPLE.
saint. But the style of the decadence makes itself less felt
in the work of the Calabrese than in that of the Venetian.
In recompense of this gigantic work, the artist had the
honour, like Carravaggio, to be made a knight of the
Order. The pavement of the church is composed of four hun
dred tombs of knights, incrusted with jasper, porphyry,
verd-antique, and precious stones of various kinds, which
should form the most splendid sepulcliral mosaic con
ceivable. I say shoidd form, because at the moment of
my visit, the whole floor was covered with those immense
mats, so constantly used for carpeting the southem
churches — a usage which is explained by the absence of
pews or chairs, and the habit of kneeling upon the floor
to perform one's devotions. I regretted this exceedingly ;
but the crypt and the chapels contain enough sepulchral
wealth to offer some atonement.
These chapels — extremely rich in arabesques, and in
carvings of foliage and flowers, intermingled with crosses,
coats-of-arms, aud fleurs-de-lis, the whole gilded with the
finest gold — astonish with their richness those who are
only acquainted with the French churches ; distinguished,
as they are, by a severe simplicity and a sentiment of
melancholy. This profusion of omament, these gildings
and marbles, appear, to the French, better suited to the
decoration of a palace than a chm-ch ; for French Catholic
ism is, after all, somewhat Protestant.
The tomb of Nicliolas Cotoner — one of those grand
masters who contributed most largely to the splendour of
the Order, and who expended their private fortunes in
endowing Malta with monuments of utility or magniflcence,
— is not in the best taste, but is wonderfully rich, and
constructed of the most costly materials. This tomb is a
type of all the others, wherein the emblems of religion

MALTA. 37
mingle with the symbols and trophies of war; as becomes
the insignia of an Order at once military and religious.
The hour grows later ; and the steamer waits for no
Inggards. Pass we once morc through the streets of St.
John, and of St. Ursula the picturesque, with their flights
of steps, their terraces, their projecting balconies, and the
shops with which they are lined, and the crowds which
perpetually mount and descend their stairways ; the Sirada-
stretta, which had in former tiines the privilege to serve
as a duelling-ground for the members of the Order, in
which they could not be disturbed ; cast j'our eye from
the height of the ramparts, over the tawny landscape
around, intersected by walls of stone, devoid of shade or
vegetation, and devoured by a fierce sunlight ; look at the
sea, from the heights of the Piazza Regina sprinkled with
English tombs ; traverse by boat the Marse ; pass through
the noble street of La Sangle ; and remount the deck of the
steamer, with the regret of being unable to bring away a
pair of those graceful vases of Maltese stone, which the
inhabitants carve with knives in a fashion the most in
genious and elegant.
It is half-])ast four, and the steamer lifts her anchor at
five. An amusement purely local is, however, reserved
for us, as the bouquet of our brief sojoum at Malta.
A crowd of small boats surrounds us, filled with young
rogues of boys quite naked. The Maltese swim like
ducks at the moment of emerging from the egg, and are
wonderful divers. We throw from the deck a piece of
silver into the sea. The water is so limpid in the harbour
that its descent can be traced for nearly twenty feet.
These rogues watch the fall of the coin, dive after it at
•the instant, and bring it up with them three times out
of four ; an exercise as favourable to their health as to
their pockets.

38 CONSTANTINOPLE.
The reader must excuse me for not speaking about the
catacombs, the hill of Bengemma, the remains of the
Temple of Hercules, the Grotto of Caljrpso (for the
learned pretend that Malta is the veritable Ogygia of
Homer), and some other minor localities, simply because
I haye not seen them ; and it is hardly worth while to re
produce for your edification what others may have said
about them.
To-morrow morning we hope to discern the shores of
Greece. I am not so insanely classical as I ought to be ;
therefore this, prospect rather alarms me. One feels
always a certain apprehension, when about to behold ^in
substance and reality, a country dimly seen since our
childhood through the mists of tradition, and hallowed by
the dreams and visions of classic poetrj'.

. SYRA, 39

III.

To-MOKKOW, during the day, we shall be in sight of Cape
Matapan ; a barbarous designation, which hides the
melody of its antique name, as a coating of lime smothers
a delicate piece of sculpture.
Cape Tenarus is the extreme point of a deeply-indented
mulberry leaf, spread out upon the sea, which is now
caUed the Morea, but in olden time the Peloponnesus.
As to-morrow approaches, all the passengers are on
deck gazing towards the horizon, in the direction indi
cated, three or four hours before it is possible to dis
tinguish anj'thing. The magical word " Greece," arouses
imaginations the most inert ; men of commerce or trade,
to whom all ideas of art or poetry are totally strange,
nevertheless find themselves excited by some vague emo
tion, and begin to inquire for " Lempriere's Dictionary" —
that surface-mine of classic riches.
At length, a faint line of violet is visible above the
waves, on the extreme verge of the horizou. It is Greece,
A mountain shows a graceful and prolonged outline
stretched upon the level wave, like a nymph who reclines
upon the sand after a bath — beautiful, elegant, worthy of
this sculptorial land.
" What mountain is that ? " I inquired of the captain.
"Mountain? oh! that's Taygete," replied he courteously;
as if he had said Montmartre, or any other common-place

40 CONSTANTINOPLE.
locality. At that name of Taygeta, a fragment of verse
from the "Georgics" recurred at once to my memory, and
"  Virginibus bacchata Lacoonis,
Taygeta ! "
continued to repeat itself in my mind, like the burthen of
a song. And what can one say about a Grecian mountain,
better than a line of Virgil ?
Although it was the middle of June,, and very warm,
the summit of this mountain was silvered with streaks of
snow ; and I thought of the rosy feet of those young girls
of Laconia, who passed as Bacchantes over Mount Taygeta,
and left the imprint of their light footsteps upon the
whitened pathways !
Cape Matapan extends between two deep bays, which
it divides by its projection — the Gulf of Coronea, and that
of Kolokythia. The Cape is a point of land arid and
barren, like all the shores of Greece. When this is
passed, there is visible on the right hand a mass of rocks,
tawny, consumed by drought, burned by heat, devoid of
vegetation, and even of earth : that is Cerigo, the ancient
Cytherea, the island of myrtles and roses, the beloved abode
of Venus, with whose name it is inseparablj' associated !
What would Watteau have said, with his " Embarkation
for Cytherea," all blue and rose-colour, in face of this
sterile shore of naked rock, developing its harsh outlines
beneath the glare of a sun without shade, and seeming to
offer, perhaps, a cavern for the penitential abode of an
anchorite, but certainly noither shady bower nor bosky
dell for the tender dalliance of lovers. Gerard do Nerval
had, however, the pleasure of seeing, upon the shore of
Cytherea, a gibbet and its occupant, carefullj- guarded from
the weather by a canopy of oilcloth ; which proved at least
the presence of a justice most considerate and comfortable.

8TRA, 41
The Leonidas passed too fiir from land to let its pas
sengers enjoy so charming an item of detail, or ascertain
with how many gallowses the island was garnished at
that particular moment.
Have the ancients lied to us, and assumed the ex
istence of lovely and ravishing situations, where there are
now but stony islands and barren earth ? It is difficult
to believe that their descriptions (of which it had been
then easy to verify the accuracy) were pure fantasy.
Doubtless this soil, worn by human activity, is at length
exhausted. It has died with the civilisation which it
supported ; wasted by its production of master-pieces of
genius and heroism. What we now see, is but its
skeleton — the skin, the muscles, have all crumbled into
dust. When the soul departs from a country, it must be
that it dies like a body ; otherwise, how explain a change
so absolute and so universal ; — for what I say, applies to
nearly the whole of Greece —
" 'Tis Greece, but living Greece no more ! "
although certain of its shores, desolate and inanimate
as they are, retain still some beauty of outline, and some
purity of colour.
We pass between Cerigo and Servi — another island of
pumice-stone — and, doubling Cape Malia, come out into
the Archipelago. The horizon is peopled with sails ;
brigs, caravels, and schooners, cutting the water in every
directiori. The weather is admirable ; no swell, no rolling.
A light breeze gently fills our mizen, and lends a slight
assistance to our wheels, which break with their paddles
a sea as smooth as glass, in which might well swim the
mythological corteges of Amphitrite and Galatea; and
which is not disturbed by even the gambols of the por-

42 CONSTANTINOPLE,
poises — those tritons of natural history, who might at a
distance be mistaken for marine deities. The land has
fled, and shows itself only as a light mist on the extreme
verge of the heavens ; and since there is nothing to be
seen at a distance, let us take a glance at the new passen
gers whom we embarked at Malta.
These are Levantines, seated or couched upon their
carpets at the front of the vessel, near the hampers which
contain their provisions, and the roUed-yp mattresses on
which they stretch themselves at night. A Levantine on
a journey, carries alwaj's three things : his carpet, his
chibouque, and his mattress. One of these individuals,
somewhat old, is dressed in a faded brown pelisse, which
is braided with gold at the back, although the rest of his
costume is not only simple, but somewhat shabby. He
has with him a little boy, with sparkling and intelligent
black eyes.
Two or three Greeks have established themselves not
far from the Levantine. They wear the tunic, and a
white 'jacket elegantly ornamented ; but, horrible to tell,
and yet more horrible to behold, these noble Hellenists
wear cotton caps, like the people of Lower Normandy.
Oh, Greece ! Classic land ! Was it thine intention
to break my heart and rob me of my last illusion, in dis
playing to me the visages of two of thy sons, beneath caps
of such vulgarity ! It is true that these cotton caps,
seen closely, display certain embroidery iu thread, which
mitigates somewhat their insignificance ; and that one may
allege, that Paris bewitched the lovely Helen in a Phrygian
cap ; the Phrj'ginn eap being nothing else than a cotton
eap, coloured scarlet.
Upon the deck, Vivier, the celebrated horn-player
(whose refined drollery equals his professional talent, and
whom the Italian steamer had brought to us), recounted,

STBA. 43
amidst a circle of enchanted listeners, the prodigious
history of Mastoc Riffardini and his lieutenant Pietro ;
while a lovely, blue-eyed young girl, on the way to
. Athens with her father, lounged listlessly upon a sofa, and
allowed her gaze to wander around the serene air, while
she smiled vaguely at the narrative.
Relying upon the captain's assurance, that no island
would come in sight before six or seven o'clock in the
evening, we consented to go down to dinner. When we
returned to the deck, Milo and Anti-Milo were in view,
already bathed in shades of violet by the approach of
twilight. The character was still the same : sterile steeps
and naked slopes ; but what matter? From this barren earth
did there not spring marvellous fruit ? This infertile soil,
more rich than that of Beauce and Touraine, did it not
produce that wonder of art, th.at model of form the purest
and the most life-like — the radiant Venus, the adoration
of poets and artists ; and who has had but to throw aside
the dust of centuries, to restore her altars ? For before her
footstool all the world is Pagan ; the lapse of time dis
appears, and one is ready to offer up the accustomed
sacrifice of doves and sparrows to the goddess. What a
civilisation must that of Greece have been, when an in
significant island like Milo, contained such a master-piece
of art! It is said, that, in the island, they recount, to
those who care to listen, how the missing arms of the
statue lay on the ground near the figure, having been
exhumed with it, and were lost by mere negligence. I
offer no guarantee of this rumour ; but, at Milo, such is
certainly the current belief.
The sun had disappeared behind us, but it was not
dark, nevertheless ; the milky way streaked the heavens
with its broad zone of opal ; and it would seem that
Hercules must have bitten vcry sharply the breast of
D 2

44 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Juno, to judge by the innumerable patches of white which
spot the nocturnal azure. The stars sparkle with incon
ceivable lustre, and the reflection of their beams scintillates
in the water in long streams of flre, ^Millions of phosphoric
sparks appear and vanish like glow-worms, in the wake of
the steamer. This phenomenon, common in the warm
seas of the Levant and the tropics, is produced by myriads
of microscropic infusoria (animalculaj), and one can im
agine nothing more picturesque. This night will live in
my memory, as one of the most splendid that I have ever
witnessed. We sail between two depths of lapis-lazuli,
traversed by veins of gold, and sprinkled with diamonds !
The moon — absent, or still so small as to be scaroely dis
tinguishable — leaves in all its splendour this night of blue
and gold, which her silvery rays would have rendered pale
and confused. Two steamers, coming from the opposite
direction, contribute, with their lights of red and green,
to the general illumination. Nearly everybody passed the
night on deck ; and it was only the chill and gray air of
the moming, which drove us to our cabins.
With the return of day, we pass between Serpho and
Siphanto. Serpho, to whieh we coast the nearer, is the
ancient Seripho — a place of transportation under the
Roman emperors — and it seems still a singularly suitable
place for such a lugubrious purpose.- Mountainous hills,
brown and dusty, break the surface of the island ; and,
with the glass, some low stone walls are discover.able, and
some dark spots, which should be cultivated fields. A
town, or rather a hamlet, terraced upon a steep hillside,
stands out to view by its whiteness. All this, without
the transparent atmosphere, and clear sunlight of Greece,
would wear an aspect utterly miserable ; but these parched
spots of earth take, beneath that glowing sun, a tone and
colour quite superb.

STRA. 45
At sea, as among mountains, the distances and dimen
sions of objects are often singularly deceitful. Beside
Serjiho stands an island called Boni, or Poloni, which
seemed to be about twenty feet in height, until a schooner,
in passing close by it, afforded a scale of measurement.
This island, which had the look of a large stone fallen
into the water, was at least three times the height of the
schooner's masts.
After Serpho and Siphanto, we come to Paros and
Anti-Paros — the quarry which fumished to the sublime
sculptors of Greece, the glowing substance of their divi
nities ; and to the architects the white columns of their
temples. In this ancient archipelago of the Cyclades,
the islands succeed each other without interruption ; and
each revolution of the paddle-wheels, causes another to
rise from the sea before us. Scarcely has one shore sunk
beneath the wave, when another appears ; blue in shadow
or golden with sunlight. To the right, to the left, you
see eveiywhere some spot dignified by a name sonorous or
celebrated ; and you are amazed, that so much'of fable, of
history, and of poesy, could have found birth and scope
in so narrow a space.
Here j-ou behold, scattered around upon the blue
carpet of waters, islands which have given being to some
god, some hero', or some poet ; and although now stripped
of their niiintles of verdm-e, j-et still beautiful, aud acting
irresistiblj' upon the mind, by the force of association.
From each of these barren rocks, has sprung a poem, a
temple, a statue, or a medal, unequalled as yet, even by our
ci-vilisation, of the perfection of which we are so proud !
In the moming we were before Syra. Seen from the
roads, Syra looks very much like a smaller Algiers. On
a groundwork of mountain, of the warmest tint of sienna
or bumt topaz, plant a triangle of dazzling whiteness, of

46 CONSTANTINOPLE.
¦which the base buries itself in the sea, and the apex is
occupied by a church, and you have the most exact idea
of this town; yesterday a formless collection of hovels,
but which the passage of the steamers will soon render the
queen of the Cyclades.
Some windmills, with wheels of eight or nine wings,
vary this angular picture. For the rest, there is not a
tree nor a blade of grass to be seen, so far as the eye can
reach. A number of vessels, of all sizes and forms, define
the tracery of their slender rigging against the white
masses of the town, as they lie closely moored along the
entire shore ; small boats move briskly to-and-fro ; the
water, the earth, the sky, are all bathed in light, and
everything seems instinct with life.
A perfect fleet of canoes and skiffs, now begin to direct
their course towards us, at full speed ; forming a species
of regatta, of which the steamer is the winning-post.
The deck is quickly covered with a crowd of swarthy
fellows, with noses like e(jgles' beaks, flashing eyes,
and surpassingly ferocious moustachios, who offer their
services in much the same tone that certain other gen
tlemen adopt in demanding " your money, or your life."
Some wear the cap of the Greeks (they seem fully en
titled to do so),' with immense trousers, secured at the
waist by a woollen sash, and jackets of dark blue ; others,
the tunic, the white jacket, and the cotton cap, or a small
straw hat -with a black band. One was superbly dressed,
and seemed as if got up as a model for a sketch ; and he
well merited the epithet that the orators in Homer give
to the auditors whom they wish to propitiate : Euknemides
Achaioi (well-booted Greeks), for he had the most dashing
pair of knemides that it is possible to imagine ; stitched,
' An allusion to the use (onoe familiar in England, but now better
known in France) of tho word " Greek," as synonymous with " black
leg" or "blackguard."' — Traks.

STRA, 47
embroidered, inlaid in colours, and omamented to the
utmost. His tunic, very ample, and dazzlingly clean, was
confined at the waist by an embroidered belt ; his Avaist-
coat, braided and ornamented with buttons of gold-filagre,
displayed thc sleeves of a fine linen shirt; and upon one
shoulder was gracefully thrown a jacket of bright scarlet,
enriched with arabesques of gold.
This triumphal sort of personage, was no other than
the di-agoman, who offers his services to travellers for
Greece ; and probably he thought to entice his customers,
by the brilliant and national style of his costume, like the
lovely girls of Procida and Nisida, who assume their
dresses of velvet and gold, only for the admiration of
the English travellers.
On landing, the first thing that struck my eyes, was
an inscription in Greek, announcing " European and
Turkish baths." It had a singular effect, to see so familiarly
inscribed upon a wall, the characters of a language that
one regards as dead, and knows only by that " garden " of
" Greek roots," in which he digs while at school. From
my eight years at college, I retain enough Greek to read
the signs, and the names of the streets ; and therefore, as
you see, have not altogether lost my time.
Thanks to these classic souvenirs, I know that I am in
the "Street of "Mercury" {odos tou Herniou), which leads
to the " Place Othon." In the centre of this Place, rises
a triumphal-arch of wood, enwreathed with branches of
laurel, which testifies to the recent visit of King Otho, —
the Bavarian monarch of the land of Pelops.
M. Vivier, who landed with me, declares himself
seized with a desire to civilise this savage island, and
teach the natives the true manner of making soap-bubbles,
filled with tobaccdi smoke ; an art of which they seem rather
ignorant, in so far as one may judge from their physiognomy;

48 CONSTANTINOPLE.
We enter a cafe, where Vivier, with imperturbable
coolness, calls for water, soap, some paper, and a pipe.
This order rather surprises the waiter, who seems to con
sider that the gentleman is cleanly, and. wishes to wash
his hands ; and he accordingly produces with unconscious
innocence all that is necessary for the manufacture of soap-
bubbles. At sight of the first bubble which escapes from
the tube, brilliantly opalised by the white smoke con
fined in its frail envelope, surprise arrests each cup of
coffee on its way to the lips of the drinkers. But when
another transparent globe, furnished, like a balloon, with an
opaque parachute, mounts in its turn, and, floating in the
sun, reflects nil the colours of the prism, their admiration
knows no bounds. A large circle is fo'rmed, to watch with
intense interest the floating bubbles. When the enthusiasm
has reached its height, Vivier clears the billiard table, and
pours out upoii the green cloth, as if to supply the place
of the ivory balls, an equal number of bubbles, rolling
about and "camioning" at thf slightest breath.
" See how rapidly these people civilise ! " exclaims
Vivier to me ; on pointing out a moustachioed Greek, of
most truculent aspect, who is rolling a piece of soap
about in a glass of water, seized with a sudden fever of
imitation ; — "already their manners begin to soften ! "
At the end of a quarter of an hour, one would have
supposed the cafe occupied by a band of Indiau jugglers :
it was only soap-bubbles ascending and descending in all
directions. An hour later, all the island was occupied in
blowing soap, water, and smoke through paper tubes, with
all the gravity which so important an operation merited.
 Why be astonished that the inhabitants of Syra were
amused, by an exhibition which had made all the Parisian
oungers on the Place dela Bom-se, keep their noses in the
air for six months together ?

STRA. 49
While my friend performed these prodigies, I examined
the interior of the cafe, whitewashed and adorned with
some miserable coloured images of St. John. The most
characteristic object, consisted of two pictures in fine cm-
broiderj-, representing some Turks on horseback, and signed
" Sophia Dapola, 1847 ; " a boarding-school master-piece.
The quaj- is lined with shops of all sorts ; fishmongers,
butchers, confectioners, tobacconists ; restaurants and
tavems of every grade ; and presents an exceedingly ani
mated scene. It is constantly crowded with a world of
sailors, porters, boatmen, gazers, and purchasers, of all
nations and all costumes. From the verge of the quay,
J'OU can shake hands with the shipping ; and the shore
lives on terms of the greatest intimacj' with the sea.
Nothing could be more amusing or more picturesque.
Among the tarrj' coats and trousers, shines out eveiy now
and then, a brilliant and almost theatrical costume of
Pallikari or Armatolia.
Tired at last of this uproar, we seat ourselves in a
street parallel to the quay, and beside a cafe furnished
with external benches (for at Syra they live much in the
open air), and we are served with lemon ices infinitely
superior to those of Tortoni, and equal to those of the Cafe
de la Bolsa, at Madrid; which is to say all that can be said
in the way of dommendation.
Yonder passes a splendid-looking Greek, in full cos
tume, free from all French innovation. There is no dress
at once so elegant and so noble, as that of the modem
Greek, That scarlet cap, overhung by a tassel of blue
silk ; the waistcoat and jacket, with hanging sleeves
braided and embroidered ; the belt bristling with arms ;
the tunic hanging in ample folds, like a drapery of Phidias ;
form together a costume full of grace and dignity.
The Greeks lace themselves excessively, and a hussar

50 CONSTANTINOPLE.
or a fashionable lady might envy their taper waists. This
slenderness of waist throws out the bust, gives breadth to
the chest, and lightness to the skirt of the tunic.
I have just said that this Greek was handsome — but do
not imagine the profile of Apollo or of Meleager ; the nose
in perfect line with the forehead, like those of the antique
statues ; for the Greeks of the present day have mostly
aquiline noses, and upproach more nearly the Arabian or
Jewisii type, than is generally supposed. . It is possible,
that in the interior there is a race of people in whom the
primitive national character is more distinctively main
tained. I speak only of that which I have seen.
Syra presents the phenomenon of a town in ruins, and
a town in course of construction, at oue and the same mo
ment — a singular contrast. The lower town is crowded
with scaffoldings, trenches, and rubbish, which obstruct
all the streets, and houses seem to be growing uuder the
eye. In the upper town, everything totters and crumbles ;
— life deserts the head to take refuge in the feet.
I wander through the whole of modern Syra, mount
ing from street to street ; and one thing strikes me forcibly
— that is, the very small number of women whom I en
counter. With the exception of some old woinen and
some little girls, whose age or whose j'outh precludes
jealousy on their account, the few women whom I meet
quicken their pace, or retard it, as I pass, with the evident
purpose of avoidance. Their costume is by no means
characteristic. A common dress of English calico, and a
black gauze turban twisted around the head, and you have
the whole. It would seem that the oriental system of
seclusion has extended something of its eftect even to this
point. You do not see a single female in the shops, and it
is the men who sell in the markets, who go to market,
and who bring home the purchases.

SYRA. 5 1
Just now, bursts out a superb explosion of ringing
laughter, 'peal upon peal. It is a little girls' school, which
I am passing, and the inmates of which favour me with
this salute. It seems that I appear to them profoundly ridi
culous, although I don't know why, and "I pity their
taste." The mistress is at the gate, and indicates that I may
enter to examine the interior' of the school. I do so, and
find a beautiful collection of black eyes,- white teeth, and
masses of daik hair.
I entered, also, a Greek church, of verj' simple archi
tectm-e, adorned internally with images in the Byzantine
style, overlaid with plates of gold, and with brown heads
and hands, similar to those which I had previously seen at
Leghorn, A species of portico forms a screen, and shuts
out from the faithful the view of the sanctuary, which
encloses only an altar covered with a white cloth. They
showed us a cross, and divers ornaments, in silver-gilt, of
a rude and barbaric workmanship, but not deficient in
character. A kind of steep road separates the ancient Syra from
the modern. This bridge crossed, the ascent commences,
across perpendicular streets, paved like the beds of torrents.
I scramble along, with two or three comrades, among
crumbling walls and sunken ruins ; among stones which
roll at the touch, and squeaking pigs, who, disturbed by
our approach, seek safety by rubbing their blue backs
against our legs. Through half-open doors, I see meagre
and haggard forms, who cook some unknown viands over
fires gleaming in the deep shadow. The men, with coun
tenances like brigands in a melodrama, abandon their
pipes for an instant, to observe the 'passage of our little
party, with an air by no means gracious or conciliating.
The road becomes so steep, that we mount nearly upon

i'.: CONSTANTINOPLE.
all-fours, through dark labyrinths, vaulted passages, and
staircases in ruins. The houses rise one above another in
such fashion, that the threshold of the upper is level with
the summit of the lower. Each ruin has the air of seek
ing to climb to the top of the hill, by setting its foot upon
the head of its neighbour, in a road made rather for goats
than men. The merit of the ancient Syra seems to be its
iuaccessibility to everything but -vultures and eagles. It
is a charming site for the nests of birds of prey, but singu
larly unsuitable for huraan habitation. '
Breathless, and streaming with perspiration, we reach
at leugth the narrow platform upon which rises the chm-ch
of St. George — a platform entirely paved with tombs — and
there we are certainly amply rewarded, by a magnificent
panorama, for the fatigue of our ascent. Behind us is seen
the crest of the mountain upon which Syra is perched ; to
the right, facing the sea, yawns an immense and broken
ravine — an accident of the locality, singularly and savagely
romantic ; at our feet, lie the white houses of upper and
lower Syra ; in the distance, the sparkling waters of the
sea ; and around us, Delos, Mycone, Tinos, and Andros,
bathed in such tints of rose and purple, that they more
resemble a picture than reality. When we have suffi
ciently admired this wonderful view, we allow ourselves
to roll dovra, like an avalanche, upon the lower town, and
proceed to finish our evening at a sort of redoute, situated
upon a point whieh projects into the sea; where we smoke
om- cigarettes, and listen (over a lemonade) to a band of
Hungarian musicians performing selections from Italian
operas. Some females, clad in the French fashion, except the
head-dress, walk together (escorted by a husband or a
lover) about the grounds, which are covered with tables
and chairs, at which are scattered the tunic-clad Pallikaris

STRA. 53
taking their coffee, or bubbling the water of their nar
ghiles. In front of us, the sea is starred with the lights of
vessels ; behind, the lights of Syra spangle with stars of
gold the- purple mantle of the mountain. It is lovely !
Our boats await us at the quay, and a few strokes of the
oars place us on board thc Leonidas, fatigued, but delighted.
To-morrow, we address our course to Smyrna ; and I
shall, for the first time, set my foot on the shores of Asia
— that cradle of the world — that glowing soil on which
the sun rises, and which it quits with regret, to visit the
colder and more sombre West.

54 CONSTANTINOPLE.

IV.

At ten in the morning, when the steamer which touches
at the Pira3us had taken off the passengers destined for
Athens, the Leonidas tranquilly resumed her route, over a
superb sea ; as pure and as tranquil as Lake Leman.
Delos, which we coast, has a singular mythological cos-
mogoiij'. I know not if any geologist has attempted
scientifically to elucidate what there may be of actual
truth at the bottom of the legend ; but meanwhile, this is
the origin of Delos, according to tradition.
Neptune, by a blow of his trident, caused this island
to rise from the sea, to afford Latona an asj'lum from the
persecutions of Juno, where she could in safety give birth
to Apollo and Diana. Apollo, in recognition of the place
of his birth, rendered it stationary upon the waters, in
stead of floating, as it had previously been ; and placed it
in the midst of the Cyclades. May we not see here, the
nai-rative of one of those submarine volcanic eruptions,
which throw up islands in the sea, of which some soon
perish, like the island of lulia, which sank again into the
waters whence it had emerged? Or shall we take to the
very letter, thc epithet "floating," in admitting that
Delos was origiually a mass of seaweed, trunks of trees,
and marine agglomerations, lying loosely upon the waters,
attached subsequently to some flrmer base, and gradually
becoming transformed into habitable earth, by the action

SMTRNA. 55
of the sun and the elements ? Or otherwise, shall we
adopt yct another hj-pothesis, and conjecture th.at, owing
to its small size, and its situation as one of a constellation
of mnriue Pleiades, closely resembling each other, Delos
was frequently missed by the primitive navigators (who
lacked all accm-ate means of directing their course), and
thus acquired the reputation of a wandering island —
a supermarine vagabond ?
This is not the place to discuss this question ex professo.
I raise it only, leaving to the more learned the task of
solving the riddle which has presented itself to me, in
thus passing the hallowed birth-place of Apollo and
Diana. Delos was in ancient times an object of extreme vene
ration. There stood an altar to Apollo, which the deitj-
had himself constructed, at the ripe age of four years, out
of the horns of goats killed by Diana upon Mount Cynthus,
nnd which passed for one of the wonders of the world.
This sacred soil was considered so deserving of rei?pect,
that " no dogs were admitted ;" and all persons in danger
of death wore removed from the island, because it was
forbidden to profane by interment this divine spot, revered
even by barbarians.
The Persians, who ravaged the other islands of Greece,
approached Delos with their fleet of a thousand ships ;
but thcy forebore all depredation and all violence.
Now, Delos is but an arid spot of earth, where Latona
would be troubled to find the shade of even an olive tree
to protect her couch. The island retains nothing but the
right to its luminous etymology ; the sun seeming still to
gild it lovingly.
All the Cyclades are so small, that in running close
beside them in a steamer; it is easy to trace in the reality,
the forms and outlines indicated on the map. Nature itself

o6 CONSTANTINOPLE.
resembles here a map in relief, and coloured upon a grand
scale. It has a striking effect, thus to create a palpable
geography, and seize all the details of things as in a model;
and even more so, to traverse in so little time places
which occupy so large a place in imagination and iu
history. The channel which separates Tinos from Mycone,
being passed, we enter a sea more open and free from
islands. The day glides on, bright and serene. The
perfect placidity of the water permits persons the most
squeamish to make a deliberate dinner, without fear and
without remorse. After lounging upon deck, and setting
our watches by the chronometer in the binnacle — there
being an hour and a quarter difference of time between
Paris and Constantinople — we all descend to bed, in order
to be aroused early in the morning, to see the sun ascend
the horizon behind Smyrna — the City of Roses.
In the night, we stopped a little while at Chios (the
" Isle of Wines," as Victor Hugo styles it in his " Orien
tales") in order to take in freight. The noise ofthe bales
rolling along the deck, and the clatter of the feet of the
porters, waked me. I mounted to the head ofthe companion-
way, but could see only a mass of darkness, amidst which
moved lights, like those specks of fire which flash about
the ashes of newly burned paper.
At early day we were in the harbour before Smyrna ;
a graceful curve, at the base of which extends the town.
What struck my eyes at that distance, was a great number
of cypress trees, rising above the houses and blending
their black cones with the white summits of the minarets ;
anda hill, still bathed in deep shadow, and surmounted byan
old ruined fortress, the dismantled walls of which, standino-
out against the clear sky, formed an amphitheatre behind
the houses of the town. Here was no longer the barren

SMTRNA, 57
and desolate aspect of the shores of Greece. The Asiatic
coast seemed fresh and smiling in the rosy light of
morning. I avow, to my shame, that I had ns yet seen but two of
the five great portions of the world — Europe and Africa.
It gave me, therefore, almost a childish delight to behold
a third, Asia. The same -view on a European shore, had
assuredly not caused me the same gratification.
When shall I visit America and Polynesia? Heaven
only knows ! How many years one stupidly loses out of
the allotted number ! Reallj', a voyage of circumnaviga
tion, ought to be an essential ingredient of a complete
educatioii ; and there should be a ship in the service of
each university, to take the students during their third
year, and compel them to study the Universal Volume, the
Book of the World ; the best- written of all books, because
written by the hand of God Himself.
It were to miss a famous matter of tradition, to visit
Smyrna without seeing the " Bridge of Caravans ; " and a
Jewish dragoman, jabbering a little French and less
Italian, soon collected a nuniber of asses equivalent ^to
ourselves, (in number I .mean), to visit that locality; it
being at the extremity of the town, and our time too
scanty for making the excursion on foot. Besides, in the
East, as is well known, there is nothing ridiculous in
riding upon an ass ; and the gravest and most dignified
personages travel upon these quiet animals, on one of
which Christ Himself did not disdain to make His entry
into Jerusalem.
These asses were supplied with saddles and bridles,
omamented, and inlaid in different colours ; and had
nothing of that piteous aspect, with which our European
"long-ears" seem to display a consciousness of being
ridiculed. We quickly bestrode each his beast ; and thus

58 CONSTANTINOPLE.
behold us dashing through the streets ; the dragoman at
the head, the ass-driver at the tail. Excited by the gut
tural cries of this rear-guard of ours, who followed close
upon their haunches despite the dust, and occupied him
self in cudgelling the hindmost, our donkeys took up a
rapid enough pace. As we galloped along, we cast a
glance at the houses, the cemeteries, and the gardens ; but
this is not the place to describe them. Let us hasten
to reach the Bridge of Caravans, for as it.is still morning,
we may arrive in time to see a caravan in the aet of
departure. This celebrated bridge — which they have unfortun
ately disfigured by a villanous balustrade of cast-iron —
crosses a small and shallow stream, in which half a dozen
ducks are paddling as familiarly as if the divine old blind
man eloquent, had not there bathed his dusty feet, in those
waters which the lapse of three thousand years has not
dried up. This rivulet is the Meleus, whence Homer
derived one of his most familiar designations. It is true,
that some leaj-ned men refuse to this brook the name of
Meleus ; but others, yet more learned, declare that Homer
never existed, which certainly simplifies the question very
much ; but as for me, I am a poet ; and I readily accept
a legend, which attaches a memory and an association, to
a spot already charming in itself.
Some immense plane trees, under which stands a cafe,
overshadow one bank of the streamlet ; while on the
other, some gigantic cypresses indicate a cemetery. But
let not this word arouse any lugubrious ideas. Beautiful
tombs of white marble, inscribed in Turkish characters, of
gold, blue, or green, and of a form quite different from
those of Christian sepulchres, shine brightly beneath the
trees, revealed by a gush of sunlight; and in all this
there is nothing funereal, or calculated to excite, at

SMTRNA. 59
most, aught beyond a gentle and pleasing sadness, which
is not without ils charm.
At the head of the bridge, stands a sort of customs
guard-house, occupied by some of those Zehecques with
whose costume and aspect we are so familiar in pictures
of Asiatic scenes : high conical turbans, white linen
drawers, and sashes of enormous breadth, formidably gar
nished with yataghans and kandjars ; blended with naked
limbs of the colour of Spanish leather, a face brightened
by an eagle's eye, and adorned by a "beak," which might
claim the same origin, and moustachios like a dragoon.
Of these, there lounged lazily upon a bench some three
or four worthies, — vastly respectable, no doubt, but
having decidedly more the look of banditti than of police
men or douaniers.
To let our donkeys take breath, we had seated our
selves beneath the trees, and been served with pipes and
mastic — the "mastic" being a species of liqueur in use
throughout the Levant, and especially in the Grecian
islands, and of which the best comes from Chios. It con
sists of a strong spirit, in which is dissolved a sort of per
fumed gum. It is drunken mixed with water, which it
freshens and whitens, as does eau de Cologne. In fact, it
is the absynthe of the East. This local beverage reminded
me of the little glasses of agua ardiente, which I drank a
dozen vears before, on the road from Granada to Malaga,
in going to the bull-fight with the an-iero Lanza, and
dressed in my maj'o's costume, which is long since eaten
by worms, but which then had such a splendid pot of
flowers embroidered on the back !
While we smoked and sipped, a file of a dozen camels,
preceded by an ass wearing a bell, passed in processional
style across the bridge, with their peculiar ambling step
(which characterises also the giraffe and the elephant),

60 CONSTANTINOPLE.
arching their backs, and waving their long ostrich necks.
The strange outline of this misshapen animal, carries a
foreign air in its very expression. When one encounters
at large these animals, which at home we see only in
menageries, one feels one's self decidedly not on the Boule
vard de Gand.
We saw, also, two women scrupulously veiled, attended
by a negro with a specially unpleasant countenance — an
eunuch, no doubt. The East had begun.to exhibit itself
in unmistakeajble fashion — camels, veiled women, eunuchs,
turbans, and narghiles — the most obstinate imagination
could no longer fancy itself still in Paris.
Before re-entering the town, we decided to visit the
ruins of the ancient castle on the summit of Mount Pagus
— the site of the Acropolis of antique Smyrna. I do not
care much for ruins, when their beauty is goue and they
are reduced to simple heaps of rubbish and stones. I lack
that facility of falling into ecstasies over a mere word, with
which those travellers are endowed, who are more sus
ceptible of retrospective enthusiasm. But the summit of
a mountain alwaj's affords a fine prospect, and I saw no
objection to ascending Mount Pagus ; which was reached,
however, by paths not strewed with roses, but -with stones
of every size, which the asses " circumnavigated " with
that sureness of foot which characterises them. These
paths are vaguely traced, in the eastern fashion, on the
hillside, and so faintly, as to resemble more a thread than
a riband on its surface. They pass beside abandoned
cemeteries, which are rapidly relapsing into their original
eondition of woods or fields ; the tombs disappearing
beneath vegetation, dust, aud forgetfulness.
At a certain elevation, the view is superb. Smyrna
lies extended below, with its houses of red and white — its
red-tiled roofs — its screens of cypresses — its tufts of ver-

SMTRNA. 61
dure — its white domes, and its minarets, rising like pillars
of ivory — its environs, with their varietj- of culture — and its
harbour, forming a sort of liquid sky, yet more blue than
the one above — and all this bathed in a fresh and silvery
light, and pervaded by an air of unequalled ti-ansparency.
This panorama sufficiently admired, we re-descend by
abi-upt declivities, and lanes not far from perpendicular,
through quarters as little Macadamised as picturesque.
The houses of Smyrna are generally low — a ground floor,
aad a single floor above, forming the whole elevation. The
white fronts are enlivened by paintings of arabesques, or
foliage, in tints of brilliant blue, which give them the look
of clean and fresh English porcelain. Between the win
dows, are often placed little houses of wood or plaster,
pierced with holes, as an invitation to the swallows or
martins to build their nests within — a touching hospitality
which man offers to the birds, and which the latter accept
with a confidence never abused in the East, where the
ideas of the Brahmins respecting the life of animals — those
humble brethren of man — seem to have been caught from
the borders of India.
To this superstition is, perhaps, traceable the count
less numbers of " dogs-errant " whioh infest the public
streets, where they barely tolerate the passengers, to
whom they never give way. They are seen in groups of
three or four, couched in a circle in the middle of a street,
and remain among your feet sooner than disturb them
selves. In fact, one must either walk around them, or
stride over them.
As we proceed, I admire, at the angles of the streets,
pretty fountains, in the Tm-kish style, and omamented
with verses of the Koran, carved in relief; or a little
cemetery, surrounded by walls pierced -with grated win-
flows, through which may be, seen fowls pecking about

62 CONSTANTINOPLE.
among the tombs, cats sleeping in the sun upon the
marble slabs, and linen hanging to dry suspended between
the cypresses. In the East, life is not so carefully separ
ated from death as with us ; but they jostle each other
familiarly, like old friends. To sit, sleep, smoke, eat, or
make love upon a tomb, carries with it here no idea of
sacrilege or profanation ; cows and horses feed in the
cemeteries, or traverse them at will ; and people promenade
or make appointments there, absolutely .as if the dead
were not lying around and beneath, at the distance of a
few feet or inches, stiff or mouldering in their coffins of
larch. The quarters which we traversed were so far " desolate,"
that figures were sadly wanting in the landscape. We
therefore desired the dragoman to conduct us to the
Bezestin, which in an eastern city is always an interesting
locality, on account of the crowd of costumes, and of people
of all countries, whom the wish to sell, or buj', or see, or
be seen, or the simple desire of lounging, draws thither.
The English axiom, that " time is money," would be
utterly incomprehensible in the East ; where every one
busies himself in doing nothing, with a conscientiousness
quite admirable; and where people pass the whole day
seated upon a mat, without the effort of a single move
ment. The Bezestin consists of an infinity of little streets,
lined with shops (or rather alcoves), at half height, in
which the merchants may be seen, seated or reclining,
smoking or sleeping, or rolling in their fingers the comholot
— a sort of rosary, formed of an hundred grains, which
correspond with the one hundred names of Allah.
By extending his arm, the merchant can reach the re
motest angle of his establishment ; the purchasers stand
outside, and the ti-ansactions are concluded on the counter.

SMTRNA, 63
Nothing could seem less luxurious, as j'ou perceive, than
these stalls made of a square hole in a wall ; but thej-
nevertheless contain superb arms, costly saddles, precious
stuffs, and master-pieces of gold and silver embroidery.
The streets of this bazaar are shaded by boards ex
tended overhead in the form of an awning, but with a
space between, as otherwise one could see nothing. These
interstices admit the sun in streaks, which mark the pave
ment, like a zebra, with alternate bars of black and gold,
and produce effects of light and shade, the most sudden
and peculiar. A man just passing beneath one of these
streams of sunshine, receives a dash of light upon his nose,
as in a portrait by Rembrandt ; the feredje of a woman
brightens like a flash of rose-coloured flame ; a narghile
struck by a ray, gleams like a mass of carbuncles ; and all
the riches of the cavern of Ali Baba, seem to blaze in the
recesses of a confectioner's shop ! It is odd, that they have
not covered these stalls with arbours of vines or creepers ;
although perhaps the sun is so fierce as to scorch them ;
but surely awnings of linen might advantageously supersede
these aerial plankings.
Not far from the Bezestin rises a mosque, composed, like
most others, of an agglomeration of cupolas flanked by
minarets ; which last I can liken to nothing better than the
raasts of ships, with their " tops" represented by balconies,
from which the muezzins summon the faithful to praj'er.
Near this mosque, is a fountain for ablutions, formed
by a circle of columns, with a barbarous sort of Corinthian
capitals, coarsely painted in blue, and joined by a railing
prettily wrought ; the whole being covered by a projecting
roof. The water passes around the entire fountain, in a sort
of trench, where the Moslemah bathe their feet to the
knees, and their hauds to the elbows, acoording to the
ritual of their religion ; not to speak of the more thorough

64 CONSTANTINOPLE.
1
ablution, which the amplitude of the eastern garments
allows to be made, even in public, without inconvenience
or impropriety. It was the hour of prayer. We mounted the steps of
the mosque, as far as the porch ; beyond which it would
have been dangerous to pass. The crowd was consider
able, and the circuit of the mosque was insufficient to
contain all the faithful. A mountain of shoes, sandals, and
slippers, lay at the door of the mosque ; .and three lines
of devotees, ranged beneath the portico and among the
pillars, knelt with their faces turned towards Mecca,
following the routine of the liturgy which the mollah read
within. Whatever the religion, men who worship God
sincerely are never really ridiculous ; but nevertheless, the
pious evolutions of these worthy Mohammedans — executed
like a charge in twelve-time under the baton of a Prussian
corporal — seemed to me, in spite of myself, singularly odd.
I had to remind mj'self, that our religious ceremonies,
would no doubt seem equally strange to them ; and really
with difficulty restrained a laugh, when all the worhippers,
precipitating themselves upon their noses, presented, in
lines of three deep, a perspective — or rather retrospective —
view of their persons. Nothing of this would be grotesque
to those who did it all ; but I cannot help fancying, that
if I were the object of their worship, I should find its
manner so laughable, that I should be obliged to suppress
my religion entirely.
From the mosque we went to the Greek church, which
was hung with red calico, and daubed with modern frescoes,
executed bj' Italian house painters. In fact, it much re
sembled the " Hall of Momus," in some theatrical tavern
of the Parisian suburbs. A priest, with violent gesticula
tion and utterance, delivered from a pulpit a sermon in
modern Greek, no doubt very edifying, but which did not

SMTRNA, 65
greatly benefit us. In the extemal cloister, I observed
upon the wall, a brazen tablet, to the memory of Clement
Boulanger, the painter of the " Procession du Corpus
Domini," the " Tarasco," and the " Fountain of Jou-
vence ;" who died some years since, while on a scientific
expedition to the ruins of Ephesus, The tomb of a com
patriot in a foreign land, has always something of sadness
in its associations, be it from an unacknowledged selfishness
of humanity, or from a vague impression that the foreign
soil presses more heavily upon the ashes which it covers.
I had known Clement Boulanger, and the unexpected sight
of this monument had a saddening effect upon me.
The " coming out" from either church or opera, offers
great facilities for passing the " fair sex" in review ; and
if one suffers, in this instance, an infliction of the varieties
of yellow, withered, and mummified old women, in black
scarfs and bonnets, one is, at intervals, recompensed by a
glimpse of some fair young head, pure and fresh beneath
its butterfly turban of gauze and flowers.
Unfortunately, at Smyrna, the local costume stops there;
a dress of Lyons silk, and a shawl wom in the European
mode, completes the toilet. The fashionables have for head
dress, the hood of a cabriolet, without the wheels ; .in fact,
the old-fashioned English "calash;" a name which, being
a mere perversisn ofthe French " caleche," was given in re
cognition of the cab-head model, upou which this sort of
bonnet was " built." I must add, that I could not help
believing, that most of the Smyrniote ladies whom I saw,
had assisted nature somewhat in the matter of complexion,
by a judicious use of white, red, and black. But I must
also confess, that I don't particularly dislike "this style of
painting," when it is applied to a really young and pretty
face, and not used to cover wrinkles, or conceal the ravages
of time.

66 CONSTANTINOPLE.
In rambling on foot about the town— for we had dis
missed our donkeys — we traversed a species of asylum
founded by Baron Rothschild for poor Israelites. A
cradle, suspended between two trees like an Indian ham
mock, threw somewhat of grace into this home of misery,
deformity, and old age — that incurable malady ! The
infant within the cradle, was covered with a curtain of
gauze to protect it from the insects, and its tiny hand
alone escaped from its covering, and wandered gently
around, as if to seize a rattle which it pursued in dreams.
We visited also the slave-market ; a court surrounded
by ruined arcades and crumbling buildings. There were
for sale only two young negresses, who were couched
listlessly upon a piece of old carpet, and guarded by theu-
owner. As we passed the thresholds of the houses, a
throng of little half-naked children, whose parents inhabit
these ruins, crowded around us, soliciting alms in a most
piteous manner.
One of the two slaves touched me extremely, by the
indescribable expression of home-sickness in her eyes, and
a melancholy (so to speak), animal in its character, like
that of a captive gazelle. To European eyes, this expres
sion is quite impossible ; for the sorvow displayed is not
a thought but an instinct. This poor negress had fine
features, and much of the graceful type of the Sphynx and
the columnar caryatides of Egypt, with a complexion of
bluish- black, on which rested a sort of bloom, like that
upon a dark and luscious plum. I would have bought
her, had I known how to dispose of her afterwards ; and I
felt like Victor Hugo, with his little rose-coloured pig, in
the great butchers' market at Frankfort. The owner
wanted only 250 francs (ten pounds sterling), which did
not seem very dear. But I had to content myself with
giving her a few piastres, and some sugar-plums, which

SMYRNA. 67
she received with an antique gesture of acknowledgment —
the arm laid upon the breast, with the palm of the hand
outward. Her fingers, which I touched, were cold and
smooth, like those of an npe.
Fatigued with walking, our little band installed itself
in front of a cafe in the Bezestin, whither our circumvo
lutions had again brought us ; and we rested there, tid
the time of departure, watching the crowds of Turks,
Persians, Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Tartars, and Jews,
who passed before our eyes, in costumes sometimes splen
did, sometimes shabby, but always picturesque. Never
did kaleidoscope more varied revolve beneath a curious
ej'e ; and we saw there, in a single hour, represented bj-
authentic speciraens, all the types of the Orient, not ex
cepting even India. I would give you a minute descrip
tion of each individual, were I not afraid of not being
on board the Leonidas in time ; but we shall see them
all again at Constantinople, where I propose to make a
sojourn somewhat more extended.

C8 CONSTANTINOPLE.

V,
THE TROAD. — THE DAKDANELLES. t
Despite its great antiquity — for it existed already in
the time of Homer — Smyrna retains little of its original
splendour. I saw, for my part, no other ancient ruins,
than three or four gigantic Boman columns, overtopping
the frail modem architecture which surrounded them.
These crumbling columns — ^relics of a temple of Jupiter
or of Fortune, I am not sure which — are very remarkable,
and ought to have exercised the sagacity of the learned.
I saw them only from the top of a donkey's back ; and am,
therefore, unable to offer an elaborate opinion in regard to
them. The coasts of Asia are much less arid than those of
Europe ; and I remained on deck, so long as the daylight
allowed me to distinguish the outlines of the land.
The next day, when the dawn appeared, we had passed
Mytylene (the ancient Lesbos); the birth-place of Sappho.
In front of us, on our right, is seen a flat expanse of land ;
it is the Troad : " Campos ubi Troja fuit ; "
the very soil of epic poetry, the theatre of fable, the spot
doubly hallowed by the genius of Greece and the genius
of Rome ; — by Homer and by Virgil. It makes a strange
impression, to find one's self thus in the midst of poetry
and of mythology. As j53neas recited his history to Dido,

THE TROAD. — THE DARDANELLES, 69
from the height of his lofty couch, I can say, from the
height of tbe deck, and with more of truth,
"Est in conspectu Tenedos ; "
for there, behold the isle whence issued the serpents
who wound in their deadly folds the unhappy Laocoon
and his sons, and furnished the subject of a master-piece
to the sculptor ; — Tenedos, over which reigned Phoebus-
Apollo, the God of the silver bow, invoked by Chryses ; —
and see, beyond, the soil which Protesilaus (the first victim
of a war, doomed to destroy a nation) dyed with his
blood, as with a propitiatory libation. That undefined
heap of rubbish in the distance was the Sca;an Gate,
whence Hector issued wearing that scarlet- plumed helmet
which so alarmed the little Astyanax ; and beside which
were seated in the shade the old men who did homage to
the beauty of Helen. That sombre mountain, clothed in
a mantle of forest which extends to the verge of the
horizon — that is Mount Ida, the scene of the Judgment
of Paris, where the three rival godesses — Juno with
the snowy arms, Pallas-Athen6 of the sea-blue eyes, and
Aphrodite of the magic girdle — stood revealed in undraped
loveliness before the entranced rustic ; and where also
Anchises jiroved the intoxication of celestial nuptials, and
rendered Venus* the mother of -i53neas.
The Grecian fleets were ranged along this coast, upon
which rested the black prows of the war-galleys, drawn
halfway up upon the sands. The exactitude of Homer's
local descriptions, is apparent in every detail of the scene.
A strategist might easily trace, with the " Iliad " in his
hand, eveiy incident of that eventful siege.
While thus recalling my classic reminiscences, I gaze
upon the Troad : Stalimene — the ancient Lemnos, which
received in his fall Vulcan, precipitated from heaven —

70 CONSTANTINOPLE.
rises from the sea, and lifts behind us its yellow pro
montories. . I begin to wish that I were supplied, like
Janus, with two faces. Two eyes^ are really a very scant
supply ; and man is certainly much inferior in that respect
to a spider, — who, according to some naturalists, has no
less than eight thousand of those organs. I turn my head
for a moment, to throw a glance upon that volcanic island,
where Avere forged the arins-of-proof of the heroes
favoured by the gods, aud also those iroa tripods, living
slaves of metal, which served the Olympiaus in their
celestial abodes ; but the captain pulls me by the sleeve,
to show me, upon the Trojan shore, a mound whose conical
form betrays the handiwork of man ; and which is said to
cover the remains of Antilochus, the son of Nestor and
Eurydice ; the first Greek who slew a Trojan at the opening
of the siege, and who himself perished by the hand of
Hector, while parrying a blow which Memnon aimed at
his father.! Does Antilochus truly repose beneath this
tumulus ? Tradition affirms it ; and what inducement has
tradition to tell a falsehood ?
As we advance we discover two other tumuli, not far
from a little village called Yeni-Scheyr, distinguished by
a row of new windmiUs, similar to those of Sj'ra. The
nearest, as you approach from Smyrna, and the nearest also
to the sea, is the tomb of Patroclus; — the dear friend,
the brother-in-arms and in affection, the inseparable
companion, of Achilles. There was erected that gigantic
funeral pyre, sprinkled with the blood of innumerable
victims, upon which Achilles, intoxicated with grief, cast
four priceless steeds, two dogs of noble breed, aud twelve
Trojan youths — all sacrificed by his own hand to the manes
of his friend ; while around the pyre the mourning army
celebrated fmieral games, which continued for many days.
I According to Homer, Antilochus was killed by Memnon.

TIIE TROAD,— THE DARDANELLES, 71
The second mound, farther inland, is the tomb of
Achilles himself; or, at least, such is the name it bears.
According to the Homeric legend, the ashes of Achilles
were mingled with those of Patroclus in a golden urn ;
and thus the two friends, inseparable in life, were even more
closely united in death. The gods themselves mourned
the decease of the hero : Thetis issued from the sea with
a choir of mourning nereids ; the nine muses wept and
chaunted mournful songs around the funeral couch ; and
the bravest of the warriors joined in sanguinary games in
honour of the dead.
This mound, therefore, should be the tomb of some other
chief, — Grecian or Trojan; very probably of Hector. Inthe
time of Alexander, the place of the tomb of the hero of
the " Iliad " was still known ; for the conqueror of Asia
paused there, saying that Achilles was indeed fortunate in
having such a friend as Patroclus, and such a chronicler as
' Horn er . Alexander had but Ephestion and Quintus Curtius ;
and yet his exploits surpassed those of the son of Peleus ;
and this time history was engrafted upon mythology.
While I talk about Homeric geography, and the heroes
of the " Iliad" (a pedantry pardonable and innocent, in
¦view of Troy), the Leonidas continues her voyage, retarded
a little by the north wind, which is blowing strongly from
the Black Sea> and we draw near the Strait of the
Dardanelles, defended by two strong fortresses — the one
upon the European, the other on the Asiatic coast. Their
cross-fire bars the entrance of the strait, and renders
access, if not impossible, at least exceedingly difficult, to
a hostile fleet. But to finish with the Troad, let us observe,
that beyond Yeni-Scheyr, a stream of water empties itself
into the Bosphorus, which is said to be the ancient Simois,
— br by some the Granicus.
The Hellespont, or Sea of Helle, is very narrow, and

72 CONSTANTINOPLE.
resembles rather a river at its mouth, than a veritable sea.
Its breadth does not exceed that of the Thames at Graves
end. As the wind was favourable for coming out into
the .33gean Sea, we met a crowd of vessels, which ap
proached us with all sail set, and studding-sails run out,
and, from a distance, resembled the outline of women
carrying a pail in each hand, and dancing along towards
us. The European shore, which we coast somewhat
closely, consists of rugged hills, spotted with some patches
of vegetation, but of an aspect generally arid and mono
tonous. The Asiatic coast wears a much more cheerful
look, and presents an appearanoe of northem verdure,
which, according to preconceived ideas, would be more
suitable to Europe. At one moment, we were so near the
shore, as to discern five Turkish cavaliers, riding along a
pathway, which ran round the base of the rising shore, and
looked like a narrow strip of yellow riband. These horse
men served us as a scale, to measure the elevation of the
shore, which proved much greater than we had supposed.
It was near this spot that Xerxes caused the bridge to
be constructed which he designed for the passage of his
army, and subsequently caused the sea to be flogged, for its
disrespectful behaviour, in breaking the bridge constructed
by so magnificent a monarch. Judged upon the spot, and
under the excitement of its historic associations, this
act, cited as the height of human vanity and folly, seems
rather rational than otherwise.
One thinks also of Sestos and Abydos, made memorable
by the legend of Hero and Leander; but finds the Helle
spont here contracted to a breadth of only 875 feet. Lord
Bj^'on, as is well known, renewed the exploit of Leander,
without being a lover. In fact, he was himself the
"Hero" of his own exploit; and, instead of finding a
lovely maiden awaiting him, on his emerging from the

THE TROAD. — THE DARDANELLES. 73
wave, he found only a fever. He took an hour and ten
minutes to accomplish the feat, and seemed more proud
of it, than of the authorship of " Childe Harold," or " The
Corsair" — an amour propre of the swimmer, quite con
ceivable by those who have ever prided themselves upou
their prowess in that art.
We paused for a moment, but without making a land
ing, before a town over which floated the standards of the
consulates of many nations, and which was enlivened bj'
the sails of several windmills, revolving furiously in the
fresh breeze. Outside of the town, the earth was mottled
with white and green tents, beneath which soldiers were
encamped. I do not tell you the precise name of this
place, because each person whom I asked gave it a dif
ferent designation — an occurrence bj' no means rare in a
country where, to the primitive Greek name, is superadded
a Latin appellation, overlaid bj- a Turkish one, upon which
is engrafted j-et another, of either French or English, by
way of rendering the matter quite clear. I believe, how
ever, that this name was Chanak-Kalcssi, which we
Europeans render freely by " Dardanelles" — it being, in
fact, the town which has given a name to the straits.
The wind, the current, and the sraall extent of the
channel, render the waters somewhat rough ; and the
short swell tosspd about, most unceremoniously, a boat
with sever.al rowers, whose pccupants hailed the Leonidas,
and boarded hor, in order to proceed by her to their des
tination. This boat carried a Pasha, bound for Gallipolis,
at the mouth of the Sea of Marmora. He was a big man,
with thick neck and shoulders, and a large, heavy face,
but with something fine beneath its heaviness. He was
dressed in the horrible costume of the Nizam — the red
" fez," or cap, and a blue frock-coat, buttoned straight to
the throat. A numerous suite surrounded him — officers,
r

74 CONSTANTINOPLE.
secretaries, pipe-bearers, and other domestic officers, with
out counting caivas and domestics. All these people
unfolded carpets, or unrolled mattresses, and seated them
selves upon them, with the exception of some few, better
bred, who sat down upon the benches, and consoled
themselves for taking that unnatural position, by holding
one of their feet in one of their hands, as a comfort and au
occupation. Their luggage was curious. There jvcre narghiles,
enclosed in red morocco cases ; packets of pipe-stems, of
cherry or jasmin ; baskets, covered with richly-gilded
leather, to do duty as portmanteaus ; rolls of Persian
carpet, and piles of cushions and footstools. There were,
among this band, some singularly striking " types."
Among others, a fat j'outh, very plump, very rosy, very
fair, who had the air of an enormous English baby, dressed
up as a Turk ; and a thin Greek, pointed, angular, with a
muzzle like a fox, buried in a long pelisse of cloth, bor
dered with fur, similar to those in which the actors plaj'
Bajazet. These two enclosed the fat Pasha, like the two
horns of a parenthesis, and appeared to vie with each
other in entertaining their master. The costumes ofthe
inferiors of the party were in keeping with their character ;
— broad belts, bristling with arms ; embroidered vests ;
braided jackets, with superbly-decorated hanging sleeves ;
and the physiognomy of Albanian or Arnaout bandits.
Thus clad, these vassals had the air of Eastern princes,
and their masters that of valets de place out of work.
As the fast of Ramadan was in progress, neither
master nor slave touched the chibouque ; but werc obliged
to pass the time in sleeping, or in running the beads of
their chaplets through their fingers.
Of the Sea of Marmora, properly so called, I can give
no precise detail, because it was night when we traversed

THE TROAD. — THE DARDANELLES. 75
its waters, and I was asleep in the recesses of my cabin,
fatigued by a previous promenade of fourteen hours on
deck. Above Gallipolis, the sea broadens considerably, to
contract itself again at Constantinople. The Pasha and
his suite were landed at Gallipolis ; the minarets of which
were indistinctly visible, amid the falling shadows of the
evening. AVhen day appeared, on the Asiatic coast, the Olympus
of Bithynia, crowned with eternal snows, reared its lofty
crest amid the rosy clouds of moming, glistening with
variegated shades of purple and silver. The coast of
Europe, infinitely less bold, was also visible, dotted with
ranges of white mansions and masses of verdure, above
whioh rose tall chimneys of briok — obelisks of industry —
the red colour of which, at a distance, rendered them
strikingly like the red granite obelisks of Egypt. If I
were not afraid of being accused of a desire to indite a
paradox, I would say, that all this region seemed strikingly
like the Thames, between the Isle of Dogs and Greenwich.
The sky, very milky, opal-like, almost white, and suffused
with a transparent mist,, enhanced the illusion, until it
seemed as if I were approaching London, in the Boulogne
packet ; and I almost needed, to undeceive myself, a glance
at the red flag, bearing a silver crescent, which we had
hoisted on enteting the Dardanelles.
In the distance, novv appears the little archipelago of
the Isles of Princes — the scene of suburban water-parties
from Constantinople, on their Sabbath (Friday). A few
minutes more, and Stamboul itself appears in all its
splendour. Already, on the left, through the silvery veil of mist,
the peaks of many minarets are visible — the Castle of the
Seven Towers (where formerly ambassadors were imprisoned
on the outbreak of war with the country which they
F 2

70 CONSTANTINOPLE.
represented) displays its massive turrets and embattled
walls ; ils base being washed by the sea, while its rear
abuts upon the hill which rises abruptly behind. It was
here that the ancient rampart commenced, which formerly
encircled the town as fiir as Eyoub. The Turks call the
castle Yedi-Kule, and the Greeks named it Ileptapurgon.
Its construction dates back to the Byzantine Emperors.
It was commenced by Zeno, aud finished by Commenus.
Seen from the sea, it seems in a ruinous condition, and
ready to crurablo to pieces ; nevertheless, it produces a
striking effect, with its heavy outlines, its bulky towers, its
massive walls, and its mingled aspect of bastile and fortress.
The Leonidas, relaxing her sjieed, in order not to arrive
too early, grazes the angle of the Seraglio. It presents a
range of long, whitewashed walls, relieved against screens
of cj'prcss and tamarind trees ; apartments with trellised
windows, and kiosks with overhanging roofs, with no pre
tence to symmetry. There is nothing to recall the mag
nificence with which a reader of " Tho Arabian Nights " un
consciously associates the word " seraglio ;" and it must be
confessed, that these wooden boxes, with their grated
windows, enclosing the beauties of Georgia, Circassia, and
Greeee (houris of that paradise of Mohammed of which
the Padischah is the deity), curiously resemble large cages
filled with domestic fowls.
We Europeans, are in the habit of confounding
Moorish aud Turkish architecture, which have, in truth,
nothing in common ; and we make, involuntarily, an
Alhambra of every seraglio — which is far enough from the
, reality. But these remarks do not prevent the Seraglio
from offering a very pleasing aspect, with its brilhant
white walls and its masses of dark verdure, lying between
tlie clear sky and the blue water, whose rapid current
washes its mysterious boundaries.

THE TROAD.— THE DARDANELLES. 77
As we pass, there is pointed out to us an inclined
plane, projecting from an opening in the wall, and
overhanging thc sea ; forming, in fact, a sort of " shoot,"
such as we see in mines and some kinds of factories.
It is by that opening, it is said, that those Odalisques
who are guilty of infidelity, or who have displeased
the Sultan, are precipitated into the deep and rapid wnters
of the Bosphorus, enclosed in a sack together with a cat
and a serpent; these last being considered emblems of
domestic infidelity and treachery.
At present, however, we are told that with the advance
of enlightenment, these executions have been discontinued.
And besides this, the tradition may be utterlj' false, roman
tically barbarous as it is. If it be not true, and I do not
guarantee it, it has at least a local colouring of possibility ;
and there is little doubt, that females have been sometimes
submerged in the Bosphorus imprisoned in sacks, whether
by this particular channel or otherwise.
We double the Seraglio- Point ; the Leonidas halt s at
the entrance of the Golden Horn. A marvellous panorama
displays itself before our eyes, like the grand theatrical
scene of some oriental spectacle.
The Golden Horn is a bay, of which the Seraglio-
Point, and the port of Top-Hane, form the two capes, and
which penetrates into the city, lying in an araphitheatre
upon its two shores, as far as the " Sweet Waters," and
the mouth of the Barbyses, a little tributary stream. Its
name of Golden Horn is derived, no doubt, from its forming
a literal "cornucopia" for the city, and contributing to
its wealth, by the facilities which it affords to the shipping,
to commerce, and to naval constructions.
Waiting until we can land, let us make a pen and ink
sketch, ofthe " picture" that we can paint by-and-by.
To the right, beyond the sea, rises an immense building,

78 CONSTANTINOPLE,
regularly pierced by successive ranges of windows, and
flanked at each angle by a sort of turret surmounted by
a flag-staff. It is a ban-ack ; the largest building, but by
no means the most characteristic, in Scutari — the Turkish
name of that Asiatic suburb of Constantinople, which dis
plays itself on returning from the borders of the Black
Sea, and lies upon the site of the ancient Chrysopolis, of
which there now remains no vestige.
A little more remote, in the midst of the waters, rises,
upon an islet of rocks, a lighthouse of dazzling whiteness,
which is called Leander's Tower, or otherwise the Maiden's
Tower ; although the place has nothing in harmony with
the legend of the two classic lovers. This tower, elegant
enough in form, and which in this clear air looks like
alabaster, forms a superb contrast to the deep blue of the
surrounding waters.
At the entrance ofthe Golden Horn,Top-Hanfe appears ;
with its landing-place, its cannon-foundery, and its mosque,
with the aerial dome and slender minarets, built by the
Sultan Mahmoud. The palace of the Russian embassy
lifts its proudly-elevated front above the red-tiled roofs
and the tufts of trees, and seems to command attention
as the feature of the town ; yet, as the residences of the
other ambassadors are far less assuming, there would seem
to be no necessitj' for this self-assertion on the part of
Russia. The tower of Galata — the quarter occupied by the
Frankish commerce — rises in the midst of the houses,
covered with a brazen cupola, and towers above the
ancient Genoese walls, whieh crumble at its base.
Pera, the peculiar residence of the Europeans, crowns
the summit of the hill, with its ranges of cypress trees,
and its mansions of stone ; forming a striking conti-ast to
the wooden barracks of the Turks.

TIIE TROAD. — THE DARDANELLES. 79
Seraglio-Point forms the other cape, and upon this
shore lies the city of Constantinople proper — the veritable
Stamboul — and never did outline more magnificent, display
its undulations and indentations, between sea and sky. The
land inclines to the vcry verge of thc water, and the
buildings present themselves in a perfect and superb
amphitheatre. The mosques, rising above this ocean of
verdure, and this wilderness of houses of all colours, dis
play their blue domes, while their white minarets, sur
rounded by balconies, and terminated by a slender spire.
shoot upward, sharp and bright, in the clear sky of the
morning ; giviug to the town, an oriental and fairy phy
siognomy, heightened by the soft and silvery vapour which
hangs about the earth and the buildings. Amidst all
these minarets, behind the mosque of Bajazet, rises to
a prodigious height the tower of the Seraskier, whence is
displayed the signal, which indicates the outbreak and the
locality of accidental fires.
Three bridges of boats connect the two shores of the
Golden Horn, and permit incessant communication between
the Turkish town and its variously-populated suburbs.
The principal street of Galata abuts upon the first of these
bridges. We will not, however, anticipate these details,
which will be given hereafter in their proper places, but
limit ourselves to the general aspect.
There .are no quays in Constantinople, and the town
everywhere plunges its feet into the water. The ships of
all nations approach the houses, without being kept at a
respectful distance by piers of granite.
Near the bridge which occupies the centre of the
Golden Horn, are stationed the steamers of England,
France, Austria, and Turkey ; omnibuses of the sea,
watermen of the Bosphorus, that Thames of Constanti
nople, where is concentrated all the activity and all the

80 CONSTANTINOPLE.
life of the town. Myriads of boats and caiques, glide like
fish amid the azure waters of the gulf, and direct their
course toward the Leonidas, moored at a short distance
from the Cu.stom-house, which is situated between Galata
and Top-Haue. In all the countries of the world, the
custom-houses have columns, and an architecture in the
style of the Odeon. That of Constantinople is not false
to its species, but luckily the neighbouring barracks are
so dilapidated, so out of the perpendicular, and shouldering
each other about with a nonchalance so truly oriental,
that the severe classicality of the custom-house is some
what ameliorated.
As usual, the deck of the Leonidas was covered in an
instant with a polyglot crowd. It was a medley of Tm-kish,
Greek, Italian, Armenian, French, and English. I was
sadly perplexed amidst this babel, although before starting
I had studied Turkish " under the best masters ;" when
there appeared in a caique, like a guardian angel, the
person to whom I was consigned and recommended, and
who knew in his own proper person all the languages that
ever were spoken, and seemingly some few besides. He
sent to the devil (each in his own tongue), all the rascals
who were devouring me, took me into his boat, and con
ducted me to the custom-house, where the officials con
tented themselves with a mere glance at my scantily
stocked portmanteau, which a hammal, or porter, im
mediately afterward tossed, like a feather, across his
herculean shoulders.
The hammal is of a species peculiar to Constantinople ;
a sort of camel with two legs and no hump. He lives on
cucumbers and water, and carries the most enormous
weights up the most perpendicular streets, under a sun
literally melting.
These men carry upon their shoulders a stuffed leathern

THE TROAD.— THE DARDANELLES. Rl
cushion, on which they place their burdens ; stooping
greatly beneath the weight,' and bearing the strain upon
tho neck, like oxen. Their dress consists of loose linen
trousers, a coarse yellow jacket, and a fez, about which is
woundahandkerchief. Their chestsand bodies are generally
well developed; but, singular as it may appear, their legs are
often very slender. It is amazing to see legs, which look
like two flutes in russet leather cases, sustain weights
beneath whioh Hercules would bend.
In following the hammal, who led the way toward a
lodging which had been secured for me near the principal
street of Pera, I found myself bewildered in a labyrinth of
streets and lanes, narrow, crooked, mean, and infamously
paved ; full of holes and puddles ; thronged with mangy
curs, and asses loaded with bricks and mortar. The lovely
mirage which had enwrapped the city as seen from the
sea, rapidly disappeared. The paradise was changed into
a cloaca ; the poetry turned into prose ; and I could not
but ask myself, sadlj', how these ugly and ruinous houses
could derive, from distance and perspective, aspects so
seducing — a colouring so soft and luminous.
I have come from Paris in twelve days and a half,
travelling with the mails ; for I make it a principle in my
journeys, to travel as rapidly as possible to the most
distant point, irt order to return at my ease ; and I had
promised myself to consecrate this day to a repose which
I had fairly eamed ; but curiosity was too strong for me,
and after paying the homage of a few yawns to my fatigue,
I commenced my peregrinations, and plunged at hazard
into the midst of the unknown town, without taking the
precaution to provide myself with a compass ; such having
been the custom of a friend of mine, characterised by
singular prudence and sagacity.

82 CONSTANTINOPLE.

VI,

THE GOLDEN HOEN.

The lodging provided for me, occupied the first-floor of a
house situated at the extremity of a street in the Frankish
quarter ; the only one which Europeans inhabit. This
street led from the chief street of Pera to the Field of the
Dead;' but I cannot designate it more clearly, for the
simple reason, that in Constantinople the streets have no
names affixed at the comers — neither Turkish, nor French
— nor are the houses numbered, which fact complicates
the difficulty.
In traversing this nameless maze, each person follows
his own judgment, for want of better guidance ; and finds
his way and retraces it, by means of his own observation of
local peculiarities. The "clue" of Ariadne or of Queen
Eleanor, would here be of invaluable utility; but the
attempt to drop crumbs of bread, and retrace your steps by
their means, would be futile indeed, for the dogs would
have devoured your land marks, long before you had even
reached your flrst destination.
Speaking of dogs, my principal guide-post or beacon,
by which to find my apartments during the earlier days of
my sojourn, was a great hole sunken in the middle of the
' The character of Pora is so muoh moro French than anything
else, that this disused cemetery is best known to Europeans by its
French designation of " Petit-champ dos Morts ;" of which, " The
Little Field of the Dead," although certainly a literal translation, and
the ouly possible one, conveys but a clumsy equivalent. — Tuans.

THE GOLDEN HORN. 83
highway, in which a mangy female dog, suckled a litter of
some half dozen puppies, with the most entire composure
and security, aud with but little respect for the legs of
those pedestrians who approached too closely the verge of
her extempore kennel.
Some streets, however, have traditional names, derived
from their proximity to some mosque or khan ; and that
in which my abode was situated, as I by-and-by ascer
tained, was called " Dervish-Sohak ; " but the name being
nowhere written up, serves but small purpose of guidance.
My house was of stone ; a fact by no means unconsola-
tory, in a town so combustible as Constantinople ; — and,
for greater security, was furnished with an iron door and
iron-plated shutters, to repel the flames and sparks in case
of fire in the neighbourhood. My room was distinguished
by whitewashed walls, and a painted wooden floor ; and
had, for fumiture, a long divan, a table, and a Venetian
mirror in a frame of black and gold. It communicated
with a bed-room, supplied with an iron bedstead and a
chest of drawers. There was about all this, nothing very
oriental, as you may perceive ; nevertheless, my hostess
was a Smyrniote, and her niece, although dressed in a
European morning wrapper, hada face of oriental paleness,
illumined by a pair of dark eyes, purely Asiatic in their
depth and languor of expression. A pretty Grecian girl
for a servant, with a handkerchief twisted into a turban
by way of head-dress, assisted by a stupid boy, formed
the domestic establishment, and maintained its local
colouring. The niece knew some French, — the aunt a
little Italian ; and by means of these two, and my sus
picions of Turkish, w-e contrived to misunderstand each
other very satisfactorily. But, Constantinople is evidently
the original Babel, and the confusion of tongues has never
ceased since its outbreak. The knowledge of at least four

84 CONSTANTINOPLE.
languages, is indispensable for the commonest daily inter
course ; those four being Greek, Turkish, Italian, and
French ; some or all of which are spoken at Pera by the
very boys in the streets. At Constantinople the celebrated
linguists Mezzofanti or Bpwring, would be no such won
derful persons after all ; and as for us Frenchraen, who
know only our own language, we stand confounded amidst
this prodigious linguistic facility ; and find ourselves little
better situated than if the gift of speech had been denied
us altogether. As I have already said, it is my habit, in strange
towns, to plunge boldly into the unknown streets, like a
nautical explorer ; trusting to the points of the compass
and dead-reckoning. Nothing is more amusing, than the
" discoveries " that one makes in this manner ; and it is a
great satisfaction to give a mosque or a fountain its true
name, by dint of your own researches and analogies, with
out the aid of a stupid dragoman ; who would pronounce
both uame and history, with the tone and manner of a
showman exhibiting a nest of boa-constrictors, or some
" amphibious " nondescript, " which cannot live in the
water and dies on the land."
Moreover, in this errant-travelling, you see things
which guides never would show you ; which, in fact,
means all that is really worth seeing, in the countries
which you visit.
AVith a " fez " for a hat, dressed in a closely-buttoned
frock-coat, my face embrowned by the sea air, and a beard
of, six months' growth, I had sufficiently the air of a
modernised and "reformed" Turk, to attract no attention
in the streets ; and I, therefore, boldly pursued my course
toward "The Little Field of the Dead ; " taking the pre
caution to observe very closely, at starting, both my house
and the road which I took, so that I inight uot lose myself.

THE GOLDEN HORN. 85
" The Little Field of the Dead," v\hich, for brevity,
and to avoid the more lugubrious addition, is usually
called "The Little Field," occupies the slope of a hill
which rises from the shore of the Golden Horn, to the
crest of Pera, and is distinguished by a terrace bordered
by lofty houses and cafes. It is an ancient Turkish ceme
tery, but disused for some ye.ars : perhaps, because there
was a lack of room ; perhaps, because the dead Mussul
mans found themselves too near the living Giaours.
A blazing sun glares upon this declivity, bristling with
dark-leaved and gray-trunked cypresses, beneath which
rise a crowd of tombstones of marble, the summit of each
of which is decorated with a carved and coloured turban.
These stones lean in all directions, — right, left, backward,
or forward, according to the sinking of the earth beneath
and around them ; and bear a vague resemblance (from
their turbaned heads) to human forms, or to those children's
toys, which represent a blacksmith striking upon an anvil,
with a wooden-hammei' stuck in his stomach.
In many places the stones, carved with verses of the
Koran, havc yielded under their own weight ; and being
carelessly placed in a sandy soil, are overturned or broken.
Some of them arc decapitated, and their turbans lie at
their feet like severed heads. It is said that these trun
cated tombs are those of the Janissaries, pursued even
beyond the grave by the vengeance of the Sultan Mah
moud. Nothing like symmetry or arrangement is discernible
in this scattered cemetery ; which extends, at one point, its
tombs and its cypresses, between the houses of Pera, to
the "Tekke," or monastery, of the Dancing Dervishes.
Here and there, rise slightly elevated plots of ground,
often enclosed by low walls, or balustrades, forming the
special burial-ground of some family of wealth or power.

86 CONSTANTINOPLE.
These enclosures contain, habitually, a pillar surmounted
by a superb turban, encircled by three or four leaves of
marble (rounded at the top like the handle of a spoon),
and a dozen of smaller pillars. This is the burial-place
of some Pasha, with his wives, and those of his children
who died young ; forming a sort of funeral harem, to keep
him company in the other world.
At different points, workmen are making door-frames,
or steps for stair-cases ; idlers are sleeping, or smoking
their pipes, seated upon the tombs ; veiled females pass,
trailing their yellow boots with a careless sort of step ;
children are plaj'ing at hide-and-seek among the graves,
and shouting merrily at their play ; and the cake mer
chants set up their stalls, and offer you their light circular
cakes, encrusted with almonds.
Among the fallen stones fowls are pecking, and cows
seek some meagre shoots of herbage ; while for lack of
grass they chew scraps of shoes, and fragments of old
hats, which are scattered around. The dogs have installed
themselves in the excavations caused by the decay of the
coffins, or more often of the planks which support the
earth above the bodies ; and have made themselves fright
ful hiding-places of these asylums of the dead, — enlarged
by their voracity.
In the most frequented quarters, the tombs are worn
beneath the feet of the passengers, and are gradually
obliterated beneath the dust and other accumulations.
The marble pillars are scattered in fragments upon the
soil, and are rapidly being buried, like the mouldering
remains which they once designated, — shrouded by those
invisible grave-diggers who make everything neglected
and deserted to disappear; — be it tomb, temple, or town.
Here, it is not Solitude extending itself above Forgetful
ness, but Life resuming the place which it had temporarily

THE GOLDEN HORN. 87
conceded to Death. Some masses of cypress, peculiarly
compact, have still saved certain corners of the cemetery
from profanation, and preserved its hue of melancholy.
The turtle-doves nestle in their dark foliage, and flights
of smaller birds, hovering above their black cones, trace
large circles upon the blue of the sky.
Some small houses of wood — built of planks, lath, and
lattice-work, painted of a red which has been rendered
pink by tlie sun and the rain — are grouped among the
trees; looking worn out and dissipated, out of perpendicular,
and in that state of dilapidation, most favourable to the
artist. Before descending the hill leading to the Golden Horn,
I paused a moment to contemplate the superb prospect
which expanded itseK beneath my view. The first picture,
was formed by the cemetery' and its slopes, covered with
cypresses and tombs ; — the second, by the brown-tiled
roofs, and the red houses of the quarter of Kassim Pasha ;
the thu-d, by the blue waters of the gulf, which extends
from Serai-Bournou to the " Sweet Waters of Europe ; "
and the fourth, by the line of undulating hills, upon the
slope of which Constantinople lies outspread as in an
amphitheatre. The blue domes of the bazaars, the white
minarets of the mosques, the arches of the ancient
aqueduct, the tufts of cypress and of plane trees, the
angles of the roofs, varying the magnificent line of horizon,
extending from the Seven Towers to the heights of Eyoub :
— all this, lay before me in a pure and silvery light, and
with a force of toue and clearness of outline bey6nd
description. After a few minutes of pensive admiration, I resume
my progress ; now following nn obscure path, now striding
over the tombs, until I come to a labyrinth of narrow
streets, lined with black-looking houses, inhabited by

88 CONSTANTINOPLE.
charcoal dealers, blacksmiths, and other ferruginous labour
ers. I said " houses," but the word is far too grand, and
I recall it. Say huts, hovels, dog-kennels ; all that you
can imagine the most smoky, dirtj', and miserable.
Wretched little donkeys, with drooping ears and bare
bones, range about, loaded with charcoal or old iron.
Aged beggars, seated upon their crossed and folded legs,
extended piteously towards me, from amid their rags,
hands like those of unfolded muuiniies ; while their oval's
eyes, and their beaks like those of birds of prey, repelled,
rather than excited compassion. Otliers, with curved
backs, and heads leaning on their breasts, hobbled along,
with their hands resting upon large canes — looking, for all
the world, like the pictures of Mother Goose iu the nursery
tale. It is only in the East, that it is possible to realise the
fantastic extreme of ugliness, to which old women can
attaiu, who mal^e no attempt to conceal the ravages of
time. Here, too, the veil augments the horror ; for what
one sees is frightful, but what that leads onc to imagine,
is unutterable ! It is a sad pity that thc Turks havc no
" Witches Sabbath," to celebrate v/hich, they could send
these horrible creatures, each upon her broom !
Some few hammals,bending beneath incredible weights
— and, like Dante in the infemal regions, raising one foot,
only wheu the other is firmly planted — mount and descend
the streets ; a few horses pass noisilj' along, striking in
numerable sparks, at each step, from the wretched and
uneven pavement, of this rather laboriou.= than fashionable
quarter. At length, I reached tho Golden Horn, where I came
out upon the white buildings of the arsenal, erected aboAe
extensive vaults, aud crowned by a tower and belfry.
Being built, however, in accordance with civilised tastes.

THE GOLDEN HORN. 89
it has no attraction for Europeans, although the Turks are
very proud of it. I therefore give little time to its con
templation, and devote my observation rather to the
harbour, crowded with ships of all nations, and rippled by
caiques gliding about in every direction ; and above all,
to the wonderful panoraina of Constantinople itself, dis
played upon the opposite shore.
This view is so strangely beautiful, that it is hard to
credit its reality ; or to believe that it is anything but one of
those theatrical scenes, prepared to illustrate some eastern
fairy tale, and bathed, by the fancy of the painter, and
the briUiancy of the gas-lights, in a radiance pm-ely
celestial. The palace of Serai-Bournou, with its Chinese
roofs, its white and crenelated walls, its latticed kiosks,
its gardens of cypress, pine, and plane trees ; the mosque
of Sultan-Achmet, with its circidar dome standing amidst
the six minarets, which rise around it like masts of ivory;
the great mosque of Saint Sophia ; the mosque of Bajazet ;
Yeni-Djami; the Seraskier's Tower, an immense column,
upon whose summit is always stationed a watchman to
give the alarm in case of fire, and indicate its locality ;
the Suleimanieh, with its Arab elegance, and its dome like
a helmet of steel ; all these, displayed upon a ground of
delicious blue, form a picture which seems rather like
a briUiant visiod, than a prosaic scene of actual life and
reality. The transparent waters of the Golden Hora, reflect
these splendours in their trembling mirror, and increase
the magical effect of the picture; while the ships at
anchor, and the saUing-boats skimming the wave, with
their sails outspread Uke the wings of a bird, serve as
varied and life-like accessories, in giving tone and force
to the tableau, in which, as in the atmosphere of dream
land, you behold the city of Constantine and of Mahomet II.
o

90 CONSTANTINOPLE.
I know, from the experience of those who have visited
Constantinople before me, that these wonders have need
(like the theatrical scenes which they resemble) of dis
tance and perspective ; and tbat, on a near approach, the
charm vanishes ; the palaces prove to be only dilapidated
barracks ; the minarets nothing but large whitewashed
piUars ; and the streets, steep and narrow, are utterly
without character. But what matter, if this incongruous
assemblage of houses, of mosques, and of trees, when
painted by that peerless artist, the sun, produces a wonder
ful picture, lying thus between sea and sky ? The scene,
although the result of an illusion, is not the less truly and
wonderfully beautiful.
I remained for a time on the shore, to watch the
flight of the sea-gulls, and to see the caiques darting like
gold-fish through the water, bearing " types " of all
nations — represented by one or more specimens — forming
a perpetual carnival, which seems never to pall upon the
view. I had a strong desire to risk myself upon the
bridge of boats which connects the two shores, and to go
" Eis tin polin," as the Greeks say — a phrase from which
the Turks, by force of constant hearing and repeating,
have formed " Is-tam-boul " — the modern name of the
ancient Byzantium ; although some " learned Thebans "
pretend that we ought to say " Islam- bol," meaning
" Islam-ville " ; but the passage is, for a stranger, rather
too bold a feat to attempt at an advanced hour of the day,
and with the chance of being overtaken by darkness before
accomplishing it. I resume my road, therefore, and re
mount the acclivity of the cemetery, to regain Pera. In
so doing, I deviated to the right, which brought me
beneath the ancient Genoese walls, at the foot of which is
a dried-up moat, filled with dogs asleep, and children at
play ; and thence, to the Tower of Galata — a lofty column,

THE GOLDEN HORN. 91
on the suramit of which, as on that of the Seraskier's
Tower, is stationed, perpetually, a watchman, to give the
alarm of fire.
This tower is a veritable Gothic donjon, crowned by a
battlemented and projecting gallery, and surraounted by a
pointed roof of brass, oxydised by time, and which, in place
of the crescent, sustains the swallow-tailed weather-vaue
of the old feudal manor-house. At the foot of the tower,
are grouped a number of hovels and dwarfed houses,
which even augment its really great height. Its construc
tion dates back to the time of the Genoese. Those mer
chant-soldiers made fortresses of their warehouses, and
embattled their quarter like a fortified town. Their
counting-houses might have withstood a siege — and so
indeed they did, more than one.
At the summit of the hill which is occupied by the
cemetery, is a broad road, lined on one side with houses
which enjoy a splendid prospect. I followed this road to
an angle, where stands a very remarkable old cj'press tree,
and found myself speedily opposite to my owu street;
tired enough, and dying of hunger.
I was supplied with a dinner, which theyhad obtaiued
from a neighbouring eating-house, and whioh soon calmed
my appetite ; rather, however, by disgust, than by satisfy
ing my hunger. « I am not in the habit of writing elegies
upon the culinary deceptions which I suffer in travelling ;
and an omelette, garnished with a few stray hairs, and
rendered aromatic by a deluge of rancid butter, is a private
misfortune, which I shall not attempt to elevate to the
dignity of a public calamity ; but I may as well record,
in passing, that this first revelation of the style of Turk
ish cookery, seemed to me but an evU augury for the
future. Spain had habituated me to wine tasting of goat-skins
G 2

92 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and pitch, and I resigned myself readily enough to the
black wine of Tenedos, brought in a kid-skin bottle ; but
the water — yellow, brackish, and flavoured by the rust of
the old aqueducts — made me wish for either the gargoulettes
of Algiers, or the alcazzaras of Granada.

\ NIGHT OF THE RAMADAN, 93

VII.
A NIGHT OF THE RAMADAN.
At Paris, the idea of a promenade from eight to eleven
o' clods at night, in Pere La Chaise, or the Cemetery of
Montmartre, would appear ultra-singular, and cadaverously
romantic. The most courageous dandies would shrink
from the experiment; and as to the ladies, the mere sug
gestion of such a party of pleasure, would cause them to
swoon with alarm. At Constantinople, however, it attracts
no notice. The Boulevard de Gand of Pera — its Regent
Street — its Broadway — its Corso — is situated on the crest
of the hUl, which is occupied by " The Field of the
Dead." Picture to yourself, my dear sir, and my lovely lady,
that, seated, in summer, on the steps of Tortoni's, you see
before j'ou — beneath the sable gloom of clustering cypresses,
and glancing white in the rays of the moon, like broken
columns of silver — hundreds of monuments and of tombs ;
while you trifle with an ice, or sip a liqueur, and muse
upon love or politics.
A slight railing, broken or overtbro-wn in many places,
indicates a faint line of separation between the burial-
ground and the gay promenade ; but it is disregarded at
eveiy instant. A line of chairs, and a set of tables, over
which lounge a crowd of idlers, before a cup of coffee, a
sherbet, or a glass of water, extends from one end to the
other of the terrace ; which, farther on, turns and leads

91 CONSTANTINOPLE.
towards the " Great Field of the Dead," behind the hill
of Pera. Some ugly houses, of six or seven storeys, line
the road on one side, and rejoice in a superb view, of
which they are quite unworthy. It is true, that these
houses pass for the best in Constantinople, and that Pera
is proud of them — judging them (rightly) as fit to figure
honourably at IMarseilles, or Barcelona, or even at Paris ;
for they are, in foet, of an ugliness the most civilised and
modern. It is, however, but just to say, that, at night,
vaguely illurained by the glare of torches, the rays of star
light, or the silvery beams of the moon, they assume, if
only by virtue of their massive dimensions, an air suf
ficiently imposing.
At each end of the terrace, there is a cafe-concert,
where the customers can unite with the pleasures of eating
and drinking, the luxury of an orchestra of Bohemian
musicians, playing German waltzes and overtures of Italian
operas. Nothing can be more gay, than this promenade, bor
dered with torabstones. The music, which never ceases
(one orchestra beginning as imother pauses), gives a festal
air to this habitual assemblage of promenaders ; whose
friendly whisperings serve as a bass to the brazen strains
of Verdi. The fumes of ^^ latakia" and ^^ tombeki"
mount in spiral clouds of perfume from the chibouques,
cigars, and narghiles — for, at Constantinople, every one
smokes ; even the women. All these lighted pipes
sprinkle the shade with innumerable glowing sparks, like
a swarm of fire-flies. The cry of " a light here !" is con
stantly heard, in all directions, and in every conceivable
language ; and the waiters precipitate themselves in the
direction of these polyglot calls, brandishing a live coal in
a pair of little pincers.
The inhabitants of Pera are seen in numbers, walking

A NIGHT OF THE RAMADAN. 95
amid the smokers and drinkers ; dressed in European cos
tume, except some slight modifications about the head,
and in the dress of the women. The young men are
dressed like the tailors' prints of the French fashion which
is just out of date. They are hardly distinguishable from
Parisian fashionables, except by an air of " newness,"
somewhcat too striking, in their dress. They don't folloio
the mode, but go rather iu advance of it. Each part of
their apparel is " signed" by some celebrated outfitter, of
the Rue Richelieu, or the Rue de la Paix ; their shirts are
from chez Lami-Housset ; their canes from chez Verdier ;
their gloves from chez Jouvin, etc., etc. Some few, how
ever — Armenian families, chiefly, — wear the red cap, with
a black tassel ; but they are greatly in the minority. In
fact, the East is not recalled in this scene, except by the
occasional passing of some Greek, with his embroidered
jacket and its hanging sleeves, and his tunic swelling out
like a bell ; or by some Turkish functionary on horseback,
foUowed by his cawas and his pipe-bearer, retm-ning from
the Great Cemetery to Istamboul, and directing his course
towards the Bridge of Galata.
The Turkish manners have tinged the European man
ners ; and the women of Pera Uve closely secluded. It is,
however, a voluntary seclusion. They rarely go out,
except to take q turn in the Little Field, and breathe the
fresh air of the evening ; and there are many who do not
allow themselves even this innocent relaxation ; and thus
deprive the traveller of the opportunity of passing in
review the women of the country, as in the Casino, the
Prado, Hyde Park, or the Champs Elysees. Man only,
appeai-s to exist in the East; woman passes there as a
myth ; and the Christians, in this particular, have caught
something of the notions and habits of the Moslems.
On that particular evening, the Little Field was pecu-

96 CONSTANTINOPLE.
liarly animated. The " Ramadan" had just commenced
with the new moon, the appearance of which above the
crest of the Olympus of Bithynia, anxiously watched by
the priests, and proclaimed instantly throughout the em
pire, announces the return of the grand Mahometan
jubilee. The Ramadan, as every one knows, is a sort of Lent
blended with a Carnival ; the day is a fast, the night a
feast; the penance is followed by a debf^uch, as a legiti
mate compensation. From sunrise to sunset — of which
the precise instant is made known by a signal-gun — the
Koran forbids the tasting of food or drink, or even the in
dulgence of the pipe ; which last is a dreadful privation,
to a people whose lips rarely quit the amber mouthpiece
of the chibouque or narghile. To assuage even the most
agonising thirst by a draught of water, were, during the
day, a grave sin ; but from evening till morning everything
is perraitted ; and the devotees then recompense them
selves amply, for their previous compulsory abstinence.
To-night, therefore, the Tm-kish part of Constantinople
keeps high festival.
From the promenade of the Little Field, one beholds
a wonderful spectacle. On the other side of the Golden
Horn, Constantinople glows and sparkles, like the cro^vn of
carbuncles of an oriental emperor. The minarets blaze with
rows of lamps from all their galleries ; and from spire to
spire verses of the Koran gleam in letters of flame, — seem
ing, in the distance, as if written upon the azm-e page of the
firmament, by the hand of Omnipotence. Saint Sophia,
Sultan-Achnict, Yeni-Djami, the Suleimanieh, and all the
long line of temples of Allah which rise between Serai-
Bournou and the hills of Eyoub, blaze with resplendent
light, and pronounce with tongues of fire the formula of
Islam. The crescent of the moon, attended by a single

A NIGHT OF THE RAMADAN. 97
star, seems to emblazon the insignia of the empire upon
the unfurled standard of the sky.
The waters of the bay reflect and multiply these
myriads of lights, and seem to pour a streara of molten
jewels. It is said, that in a dream there is always dn
element or portion of reality ; but here the reality sur
passes the dream !, The tales of the " Arabian Nights,"
offer nothing more magical or fairy-like ; and the treasures
of Haroun-al-Raschid would pale, beside this blazing
and colossal casket, of a league in length !
Dm-ing the Ramadan, the utmost freedom of action
prevails ; the use of the lantern is not compulsory, as at
other times ; the brilliantly iUuminated streets render
ing this precaution unnecessary. The Giaours can remain
in Istamboul until the last light is extinguished — an ex
periment formerly full of danger. I, therefore, eagerly
accepted the proposal of a young " Constantinoplean," to
whom I was recommended, to descend to the landing-
place of Top-Han6, and take a caique to go and see the
Sultan on his way to prayers at Schiragan, and then finish
the night in the Turkish quarter of the town.
ITie descent from Pera to Top-Hane, is by a narrow
and almost perpendicular street, much resembling the dry
channel of a torrent. To a European foot, accustomed
to the elasticity of an asphalte paveraent, or the sraooth
ness ofa macadamised road, such a tumble-down pathway
affords but rude exercise. Still, with the assistance of my
more experienbed companion, I reached the bottom -with
out breaking any bones — a happier result than could have
been reasonably expected. I did not tread upon a single
dog's tail, nor tumble over even one of those amiable
animals. As we descended, the crowd increased; nnd the shops
around, brUliantly illuminated, Ughted up the thorough-

98 CONSTANTINOPLE.
fares, crowded with Turks, seated on the ground, or upon
low stools, smoking with that evident zest, earned by a
day of abstinence. The streets presented a perpetual
coming and going ; a bustle and confusion, the most ani
mated and picturesque imaginable ; for between the im
moveable lines of smokers, poured an endless stream of pro
menaders, of all nations, sexes, and ages.
Borne on by the stream, we reached the aquare of
Top-Haue, and traversing the court of the, mosque, found
ourselves in front of that charming fountain, in the
Arabian style, which the English prints have made
familiar to all the world ; but which has been deprived of
its pretty Chinese roof, to be furnished with a trashy
balustrade of iron.
The bal-masque in " Gustavus," does not exhibit a
greater variety of costumes, than the great square of Top-
Hane in a night of the Ramadan. The Bulgarians, with
their huge overcoats and their fm--triramed caps, seem not
to have changed their dress since leaving the banks of the
Danube ; Circassians, with their slender limbs and ex
panded chests ; Georgians, with short tunics bound with
a ring of metal, and patent leather casques ; Arnaouts,
wearing embroidered jackets without sleeves, over their
bare and brawny chests ; Jews, distinguished by their
robes open at the sides, and their black caps bound with
blue handkerchiefs ; Greeks of the islands, with their
ample trousers, crimson sashes, and tarbouches with silken
tassels ; modernised Turks, with their single-breasted
frock-coats, and red fez ; Turks of the old style, in broad
turban, and caftan of pink, yellow, or pale blue, recalling
the time of the janissaries ; Persians, with black lamb's-
wool caps ; Syrians, distinguished by their gold em
broidered scarfs and gowns of Byzantine form ; Turkish
women, in white yachmacks und light coloured feredjes ;

Tire MOsauE or sultan mahmoud at top-hane.

A NIGHT OF THE RAMADAN. 99
Armenian females, less closely veUed, in violet dresses, and
black boots ; all these, formed in groups which blend and
disperse unceasingly, constitute the most novel and cm-ious
medley that cnn be conceived.
Stalls in full trade, seUing milk curds and boiled
cream ; shops of confectionery — of which the Turks are
enormous consumers ; the counters of the vendors of
water, distinguished by chimes of small bells, which
are rung by a miniature hydraulic machine ; stalls of
sherbet dealers, and of sellers of snow-water ; are ranged
around the sides of the square, which is brightened by
their illuminations. The shops of the tobacconists are
filled with persons of some pretension, who look out upon
the scene, while complacently smoking the finest tobacco,
through pipes of jasmine or cherry-wood. At the farther
end of the caf6s the tarbouka rattles, the tambourine
beats, and the shrill notes of the flute are heard ; while
nasal and monotonous songs, blended from time to tirae with
the sharp notes of the Tyroleans, rise from amid the
clouds of smoke. It was with great labour and difficulty
that we reached, at length, through this compact throng,
the landing-place of Top-Han6, where we were to teke
water. A few strokes of the oar sent us out into the stream,
and we could aee from the centre of the Bosphorus, the
illuminations of the mosque of Sultan Mahmoud, and of
the gun foundery which has given its name to the landing-
place of Top-Hane. " Top" in Turkish, signifies cannon;
and " hane" a place or warehouse. The minarets ofthe
mosque of the Sultan Mahmoud, are considered among
the most graceful in Constantinople ; and are cited as
specimens of the classic style of Turkish architecture.
They raised their slender proportions sharply, in the
deep blue of the night, with their outlines traced in fire.

100 CONSTANTINOPLE,
and united one to another by verses of the Koran ; produc
ing a most graceful and striking effect. In fi-ont of the
foundery, the illumination was composed of a gigantic
cannon, with its carriage and wheels, forming the insignia
of the Turkish artillery with striking exactitude.
In following the Bosphorus, we coasted the European
sho^-e, all blazing with light, and bordered with innumer
able summer palaces of -viziers and pashas ; distinguished
by illuminations mounted upon iron franjes, and repre
senting complicated cyphers or monograms in the Turkish
manner, blended with figures of steam-boats, bouquets,
and sentences of the Koran ; until at length we reached
the palace of Shiragan, composed of a triangular portico
with fluted columns (in the style of the Chamber of
Deputies at Paris), and two wings, trellised with windows,
and resembling a couple of immense cages. The name of
the Sultan, written in lines of fire, glowed upon the front ;
and through the open door a large hall was visible, where
amid the blaze of innumerable candelabra, dark shadows
moved in pious convulsions. It was the Padischah, who
performed his devotions, surrounded by his grand officers,
kneeling upon the carpet. A sound of nasal psalmody
issued also from the hall, combined with the yellow light
of myriads of tapers, and spread itself abroad in the calm
and blue of the evening.
After a few minutes of contemplation, we signed to
our caidgi to return, that I might see the other shore ; the
shore of Asia, on which stands Scutari (the ancient Chry
sopolis), with its illuminated mosques, and its screens of
cypress spreading behind them the folds of their funereal
foliage. During the passage, I had occasioii to admire the
dexterity with which the rowers of these fragile boats
(the caiques) direct their course, through the tumult of

A NIGHT OF THE RAMADAN. 101
vessels and of currents, which would render the navigation
of the Bosphorus extremely dangerous to boatmen less
adroit. The caiques have no helm, and the rowers — unlike
the gondoliers of A''enice, who look towards the prow of
their boat — turn their backs towards the quarter which
they approach ; which compels them at every stroke of the
oar, to turn their heads to see if any unexpected obstacle
has interfered to check their progress. They have certain
recognised cries, by which they announce or prevent such
interruptions, with inconceivable quickness.
Seated upon a cushion, in the bottom of the caique,
beside my companion, I enjoyed in silence and inaction
this wonderful spectacle ; for the slightest movement, be
it understood, is quite sufficient to overturn these narrow
coclde-shells ; calculated as they are for Turkish gravity
and immobility. The dews of the night fell upon our
garments, and made the latakia steam in our chibouques ;
for be the days never so hot, the nights have always a
certain coolness upon the waters of the Bosphorus, fresh
ened as they are by the sea breezes, and the displacement
of air caused by the rapid currents of the estuary.
We entered the Golden Horn ; and touching at the
Serai-Bournou, we disembarked amidst a fleet of caiques,
(among which ,ours, after turning about, insinuated itself
like a wedge), near a great kiosk, with Chinese roof, and
walls hung with green curtains ; a former pleasure-house
of the Sultan, abandoned at present, and transformed into
a guard-house. It was amusing, to watch the approach
of the long, gilded barges, of the pashas and high person
ages, for whom splendid horses waited on the quay; —
superbly caparisoned barbs, held by cawas, negroes, or
Arnaouts. The crowd gave way respectfully to allow them
passage.

102 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Oq ordinary occasions, the streets of Constantinople
are not lighted, and every one is obliged to carry a lantem,
as if he were looking for soraebody (or haply emulating
the search made by Diogenes) ; but at the time of the
Ramadan, nothing can be more joyously bright than these
narrow streets, and these abodes of habitual darkness,
along which sparkle, from point to point, paper lanterns ;
while the shops, open throughout the night, throw out
long trains of light, which illumine the surrpuuding houses.
On every stall is nothing but lamps, candles, and tapers ;
the vendors in the open air surround themselves with
tapers to attract custom ; groups of friends sup together
beneath the lamps; the smokers, seated before the en
trances of the cafes, revive with each puff the glowing
tip of their chibouques or narghiles ; — and among this
joyous crowd the light falls in vast and variegated masses,
reflected in all colours and shades, and in every possible
direction. All this multitude eat, with appetites sharpened by a
fourteen hours' fast : — some eat balls of rice, or of hashed
meat, wrapped in vine leaves ; — others the kebab, rolled
in a kind of pancake ; and yet others, enormous cucumbers,
or carpous of Smyrna ; while those richer or more fasti
dious, gorge themselves with more refined meats, or with
quantities of confectionery ; and no small number, re
strict themselves to the large white mulberries, which lie
in heaps before the stalls of the fruiterers.
My friend took me into the shop of a confectioner,
who is the " Very " of Constantinople, to initiate me into
the gourmandisiu of the Turks iu respect to "sweets."
It is, in truth, carried to au extent of refiuemcnt which
would hardly be credited in Paris.
This shop merits a particular description. The shut
ters, lifting upon hinges, like the ports of a ship, formed

A NIGHT OF THE RAMADAN. 103
a species of awning or pent-house, painted in blue and
yellow, overshadowing enorraous glass jars, filled with
coloured sugar-plums, and crystals of rahatlokoum (a sort
of transparent sweatmeat, made with flour and coloured
sugar), pots of conserve of roses, and jars of pistachio-
nuts. We entered the " establishraent," in which three
persons would have found it difficult to stand, and which
was, nevertheless, one of the largest in Constantinople;
and the master — a big Turk, dark coraplexioned, black-
bearded, with a mildly ferocious physiognomy — served us,
in a manner amiably terrible, with some red and white
rahatlokoum, and various sorts of exotic " sweets," highly
perfumed and of exquisite flavom- ; although, perhaps, a
little too honied for a European palate. A cup of ex
cellent coffee served, however, by its healthful bitterness,
to overcome the excessive sweetness of the confectionery,
of which I had partaken somewhat freelj', out of curiosity.
At the farther end of the shop, some boys, with aprons
tied around their waists, a cloth encircling their heads,
and with naked arms, stirred, over a clear fire, the brass
saucepans, in which the almonds and pistachio-nuts were
habituating themselves to clothing made of sugar ; or
rolled, in white powder, balls of rahatlokoum ; making
no mysterj' wh!\tever of their processes.
Seated on one of those low stools, which, with the
divans, form the only seats used by the Turks, I watched
the passage through the streets of the compact and motley
crowd, sprinkled with vendors of sherbet, and criers of
iced-waters, or of cakes ; in which tho evcr-recurrinji
Turkish functionary on horseback, preceded by his cawas,
and followed by his pipe-bearer, pursued his way imper
turbably, without crying " beware !" — and I could not
withdraw my gaze from this scene, for me so new. In

104 CONSTANTINOPLE.
fact, it was past one in the morning, when, guided by mj'
companion, I took my way towards the quay where our
boat awaited us.
In our route, we traversed the court of the mosque
of Yeni-Djami, encircled by a gallery of antique columns,
surmounted by Arabic arches of a superb style, which
the moon whitened with silvery light, and softened
with shadows of blue. Under these arches lay, with
the composure of persons quite at home, numerous
groups of beggars -wrapped in their rags. Every
Mussulman who has no home, .can lay himself down,
without fear of the patrol, upon the steps of a mosque ;
and he will sleep there in as perfect safety as a Spanish
beggar beneath the porch of a church.
The feast lasts, at Constantinople (as already ex
plained,) until the gun-fii-e announces, with the first ray
of sunlight, the retum of the fast ; but it was time to
think of rest, and we still had to effect the ascent from
Top-Hane to Pera ; an undertaking rather formidable,
after a day of physical fatigue and mental excitement.
The dogs growled somewhat as I passed, — doubtless
scenting my French origin and recent arrival, — but they
were speedily quieted by a few words in Turkish, from my
friend, and allowed me to proceed without attacking my
shins ; and, thanks to him, I re-entered my lodgings safe
from their hungry jaws.

THE CAFES. 105

VIII.

THE CAFES.

The "Turkish Cafe," on the Boulevard du Temple, at
Palis, has sadly deluded the imaginations of the Parisians,
as to the luxury of the real oriental cafes. Constantinople
is far from ai^proaching the magnificence of the arches,
the columns, the mirrors, and the ostrich eggs of the
Parisian building. In fact, nothing can be more simple
than a Tm-kish cafe, in Turkey.
I will describe one which passes for perhaps the finest,
but which, however, recalls in nothing the luxury of
eastern fables. You seek in vain for the panels of
enamelled porcelain, the stucco-lace, the bee-hive arches,
the green, red, and gold of the halls of the Alhambra,
celebrated by the illuminated prints of Girault de Prangey.
Many of the establishments for the sale of Dutch-broth, at
Paris, are quite as splendid as the cafes of Constantinople.
Imagine a saloon of a dozen feet square, arched and
whitewashed, encircled by a wainscot about six feet high,
and a species of divan, covered with straw matting. In
the middle — and this is the most elegant point of detail —
a fountain of white marble throws up a stream of water,,
which falls again in various streams, and clouds of spraj'.
In a corner, bums a furnace ; over which the coffee is
made, cup by cup, as required, in little brass coffee-pots,
capable of holding but a single cup each.
To the walls are attached shelves, laden with razors,
H

106 CONSTANTINOPLE.
near which hang several elegant little pearl-mounted
mirrors, in which the customers can see whether their
beards are arranged to their taste ; for, in Turkey, every
cafe is also a barber's shop : and, while I smoke my chi
bouque and sip my coffee, in comes a fat Turk, with a
parrot's nose, and a lean Persian, with an eagle's beak, to
have their beards dressed ; while a young Greek, in front
of me, is pomading his moustache, and painting his eye
brows, which he has first equalised by pieans of a small
pair of pincers.
The idea is prevalent, that, according to the rule of the
Koran, the Turks absolutely proscribe all " images," and
regard the products of the plastic arts as works of idolatry ;
but, although this is true in principle, it is not rigorously
sustained ; and the cafes are decorated with all sorts of
prints, of the oddest choice and taste, without appearing
at all to scandalise the orthodox Mussulman.
The Cafe of the Fountain, among others, has quite a
gallery of prints ; and so grotesquely characteristic, that I
cannot forbear to narae a few of them : — The Turban of a
Dervish, — A Santon taming a red Lion, — Animals, by
Victor Adam, — Warriors of Khorassan, with ferocious
moustachios and scimitars, and mounted upon horses
who seera to have six legs each, — Napoleon at the Battle
of Ratisbon, — The Young Spanish Girl, — Turkish Ships
and Caiques, — Combat between twenty-two Frenchmen
and two hundred Arabs, — Emperor of Russia and his
august Family, — Battle of Austerlitz, — President of the
United Stales, — Old Parr, — Daniel Lambert, — The Balloon
of Tomaski, — A Lion, — A Goat, — A View of the Arsenal
and Mosques, etc., etc. All these, in frames worth about
a penny each !
This extraordinary melange occurs in all the cafes, with
slight variations of subject. Turkish taste takes the French

THE CAFES. 107
prints, and forms these grotesque combinations. Sirens
swira at the side of steam-boats, and the heroes of Schah-
Nameh brandish their battle-axes above thc old soldiers of
thc Empire.
It is delightful, to take, in these cafes, after a fatiguing
walk through the streets, a tiny cup of their dark and
turbid coffee, brought to j'ou by a black-eyed youngster,
on the tips of his fingers, in a salver of silver filigree ;
and it proves more truly refreshing than any iced drink
whioh you could obtain. To the cup of coffee, is usually
added a glass of pure water ; which the Turks drink bcforc,
and the Franks after ; and there is a characteristic anec
dote current on this very subject.
A European, who spoke the eastern languages per
fectly, wore the Mussulman costurae like a native, and had
even acquired the bronzed coraplexion ofthe climate, was,
nevertheless, recognised as a Frank, in a little, obscure,
Syrian cafe, by a ragged Bedouin, incapable, certainly, of
disco-vering a fault in the pure Arabic dialect of the
detected foreigner. " By what have you discovered me to
be a Frank?" said the European; as much annoyed as
Theophrastus, when called " stranger," by a greengrocer
in the market at Athens, because he had misplaced an
accent. " You drank your water after your coffee ;"
replied the Bedeuin.
Every one carries his own tobacco in a box ; the cafe
supplying only the chibouque — the amber mouth-piece of
which is incapable of retaining any impurity frora use —
and the narghile — a complicated apparatus, which it
would be rather difficult to lug about with you. The
price of the cup of coffee is twenty paras, or about one
penny farthing ; and if you give a piastre, or twopence
halfpenny, you are quite a magnificent person. The
money is dropped iuto a box, pierced with a hole (a
H 2

108 CONSTANTINOPLE.
regular child's money-box), which is placed near the
door. Although, in Turkey, the first beggar in rags, who
comes in, seats himself ou the divan beside the most
sumptuou.sly- dressed Turk, without eliciting any sign of
aversion or displeasure from the latter, certain classes
have, nevertheless, their habitual places of resort; and
the " Cafe of the Marble Fountain," situated between
Serai-Bournou and the mosque of Yeni-Pjami, is one of
the most frequented in all the town.
A charming little circumstance, purely local and
oriental, gives a poetic tinge to this caf6, in the eyes of a
European. The swallows have made their nests iu the arch of the
ceiling ; and, as the front is always open, they dash in
and out again, with that peculiar " swoop" which charac
terises them ; bringing food to their young, and chirping
as they pass, without showing the least fear of the inmates,
whose spiral colurans of smoke they often disturb, and
even against wliose fez, or turban, they often graze their
wings. The younglings, with their heads peeping over
the brink of the nests, gaze curiously, but tranquilly, upon
the customers \\ ho come and go ; or are lulled to sleep
by the gush of the fountain, or the bubbling of the nar
ghiles. It is a very pretty sight, to witness this fearless -confi
dence in man, on the part of the birds, aud to see these
nests actually within this crowded cafe ; but it is known
that the Orientals, however cruel, sometimes, to man, are
exceedingly gentle to animals, and have the fiiculty of
winning their affection, and inducing them to ajiproaeh,
habitually and voluntarily. But, then, they never disturb
the animals — as the Eurojieans do, by their noisy restless
ness, and their uproarious laughter. The Turks, governed

THE CAFES. 109
by the principle of fatalism, have much of the passive
immobility ofthe aniraals themselves.
Near Tekke — the monastery of the dervishes, adjoining
Pera — and facing the prolonged cemetery of the Little
Field of the Dead, there is a cafe, frequented chiefly by
Franks and Armenians. It consists of a large, square
room, wainscoted half way up with white and yellow, sur
rounded by a tapestried divan, and ornamented by mirrors,
in black or gold frames, sustained by cords with golden
tassels ; and also decorated with little brazen hands, hold
ing napkins or towels — for this caf6, like all of its species
in Constantinople, is combined with the barber's shop.
On a shelf, at one end, are ranged narghiles, in cut glass,
or Bohemian glass, or Damascened steel ; catching and re
flecting the light from their angular surfaces, and enfolded,
like so many Laocoons, by their flexile and snake-like
tubes of morocco. Near the narghiles are ranged, like
shields upon the bulwarks of an antique gallej', large
brass basins, in which the barber lathers the heads of his
customers. On the bench, beside the door, you sit
dreamily, and watch the passage of the merchants who
go towards their counting-houses, at Galata ; or gaze
upon the dilapidated tombs, which, from their desecrated
enclosures, overhang the public road, and retain little of
their sepulchrnl nspect, except what thej' borrow from the
sable gloom of the overshadowing cypresses.
The Cafe of Beschik-Tasch, on the European shore of
the Bosphorus, is rather raore ])icturesqiie in its construc
tion. It reserables those cabins upon piles, from which
fishermen watch the passage of the shoals of fish. It is
shaded by tufts of trees, and built of planks .and trellis-
work, raised upon timbers ; and is bathed bj' the rapid
current of the Bosphorus, and refreshed by the breezes
from the Black Sea. Seen at a distance, the effect is

110 CONSTANTINOPLE.
graceful — especially at night, when its lamps throw long
trains of light upon the waters. A perpetual tumult of
caiques, seeking to land or embark their passengers, gives
animatiou to this aerial cafe, recalling, although with
rather more of elegance, those which overhang the Gulf of
Smyrna. To close this " monography " of Constantinople cafeism,
we will refer to one more, which is situated near the
landing-place of Yeni-Djami, and rarely frequented by any
but the sailors. The lighting of it is original enough,
consisting of glasses filled with oil, in which burns a wick,
and which are hung from the ceiling by wires twisted into
a spiral shape, like the springs of a child's wooden cannon.
The cawadgi (master of the cafe) touches the glasses from
time to time, and they, by means of the spiral wire, rise
and fall, executing a sort of pj'rotechnic ballet, to the great
delight of the spectators, who are so placed as to be
beyond the fear of occasional grease -spots. A lustre,
coraposed of iron wire, representing a vessel, and supplied
with lights to indicate her outline, completes this strange
illumination, and renders a delicate compliment to the
profession of the habitual customers of the cafe.
On observing the entrance of a Frank, the cawadgi, to
do hira honour, gave a furious impulse to his lamps, and
the glasse.5 began to d.ance like jack-o'-lanterns ; while the
nautical " lustre " heaved and rolled, like a galleon in a
hurricane ; shedding around, meanwhile, an exquisite dew
of rancid oil.
The frequenters of this caf6 would offer superb oriental
models to the artist. The fluctuating light, and savage
figures, seem more befitting some wild mountain gorge,
than the interior of a peaceful cafe ; but yet these seem
ingly-ferocious beings sip their coffee, and surrender
themselves to the indolent luxury of the kief, with a

THE CAFES. Ill
plnciditj' astonishing in mortals so characteristic, and so
worthj', in appearance, to serve as originals for the bandits
of Salvator Rosa or Adrian Guignet.
Nenrlj' all these sailors had their arms tattooed with
red and blue. The most brutalised of the human race
seem to know, bj- instinct, that the use of omament traces
an impassable line between man and the animals — and
when they cannot embroider their clothing, they em
broider their skin. Upon these brawny arms, with the
muscles of athletes, I saw the talismanic Mach' Allah,
which preserves from the " evil ej-e" — so much dreaded
in the East ; burning hearts, transfixed with arrows, pre
cisely like those upon the valentines which fond house
maids send to their lovers ; verses of the Koran, and pious
souvenirs of the pilgrimage to Mecca, interlnced with
flowers, anchors, and oars ; and steamboats, with wheels
and all complete — even to a corkscrew imitation of the
smoke from their funnels.
I remarked, particularly, one stout fellow, somewhat
more elegantly shabby than the rest ; whose arms, bare to
the shoulder, exposed to view, in a frame of ar.abesques —
on the right side, a young Turk, in frock-coat and fez,
holding in his hand a pot of basil ; and, on the left, a
dancing-girl, in a strikingly brief petticoat, who seemed
to pause in the'midst of a cabriole, to receive the flowery
homage of the gallant. This master-piece of tattooing
alluded, no doubt, to some incident of gallantry, of which
the prudent sailor had written the record upon his arm,
in case it should be effaced from his heart.
Two ferocious-looking fellows most politely made
room for me on the straw-covered divan ; and the coffee
which I obtained there was certainly better than the
black decoction of the best caf6s of Paris. The absence
of the habit of drunkenness, enables one to associate with

112 CONSTANTINOPLE.
the lowest classes in the East; and, as we have before
observed, the Orientals have a natm-al dignity, unknown
among us Europeans.
Imagine a Turk, going in the evening to one of our
waterside aud third-rate cafes. Of what remarks, and
impertinent curiosity, would he not be the object ! This
was my position here ; and yet no one appeared even to
notice me, aud still less to offer me the slightest shadow
of annoyance. It is true, that thc ouly drink for sale was
the water, hawked about the room by some little Greek
boys, repeating in a monotonous whine, Crionero J crio-
nero ! (iced water ;) whereas, in a French tavern, they
drink wine and brandy, and get tipsy from excess of civilisa
tion. Suoh are, with very slight variations, the Turkish
cafis ; which it will, therefore, be seen, bear little resem
blance to the idea forraed of them in France and England.
They are often enlivened by troops of itinerant musicians,
playing various instruments, and singing songs utterly
incomprehensible to European ears; but to which the
Orientals listen for hom-s at a time. I shall have occasion
to refer again to these musicians ; who, if not harmonious,
are certainly pictm-esque.

THR SHOPS. 113

IX.

THE SHOPS.

The oriental shops are very different affairs frora those
of Europe. In fact they are oidy " stalls," to begin
with, or a sort of alcove in a wall ; and are closed at night,
by shutters, whieh hang upon hinges and let down like
the ports of a ship. The .shopkeeper, seated, cross-legged,
upon a bit of matting, or of Sraj-rna carpet, carelessly
smokes his pipe, or plaj'S with his beads ; retaining the
same position for hom-s, and appearing perfectly indifferent
in regard to custom. The purchasers stand always out
side, in the street ; examining the goods exposed at the
front of the stall, with a purely business-like air. The
art of displaying merchandise to advantage — carried to
such perfection in Paris and London — is quite unknown, or
utterly disdained, in Turkey. Nothing reminds you, in
even the finest .streets of Constantinople, of the magnifi
cent shops and windows, of the Rue Vivienne, or the
Strand.* Smoking is a necessarj' of existence to the Turk ; one
could almost fancy it a part of his religion ; and naturally,
therefore, the shops of tobacconists and of vendors of
chibouques and amber mouth-pieces abound everywhere.
• The author evidently knows less of London than of Constanti
nople ; as, otherwise, ho would probably liave named Eegent Street,
rather than " tho Strand," in thia connexion. — Trans.

114 CONSTANTINOPLE.
The tobacco, cut very fine, and disposed in long, silky
tufts, of a pale tint, is laid in masses upon shelves, and
arranged with reference to its price and quality. The
principal qualities are four in number : namely, iavach
(sweet), orta (mediura), dokan-aldeu (piquant), and sert
(strong) ; and are sold at frora eighteen to twenty piastres
(from 3s. 6d. to 4s. English) for an ocque ; — a quantity
equivalent to about two pounds and a half. These to-
baccoes, of graduated strength, are smoked in chibouques,
or rolled into cigarettes ; the use of which last is beginning
to be very general in Turkey.
The tombeki, a tobacco destined exclusively for the
narghile, comes from Persia. It is not cut like the other,
but pressed, and broken in small morsels. It is of a darker
colour than the other kinds, and so strong, that it cannot
be smoked until after two or three washings ; and as it is
liable to scatter, it is kept in glass-jars, like a drug.
Without tombeki, the narghile cannot be smoked ; and it
is vexatious that this tobacco is very difficult to procure
in Europe ; because nothing is more delicious, or more
favourable to poetic reverie, than to inhale, in gentle puffs,
while seated upon the cushions of a divan, this perfumed
smoke, freshened by the water through which it passes ;
and which reaches you, after traversing a large circle of
tubing, in which you entwine your arm, like an Ar.ab
snake-charmer playing with his serpents. It is the
sybaritism of smoking, carried to the highest degree of
perfection. Art itself contributes to the luxury of this
delicate enjoyment; for there are narghiles of gold, of
silver, and of cut-steel ; moulded, carved, or engraved,
with wonderful skUl, and in forms as elegant as those of
the purest antique vases ; while garnets, tm-quoises, corals,
and other stones even more precious, are employed to
ornament them ; so that one may smoke perfumed tobacco

THE SHOPS. 115
through a masterpiece of art ; and I see nothing, that
even the most fastidious and aristocratic of duchesses
'could object to this "time-killer," which procures for
sultans themselves, the prolonged luxury of the kief
(siesta), and a happy forgetfulness of the world, beside
their fountains of marble, and beneath the treUis-work and
vines of their kiosks.
The tobacconists of Constantinople are styled tutungis.
They are, mostly, Greeks or Arraenians, and have singu
larly engaging m.anners ; and sometimes — especially during
the nights of Ramadan — viziers, pashas, beys, and other
dignitaries, lounge familiarly in their shops, to smoke.
talk, and learn the news ; sitting, the while, upon low
stools, or the surrounding bales of tobacco, like members
of the English Parliament upon their " wool-sacks." *
It is a strange thing, that tobacco, now in such universal
use throughout the East, has been the subject ofthe severest
interdiction on the part of many former sultans. More
than one Turk, has paid with his life for the luxury of
smoking; and the ferocious Amurat IV., more than once
made the head of the smoker fall with his pipe. Coffee,
also, has had its not less sanguinary process of introduc
tion at Constantinople ; and has no less been honoured
by its fanatics and martyrs.
In the modern Byzantium, they now bestow the utmost
care upon, and strain to the utmost point of luxury, all
that concerns the pipe ; the pleasure, above all others, of
the modern Turk. The shops of the sellers of mouth-
' The assured knowledge of the matter, with whioh our author
makes these laughable mistakes on English subjects, is such, that one
cannot forbear to give them as they occur in the original. We may,
however, be allowed to hope, since he describes all that he luis actually
seen, with such undoubted power, that " when he next doth ride
abroad," he may extend his travels to England, and that we '' may be
there to see." — Trans.

1 16 CONSTANTINOPLE.
pieces and stems of pipes, are very numerous and well-
appointed. The most valued stems, are those of cherry-
wood or jasmine; and they attain to very high prices, in
proportion to their size, straightness, and iierfection of
quality. A fine pipe-stem of cherry, with its bark unbroken,
and of a dark lustre ; or a shoot of jasmine, of which the
knots are regularly distributed and of a bright colour, will
command as much as five hundred piastres ; or nearly five
pounds. I made some rather prolonged stoppages, in front of
the shop of one of these pipe-stem merchants, in thc street
which descends to Top-Hane, in front of the cemetery.
The shopkeeper was an old man, with a superb gray
beard, dark eyes, and aquiline nose. From the arm-hole
ofhis waistcoat issued a thin, j'ellow arm, working a sort
of bow, as if he had been playing a violin. Upon an iron
drill, or gimblet, set in motion by this " bow," a pipe-
stem of cherry was turning with wonderful rapidity, while
undergoing the delicate operation of being bored, to serve
its destined purpose. Near the old man, a j'oung one
(seemingly his son) was at work upon stems of lesser
value ; and a family of young cats played men-ily in the sun,
rolling themselves in the dust which fell from the pipe-
stems. The wood not yet manufactured, and the stems
ah-eady finished, lay stored in the shade, at the further
end of the shop ; and the whole formed a picture of the
true oriental stamp, which were worthy of any artist;
but which might be found, with slight variations, framed
nt every street corner in Constantinople,
The manufactories of pipe-bowls, are recognisable by
the quantity of red dust sprinkled about them. An in
finity of bowls of yellow-clay (which becoraes a deep
pink by baking), await, ranged upou shelves, their turn

THE SHOPS. 117
for entrance to the oven. These bowls, of an exceedingly
fine and soft material, upon which the potter imprints
various ornamental designs, are not blacked, like the
French pipes ; nnd when completed, are sold at amazinglj'
low prices. The quantity of them consumed, is in
credible. As to the amber mouth-pieces, they are the object of a
trade of their own ; and which approaches to that of
jewelrj', by the value of the material and the expense
incurred in working it. The amber comes chiefly from
the Baltic ; on the shore of which it is found more
abundantly than any where else. At Constantinople,
where it is verj- dear, the Turks prefer it of a pale lemon
colour, partly opaque; and desire that it should have
neither spot, nor flaw, nor vein ; conditions somewhat
difficult to combine, and which greatly enhance the price
of the mouth-pieces. A perfect pair of thera coramand as
much as eight or ten thousand piastres : — from £70
to £90. A collection of pipes worth 150,000 francs (£6,000),
is not at all an unusual thing among the high dignitaries,
or the richer private persons, in Istamboul. These pre
cious mouth-pieces are encircled with rings of gold,
enamelled, and often enriched with diamonds or rubies.
It is, in fact, an oriental mode of displaying the pos
session of wealth. All these pieces of amber — yellow,
pale, or clouded, and of different degrees of transparency,
polished, turned, and hollowed with the utmost care —
acquire, in the rays of the sun, shades of colour so
warm and golden, as would make Titian jealous, and in
oculate with the desire of smoking, the most resolute
victim of " tobacco-phobia." In the humbler shops,
cheaper mouth-pieces are to be found, having some almost
imperceptible flaw or fault; but not the less perfectly

lis CONSTANTINOPLE,
\
performing their office, or being the loss cool and pleasant
to the lips.
There are imitations of amber, in Bohemian glass, of
which enormous quantities are sold, at paltry prices ; but
they are used only by the Armenians and Greeks of the
lowest class. No Turk who has any self-respect, uses
anything but the pure amber.
I hope, that my fair readers will forgive all these deteUs
about pipes and tobacco, which, as a traveller, I can hardly
forbear to give ; for Constantinople is enveloped in a per
petual cloud of tobacco smoke, as dense as the vapour in
which Homer makes his deities enwrap themselves.
This purposeless lounging about streets, has infected
my pen ; and there has been a want of change, I confess.
Pray look, therefore, upon these characteristic details
(habitually neglected by travellers), as on beads of different
colours strung upon one thread, with somewhat too little
regard to harmony, but yet, not without a certain value,
and possessing much local significance.
The Turks, who eat with their fiugers, in default of
knives and forks, are of course deficient in table plate and
cutlery ; with the exception of some few persons, who
have travelled in France or England, and brought home
those articles of luxury ; whieh are still, however, almost
unknown in the East, and which even those who have
them, never use except before strangers and as a proof of
civilisation. But there are articles of food, such as the
yaourth, the kaimak, and various kinds of preserved fruits,
which cannot be handled with the fingers ; and thej'
therefore use exceedingly pretty spoons of tortoise-sheU or
box- wood, elaborately and exquisitely carved, to serve the
purpose of the missing silver plate. I saw, in a shop, a
service of this kind, consisting of a large spoon, and six
smaller ones, fitting the oue within the other, and all

fountain near the sweet-waters or asia.

THE SHOPS. 119
executed with a most beautiful finish of workmanship and
originality of model.
The handle of the large spoon was decorated with ara
besques most elaborately carved, and of a surpassing deli
cacy of execution, unsurpassed bythe finest Chinese carvings
in ivory ; while the smaUer spoons had different designs,
not less delicately executed. European silversmiths, in
want of new models of form or design, might advan
tageously imitate these spoons, in silver or silver-gilt ;
and they would adorn the most magnificent tables.
In the street which coasts the Golden Horn, between
the old and new bridges, are the marble-cutters' yards,
where they make the turban-headed torabstones, which
crowd — Uke white phantoms, just issued from their graves
— the numerous cemeteries of Constantinople. There is a
perpetual clatter of maUets and chisels ; a cloud of spark
ling dust, like snow which will not melt, sprinkles all that
quarter of the streets. The "illuminators," surrounded
with pots of colours, tint the spots whence are to spring,
in letters of gold or vermillion, the names of the deceased,
accompanied by a verse of the Koran, or a wreath of
flowers or vine-leaves, or of grapes ; which last are pecu
liar to the tombs of the woraen, being regarded as em
blems of gentleness, grace, and fruitfulness.
There, also, they manufacture the marble reservoirs and
omaments of the fountains destined to decorate and re
fresh the streets, the houses, or the kiosks ; or to facilitate
the frequent ablutions inculcated by the Mohamraedan
creed, which raises cleanliness to the rank of a virtue ;
differing in that respect from Catholicism, which often
treats dirt and neglect as sanctity ; carrying this some
times to such an extent, that formerly, in Spain, persons
who made frequent use of the bath were suspected of
heresy, and regarded rather as Moors than Christians.

120 CONSTANTINOPLE.
This funereal avocation — the manufacture of tombstones
— does not appear to sadden those who practise it ; and
they chisel away at their lugubrious marbles, in the
jolliest manner possible. In Turkey, indeed, it constantly
strikes a European, that the idea of deatii seems to alarm
nobody, and does not awaken the slightest sentiment of
melancholy. They are, no doubt, familiarised with it;
and the close vicinity of the cemeteries, blending every
where the city of the dead with that of the living, instead
of being placed, like oms, outside of our towns and in
solitary localities, robs it of muoh of its terror and
mystery. Beside these tomb manufactories, alwaj's in operation,
where you may at any time order your monument, with
a certainty of being supplied on the instant ; and where
there is never a luck of business — death being the most
regular of customers — life throngs, bustles, and laughs
noisilj'. The A'endors of eatables display their goods ; con
sisting chiefly of white cheese, which closely resembles
greasy plaster ; of barrels of black olives ; little casks of
Russian caviar ; heaps of cucumbers and tomatoes ; and
quarters of meat, around which linger crowds of hungry
dogs. A little farther on, the fish-market asserts its
presence, by its saline and piscatorial odours ; and is,
moreover, made conspicuous, by being decorated with the
preserved carcasses or shells, of every inconceivable sea-
monster that could be found. Polypuses, sea-serpents,
sea- scorpions, and innumerable nameless deformities, are
here exposed to view, which Nature evidently never de
signed to be so exhibited, but had prudently hidden in
the dark green depths of the ocean.
There is a sort of swordrfish eaten at Constantinople,
of a peculiarly formidable aspect. They are six or eight feet
iu length, and are cut into slices for sale. Their dissevered

THE SHOPS. 121
heads are lighted by a large eye, green and fiery, which
seems still to menace you with its sword, which is strong,
blue, and hard, like tempered steel. Nothing could seem
more strange than their long nose, from which protrudes
this formidable sword ; and it forms altogether a vcry odd
countenance for a respectable fish. When I went through
the fish-market, there were four of these gigantic creatures,
on four different stalls, all facing each other ; and, with
these brandished weapons, looking like so many sub
marine ruffians, challenging each other to combat.
The absence of females in the shops at Constantinople,
is, of course, very striking to a stranger. The Mussulman
jealousy yields little to the necessities of trade ; and they
stUl keep closely secluded, the sex which they are accus
tomed habitually to distrust. Many little details of duty,
in both houses and shops, performed in Europe invariably
by females, are discharged in Turkey by athletic fellows,
with portentous beards ; the unfitness of whom for such
tasks is grotesquely obvious.
But if the women are not allowed to sell, they revenge
themselves by buying ; and one sees them in the shops, in
groups of two or three, followed by negresses, who carry
sacks, and to whom the ladies hand their purchases, as
Judith passed the head of Holofemes to her black servant.
" Shopping" seems as much an amusement of the
Turkish ladies as of the English ; and is, with the former,
a means of passing the time, and exchanging a few words
with other human beings, which few of them deny them
selves.

122 CONSTANTINOPLE.

X.

THE BAZAARS.

FoLLO-wiNG the crooked streets which lead from the land
ing-place of Yeni-Djami, to the mosque of Sultan Bajazet,
you reach the Egyptian, or Drug Bazaar ; an immense
building or market, traversed from end to end by a sort
of street or roadway, intended to facilitate the passage of
customers and of merchandize. A penetrating odour, de
rived from the innumerable aromatic drugs here collected,
assails j'our nostrils as you approach, and, is almost in
toxicating in its strength.
Here are exposed in heaps, or in open sacks, henna,
antimony, sandal-wood, dye-stuffs, dates, benzoin, pis
tachio-nuts, mastic, ginger, nutmegs, opium, hachich,
and many other articles of similar character ; all under
the care of merchants who sit cross-legged iu a most in
different attitude, and look as if they were too much
overpowered by this perfumed atmosphere, to trouble
themselves about anything.
The Grand Bazaar — to retain the name given to it by
Europeans, although it is more properly styled " Bezestin"
— covers an immense surface, and is in itself a city within
a city, with streets, lanes, passages, squares, fountains, etc. ;
all forming an inextricable labyrinth, where it is difficult
to find your way, and still more so to retrace it, even after
numerous visits. This vast space is overarched, and the

THE B.AZAARS, 123
day is admitted through small cupolas, which dot thc flat
roof of this immense pile, and shed a soft and dim light
around, which is much more favourable to the merchants
than to the purchasers, I nm sorry to disturb the vision
of oriental magnificence, called up by the words " Great
Bazaar of Constantinople ;" but I can compare its reality
to nothing, so accurately, as to "The Temple," at Paris;
which it very greatly resembles in arrangement and style,
although, of course, very much more spacious.'
I entered, through an arcade of no particular archi
tectural character, and found myself in a little street,
especially devoted to the perfumers. It is there that they
sell those exquisite essences of jasmin and bergamot ; the
little flasks of atar-gul (otto of roses), in cases of em
broidered velvet ; rose-water ; depilatory powders ; end
less varieties of cosmetics ; little bags of musk ; rosaries
of ivory, bloodstone, amber, rose and sandal-wood ; Per
sian mirrors, framed with exquisite paintings ; enormous
square combs, with large teeth ; and, in short, the whole
arsenal of Turkish coquetry. In front of the shops, are
collected innumerable groups of women, whose fcredjis of
apple-green, sky-blue, or pink ; yachmacks, carefuUj' closed ;
and yeUow morocco boots, indicate " Moslem," in everj'
shade and fold. Many of them lead by the hand prettj'
children, in embroidered jackets of red or green, and
Mameluke trousers of cherry-coloured silk; while ne
gresses, dressed in blue or white, and ranged behind
their mistresses, complete the picturesque effect of the
group. Occasionally, also, a black eunuch, recognisable
by his short chest, long legs, and narrow shoulders,
' Most readers know "The Temple" (if in no other way), by
Eugene Sue's description, in the " Mysteries of Pjiis." Jt is a vast
assemblage of second-hand dealers in furniture, clothing, etc., and has
no element of the magniflcent, except size. — Trans. I 2

124 CONSTANTINOPLE.
watches, with a morose air, the little troop entrusted to
his charge ; and, to obtain passage for them through the
crowd, waves a courbach, or whip, of hippopotamus skin,
which is the distinctive mark of his statiou and authority.
The merchant, leaning on his elbow, responds carelessly
to the thousand questions, heaped one upon another by the
women; who "forage" among his goods, and turn the
whole establishment topsy-turvy; questioning and talk
ing at cross-purposes ; asking prices, without waiting an
answer ; and keeping up an incessant volley of laughter
all the time.
Behind these street-stalls, there are shops, to which
you mount by two or three flights of stairs ; and where
articles of great value are stored in drawers aad chests,
which are opened only for purchasers who are in earnest ;
or who, as the English say, " mean business." In these
less public shops, are found beautiful striped scarfs,
from Tunis ; Persian shawls and carpets, so exquisitely
embroidered, as to be scarcely distinguished from cash
meres ; mirrors, inlaid with mother-of-pearl ; low stands,
or stools, richly carved or inlaid, on which to place salvers
of sherbet ; desks, for the reading of the Koran ; perfume-
censers, of gold, or silver, or engraved and enamelled
brass ; little hands, of ivory or tortoise-shell, for scratch
ing one's back ; the bells of narghiles, in Khorassan steel ;
China or Japan cups ; and innumerable other nick-
knackeries of oriental taste or fantasy.
The principal street of the bazaar is intersected and
overai-ched by arcades, composed of stones alternately
black and white ; and the ceiling is decorated with half-
effaced daubs in the Turkish rococo style, which ap.
proaches more nearly than would be supposed to the
fashion of ornament in use in the time of Louis XV.
This street abuts upon a crossway, where stands a foun-

THE BAZAARS. 125
tain, the water of whieh serves for the ablutions of the
Moslemah ; for the Turk never forgets his religious duties,
but will, when the hour of prayer arrives, break off un
hesitatingly in the very midst of a bargain, leaving the •
buyer in suspense, while he kneels down upon his carpet,
with his face turned towards the East (towards Mecca),
and says his prayers, with as much devotion as if he
were beneath the dome of Saint Sophia, or of Sultan-
Achmet. One of the shops most frequented by strangers, is that
of "Ludovic," an Armenian, who speaks French fluently,
and with exemplary patience allows you to tum and tumble
over every article of his curious stock, I have made
some long visits to his shop, and tasted his excellent
Mocha coffee, out of little China cups, served upon tiny
salvers of gold filigree, after the old Turkish fashion.
Rembrandt would have found, in this shop, abundant
material for enriching his museum of antiquities. Antique
arms, ancient stuffs, curious articles in gold and silver,
porcelain vases, and innumerable other articles, of ancient
fashion and almost imknown uses. The picturesque
"East" of half a century since, seems to have thrown off
its robes in Ludovic's shop, when it was forced to re-
clothe itself in the absurd costume of "the reform;"
which becomes the Turk, as the Uvery of a Lord Mayor's
footman would become a wild Indian.
Upon a low table are displayed yataghans, poignards
with chased silver scabbards, or sheaths of velvet, sha
green, morocco, or wood, and handles of agate or ivory,
or encrusted with garnets, coral, or turquoise — long,
short, broad, narrow, straight, crooked, and of every con
ceivable variety of form and of date, from the Damascus
blade of the Pasha, inlaid with verses of the Koran, in
letters of gold, to the coarse sheath-knife of the camel-

126 CONSTANTINOPLE.
di-iver. How many Zehecques and Arnaouts, Beys aud
Effendis, Omrahs and Rayahs, must have robbed their
belts, to form this costly and singular arsenal and armoury !
Upon the walls are hung Circassian casques and coats
of mail; shields of tortoise-sheU, of hippopotamus' hide, of
inlaid steel with bosses of brass ; long guus, engraved,
inlaid, and jewelled ; and arms of the present day, inter
mixed with those of the middle ages.
The drawers and closets are heaped with Broussa
silks, glistening like water in the moonlight, with their
silvery tissue ; slippers, embroidered handkerchiefs, In
dian and Persian cashmeres. Emirs' pelisses of green,
dolmans stiff with gold — all the luxuries of fable, all the
chimerical riches of the " Arabian Nights," are heaped
together in the narrow compass of Ludovic's shop ; and
he allows you to examine and handle them, until you
begin to fancy the oriental tales of childhood to be no ex
aggerations, and that you see before you the jacket of
Prince Caramalzaman, and the very dress worn by the
Princess Boudroulboudour.
Chaplets of amber, ebony, and sandal- wood; scent-
boxes of gold ; fans made of the plumage of peacocks, or
the argus pheasant ; bells of hookas, carved or inlaid with
silver. Amid all these articles of Turkish luxury, j'ou find,
unexpectedly, a piece of Sevres porcelain, or of crockery
frora Vincennes, or a bit of enamel from Limoges ; arrived
there, no one knows how. Between two splendid helmets
from Kurdistan, with mailed gorgets like those of the
Crusaders, I saw one of those blaek and pointed Prussian
helmets, now in use in that country, and which resemble
nothing so much as an English coal-scuttle, with a short
poker stuck through its centre.
Anything on earth, that you could possiblj' desire, you
might reasonably count upon finding , among Ludovic's

THE BAZAARS. 127
stores ; be it the stew-pot of the janissaries, the battle-axe
of Mahomet II. , or the saddle of Al Borak.
Each street of the Bezestin is devoted to some parti
cular trade. Hero nrc sellers of bnbouches, slippers, nnd
women's boots ; and nothing can be droller than the
shelves, full of extravagant forms of slippers, in leather,
morocco, velvet, or brocade, and ornamented in every
conceivable manner ; besides being of a shape and style
utterly unsuited to any European foot. The children's
shoes afford opportunity for the prettiest possible caprices
of form and ornament. In the street, the women wear
laced boots of jellow morocco, of which I have already
spoken ; for the elegant and costly slippers in which they
indulge, would be in a moment engulfed and lost, in the
muddy and glutinous streets of Constantinople.
In another quarter are collected the sellers of caftans,
gandouras, and dressing-gowns of Broussa silk. Those
articles are moderate in price, although the colours are
superb, and the fabric exceedingly soft and fine. These
dealers have also a stuff, manufactured at Broussa, and
used for dresses, waistcoats, and trousers, of which one
half is silk, and the other cotton ; and which is a recent
manufacture, encouraged by the present Sultan.
The drapers display English fabrics of glaring colours,
the borders of which are decorated with great letters, or
armorial blazons, in gold or brass thread, to flatter the
eastem fancy. It is an exemplification of the perfection
of mechanism to which Great Britain has attained, coupled
with that falsity of taste peculiar to the English. I
confess that such absurd grotesqueries make me grate my
teeth, and wish to send to all the devUs, the industry, the
commerce, and the civUisation, which can produce a red
eo furious, a blue so savage, such an impudent yellow ;
and which, for some unknown gain, can produce colours

128 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and corabinations so atrocious, and so hostile to the
harmony of tone that belongs to eastern taste ; which,
gorgeous as it may be, is not tawdry. When I reflect
that I am probably doomed to meet these horrible stuffs —
cut into jackets, vests, or caftans — in a mosque, a street,
or a landscape, I experience an inward fury, which bids
me wish that the sea would engulf the ships which
import these abominations ; that fire would destroy the
factories wbere they are made; and that England itself
would disappear in its own fogs ! I must, however, say
almost as much in detestation of the execrable cotton
fabrics of Rouen and Roubaix, which begin to spread over
the East their frightful little bouquets, their atrocious
garlands, and their dirty spotted patterns ; which last
greatly resemble masses of crushed bugs !
If I speak of this with bitterness, it is because it has
caused me such genuine annoyance, to see three young
Turkish girls — perhaps, eighteen years of age, beautiful as
houris, and indeed far more so, since houris do not exist —
wearing, over dresses of Rouen calicoes, caftans of this
diabolical English fabric. The rays of the sun, although
attracted by their charming faces, refused to light up these
monstrosities, and recoiled from them with disgust.
Happily, one is relieved from these horrible contem
plations, by the display of children's clothing; consisting
of little jackets, embroidered with gold and silver ; tiny
trousers of silk ; little caftans, with pockets ; and tar
bouches, ornamented with crescents: in short, the East
in miniatm-e, in the prettiest form conceivable.
Then come, in a street reserved to themselves, the
gold and sUver wire-di-awers, who make the thread of
silver and gold, with which the Turkish caps, slippers,
jackets, etc., are so exquisitely embroidered. There, also,
are made those elegant cords and braids, which they apply

THE BAZAARS. 129
to garments with a grace that our passementerie vainly
seeks to imitate. The Turks do all these things by hand ;
usiug the great toe of the bare foot, as the point to which
they fasten their work.
In the richer jewellers' shops, there are masses of
precious stones, enclosed in coffers which they keep con
stantly under their eyes, or which are placed within wire-
work enclosures ; and in many of these obscure shops
(more resembling cobblers' stalls than anything else)
incredible riches are accumulated. Diamonds from Visa-
pore and Golconda, brought by the caravans ; rubies of
Giamschid ; pearls of Ophir ; topazes from Brazil ; and
opals from Bohemia, in great abundance ; with turquoises,
garnets, aqua-marines, and agates, without number, and
literally lying in heaps, in the shops. The Turks are
very fond of precious stones ; and this not merely as
luxuries, but as depositaries of wealth. Ignorant of the
refinements of modern finance, they draw no interest from
their capital; — so doing being, indeed, rigorously pro
hibited by the Koran ; and it is for this reason, that we
find the proposals for " Turkish Loans " always violently
opposed by the old Turkish partj'. A diamond is not
only easy to conceal, and to carry, but embodies a very
large value in a minute compass ; and, in an eastern point
of view, is a most desirable investment, although it makes
no retum ; but, nevertheless, if you try to tempt Arab or
Turk to part with the stone jar in which he conceals his
treasure, under the inducement of four or five per cent.,
somehow or other, the thing seems suddenly to have been
permitted by Mahomet.
These precious stones are generally either uncut, or
only rose-cut; for the Orientals themselves do not cut
diamonds or rubies — either from not understanding the
process, or not possessing the diamond-dust necessary for

130 CONSTANTINOPLE.
the purpose, or from an unwilling-ness to diminish the
weight of the stones themselves. The settings, of such
stones as are mounted, are coarse and massive, and in the
antique Genoese style. The exquisite skill of the Arabs
in the working of jewelry, has left few traces among the
Turks. The jewels consist chiefly of necklaces, earrings,
head-ornaments, stars, flowers, crescents, rings for the
ankles, and handles of sabres or poignards ; but they are
never displaj'ed in all their splendour, except in the re
cesses of the harem ; where they adorn the lovely forms of
the odalisques, reclining, beneath the eye of the master, in
a comer of the divan ; — and all this magnificence is, for
strangers, as if it did not exist.
Although the wealth of the foregoing sentences —
starred, as they are, with the names of precious stones —
may have made the reader dream of the Cave of Aboul-
cassem, {again involuntarily returning to that inexhaustible
mine of oriental imagery and association — " The Arabian
Nights,") he must imagine nothing of particular brilliancy
in the aspect of the jewellers' shops themselves — for the
Turks do not understand the art of displaying any of their
wares ; and the rough diamonds, and other stones, lying
in little boxes of eommon wood, really look little different
ft-om bits of glass ; although, in fact, one might easily
spend 1,000,000 of francs, in any one of these obscure and
paltry shops.
But, the " Bazaar of Arms " may be considered as the
very heart of Islam, and of Turkey as it was. No new
ideas have inti-uded there. The party of " Old Turkey "
sits there, in solemn and cross-legged coraposure ; profess
ing, for the " dogs of Christians," a contempt as profound
as in the days of Mahomet II. Time has stood stiU for
these worthy Osmanli, who yet grieve for the janissaries
and the ancient barbarisms — perhaps, with some reason.

THE BAZAARS. 131
Among thera, you find the great, overhanging turbans ;
dolmans, bordered with fur ; huge Mameluke trousers ;
enormously broad sashes ; and all the other elements of
thc rcnllj' "classic" Turkish costume; such ns wc have,
all our lives, connected with the ideal of " a Turk." There,
too, are those faces, as impassive, as fixed, as Fate itself;
those grave, stern ej-cs ; the hawk nose, curving above the
long and snowy beard; the sallow cheeks; the robust
frame, weakened by the use of opium, and other sensual
indulgences : in short, that aspect of the Turk of pure
race, and ancient faith, which is rapidly disappearing, and
will soon be found onlj' in the very heart of Asia.
At noon, the Bazaar of Arms closes its doors, in con
tempt of custom ; and these millionaire merchants retire to
.their kiosks, on the shores of the Bosphorus, where, un
happily, they are compelled to look out upou crowds of
Christian ships and flags, and, above all, upon steamers
— those di.abolical inventions of the accursed Frankish
dogs !
The riches heaped up in this bazaar are incalculable,
and the assemblage of rare and antique arms is astonish
ingly curious. There are Damascus blades, similar to
that with which Saladin severed his scarf of gauze, while
floating in the air, in presence of Richard Coeur-de-
Lion, who had just severed a bar of steel, with his own
mighty, two-handed sword; here are kandjars, the dull
and blue steel of which, pierces a cuirass as if it were
paper, and the handles of which are mere masses of jewels ;
old guns — wonders of carving and inlaying ; battle-axes,
which may have served Timour, Genghis-Khan, or Scander-
berg, to hammer the helmets and heads of their enemies ;
and, in fact, the whole savage and barbarous arsenal of
ancient Islam. ,
There, glow and sparkle, in a ray of sunlight falling

132 CONSTANTINOPLE.
from the arched roof, saddles and housings, embroidered
with gold or silver, and literacy blazing with suns and
moons of diamonds, and stars of sapphires; bits and
stirrups of silver-gilt ; and caparisons, whose oriental
magnificence has decked the noble coursers of Nedji —
those worthy descendants of Dahi, of Rabra, Haffar, Na-
amah, and other world-renowned steeds, of the matchless
old races of Islam and the Desert.
It is a thing very remarkable, amidst the general care
lessness and fatalism of the Moslemah, that this bazaar is
considered so precious, that smoking is strictly prohibited
within its precincts ! This one word says everything ; for
the Turkish fatalist would, ordinarily, light his pipe while
sitting in a powder magazine.
By way of contrast to these splendours, let us speak,
for a moment, of the " Lice-Bazaar." It is the dead-
house, the charnel, the knacker's-yard, in which all these
magnificent things finally end their career, after passing
through the numerous stages of their decadence. The
caftan which has shone upon the shoulders of a vizier or
pasha, finishes its course upon the back of a porter or
groom. The embroidered jacket, which concealed the
wealth of loveliness of some fair Georgian of the harem,
envelopes, when soiled and faded, the mummified carcass
of some old beggar-woman.
It is an incredible agglomeration of rags and lea-rings,
in which whatever is not a hole, is a stain ; and all of which
hangs and swings upon rusty nails, with that vague sort
of human look, invariably acquired by clothes wom for a
length of time — seeming almost as if the ghosts of the
former owners must still inhabit the spectral garments. In
other times, the Plague lay hidden among the folds of
these nameless rags ; and slept there, like a gigantic
spider, concealed in the depths of his dusty web, in some

THE BAZAARS. 133
dark and obscure corner, and waiting the approach of his
victim. The " Rastro " of Madrid, the " Temple " in Paris, or
the ancient " Alsatia " of London, could offer no parallel to
this vast cemetery of oriental finery — known by the hor
ribly significant name whieh I have mentioned above, but
which I will not repeat.
I trust that my readers wiU forgive me this squalid
picture, in consideration of the jewels, the embroideries,
and the perfumes, of which the rest of my chapter is redo
lent, or with which it sparkles ; but, in any case, my con
science acquits me ; for the traveller is like the doctor —
he may say anything, and of anything.

« 134 CONSTANTINOPLE.

XI,
THE DANCINO DERVISHES,
The dancing dervishes, or mevelaioites, are a kind of Ma
hometan monks, who live in coramunity, in the monas
teries called tekkis. The word " Dervish," signifies " poor ;"
but this does not prevent their communities from possess
ing great wealth, derived from the legacies and gifts of
the faithful. This designation, once true, is still retained ;
although it has long, ceased to be applicable.
The muftis and ulemahs, — the regular authorities and
priests of Mahometan law and religiou — look with no
favourable eye upon the dervishes ; whether from some
secret difference of doctrine, or from the influence which
the latter have with the multitude, or only from the dis
like which the regular clergy always feel towards the
itinerant or mendicant orders, I am not sufficiently profound
in Mahoraetan doctrine to declare ; and I shall, there
fore, limit myself to looking at the dervishes in a purely
pictorial point of vievi', and to describing, as I best may,
their singular and remarkable exercises.
Contrary to the custom of all the other Moslemah, who
refuse to let Giaours be present at any of their religious
ceremonials, and drive them with violence from the
mosques, if they intrude during the hours of prayer, the
dervishes permit Europeans to penetrate to the very heart
of their tekkes, on the sole condition of leaving their boots
or shoes at the entrance, and entering in bare feet or with
slippers. They chaunt their litanies, and perform their

THE DANCING DERVISHES. 135
evolutions, without seeming in the least disturbed by the
presence of Christians ; whose attendance as spectators,
is said, on the contrary, to be regarded by them as rather
flattering than otherwise.
The tekke of Pera is situated upon a spot crowded
¦with tombs, and encumbered with gravestones of marble,
and funereal cypresses; being a sort of continuation of the
Little Field.
The front of the building is very siraple, being com
posed of a doorway, surmounted by an entablature, bearing
an inscription ; a wall, pierced with grated windows, ex
posing to view the sepulchres of the ancient dervishes —
for in Turkey the dead are always at the elbow of the
living — and a fountain furnished with drinking-cups for
the poor, surrounded with porters, fatigued by the terrible
ascent of the hill of Galata. About all this, there is
nothing monumental, but it is not without character. The
spreading larch trees of the garden, and the blue cupola
and white minarets of the mosque which forms a part of
the structure, seen above the walls against the blue sky,
combine to recall the presence of the Orient.
The interior resembles that of all other Mahometan
buildings. There are none of those long arched cloisters,
or those interminable corridors, out of which open long
ranges of cells ; — pious prisons of voluntary recluses ; — of
those silent courts, where the grass grows amid the paved
walks, and the fountain is green with the moss of solitude :
nothing, in short, of that cold and sepulchral aspect which
is associated with the word "Monastery" in all Catholic
countries. On the contrary, cheerful apartments, painted in gay
colours, gladdened by sunlight, and having a superb view
of the Bosphorus — a magnificent panorama, bathed in air
and light. Scutari and Kadi-Keni, lying outspread upon

136 CONSTANTINOPLE.
the Asiatic shore ; the Olympus of Bithynia, wrapped in
snow ; the Isles of Princes — spots of blue, upon the rippled
surface of the sea; Serai-Bournou, with its palaces, its
kiosks, and its gardens ; Sultan-Achmet, flanked by its six
minarets ; the forest created by the masts of ships of all
nations : all combine to form a spectacle, ever changing,
ever new, and on which one could gaze for ever, without
weariness, or sense of monotony.
The hall in which the dervishes execute their religious
dances, is at the extremity of the court of the convent.
The external appearance of the edifice gives no indication
of its use, except by the inscription of a few ciphers, and
some verses of the Koran, above its entrance ; -written
with that wonderful skill and certitude of hand, whieh the
Turks possess in such a remarkable degree. These ciphers
and inscriptions form a prominent feature in oriental orna
mentation — for they are as much arabesques as letters.
The interior of this hall reserables, at once, a ball-room
and a theatre. The centre presents a fioor, perfectly
smooth and highly polished, enclosed by a circular balus
trade, about three feet in height ; some slender columns
support a gallery, which forms the same circuit, and con
tains places for persons of distinction, a box for the Sidtan,
and others prepared for females. These last (termed the
serail) are defended from the profane gaze, bj' close lattices,
similar to those seen at the windows of the harems. The
orchestra is placed at the end, opposite to the mirah, or
pulpit, which is ornamented with tablets, inscribed with
the never-failing verses of the Koran, and with the mono
grams of sultans or viziers, who have been benefactors of
the order. All this is painted in blue and white, and ex
hibits a remarkable purity of colour, greatly enhancing
the gay and joyous air of the place. One would imagine
himself awaiiting the performances of a class about to

THE DANCING DERVISHES. 107
practise a waltz of CcUarius, rather than the reUgious
exercises of a sect of fanatics.
I seated myself, cross-legged, amidst a number of
Turks aud Franks, aU alike barefooted ; and all close to
the balustrade, so as to lose nothing of the approaching
exhibition. After a long delay, the Dervishes came slowly in,
two-and-two ; and the chief of the commimity seated
himself upon a carpet of gazelle skins, before the mirah,
and between two acolytes. He was a little old man, with
a leaden complexion, wrinkled visage, and sparse beard ;
his eyes, sparkling from time to time, gave the only air
of life which was discernible in his impassive, and
almost coi-pse-like face.
The Der-vishes defile before him, saluting him in the
Eastei-n manner, with the most profound marks of respect,
as if he were a Sultan or a Saint. This salute was at
once an act of politeness, an obeisance, and a reUgious
evolution — the movements were slow, rhythmical, and
recurring ; — and the rite finished. Each Dervish took his
place in front of the mirah.
The head-dress of these Mahometan monks, consisted
of a cap of felt, about an inch in height, of a brown or
msset colour, and which cannot be better compared, as
to its form, than to a shallow flower-pot, inverted, and
into which they had stuck their heads. They wore jackets
of a white stuff, immense tunics or petticoats of the same
hue — much resembling the tunics worn by the Greeks —
and close white trousers descending to the ankle ; about
all which there was certainly nothing strikingly monkish,
although not deflcient in a sort of elegance. For the
moment they could not be seen distinctly ; for they were
wrapped in mantles of blue, green, and other colom-s,
which made no part of their unifoi-ir., nnd which they

138 CONSTANTINOPLE.
threw aside at the commencement of their dance, to re
sume them again, when sinking, exhausted, streaming
with perspiration, and overcome with ecstacy and fatigue.
The prayers commenced, and with them the genuflex
ions, prostrations, and grimaces, usual to the Mussulman
ritual : so droll to us, and indeed so laughable, but for a
conviction of the sincerity of the devotees. These alterna
tions of elevation and abasement, remind one of fowls,
who plunge their beaks eagerly to the ground, aud
raise them again as rapidlj' after having seized the
grain, or the worm which they sought.
These orisons were rather long, or at least seemed so,
to our impatient expectation of what was to follow ; as
indeed they must ever do to Europeans, who derive fi-om
them no hope of reposing, after death, beneath the shade
of thc tree " Tuba," in the harem-paradise of Mahomet ;
or of mirroring themselves throughout eternity, in the
black ej'cs of the ever-immaculate and ever-youthful
houris. Nevertheless, these pious murmurs, by their
monotonous persistence, had a remarkable effect upon the
system of even the unbelievers; and inight, therefore,
well impress in a manner still more extraordinary, those
who took part in it with the additional mcitement of
absolute beUef; raising them to a point of ecstacy, or sort
of religious catalepsy, similar to that extra-natm-al insen
sibility of martyrs amidst the most horrible tortm-es.
When they had chanted enough verses of the Koran,
wagged their heads sufficiently, and made a satisfactory
number of prostrations, the Dervishes rose in a body,
threw aside their mantles., aud again marched in procession
— two-and-tv,'o — around the hall. Eaeh couple passed in
front of thc superior, who remained standing, and after ex
changing salutations with them, made to each a sort of ges
ture of benediction, or magnetic pass ; which was executed

THE DANCING DERVISHES. 139
in a very singidar manner. The last Dervish of each couple
thus blessed, took by the hand one of the next couple, and
appeared to present him to the Iman ; the same ceremony
bciug repeated from group to group, until nil had passed.
A remarkable change was already effected in the
phj'siognomies of the Dervishes, thus prepared for their
fit of ecstacy. On entering, thej' had a dull, depressed,
and drowsy air ; their heads drooped upon their breasts,
or were buried beneath theii- dark caps ; but now their
visages brightened, their eyes began to sparkle, they held
themselves more erect, and trod more firmly, and the
heels of their feet began to beat time upon the floor, with
an involuntary sort of nervous action.
To the nasal chanting of passages from the Koran,
was now added an accompaniment of flutes and tarboukas.
The tarboukas marked the measure, and formed the bass ;
and the flutes performed, in unison, a continuous strain of
a very high pitch, and of wonderful s-weetness.
The "motive" of the tune, recurred invariably after
a few variations, and was constantly sustained ; producing
at length an irresistible effect upon the sensibihties, and
inducing an involuntary sympathy with its expression ;
as some classes of female beauty reveal themselves only
gradually, and seem to augment in loveUness as you con
tinue to contemplate them. This tune, of a singular and
wUd character, was strangely touchmg and intoxicating in
its effect ; and filled my mind with various dreams and
emotions, aU tending, however, towards a disposition to
abandon mj-self to the movement of tlie music. Recol
lections of some past existence seemed to be crowding
upon me ; faces weU known, but which I have never en
countered in tliis world, appeared to smile upon me, with
an indefinable expression of love and reproach ; innu
merable images of long-forgotten di-eams floated around
J 2

140 CONSTANTINOPLE,
me ; and I began to balance my head from shoulder to
shoulder, overpowered by the potency of incantation
and evocation, of music so opposed to all my experiences,
and at the same time of such penetrating and intoxicating
sweetness. Motionless, in the middle of the cii-eular area already
described, the Dervishes appeared as if graduaUy intoxi
cating themselves with the music, so delicatelj' barbarous
and so melodiously savage ; of which thc primitive burthen
is traceable, perhaps, to the earliest ages ofthe world. At
lengtii one of them opened his arms, exteuded them
horizontaUy, and began to turn slowly round, -without
otherwise changing hisposition, gently moving his bare-
feet, which made no sound upon the iiolished floor. His
tunic, Uke a bird about to take flight, began to tremble,
and slightly to rise and fall. The speed of the movement
increased; the fragile tissue of the dress, lifted by the
air, in which it revolved, spread itself in a circle and
took the form of a bell, until at length it resembled a
mere whirlwind of white, of which the Dei-^-ish formed
the centre.
To the first who commenced these evolutions was soon
added a second, then a third, until the -whole band had
foUowed, seized by some sort of irresistible vertigo.
They waltzed vrith their arms extended, the head
leaning upon the shoulder, the ey^s partiallj' closed, and
the mouth half open, like bold swimmers, who abandoned
themselves to the current of some flood of ecstacy. Their
movements werc regular, undulating, aud showing an
agilitj' quite extraordinarj' ; no apparent effort, no appear
ance of fatigue.
The most intrepid German waltzer would havc dropped
down dead with suffocation ^nd giddiness, while thcy
continued to turn, cach upou his own centre, ns if driven

THE DANCING DERVISHES, 141
by some irresistible imj^ulse ; and appearing Uke tops,
which seem immoveable at the moment when they revolve ^
¦with the most dazzling rapidity, and appear to sleep to
the sound of their oAvn whirling.
It was astonishing to sce twenty or more of them in
one group, pirouetting in the middle of their robes, out
spread tUl they resembled the chaUce of some vast lily
inverted, without ever jostling one another, or moving
out of the orbit of their own particular whirlwind, or
losing for an instant the measure indicated by the tar
boukas. The Iman moved about aniong the groups, sometimes
clapping his hands, either to cause the orchestra to
quicken or retard the measure, or to encourage the dancers,
and applaud their pious zeal. His impassive -risage
formed a striking contrast to aU those flushed and con
vulsed faces ; and that passionless and cold old man
passed, with the step of a phantom, among those frenzied
groups, as if he had no share in their faith, or had long
since become insensible to the intoxication which so
wrought upon them ; as persons become from long habit
caUous to the effect of even the most potent drugs.
There was now a pause in the dance. The Derrishes
formed again in couples, and again passed in procession,
two or three times around the haU. Tbis evolution, per
formed at a very gentle pacc, gave them time to take
breath and recover themselves.
What I had already seen (as I soon discovered) had
been, as it were, but the prelude to the symphony :
the introduction of the poem ; the preparation for the
waltz. The tarboukas began to give forth a much quicker
measure ; the tones of the flutes became shi-Uler, and the
Dervishes resumed their dance -with redoubled activity.

142 CONST.ANTINOPLE.
This activity had, however, nothing disorderly nor
feverish about it, but was strictly regulated and restrained
by the time of the music. The rotatory movement became
more rapid, the number of tm-ns executed in a minute
was greatly increased ; but each waltzer remained calm
and silent in his own position ; seeming, indeed, more
fixed and more erect, like a top as it augments its velocity,
The dancers raised their ai-nis, or let them fall lightly,
according to the degree of fatigue or of ecstacy which
they experienced ; sometimes the head was thrown back,
the eyes half shut, and the inouth partly opened ; or, at
Other moments, it fell upon the chest, not as if fatigued, but
as if thcy were overpowered bj' the excess of voluptuous
sensation : or yet more frequently, the head rested upon
one lifted arm, as though upon a pillow, in full enjoj'ment
of some celestial cheam.
One old man, with a " Socratic " kind of face, ugly
enough while in repose, waltzed with a vigour and per
sistency, amazing in one of his age ; and his common
place visage took, under the magical excitement of the
dance, an aspect of positive beauty. The soul, so to speak,
shone in the face, and overpowered its physical defects,
by the glow of enthusiasm with which it brightened the
visage. Many other and very singular varieties of ex
pression and attitude were traceable among the throng ;
and not a few countenances and foi-ms of most surpassing
majesty and beauty ; all pervaded by the one indescribable
expression of a bliss almost superhuman.
What could they see in their strange and enraptured
¦risions ? The forests of emerald with fruit of rubies ;
the mountains of amber and of myrrh; the kiosks of
diamonds, and tents of pearl, of the Paradise of Mahomet ?
Their smiling Ups were, sm-ely, tasting the perfumed
kisses of the many-coloured houris of that sensual heaven ;

THE DANCING DERVISHES. 143
their fix^d gaze was fastened, doubtless, upon the splen
dours of that Throne of Allah, which is wrapped in light
too dazzling for ordinary human conception ; and this
dull earth, which they barely touched in their aerial move
ments, had disappcai-ed like a light mist, before these
surpassing splendom-S, while the ecstatics were floating
passively in the great infinity of space.
Again the tarboukas quicken their measure, and the
flutes attain a height and clearness of tone, whose fineness
seems to suggest an air-drawn thread of crystal, of
miractdous tenuity and brightness. The Dervishes liter
aUy disappear in the vaporous cloud, formed by their
sno-wy robes ; and nothing is seen but innumerable re
volring clouds of white, like shadows of spirits, or
outspread wings of some strange celestial birds.
Occasionally a single Dervish pauses. His robe con
tinues to flutter for some moments, until, no longer sus
tained by the rotatory inotion of its wearer, it sinks again
into quiescence, and resumes its perpendicular folds, re
sembling those of some antique Grecian drapery. Then
the Derrish drops upon his knees, with his face to the
ground, and a lay-brother approaches and enwraps him
in one of those mantles which I have already described ;
as a jockey carefully covers the noble racer who has just
finished a course. The Iman draws near the prostrate
Dervish, mutters over him some sacred formula, and then
proceeds to the next.
Presently the whole brotherhood are prostrate, over
powered by the excess of their excitement, and the vio
lence of their exercise. Before long, however, they rise
again ; make once more the circuit of the haU, and issue
from the apartment in the same order as that in which
they entered it ; — while I go to seek my shoes at the
door, confused with this giddy spectacle; and for the

144 CONSTANTINOPLE.
whole remainder of the day, I see before my eyes nothing
but whirl-winds of white tunics, and hear nothing but the
monotonous mm-mur of the implacably sweet and persis
tent air of the flutes of the Derrishes, shrUling through
and above the deep bass growling of the tarboukas.

THE HOWLING DERVISHES. 145

XII.
THE HOWLING DERVISHES.
After seeing the "Dancing Dervishes" of Pera, one
should make a risit to the "Howling Dervishes" of
Scutari. I, therefore, took a caique at Top-Hane, with
two pairs of oars, manned by two vigorous Arnaouts,
which soon bore me towards the coast of Asia, despite
the riolence of the current.
The boiUng and surging waters sparkled in the sun
Ught in milUons of streaks of silver, shaded by clouds of
black and white birds (known by the poetic name of
" souls in torment," because of their perpetual rest
lessness), who slum along the surface of the Bosphorus
in flights of two or three hundred, with inconceiv
able rapidity, their feet in the water, and their wings
in the air, as if they pursued some invisible prey : they
have, on this account, obtained the additional designation
of " wind-chasers." As they approach, they seem Uke
clouds of dry leaves driven before the autumn wind, and
suggest aU sorts of dreamy ideas and associations.
The landing-place of Scutari presents a most pic
turesque appearance. A sort of floating stage, composed
of great beams, on which guUs and albatrosses were lying,
formed the foreground, jointly with a cafe surrounded
by benches fiUed with smokers, and which projected into
the water upon a little mole ; aroxmd were moored throngs
of caiques, canoes, feluccas, and boats of everj' descrip-

146 CONSTANTINOPLE.
tion, while fig-trees, and other trees of brilliant green,
gave force and contrast to the picture. ,
The white walls of the mosque of Buyuck-Djami ap
peared in the back-ground. This mosque has a fine
effect, with its cupola, its rainaret, its roof dotted with
numerous domes, its Arabic arcades, broad flights of
steps, and masses of masonry, intermingled with tufts of
verdant foliage.
A fountain, adoi-ned with arabesques, smTOunded with
flo'<vers and verdure, and literally covered with inscrip
tions carved in relief upon the marble, occupies the
centre of the sinall square or quay, on which abuts the
principal street of Scutari.
At the foot of this foimtain — the mouths of which un
fortunately supply no water — are grouped throngs of
women, in feredjes of white, pink, lilac, or green ; sitting,
standing, or reclining in attitudes of graceful nonchalance ;
holding beautiful children in their arms, or watching the
sports of their somewhat older charges, with covert
glances of their half-seen black eyes.
Men with horses for hire ; grooms holding their
masters' steeds by the bridle ; talikas and arabas — two
kinds of Tm-kish carriages — drawn by buffaloes or white
oxen ; and crowds of dogs — mostly of a red colom-, rarely
seen in Western countries — lying asleep in the sunshine, —
give animation to the scene, by their various grouping
and blending, and their strange contrasts of form and
colom-. Beyond, lies the town of Scutari, with its red houses,
and its white minarets relieved against the dark masses
of cypresses of the more distant cemetery of the Little
Field. The chief street of the town, which rises gradually
until it reaches the summit of the hill, has an air more

THE HOWLING DERVISHES, 147
decidedly oriental and Turkish than that of any other street
in Constantinople. At Inst, there is a spot which assures
the traveller, unmistakeablj', that he is upon Asiatic ground,
and that he treads the veritable soil of Islnm. No Euro-
penn ideas or novelties have made their way ncross the
naiTow arm of the sea whieh we have just traversed with
a few strokes of our oars. The ancient peculiarity of
costume, the overhanging turban, the long pellisse, and
the Ught-coloured caftan, are much more frequent here
than in Istamboul proper. The " Reform " seems not to
have penetrated to Scutari.'
The street is lined with the stalls of tobacco mer
chants, who dispLay, upon shelves or tables, their pale
tufts of " latakia," surraounted by a lemon ; -with itin
erant cook-shops, where kebabs are roasting on perpendi
cular spits ; butchers' stalls, exhibiting quarters of ment,
suspended by chains amid clouds of flies : nooks, de
corated with miracles of caligraphic skill, in which
scribes are writing out petitions for attendant clients ;
and cawadgis serring their customers with narghiles or
chibouques. Here and there the line of houses is broken,
to give plaee to a little cemetery, which steps in familiarly
between a couple of shops. In another place, a dozen
houses are wanting, and their place supplied by heaps of
ashes and rubble, from which rise the charred skeletons
of the brick chimneys, which alone had strength to resist
the fire that destroyed the houses of which they once
fbrmed a part.
' The repeated allusions of the author to " the Reforra," render it
desirable, perhaps, to remark that the word is used in reference to the
momentous changes — of costume, of habit, and of the entire system of
internal government — effected in Turkey by the late Sultan ; and
which commenced with the overthrow of the Janissaries, and the in
troduction of European discipUne, and semi-Enropean uniform, into
the Turkish armv. — Trans.

148 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Arabas, filled with females, seated on the floors of the
carriages, in Turkish, or taUor-Uke fashion, mount or de
scend the street, di-a-wn deliberately along by great bluish
oxen guided by a groom or eunuch, who not unfrequently
holds the horn of one of the beasts in his hand. The
dogs, sleeping in the middle of the street, reluctantly rouse
themselves, even to escape being trampled beneath the
hoofs of the oxen, or cmshed by the clumsy wheels of the
arabas. Luckily for the dogs, the progress of these pri
mitive vehicles is slow, for the Turk is never in a hurry.
These arabas are gilded and painted, and covered with
a cloth sti-ained upon hoops ; and as they passed, there
rang out from within the shout of merry voices, and peal
upon peal of joyous laughter. By watching the opportu
nity, a casual glimpse of the interior could be obtained,
and of lovely faces fi-om which the veils were thi-o-wn
aside, in the beUef that they were screened from the
profane gaze.
In fr-ont, some Uttle girls, of a dozen years old, not yet
masqued by the pitiless yachmack, betray, by their pre
cocious beauty, the incognito of their mothers, crouching
behind them.
From the long almond-eyes of these young beauties,
their eye-brows penciled with Indian-ink, sUghtly aqui
line noses, exquisitely-perfect oval contour of face, and
Ups like parted pomegrantes, — it is not difficult, by con
ceding a little fuller development, to image forth an ideal
of a Tm-kish Venus, worthy to be indeed the light of a
Sultan's harem.
And now comes a procession of another kind : a
coffin, covered with a green pall, and borne upon the
shoulders of six men walldng at a rapid pace, takes its
waj', in all haste, towards the great cemeterj' of Scutari ;
where its inmate may find, under the shade of the lofty

THE HOWLING DERVISHES. 149
cypresses,' and beneath thc soil of his native Asia, a repose
whieh the Franks of Em-ope camiot disturb.
Some herdsraen, dragging along an enormous sheep,
cross miccrcmoniously the path of the fimeral cortege,
which runs as if the Devil were after it. A company of
mounted soldiers pass with a haughty and indolent air ; a
string of camels, with a little ass at theu- head, move on
wards, waving their great ostrich-necks, on their way to
join some caravan ; and thi-ough this jostling and motley
crowd the funeral procession rattles along ; while I also
pursue my course, and at length reach the Tekki of the
Howling Derrishes, on the height of Scutari.
I am too early. Turkish time, which is reckoned from
sun-rise, does not at aU coincide -with the Frankish mode
of computation ; and perpetual calculations and aUow
ances are necessary, to convey to a European mind any
precise idea of what a certain hour means, when named
according to the Turkish scale.
WhUe waiting, we amuse ourselves by taking coffee,
pipes> and iced- water, at a cafe situated near the entrance
of the cemetery.' We are served by a bright-eyed Uttle
boj', who seems to multiply himself miraculously, to meet
the perpetual and conflicting demands of the numerous
customers. He often brings "fire" in one hand, and
water in the other ; Uke those Uttle genii, who assisted at
thc initiations into thc antique " nij'sterics," and who
are portrayed in such impossible attitudes upon the
Etruscan vases.
Having exhausted all the amusement derivable from
the coffee and the cafe, we entered the court of the Tekke.
' The reader will be pleased to remember, that this is not the disused
Great or Little Field of Pera, but tho great cemetery of Scutari, on the
opposite side of the Bosphorus, aud in constant use for interments, —
Trans.

150 CONSTANTINOPLE.
It is ornamented with a fountain, in the form of a tomb ;
recaUing to mind those coffins covered with cashmere,
which are visible through the gratings of the funeral
chapels of the Sultans. A vendor of cakes made of rice
(and which are eaten sprinkled with a little cheny or
rose water), afforded us the means of appeasing, or rather
of deluding, our appetites ; sharpened, as they were, by
the fresh air of the sea, oiu- long walk, and the lapse of
time since om- fr-ugal, but detestable breakfast. This cake-
dealer carried his wares upon a very clean tray of bright
tin, suspended before him, and his merchandise had, at
least, the merit of not being dear. For a few pieces of
money, the value of which was scarcely appreciable, one
¦ could gorge himself.
Near the gate of the Tekke, was seated a very strange-
looking person, wrapped in a loose robe of camels' -skin,
fastened with a rope ; his head being encircled by a bit of
old rag, twisted into the form of a turban ; whUe his
whole aspect, and the mould of his featm-es, were among
the most remarkable, as well as the most hideous, that I
have ever beheld. Had he been di-essed in motley, he
would have passed for a revivification of one of those
professed fools or jesters, who, in the olden time, formed
a pai-t of the establishments of the great ; and who were
as much prized for grotesque ugUness, as for wit. This
poor wretch was, in fact, a fool ; and it is weU known
what Ucence' the Turks allow idiots and madmen, and
how much thej' even reverence their persons and vagaries,
under a behef that their condition is not merely " a risita
tion of God," but an evidence of actual inspiration.
This unfortunate had conceived a pai ticular affection
for the com-t of the Tekke ; and would remain there the
whole day, seated upon one particulai- block of stone,
wae'eing his head from side to side, and chattering the

THE HOWLING DERVISHES. 151
Mahometan Utany ; roUing, meantime, a rosary between
his fingers, and pursuing some vague fancy, whioh caused
him to wear perpetuaUy that vacant and painful smile
which characterises his class. AVrapped in profoimd
abstraction, disturbed only by some occasional activity,
unwonted in degree, on the part of the vermin who in
habited his person and garments (aud whom he disposed
of after the mamier of MuriUo's mendicant), he seemed to
enjoj' the most perfect beatitude.
Some devotees piously embraced this disgusting ob
ject (who received theii- semi-adoration as passively as a
Japanese idol), and then, divesting themselves of their
shoes, proceeded to the interior of the building.
As to om-selves, we were not permitted to enter imtil
the preUminary prayers were finished ; but we could hear,
from -without, chants of a grave and elevated character,
not unUke the Gregorian-chant, and to which the guttural
tones of the Turkish language gave a certain wild and
savage power.
We thrcw off our shoes among the heap of the same
accumulated at thc door, and took our stand behind a
wooden balustrade, together with some Other strangers,
among whom were two capuchin monks in fuU costume ;
frocks on their shoulders and ropes around their waists.
They did not seem, however, to be regarded with any
hostUity by thc Mussulman portion of the assembly ; a
degree of toleration, at once singular and creditable,
in a conventicle of fanatics of another creed.
The hall of the Derrishes of Scutari is not circular,
like that of those of Pera, but is a simple paraUelogram,
devoid of all architectural character. Upon the bare
walls are' suspended a dozen or so of enormous tambou
rines, and some tablets inscribed with verses of the Koran.
Beside the mirah, and above the carpet where the Iman

152 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and his acolytes take their seats, the wall presents a
ferocious sort of decoration, reminding one of the chamber
of a tortm-er or inquisitor. This consists of some darts,
terminating in a heart of lead, whence hang chains, spikes,
pincers, and many varieties of arms and instruments of
the most barbarous appearance, and for the most incom
prehensible purposes ; but stOl, with that sort of horrible
air about them, which makes the blood curdle and the
skin creep, as when beholding the outspread instruments
of a surgeon, just prior to the performance of an operation.
It is with these atrocious instruments that the Howling
Den'ishes scourge and wound themselves, when they
attain the climax of their religious delirimu, and when
cries alone are inadequate to the expression of their holy
phrenzy. The Iman was a great, gaunt, meagre figure, -srith a
deeply-marked face, — full, however, of force and majesty.
Beside him stood a handsome yomig man, in a white
tm-bau fastened with a transverse band of gold and a
green pelisse, like those worn by the descendants of the
Prophet, orthe hadjis, who have performed the pilgTimage
to Mecca ; whose chiselled features indicated rather an
Arabic than a Turkish origin.
In front were ranged the Dervishes in a posture of
devotion, repeating in unison a sort of litanj', intoned bj'
one of their number, in a stentorian voice. At each verse
they moved their heads forward and backward, with a
motion calculated almost to produce a sjaupathetic gid
diness in the spectators. OccasionaUy one of these last
(among the Mussulman part of the audience), attracted
by the contagion of this oscillation, quitted his place in
the chancel and mingled with thc iJcrvislios, where hc
knelt beside the others, and began balancing hiniself Uke
a bear in a cage.

THE HOWLING DERVISHES. lo3
The chant grew louder and louder ; the movement of
the heads quickened ; the visages of the Dervishes began
to grow livid, and their chests to pant. The speaker
uttei-cd his words with redoubled encrgj- ; and wo awaited,
with anxious expectancj-, that which was to follow.
Some of the Dervishes, excited to the proper degree,
nrose, and continued their bowing movement with such
violence, that thcy seemed in danger of cracking their
skulls against the walls, or of dislocating the vertebras of
their spines.
Presently aU were standing. This is the moment when
the gigantic tambourines should be brought into plaj' ;
but this tirae it wa-s not doue, the " subjects " being aheady
sufficiently excited ; and, moreover, the fast of Ramadan
beiug in force, it was not desired to overtax their powers.
They now formed a chain, by putting their hands on
each other's shoulders, and began to justify their distinc
tive name, by hearing up from the very depths of their
chests a hoarse and prolonged cry, or howl, of " Allah-
hou !" which hardly seemed to come from any human
voice. The whole band, animated as it were bj- one feeling,
retired one step simultaneously, and then threw themselves
forward with an equaUj' simultaneous plunge ; shouting in
a deep tone, which reserabled the growling of a menagerie,
when the Uons, tigers, panthers, and hyenas are all en
raged by some unexpected postponement of their feeding-
time. Little by little the inspiration comes. Their eyes
begin to shine, like those of wUd beasts in the depths of a
dark cavem ; an epileptic foam gathers about their Ups ;
their countenances are distorted, and shine lividly through
profuse prespiration. The whole Une falls back nt once,
before some invisible gust, like reeds before a tempest.

154 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and then rises again as suddenly; and always, at each for
ward plunge, the terrible "Allah-hou !" bm-sts forth vrith
increasing fury ! How shouts of such unearthly violence,
repeated during more than an hour, could fail to burst
the osseous frame of the chest and fiood the lungs with
blood, fi-om ruptured vessels, is inexplicable.
The shouts became, after a time, mere roarings ; and
one Dervish in particular, with a face of miraculous
sallow-ness and leanness, a gigantic fleshless frame to
match, and a voice deep and cavernous beyond expression,
balanced his head amid its matted locks of long black
hair, and tore up, as it were, fr-om his skeleton chest, the
growls of a tiger, — the roars of a Uon, — the yeUs of a
woimded wolf bleeding in the snow ; — cries fuU of rage
and J'et of longing, the vague utterance of some unknown
and fierce voluptuousness ; — blended, sometimes, with sighs
of human sorrow or weakness, — protests of the frail bodj',
bumed and bruised by the fiery and restless soul.
Excited by the feverish ardour of this infuriated de-
yotee, aU the troop threw themselves back again in one
mass, and then forward, like a Une of intoxicated soldiers,
j'elling out, at the same instant, one supreme "Allah-hou ! ' '
with a sound comparable to nothing earthly, uidess to the
voice of some mammoth or mastodon, buiied amid the
colossal herbage of an antedilurian marsh. The floor
trembled beneath the measured tramping of the phrenzicd
band, and the waUs seemed ready to tumble in ruins about
us, like those of a second Jericho ; shaken to theii- foun-
datious, by the tumult and uproar of these horrible and
tremendous clamours.
The two capuchin monks (whom I have already named
as spectators) laughed, foolishly, in their sleeves, at what
they considered the absm-dity of all this ; forgetting that
they themselves were a kind of Catholic Dei-rishes, morti-

TUE HOWLING DERVISHES. 155
fj'ing themselves in another mnnner, to approach a Deity
of different attributes. The Dervishes seek " AUah," and
address Him in their howUngs, as the Capuchins seek
Jehovah in their prayers, their fasts, and their ascetic
exercises. I confess that this want of tolerance, nay, even of
intelUgence, annoyed me excessively; for sincerity de
serves respect everywhere, and however mistaken its
manifestation ; and, to me, this ridicule seemed sadly
misplrfced ; for I can appreciate, alike, the Hindoo Fakir,
the Trappist, and the Dervish, writhing beneath the
immense pressure of the vague Infinite, and seeking to
appease " the Unknown God, whom they ignorantly wor
ship," by the immolation of their bodies and Ubations of
their blood.
And now the exaltation had reached its climax. The
howls, or shouts, succeeded each other without interval or
cessation, and a sort of wild-beast odour was emitted from
this mass of heated and sweltering bodies. Through the
dust raised by their trampling feet, gleamed vaguelj', as
through an ensanguined mist, visages con-vulsed, distorted,
and phrenzied, iUumined by white ej'es and deUrious
smUes. The Iman remained standing before the mirah, en
couraging the growing phrenzy by voice and gesture.
A J'outh detached himself from the group and advanced
towards the old man ; and now we saw the use of some
portions of the terrible instruments suspended from the
wall. The assistants of the Iman took from the waU an
exceedingly sharp sort of spike,, or skewer, and handed it
to their superior, who instantly transfixed with it both
cheeks of the yomig devotee, without his showing the
least sign of suffering. This operation performed, he
returned to his place, and continued his movements as
K 2

156 CONSTANTINOPLE.
before. It is difficult to imagine anything more strange
in appearance, than this head thus "spitted;" and it
would have seemed like some trick of a pantomime, but
for the horrible consciousness of its reaUty.
Two other fanatics now sprung into the centre of the
haU, and were supplied with two of those darts (already
described), terminating in leaden hearts, and garnished
with nmnerous sniaU chains of iron. Taking these in their
hands, they began a sort of poignard-dance, full of extra
ordinary and violent movements ; but, iustead of shunning
the points of the darts, they sought every opportimity to
wound themselves with them, and to scoui-ge theniselves
with the iron chains, until they feU exhausted to the
ground, recking with blood and perspiration, and foaming
like horses goaded to the utmost by the spur, and faUing
with fatigue before reaching the goal.
Presently, a pretty little girl, seven or eight years of
age, who had been standing near the door dm-ing thc whole
ceremonj', advanced aloue towards the Iman, who received
her in a paternal aud affectionate manner. She then
extended herself upon a sheepskin, wliich lay unroUed
upon the floor, and the Iman, with a pair of lai-ge slippers
upon his feet and supported bj' two of his attendants,
mounted upon her little bodj', and stood there for several
sesonds. 'WTien he descended from this living pedestal,
the little girl rose and withdrew, with an air of intense
reverence and deUght.
Some women theu brought several children, of three or
four years of age, and placed them successively upon the
sheepskin, where they were affectionately trampled upon
by the gigantic Iman. Some took it very kindly, but
others cried like jays plucked alive. Their eyes seemed
starting fi-om their heads, and their little sides ready to
bm-st with the enormous pressure ; but the mothers

THE HOWLING DERVISHES, 157
(whose eyes sparkled with delight and implicit faith)
took them again in their arms, and soothed them with a
few caresses ; evidentlj' strong in the universal Mussulman
belief, that this imposition of tho feet of the holy man is
at once a cure nnd preventive for all maladies. To the
children, succeeded j'oung people, and even grown-up
men and soldiers ; nay, even one superior officer submitted
to this singular ordeal.
As we issued from the haU, we encountered the young
man whose cheeks the Iman had transfixed with the
skewer. He had withdrawn the instrument of torture,
and seemed none the worse for the operation ; a small
spot of purple on cither check, being the sole remaining
indication of the passage of the iron.

158 CONSTANTINOPLE,

XIII.
THE CEMETEBY OF SCUTAEI.
I HAEDLT know why the Turkish cemeteries inspire
nothing of the sadness which attaches to those of Christian
lands. A -risit to Pere-Lachaise plunges me into a sort
of funereal melancholy, which lasts for several days ; whUe
I have passed successive hom-s in the cemeteries of Pera
and Scutari, -without any other feeling than that of a
pleasing and dreamy pensiveness. Is it to the beauty of
the sky, the clearness of the air, or the romantic charm
of the situation, that this difference is attributable ? or to
some unconscious reUgious prejudice, causing one to regard
with less reverence the tombs of " infidels," with whose
futm-e we have nothing in eommon ?
These are questions which I cannot answer, although
I have reflected much upon the subject ; and the thing is
perhaps reaUy attributable to causes purely local, and to
a natm-al accordance with the feeUng which prevails
around one.
CathoUcism, nay, even Protestantism, has surrounded
death -with a certain sombre poetry of dread, unknown
alike to Paganism and Mahometanism. It has imparted
to its sepulchres lugubrious and caduvcrcms aspects and
forms, combined to augment the sentiment of terror or
repugnance already created, as completely as the antique
urns suggest a contraiy sentiment, with their gay bas-
reliefs, or their graceful genii sporting amid flowers ; or

THE CEMETERY OF SCUTARI. 159
the Mussulman tombs, enriched with blue and gold, and
seeming, beneath the shade of overhanging foliage, rather
kiosks devoted to eternal repose and peace, than the cold
mid damp abodes of mouldering corpses.
Iu these cemeteries, I have often smoked my pipe
whUe seated upon a grave ; an act which, in France,
would have seemed strangely irreverent ; while only a
thin slab of marble and a few inches of moidd separated
me from the remains of a fellow-man.
More than once, I have traversed the cemeteiy of Pera
by night, at an hour when the white sepulchral columns
took the most fantastic forms in the moonUght, and
seemed to range themselves in the fluctuating shadow,
Uke the risen nuns in " Robert lc Diable," — without a
single added pulsation of the heart acknowledging any
thing of terror, or even of solemnity, in the scene ; a
process which, I fi-ankly confess, I could not go through
in the cemetery of Montmartre, without a feeling of
horror, and a nervous trepidation that would make me
start at the slightest noise ; although I have, a hundi-cd
limes, iu mj' travels, encountered dangers fai- more real,
with far less of trepidation.
But, in the East, (as one caimot but perpetuaUy remark)
death blends so famiUarly -with life, that it loses its terror
to a degree almost incredible.*
The dead, above whose resting-place you drink your
coffee or smoke your pipe, can never become spectres for
' It may, perhaps, be excusable to confirm the author's observa
tions on this point, by an allusion to the small value at which human
life is estimated in China; where, owing to the prevalence of the
same despotism; whioh (by the constant and sudden recurrence of
capital punishment) has destroyed all its sanctity in Turkey, human
life is so lightly esteemed, that a man conderaned to death can obtain
a substitute to suffer in his stead, for a sum equivalent to little more
than ten pounds sterling! — Teans.

160 CONSTANTINOPLE.
you. Thus, on issuing from the " menagerie " of the
Howling Dervishes, I acceded, with pleasure, to a pro
position, that we should forget the horror of the spectacle
we had just witnessed, in a promenade through the great
Cemetery of Scutari; the best situated, the largest, and
the most " frequented" (by both dead and Uving), of any
in the whole East.
It is an iramense forest of cj-press, covering a hilly
site, intersected by large avenues, and bristling with
tombstones throughout a space of more than three miles
in extent. One can form no idea, in northern coun
tries, fiom the poor dwarfed spindles which are there
called cypresses, of the beauty, grandeur, and majesty,
attained, beneath a southern sky, by these protectors of
the sepulchre ; which, however, from their arousing no
melancholy sentiment, are as often ornaments of the
garden as of the tomb.
With advanced age, the trunk of the cj'press becomes
divided into cylindrical sections, resembling those aggre
gations of columns so common in gothic cathedrals ; its
bark acquires a gray and silvery hue, ard the branches
form strange and grotesque angles, without disturbing
the pj'ramidal shape and lofty air of the mass of foliage.
The roots — tortuous and bare — are visible along the
surface of the ground, which they seem to enfold like the
claws of vultures crushing their prey, or serpents half
buried in the earth.
Their sombre and massive verdure does not become
discoloured beneath the buming sun of the tropics, but
retains its full depth of hue, which seeins almost black, as
it stands relieved against the intense azm-e of the sky.
There is no tree more majestic. It is in admirable har
mony with the Italian architecture of the villas which
here surround it, and strikingly contrasts its lofty and

THE CEMETERY OF SCUTARI. 161
dark cones with the slender white columns of the neigh
bouring minarets.
Beside every torab a cypress is planted : every ti-ee
which stands erect in the burinl-ground represents a dend
man recumbent at its foot ; and, inasmuch ns this soil,
enriched by human remains, fosters a singularly-rapid
vegetation ; and, as every day adds to the number of
graves and of cypresses, the sepulchral forest grows,
spreads, and rises, -with a rapidity almost miraculous.
The Turks have no idea of those temporaiy grants of
land, by which civilised communities concede to the dead
a few years' lease of their graves, to reclaim the space
when their mouldering remains shaU have lost all indi
viduaUty and commingled with the parent earth. Fu
nereal economy is not so well understood by these wor
thy barbarians, as by more refined nations ; and every
dead man, poor or rich, once extended upon his final
couch, may sleep there undisturbed, until the last trumpet
arouses him from his slumber ; or, at least, the hand of
man -wiU not disturb his repose.
Near the City of the Living, this City of the Dead
extends indefinitely, gradually peopling itself with resi
dents of most quiet habits, and who never emigrate. The
inexhaustible quarries of Marmora furnish to each of
these silent citizens a tablet of marble, which tells his
name and .abode ; and although a coffin occupies but little
space, and the ranks are closely serried, the City of the
Dead covers a larger space than the other. MiUions have
there lain down, for ever, from the time of the original
conquest of Byzantium, by Mahomet IL, and each retains
his plaee ; while the living occupants of the neighbouring
town remain there but for a time, and then come to
sweU the countless numbers of these denizens of the city
of sepulchres.

162 CONSTANTINOPLE.
If time, which destroys eveiything, does not overthrow
and annihilate these monuments, and decapitate them,
and if the dust of ages does not bmy the remains of the
broken tombs, this system of never intruding upon a grave
once appropriated, would enable a patient statistician, by
counting these funeral columns, to obtain an approxima
tion to the number of the population of Constantinople in
the j'car 1453, — the time of the faU of the Grecian Empire.
Without the intervention of that invariable process of
Nature, which tends to restore all natural things to
their primitive state, the Turkish Empire, in pm-suance
of the present usage, would soon become nothing but one
vast cemetery, from which the dead would expel the
living. Entering the cemeteiy, I pursued the main avenue,
bordered on either side by lofty and overshadowing screens
of the ever-recm-ring cypress. Stone-cutters, seated quietly
by the way-side, are carving inscriptions upon tombs ;
arabas fiUed with females, pass on their way towards
Hyder-Pasha ; and women of disreputable character
lounge about, distinguished by having their eyebrows
united with a line of Indian-ink, and wearing transparent
yachmacks, through which their faces are risible.
I presently quitted the beaten track, and, learing my
companions, directed my steps at random among the tombs,
to study more closely the oriental accompaniments of
death. I have already said, in speaking of the Little Field of
Pera, that the Tm-kish monmnents are generally composed
of pillars of marble, terminating in a kind of globe,
bearing a vague resemblance to a human face and de
corated with a carved turban, the form and folds of which
indicate the rank of the deceased. But now, the tm-ban
is superseded by a coloured fez ; the graves of the women

THE CEMETERY OF SCUTARI. 163
retaining, however, their distinctive mark as before, in
the form of a stem of lotus, or a shoot of grape--rine,
witli leaves or grapes carved and painted in relief. At
foot of the column, which is almost always of precisely
the same form, and varied only by the degree of richness
of the gilding and colouring, there is usually a flat stone,
hollowed in the middle to form a smaU basin, some few
inches in depth, in which the friends of the deceased
place flowers, and pour milk or perfumes.
A day comes, however, when the flowers fade, and
are not renewed ; for grief for the departed is not etemai,
and Ufe were intolerable without forgetfulness. Water
from the clouds replaces the rose-water, and the birds of
the air come to drink the tears of the heavens, from the
reservoir which once received the tears of affection. The
doves dip their wings in these baths of marble, drying
themselves in the sun while they coo from the summit of
the superincumbent monument; and the dead, deceived,
- might suppose that he heard a sigh of faithful sorrow.
Nothing could be prettier or more graceful, than this
¦winged Ufe, hovering and singing among the tombs.
Occasionally a Tttrbi, or species of chapel, with its
Moorish arcades, rises amid the humbler tombs and serves as
a sepulchral kiosk, to some Pasha sui-rounded byhis famUy.
The Turks, who are grave, deUberate, and majestic in
every action of Ufe, hurry themselves only in the presence
of death. The corpse, so soon as it has been subjected
to the customary ablutions, is despatched to the cemetery
at racing speed, placed upon its side so as to face Mecca
and the East, and promptly covered with a few handfuls
of earth. This extremity of haste, is adopted in accord
ance with a Mussidman superstition ; the beUef being,
that the corpse suffers, until it is committed to the earth
from which it sprung.

1 64 CONSTANTINOPLE.
The Iman questions the deceased upon his faith in the
leading doctrines of the Koran, his silence being taken for
acquiescence; the assistants respond Amin, andthe friends
disperse, leaving the dead alone with etemity.
After this, it is believed that Monkir and Nekir — the
two funereal angels, whose eyes of turquoise shine in faces
of ebony — question the departed spirit as to the tenor of
his life ; and, according to his answers, assign the place
which his soul is to occupy in HeU or Paradise. The
Mahometan hell, however, is only a purg.atoiy ; for after
having expiated their sins, by torments more or less
severe and protracted, all true believers finish by being
received to the embrace of houris and the ineffable
presence of Allah.
At the head of each grave, is left a sort of hole or
channel, conducting towards the ear of the deceased, that
he may be enabled to hear the sighs, prayers, and lamen
tations of his family or friends. This opening — too often,
alas ! enlarged by the dogs or jackals — seems intended as
a sort of vent for the sepulclire : a kind of peep-hole,
through which this world can look into the other.
In wandering, with no fixed destination, I arrived at
a part of the cemetery more ancient than the rest, and
consequently more neglected. The sepulchral columns,
nearly aU out of perpendicular, leaned in every direction.
Many were recumbent, as if tired of standing so long and
thinking it useless to continue to designate graves which
nobody now thought of risiting. The earth, sunken by
the decay of the coffins, or the action of the rain, preserved
but carelessly the secrets of the tomb. At nearly every
step, my foot struck against some fragment of a jaw,
a rib, or a thigh-bone ; and amid an occasional patch of
short turf, I could sometimes see shining spherical objects
white and poUshed like ivory. These were skulls, basking

TUE CEMETERY OF SCUTARI. 165
in the sun. In a few of the open graves, pious hands had
replaced the bones with some degree of order ; from others,
the fragments of skeletons roUed Uke pebbles about the
deserted pathways.
I was seized with a strange and horrible curiosity to
peer into some of those openings in the graves, of which
I have before spoken ; to penetrate the mysterious dark
ness of the tomb, and behold the dead, mouldering within
its Umits. I stooped and gazed into some of these windows
of the sepulchre ; and I could see, plainly, the dust of
humanity in its undress. I saw the cranium— j'cUow,
Urid, grinning — with dislocated jaws, and empty sightless
sockets; the bony cage of the chest, half buried in sand
or black mould, over which fell carelessly the skeleton arm.
The rest was lost in shadow or in earth.
These sleepers seemed tranquil enough ; and, far from
horrifying me, as I expected, the spectacle rather re
assured me. There was, in reaUty, nothing there but
phosphate of Ume ; and the soul once departed, nature
was resuming her elements, Uttle by little, to form new
combinations. If, in former times, I had dreamed the Comedie de la
Mort in the cemetery of Pere-Lachaise, I certainly could
not have written a single verse in the cemetery of Scutari.
Under thc tranquil shade of these cypresses, a human
skull seems to impress me no more than a stoue ; and the
soothing fatalism of the East appears to creep over me,
despite my Christianised terror of deatb, and my CathoUc
experience of the sepulchre. None of those dead have
responded when questioned. Everywhere silence, calm
forgetfulness, and dreamless sleep in the bosom of Natme,
the holy mother.
I had placed my ear to many of the half-open graves ;
but I heard no sound, unless it were the worm gnawing

166 CONSTANTINOPLE.
among the cerements. None of these sleepers, lying upon
their sides, had tumed themselves, as if ill at ease ; and
I continued my walk, striding over the tombs, and
treading upon the relics of humanity, calm, serene, nay,
alraost smiUng ; and thinking, with but Uttle repugnance,
of the day when the foot of the passing stranger should
thus sturable over my head, — hoUow and sonorous, Uke an
empty bowl.
The raj's of sunlight glanced through the dark pyra
mids of the cypresses, and played Uke wild-fires upon the
white marble of the tombs. The doves cooed cheerfuUy,
and the swallows made their joyous circuits in the deep
blue of the heavens.
Some women, seated each in the centi-e of a smaU
carpet, and accompanied by a negress or a child, seemed
lost in melancholy reverie ; or reposing, lulled by some
rision of tender remembrance. The air was soft and
¦ sweet ; and I never felt a stronger sense of Ufe, than amid
this sombre forest, whose soil was composed of the dust
of the dead.
I had now rejoined my friends, and we visited a
completely modem part of the cemetery. I there saw
recent tombs, sm-rounded by raiUngs and Uttle gardens,
in imitation of those of Pere-Lachaise. Death, it would
appear, has its " fashions " as well as Life ; and in this
region there were none but fashionables of the newest
mode, interred in the latest style. For my part, I pre
ferred the column of marble, with the sculptm-ed turban,
and the verse of the Koran in letters of gold.
The road issuing from the cemetery leads to a large
plam, called " Hyder-Pasha;" a sort of parade-ground,
which lies between Scutari and the extensive barracks of
Kadi-Kieui. A waU, constructed of old and broken tomb
stones, extends on either side of the road, and foi-ms a sort

THE CEMETERY OF SCUTARI. 167
of raised terrace of about three feet in height, affording the
most admirable view of the scene around ; which looks
like an immense field of animated flowers.
Two or thrcc lines of women, seated upon mats or
carpets, form striking contrasts, with the varied colom-s of
their feredjes, elegantly draped about them, and reUeved
by thc pure white of the j'achmack. In front of them,
the red jackets, straw-coloured trousers, and braided waist
coats of the children, form a medley of rays of bright
colours and golden embroidery.
At his first arrival in the East, the feredje and the
yachmack have, upon the traveller, the effect of the
domino in a masquerade, where he distinguishes nothing,
and feels in a maimer dazzled by the eternal succession of
formless shadows, which pass before his eyes, to aU ap
pearance cach exactly like thc other.
Soon, however, although you recognise no one, the
eye becomes habituated to this imiformity ; and you
begin to discover differences, and appreciate forms beneath
the satin which conceals them. Some Ul-disguised grace
betrays the youth of one, while the more advanced age of
another is indicated by some opposite pecuUaritj'. A
breeze — propitious or unfortunate — lifts sometimes, for an
instant, the lappet of lace ; the face is seen despite the
ma.sk, and the black phantom becomes a woman. It is
so in the East. The ainple drapery of merino, which re
sembles a dressing-robe, or a bathing-go-wn, soon loses its
mystery. The yachmack betrays an occasional unexpected
transparency, and, despite all the wrappers with which
Mussulman jealousy enfolds her, a Tm-kish woman, if not
gazed at too openly, becomes in reaUty as "visible " as a
JEuropean one.
The feredje, which professes to conceal the figure, can
also display it. Its ample folds, skilfuUy arranged, show

168 CONSTANTINOPLE.
plainly the outline which they should disguise ; and in
half opening it, under pretext of re-adjustment, the Turk
ish coquette — for there are such — shows sometimes, at the
parting ofher embroidered velvet jacket, a superb throat,
scarcely clouded by a cheraisette of gauze, and a bust
like marble, which owes nothing to the artifice of the
corset; while those who have pretty hands, well know
how to display their henna-tipped and tapering fingers,
outside of the mantle which enwraps their owner. There
are modes of rendering the yachmack opaque or trans
parent, by the mamier of arranging its folds ; and it
is easy to raise it more or less high upon the face, and to
increase or diminish the space between it and the head-
di-ess. Between these two Unes of white, sparkle, Uke
black diamonds or stars of jet, those most magnificent of
all eyes in the world, whose briUiancy is even heightened
by the tint of k'hol upon the Uds, and which seem to con
centrate in themselves the whole expression of that face,
of which aU the rest is concealed.
In walking slowly down the middle of the road, I was
able to pass in review, at leism-e, this whole gaUery of
Tm-kish beauties, as if I were inspecting a range of boxes
at the Opera. My red fez and close-buttoned frock-coat,
my long beard and embrowned complexion, rendered me
scarcely distinguishable from the rest of the crowd, and
prevented me from having an aii- too scandalously Pai-i-
siau. Upon the " turf " of Hyder-Pasha, many arabas moved
gravely along, as well as mauy talikas, and not a few
broughams and clareuces ; all filled with richly- di-essed
women, whose diamonds sparkled in the sun, partly
hidden by the masses of white muslin, like stars behind a
Ught cloud. Cawas ou foot or on horseback, attended
many of these carriages, indicating that in those thus

TIIE CEMETERY OF SCUTARI. 169
attended, odaUsques of the imperial harera were lazUy
seeking to dispel their ennui by a drive.
Here and there, Uttle groups of five or six women
lounged beneath the shade of a tree, guarded by a black
eunuch, and within caU of the araba which had convej-ed
them thither. The sellers of snow-water, sherbet, grapes,
and cherries, passed from group to group, offering their
merchandise to the Greeks and Armenians, and con
tributing to the animation of the scene.
CavaUers, mounted upon fine horses, displayed their
skill at some little distance fr-om the carriages — doubtless
in honour of some inrisible beauty ; the matchless steeds
of Nedji, of Hedjaz, and of Kurdistan, proudly shaking
their sUlcy manes, and making the jeweUed housings to
sparkle and flash in the simlight, — seemingly as conscious
as their masters, of the adrairation they excited. Occa
sionaUy, when a cavalier's back was turned, a fair head
would be seen for an instant at the window of a talika,
but would be as instantly withdra-wn.
The sun sank, and I regained, in a strange, dreamy
mood, the road to Scutari ; where my caidji patiently
awaited me, seated between a cup of coffee and a chi
bouque of latakia ; as, indeed, he had every right to do,
being a Christian Greek, and not subject to the rigor
ous restrictions of the Ramadan, which stdl reigned
supreme throughout the territory of Islam.

170 CONSTANTIKOPLE.

XIV.

KARAGHEUZ.

I BEGIN to fear, in speaking thus perpetuaUy of ceme
teries, that I shall be mistaken for a travelUng undertaker ;
but it is not my fault ; and to-day, at least, I have nothmg
lugubrious in view.
I wish to take you to see " Karagheuz" the Tm-kish
Punch; and to reach his abode, we must traverse the
Great Field of the Dead of Pera : but what to do there?
you wiU say ; for, after all, this is no melancholj' personage
whom we are about to visit.
After passing through nearly the whole length of the
chief street of Pera, you reach a foimtain, shaded by a
cluster of plane-trees, near which are stationed men with
horses to let, who assail you with cries of " Tchelehi, —
Signor .'" — or " Monsieur .'" according as they are more or
less polyglots. Around are also numerous arabas, waiting
for employment ; aud the eternal sellers of sherbet, iced-
water, cucumbers, and cakes, always seeming to diive a
brisk trade.
Groups of women, seated at the wayside, fix boldly
upon the passers-by their largo bhick eyes, and amuse
themselvss by watching the crowd of people of all nations,
who corae and go on foot, on horseback, on mules, on
asses, aud in carriages of aU shapes aud from all regions.
The slgual-gun, which amiu ances the setting of the

KARAGIIELZ. 171
sun and the suspension of the fast, has just resomided
through the towu. The cafes begin to flll, and clouds of
tobacco sraoke to rise in every dii-ection. Tarboukas are
heard to rumble, tambom-ines to rattle, and flutes to
shriek ; w hUe the nasal tones of the street singers
augment the joyous claniom-.
Upon the esplanade in front of the cavalry barrack,
the fashionables begin to display their horsemanship ; and
the black eunuchs to prance about, upon superb steeds.
They chaUenge each other to the race, with shriU cries,
and gallop madly forward, regardless of the j'cUow and
red dogs who Ue sleeping in their pathway with an
imperturbable fataUsm.
In another quarter, children are playing at " cat,"
perched upon the flat tombs of Armenians or Greek
CSuistians ; which are deprived of aU religious erableras,
as if Mussulman earth barely tolerated the dead of a
different creed. These philosophical gamins appeared,
however, to trouble themselves very Uttle about the fact
that they were thronging a spot satm-ated with human
dust ; aud displayed a vivacity of Ufe aud gaiety, which
such a locality would have partially subdued, in anj- other
country than Turkey.
The Little Field of Pera is a sort of Boulevard des
ItaUens ; and (to sustain the paraUel) the Great Field is
the Bois de Boulogne of Paris, or thc Ilj-de Park of
London, — a place in which the Turkish beaux display
their barbs, or EngUsh horses, and in which are paraded
some few barouches, chariots, and broughams, imported
from Paris, Vieima, or London. They might be more
numerous, if the execrable pavements a;nd narrow streets
would permit ; but, even as it is, they add greatly to the
animation of the scene, and form striking • contrasts with
the clumsy forms, gaudy colours, and brilUant gilding of
L 2

172 CONSTANTINOPLE.
the arabas — although the latter are much preferable in a
pictorial point of view : one more iUustration of the
truism, that the pictm-esque is almost invariably attained
by a sacrifice of the useful, the comfortable, or the
practical. Perhaps the dead, who sleep beneath the surrounding
cjqjresses, prefer this bustle to the deep silence, the heavy
solitude, aud the cold abandonment, which isolate them
elsewhere. Here they rest, amid their contemporaries,
their friends, and their descendants, and are not removed
from the common haunts of men as objects of disgust or
horror. This familiarity, which may at first seem irrever
ent, is, after all, more tender and considerate than our
superstitious reserve.
While waiting for the hour at whieh the representation
of Karagheuz should commence, I smoked a chibouque
and took a cup of coffee in a neighboui-ing cafe. This
preliminary completed, I and my Constantinoplean friend
traversed the cemetery, and reached a line of low wooden
houses, which stood beneath a row of lofty cypresses, and
formed one side of a street, of which the other side con
sisted of tombs.
At the door of one of these houses stood a lamp,
formed by depositing a floating vrick in a glass of oil — a
mode of illumination much in use in Constantinople — and
the house thus distinguished proved to be the scene cf
the evening's entertainment. We entered, after throw
ing a few piastres to an old Turk, who was seated near
the door, beside a chest which represented at once the
cash-box and thc box-office.
The representation took place in a garden jilanted
with trees. Low stools for the natives, and chau-s of
wicker-work for the giaours, supplied the place of boxes
und stalls. The audience was numerous, and the smoke

K.ARAGHEUZ. 173
from their chibouques and narghiles formed a cloudy
canopy above their heads ; while the lighted pipc-bowls
gleamed in the shade, as if the whole surface of the garden
were sprinkled with Uve coals.
The blue sky of evening, spangled with stars, formed
the ceUing of our theatre, and the moon played the part
of chandelier ; while boys ran nimbly about serring cups
of coffee and glasses of water, — accompaniment-obligato
to every Turkish entertainraent. Seats were provided for
us in the front row, close to the stage, and beside sorae
young rogues in tarbouches, whose long siUc tassels hung
half-way down their backs, like Chinese queues, and who
were already laughing merrily in anticipation of the piece.
The theatre of " Karagheuz" is of a simplicity even
more primitive than that of " Punch." An angle of a
wall, across which is extended a curtain of white linen,
Ughted from behind, is aU the fitting- up which is required ;
a single lamp suppUes the needful light, and a tambourine
constitutes the orchestra. Nothing could be less compU
cated. The manager takes his stand in the area forined
by the angle of the waU and the extended cm-tain, and
amid the figures whose movements and language he
directs. The luminous ground upon which are to be projected
the shadows [silhouettes) of the miniature actors, shines
brightly in the growing darkness, and is the centre of
many impatient regards. Presently a figure is uiterjiosed
between the Ught and the curtain, and a coloured and
semi-transparent shadow is thrown upon the shining
surface. It is a Chinese pheasant perched upon a bush.
The tambourine begins to rumble and growl, and a gut
tural voice chanting a strange poem, in a measure incom
prehensible to European ears, rises upon the sUence ; for
at the ajipearance of the bird, the vague buzz of conver-

174 CONSTANTINOPLE.
sation had censed abruptly. This wns the lifting of the
curtain, and the overture.
The pheasant vanished, and gave place to a sort of
scene, representing the exterior of a garden, enclosed by
lattices and railings, above which appeared trees, very
.similar in form to those carved wooden ones which we
find in boxes of German toj'S.
A hoarse shout of laughter now announced the entrance
of Karagheuz, and a grotesque figure of some six or eight
inches in height perched himself on the garden wall -with
a profusion of extravagant gestures.
Karagheuz is a very striking personage. His face,
although seen only in silhouette, forms a very faithful
caricature of the genuine Turk. His parrot-beaked nose
curves over a black beard and projecting chin, and his
phj'siognoniy presents a mixture of stiipiditj', voluptuous
ness and cuiming ; as if he were at once Prud'homme,
Don Juan, and Robert Macaire.
His head is covered by a turban of the most authentic
" old style," which, however, he removes every moment as
species of comic action, which is as invariably effective as
the " root-too-too" of Punch. A jacket, a waistcoat of
gaudy colours, and large trousers, complete his costume.
His arms and legs are moveable.
He differs from the mere black forms of the " ombres
chinois," in being transparent and displaying various
colours, like the figures of a magic lantern; and this
description of the hero of the piece -wiU serve to give an
idea of all the other actors.
Like all approved princes of tragedy, Karagheuz has
a confidant, nanied TIadji-aivat ; an auxiliary who answers
hira impudently, and mocks hira behind his back M-hile
waiting upon him ; but, nevertheless, Karagheuz can no
more be imagined without Iladji-aivat, than Orestes

KARAGHEUZ. 175
without Pylades, Damon -vrithout Pj'thias, or Castor
without Pollux ; and their grotesque nnd qujirrelsome
duality pervades tho entire piece. Iladji-.aivat hns a
form ns slcndiM- ns thnt of a sylph, nnd forms a strong
contrast, with his grncc and agUity, to the ponderous and
deliberate dignity of his chief.
The garden, outside of which the scene of the piece is
laid, encloses a mysterious beauty, — a sort of houri, who
has strangely fascinated the imagination and senses of
Karagheu?:. He is desirous to penetrate into this paradise,
which is defended by ferocious guardians ; and to effect
that object, invents all sorts of stratagems, in which he is
successively foiled. Now it i^i a eunuch who menaces
him with his sabre ; presentlj- a ferocious dog, who barks
outrageously, and fixes a fearfully sharp set of teeth in his
calves; — while Hadja-a'ivat, no less enamom-ed than his
master, is constantly trying to substitute himself for
Karagheuz, and to take the place in the lady's favour
which his master seeks to obtain. He complicates the
" situation" by all conceivable rascalities and treacheries,
which cause continual altercations and contests between
him and Karagheuz, and give perp'etual action to the piece.
A third personage is introduced, at an early period,
into the drama. It is a j'oung man, in blue frock-coat
and fez, like the attach^ of an Ottoman embassy, — a young
man of family. He holds in his hand a pot of basil —
sjTnbol of love, sincere and permanent ; and Karagheuz
benevolently counsels him how he may best prosecute his
suit and obtain access to the object of his devotion, — in so
doing making a mere tool of the poor youth, obtaining
money from him, and finaUy seeking to obtain entrance
to the garden of paradise in the train of the young effendi.
Certain Persians, attracted by the renown of the lady's
beauty, comc alao to cool tJicir heels at the garden gate ;

176 CONSTANTINOPLE,
arriring, mounted on spotted horses of a most ludicrous
appearance. High Astracan caps of lambs'-wool surmount
their heads, and they bear in their hands the invariable
battle-axe of their nation. Karagheuz endeavours to
make friends of these strangers; and "humbugs" them
¦with a succession of lies, each more preposterous than
the last, but all quite in keeping -with the stupidity which
the Tm-ks habitually attribute to the Persians. Hadji-
aivat has also sought to avail himself of the Persian in
fluence ; and being detected, receives a most miraculous
shower of cuffs and kicks fr-om his master. Meantime, the
yomig lover is admitted to the harem, and the door
slammed in the faces of the Persians ; who revenge their
discomfiture by pouncing unanimously upon Karagheuz
and Hadji-a'ivat, thus creating a general fight, to the
intense gratification of the audience, who reward the per
formance with shouts of laughter and applause.
Necessarily, my description is limited almost exclusively
to the pantomimic portion of this " drama," my know
ledge of Turkish being quite inadequate to the foUo-wing
of such a perforraance ; but, as conveying an idea of the
stage to whieh dramatic art and taste (?) have arrived in
Tm-key, the description is not -without its value. It -wUl
be observed, that in this, as in their poetry and Uterature,
their tastes are singularly primitive, and their apprecia
tion limited to that species of nan-ative and incident which
forms the delight of savages and of children.
The Turkish language offers pecuUai- facilities for puns,
and every description of play upon words ; the alteration
of a single letter, or even a single accent, bcing suffi
cient to change entfrely the sense of a word. Thus,
Asem signifies Persian, and asemi, an idiot ; and instead
of saying Asem-Baba, (or Mr. Persian), Karagheuz never
failed to say, Asemi-Baba, or, " you fool of a Persian ;"

KARAGHEUZ. 177
which of course called forth peals of laughter — the Per
sians filUng, for the Turks, the place which Frenchmen do
in English farce, or Englishmen in the French comedies.
In fact, these poor Pcrsinns nrc the butt of nil thc jokes
and all thc mj'stificntions of the Turkish story-tellers.
Theil- stj'le is parodied, their emphatic enunciation, stiff
depoi-tment, strange costume, and the superabundance of
arms which they carry about them, are all made subjects
of satire. It is very likely, that among the Persians
the Turks are quizzed in return, by way of just compen
sation. My polj'glot friend translated for me, from tirae to
time, the more striking passages of this piece ; but it is
quite impossible to convey any idea of its droUery by
translation, and deprived of action.
It ought, however, to be mentioned, that, among other
consequences of " the reform," the performances of Ka
ragheuz have been submitted to "the censorship;" and
that much which was rather extreme in action, has, been
reduced to words, and the words themselves veiy freely
excised ; for, in truth, in its original form, the represen
tation could hardly have been described to European
readers ; although, as performed before an audience,
consisting entirely of men, and those men Tm-ks, it
used to be considered quite proper, and in no way
censurable. , After the piece which I have thus imperfectly de
scribed, followed another, purely pantomimic, entitled,
" The Nuptials of Karagheuz ; " but until that has been also
submitted to the censorship — which it seems, at least
partially, to have escaped — I must defer a description of
its details. I may remark, however, that it was rendered
curious by the display of animals, and of fumiture and
house utensUs of every kind, in the nuptial procession ;

178 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and bv the crudo and outre character, which all these pic
tures derive from the restrictions laid upon the plastic
and pictorial arts by the prohibitions of the Koran. The
result is, that aU the pictorial and sculptorial representa
tions in which Karagheuz indulges (he being the only
Turk " licensed" to do anything of the kind) are as pri
mitive, and as unlike nature, as those which we find in
the sculptures of a thousand ycars ago, or the grotesque
limniuKS which we see of the religious ceremonies of the
Aztecs and central Americans.
I resumed my way towards Pera — at the terraination
of the performance — through a deserted part of the ceme
terj', and between two enormous rows of cjqiresses. The
moou threw occasional streams of silver through the
openings of the branches, and made the white and tur
baned tombs look even more spectral than usual. A
profound silence reigned throughout this funeral forest,
broken only, occasionally, bythe deep baj'ing of some dog in
the distance. I was more impressed, than ever before,
with an appreciation of the fmiereal character and asso
ciations of tlie scene; and amid the breathless stillness, T
could almost hear the beating of my heart — the only
liring thing amid this multitude of the dead — when, on a
sudden, a deep and stem voice broke upon my startled ear,
pronouncing, in French, the following phrase : —
" Pray, Monsieur, buy the last of my cakes ! "
This inopportune offer of pastry, araid the depths of
a cemetery, at midnight — that romantic hour, the hour of
apparitions — had something about it at once grotesque
and startling ; while it, at the same time, alarmed and
amused me. Could it be the ghost of some fcUow-Parisiaii,
who had died at Constantinople in pursuit of the noble art
of confectionery, and who now rose to offer me the ghost
of a tart or a cheese-cake ? This seemed hardly probable :

KARIIAGEUZ. 179
and .'io. taking " heart of custard," I marched towards tlic
placc whence the voice had issued.
A fat, most substantial, and ungliostUke looking fcUow
became visible, carrjing bcforc hira a large tray filled
with pastry, and .awaiting customers in this seemingly lui-
suitable locality. He spoke French (as it appeared) in
consequence of haring served for some j-ears as il Turco
in Algicri ; but, disgusted with the profession of arms, had
taken up the more peaceful vocation of this nocturnal
ti-affic in tarts.
I purchased the very foundations of his estabUshment
for about three-halfpence, — reserving the fruits of my
purchase as a means of making peace with the belated
dogs, whom I niight encounter on my way home ; and
proceeded on mj' course.
The next day, in pursuance of my researches into
Turkish dramatic Uterature, my friend proposed to me to
descend to Top-Hane ; where, in the back-gnrden of a
cafe, we might sce a performance of Karagheuz, which
had not been subjected to " the censorship ;" and which
exhibited, therefore, all the freedom of its original con
ception. The garden was fuU of people when we arrived.
Children and little girls were there in particular abun
dance ; and their appreciation and enjoyment of a perform
ance much too gross for description, was by no means the
least singular part of the exhibition.
Karagheuz is often sent for to perform in the harems ;
the females -witnessing the exhibition from curtained and
latticed "boxes" or enclosures; which is singularly at
variance with the severity of restriction imposed upon the
females throughout the Orient, and would seem to indi
cate — as has been so often alleged — that in their dis
behef of the immortality of woman, and their degradation

180 CONSTANTINOPLE.
of her to a position purely animal, the Tm-ks carc to
secm-e only the persons of their females, and pay no
regard whatever to the cultivation or degradation of their
moral faculties.
After -witnessing these performances, I sought to
trace the origin of Karagheuz, to some " root " identical
vrith that of Punch, or Pickel-h'ering , or Polichinello ; but
all my erudite researches were rendered useless, by the
information, that Karagheuz is the caricature of a vizier
of Saladin, notorious alike for his drolleries and his
licentiousness ; and as this explanation makes its hero a
contemporary of the Crusaders, I did not think it worth
while to press my inquiries farther, — this Beeming to
me an antiquity remote and venerable enough to satisfy
the most exacting.

iwwip_M*ia5(iaiiiii«.-i^ii.^ ,. .-.V.

Nnw KIOSK or sui.tan atidul-medjid.

THE SULTAN AT THE MOSQUE. 181

XV.
THE SULTAN AT TIIE MOSQUE.  A TURKISH DINNER.
It is the custom for the Sultan to go in state, every Friday,
to one of the mosques, to perform his devotions in pubUc.
Friday, as every one knows, is to the Turks what Sunday
' is to the Christians, and Saturday to the Jews : a day
specially consecrated to reUgious exercises ; although it
does not, with thc Turks, involve a compulsory period of
rest. Every week, the Commander of the Faithful visits
a different mosque. Saint-Sophia, the Suleimanieh, Sul
tan- Bajazet, YenirDjami, andthe rest, being visited inro-
tetion, according to a sequence arranged and known in
advance. Beside the fact, that to perform his devotions on the
Friday in a mosque, is rigorously inculcated upon the Turk
by the Koran ; and that the Padischa, as the head of the
religion, can least of all men omit that duty ; there is,
moreover, in the exercise of this official act of pieiy, a
political utiUty aud significance ; because it proves, to the
mass of the people, the continuance of the Ufe of the
Sulten, of which they have few other opportunities of
assuring themselves ; hidden as he is, during the entire
week, in the mysterious soUtudes of the seragUo, or of
the secluded summer pnlnccs on tho shores of the Ros-
phonis.

182 CONSTANTINOPLE.
By passing through the city on horseback, visible to
eveiy one, he gives evidence of his existence, both to his
own people and to the representatives of foreign powers ;
a precaution not altogether idle in a country like Turkej',
where his sudden or violeut death miyJit not only occur,
but niight — but for this recurring appearance in publie —
be for some time concealed, for the purposes of political
intrigue. Sickness, even though severe, docs not prevent the
peifoi-mance of this ceremony; for ilahmoud I., son of
Mustapha, actually died between the two gates of the
seragUo, while retui-ning fi-om one of these Fridaj's cere
monials, to, which he had been Uterally dragged, while
with difficulty able to maintain his seat in the saddle, and'
rouged to conceal his death-like paleness.
The dragomans of the different hotels alwaj's kuow,
on the previous evening, or early on the same morning,
the mosque which the Sultan will visit during the daj' ;
and I learned from the dragoman of the Hotel de Byzance,
that on this particular day the Sultan would go from the
palace of Schiragan to the mosque of Medjidieh (situated
close at hand) to perform his devotions.
As the distance is considerable fi-om Dervish-Sohak to
Schiragan, and the Turkish time exceedingly difficult for
strangers to comprehend, it chanced that, when I arrived
at the Medjidieh, bathed in perspu-atiou, aud partiaUy
cooked by the torrid sun of July, the royal procession had
passed, and the Sultan was ah-cadj- reciting his prajers
in the interior of the mosque. Still, there remained the
resource of waiting until ho had finished, and seeing hini
issue fr-om the mosque ou his retmn to thc palace ; v,\iitA\
would amount to exactly the same thing, as if I had seen
him at first, with the addition of an intermediate hour
passed outside the mosque, in thc company of a nuiiibei- of

TIIE SULTAN AT THE MOSQl E. 1S3
English, Americans, Germans, and Russians, waiting with
the same object.
Thc McdjicUeh, as above remarked, is contiguous to the
palace of Schiragan, tho front of whieh faces the Bos
phorus, aud which, on the other side, shows nothing but
high waUs surmounted by the chinmeys of the kitchens,
painted green, aud disguised in the fonn of columns. It
is quite modern, and its architectme is in no way remark
able ; although, by its dazzling whiteness, it has a fine
effect, in contrast with the deep blue of the Oriental sky.
The door of the mosque was open, and a glirapse could
be obtained of the viziers, the pashas, and the other great
officers of state, wearing tarbouches, their breasts blazing
with gold embroidery, and broadened by large epaulettes ;
aU executing, in spite of their obesity, the compUcated
pantomime of Oriental devotion. They knelt and rose
ponderously, by turns, with a piety which seemed sincere ;
and it must be added, that philosophical or sceptical ideas
have made far less progress at Constantinople than would
be expected ; and this, too, even among those Turks who
have been educated in Europe,' and who, on their retm-n
home, seem to recover their attachraent to the Koran.
In fact, it is necessary to scrape but very slightly the
vamish with which civilisation has overlaid them, to fiud
underneath the faithful believer and Mussulman.
In front of the mosque, numerous grooms aud black
slaves were leading up aud down magnificently caparisoned
horses, which had brought thither the Sultan and his suite.
'The author habitually uses lic word " European" in contra
distinction to "Turkish" or "Mahometan;" and, although not
always strictly correct, when speaking of events which occur in
"Turkey in Europe," it is so generally received in common parlance,
that I have followed the author's example, in this particular, through
out the book. — Trans.

184 CONSTANTINOPLE.
They were fine animals, robust, solid, lacking something
of the nervous elegance of the Arabian horses, but seem
ingly capable of bearing great fatigue. The slight horses
of the desert would sink beneath the weight of these
massive riders ; for the most part of excessive stoutness,
especially among the higher grades. These horses are of
the "bai-b" species, but seem to form a class by them
selves. The steed of the Sultan was easily distinguishable
by the precious stones which blazed upon his housings,
and the recurrence of the imperial cypher, the coraplicated
arabesque of which, embroidered in gold, sufficed almost
entirely to hide the velvet of the trappings.
Lines of soldiers were ranged along the walls, awaiting
the appearance of his Highness. They wore the red
tarbouch, and their uniform somewhat resembled the
undress of the French troops of the line, consisting of a
round jacket of blue cloth, and large trousers of coarse
white linen. This costume, which is almost that of a
French peasant lad, formed a strange contrast to the stern
faces, heavy beards, and bronzed complexions of the
wearers, to whora the massive turban of the janissaries
would have been much more suitable.
Upon the steps of the mosque was extended a narrow
strip of blaek cachemere, for the passage of the Sultan.
It led from the door, following the steps of the portico, to
a mounting-block of marble, such as are found also near the
doors of the palaces, and the landing-places for the
caiques. It appears to me (although I cannot assert it
positively) that this black carpet is affected by the Sultan,
in assertion of his right as Graud Kliau of Tartary, of
which dignity that colour is the sign.
The genuflexious, prostrations, and psalmodies continued
in the interior of the sanctuary, while the mid-day sun,
constantly foreshortening the shadow, made the flagstones

THE SULTAN AT TIIE MOSQUE, 185
and gravel of the street fairly to blaze with heat and light,
which were again reflected with blinding fervour from the
white walls around. This was all the more distressing to
three or four European ladies who were there, because
etiquette forbids the opening of a parasol in presence of
the Sultan, or even in front of the palace which he inhabits.
In the East, the parasol has always been the emblem of
suprerae powcr. The master is in the shade, while the
slaves broil in the sun. 'The Turkish rigour is relaxed on
this point, as on all others ; and one would not run, at
present, in disregarding this usage, the risks which would
formerly have attended it ; but all foreigners of good
breeding conforra, nevertheless, to its requirements.
WTiy should we clash with the habits or customs of the
countries which we visit, — habits which have their reasons
for existing, and often are, at bottom, no more ridiculous
than our ovm ?
At last, a movement is perceptible within the mosque.
The officers resume their shoes, or slippers, at the entrance.
The grooras lead the Sultan's horse to the mounting-stone ;
and, presently — between two lines of viziers, pashas, and
beys, bending and saluting in the Oriental fashion — ap
pears his Highness the Sultan, Abdul-Medjid ; his figure
clearly defined against the sombre tints of the door-way,
the outline of which surrounded him like a frame.
His costume — exceedingly simple — consisted of a sort
of surtout or paletot, of deep blue ; white trousers ; patent-
leather boots ; and a fez, in which the imperial aigrette of
heron's feathers was fastened by a button of enormous
diamonds ; while, through tho opening of his paletot, a
glimpse was obtained of an under-coat, richly embroidered
in gold. For my part, I regret sincerely the loss of the ancient
Asiatic magnificence. I admired the unapproachable

186 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Sultans ; — installed, like idols, in shrines of precious
stones, — a kind of peacocks of power, displaying them
selves amid a galaxy of stars. In a country governed by
despotic power, the sovereign cannot too far separate
himself from common humanity, by solemn and imposing
forms ; by a luxury, dazzling, chimerical, and almost
fabulous. He sliould be seen by his people, only through
an atmosphere blazing with gold and diamonds.
Meantime, despite the austere simplicity of his dress, the
rank of Abdul-Medjid could have been mistaken by no one.
A supreme satiety could be read in his pale countenance :
the consciousness of supreme power gave to his features —
otherwise not strikingly regular — a tranquillity like that of
marble. His eyes, fixed and unvarying in expression, —
at once dull and piercing, — seeing everything and looking
at nothing, — did not seem to reserable the eyes of a human
being ; while a short beard, thick and brown, enclosed this
mask, — sad, imperious, and yet soft.
In a few steps, taken with extreme slowness, rather as
if gliding than walking, — the steps of a god or a phantom,
moving by other than the usual huraan process, — Abdul-
Medjid crossed the spaee which separated the door of the
mosque from the mounting-block of marble ; following the
strip of black upon which no one save himself presumed
to tread ; and seemed rather to sink than to mount, to the
saddle of the horse which stood awaiting hira, immove
able as a sculptured steed. The great (and large) officers
raised theraselves, soraewhat more laboriously, on to the
backs of their respective animals, and the procession
began to move towards the palace, amid loud eries of
" Loug live the Sultan !" shouted in Turkish by the sol
diers, with genuine and unmistakeable enthusiasm.
By quickening my pace a little, I was enabled to pass
before the cortege, and place myself somewhat in advance.

TIIE SULTAN AT THE MOSQUE. 187
in a position to g.ain another view '• his Highness. I
gave my mm to a young Itnlian lady, wno had begged me
to escort her, and who peered eagerly through the line of
guards to observe the features of the Sultan ; for a man
who has sixteen hundred wives, is a phenoraenon that
interests in the highest degree the curiosity of all women.
The Sultan — whose horse advanced slowly, gracefully
.arching his superb neck, like that of a swan, and as if
jiroud o£ the burden he bore — the Sultan observed the
stranger, and fi.xed upon her for some seconds his eagle
eyes, at the same tirae turning alraost iraperceptibly towards
her his impassive countenance ; this being the manner in
which the Sultan salutes those whom he chooses to honour ;
a distinction, however, bestowed very rarely indeed.
During this procession, the band played a march,
arranged from Turkish airs by the brother of Donizetti
(leader of the Sultan's musical staff), and blended with
enough of the tambourine and the flute of the dervish, to
satisfy Mahometan ears without outraging those of Euro
peans. This march was pleasing, and by no means wanted
character. Presently the whole cortege entered the palace, the
open gate of which gave a partial view of a vast court
surrounded by buildings of modern style ; but in a moraent
the massive gates reclosed, and there reraained in the
street but a few lingering spectators, dispersing rapidly in
different directions ; a few Bulgarian peasants, in their
huge overcoats and furred caps, and sorae withered old
mendicants, crouched amid their rags along the front of
the walls,- glowing and blazing beneath the noontide.
Utter silence reigned around this mysterious palace,
whieh, behind its trellised windows, encloses so much of
languor and of ennui; and I could not forbear to think of
all the wealth of loveliness thus lost to human sight ; the
M 2

|88 CONSTANTINOPLE.
marvellous types "¦ Grecian, Circassian, Georgian, and
Indiaji beauty, wnicn fade there, without having been
reproduced or perpetuated, by the pencil or the chisel, but
which should have been immortalised in marble or on
canvas, and bequeathed to the loving admiration of ages :
Venuses, who will never have a Praxiteles ; Violantes,
without a Titian; and Fornarinas, to whom no Raphael will
ever be known.
What a prize in the great lottery of life is that dra%vn
bythe Padischa? What the deuce is Don Juan beside
the Sultan ? A poor seeker of low adventures, — as often
deceived as deceiving ; pursuing lady-loves, who have had
husbands and lovers, — whose countenances have been seeu
by the world, and whose fonns are known to the general
eye! Speak to me of the Padischa! — the Sultan! — who
gathers only the purest UUes, the most immacul.ate roses,
of the garden of beauty ; and whose eye rests only upou
forms the most perfect, never sullied by mortal gaze ; —
forms which pass from the cradle to the tomb, guarded by
sexless raonsters, in those magnificent soUtudes which
the boldest dare not seek to penetrate ; and surrounded by
a mj'stery and seclusion which offers no scope to even the
most vague desire !
I had, at this tirae, changed my lodging ; having found
that which I occupied at Dervish-Sohak rather too melan
cholj', aud possessing no other "view" than that of one
street, uarrow and dirty, like all others in Constantinople.
I had removed to the Hotel de France, where, from a
large saloon with eight windows, and furnished with a long
, divan, I could see the Little Field of Pera, the roofs and
minarets of Kassira-I'asha, and the heights of Saint
Demetrius, — a prospect which might perhaps seem rather

A TURKISH DINNER. 1S9
lugubrious at Paris, but gay enough at Constantinople.
In this hotel I hnd made the acquaintance of a j'oung
man, whose medical studies, and the perfection with which
he spoke the Eastern languages, gave him great facilities for
finding his way into the houses of the Turks, and becom
ing acquainted with their domestic manners. He had
been a reader of " La Presse," and a great admirer of
M. de Girardin ; and my name, known by him as that of an
author, caused him to interest himself in my excursions
and my researches ; and to him I owed the good fortune
of receiving an invitation to dine with an Ex-Pasha of
Kurdistan, — a friend of my friend.
We started together, about six o'clock in the after
noon, in order to reach Beschick-Tash, where the Pasha
resided, at sunset ; because, being stiU in the Ramadan,
the fast was rigorously maintained, until the orb of day
had disappeared behind the hills of Eyoub.
At the quay of Top-Hane we took a caique, with two
pair of oars ; and after a vigorous pull of half an hour,
against a rapid current, our caidjis landed us at the foot of
the cafe overhanging the water, ofwhich I have once before
spoken, and which was now crowded with Tm-ks, waiting,
watch in hand, and chibouque full-charged, the precise
minute when they could raise to their lips the happy
mouth-piece of amber, and inhale the fragrant fume of
" the weed."
After crossing several streets crowded with the shops of
pipe-bowl makers, confectioners, dealers in cucumbers
and other oriental wares, and all thronged with crowds of
people, we began to climb a silent street, formed by the
waUs of large private gardens, at the summit ofwhich was
perched the house of the ex-Pasha of Kurdistan.
A gate, which was just closing as we passed, allowed
us to see an elegant brougham entering its coach-house.

190 CONSTANTINOPLE.
It was the carriage of the Pasha's wife, who had just
returned from a drive ; for, contrary to the European idea,
the Turkish ladies, far from remaining waUed-up in the
harems, go out when they please, on the sole condition of
remaining closely veiled ; and their husbands never think
of accompanying them.
A low door, approached by a flight of three steps, was
opened to us by a domestic in European dress (all except
the invariable red cap) ; and, after having changed our
shoes for slippers, which we had taken the precaution to
bring with us, we were shown up to the first-floor, where
is situated the selamlick, or mens' apartment'; always
separated from the apartment of the women (the odalick),
in Turkish houses, rich or poor, large or small.
We found the ex-Pasha in a very plain room, with a
wooden ceiling, painted gray and relieved by stripes of
blue ; and having, for furniture, only two cupboards, a
straw mat, and a divan covered with Persian silk ; at the
extremity of which last was seated the master of the
house, passing through his fingers a chaplet of sandal
wood. The corner of the divan is the place of honour, which
the master of the house never resigns, unless he is risited
by some one of rank superior to his own.
To explain this extreme simplicity, it is proper to
mention, that the selamlick is, in a manner, an external
apartment — an ante-chamber, beyond which strangers
never pass, and which is reserved for the public part of
the life of the Turk. AU the luxury is confined to the
harem. It is there that are displayed the carpets of
Ispahan or Smyrna ; there are spread the embroidered
tapestries ; there stretch the soft divans of silk, and shine
the little inlaid tables of pearl and agate ; there burn rich
perfumes, in censers of gold and silver filigree; there

A TURKISH DINNER. 191
bloom the rarest of flowers ; and there gleam, like sta
lactites, the superb chimnej'-picces of marble of Marmora,
and the fountains of perfumed water, which diffuse, at
onee, freshness and melody. In that mysterious retreat
passes the real and actual life — the life of pleasure and of
intimacy ; and there no relative, and no friend, can ever
penetrate. The ex-Pasha wore the fez, the buttoned frock-coat of
the Nizam, and loose white trousers. His face, fine and
hard in outline but with a slight air of weariness, was
terminated by a beard in whieh some few gray hairs had
already appeared, and had an air of distinction about it,
that was not to be mistaken. In fact, to use an English
expression, the Pasha had the air of " a perfect gen
tleman." '
My friend interpreted to him my salutations, to which
he responded most cordiaUy and graciously, and subse
quently made me a sign to sit beside him. The readiness
with which I crossed my legs like a Turk, — a raovement
not so easily learned by a European, — made him smile, and
evidently gave him a good opinion of me.
The day began to decline ; the last orange tints of
sunset were fading from the sky, when the thrice-blessed
signal gun reverberated joj'ously through the evening air.
The fast was ended for the day, and the servants Jip-
peared, bringing pipes, glasses of watef, and sweetmeats ;
this light collation serving to indicate that the faithful can
legaUy begin to take food.
Presently afterwards, they placed before the divan a
large disk of brass, carefully polished and shining like a
shield of gold, upon which they arranged different meats, in
porcelain dishes. These disks, supported by one low foot,
serve for tables ; and three or four persons can easily be
' The author uses the foregoing phrase in the original. — Trans.

192 CONSTANTINOPLE.
accommodated around one of them. Table-linen is a
luxury unknown in the East. They eat without table
cloth or napkin ; but giv^ you, to dry your fingers, little
squares of embroidered muslin, fringed with gold, and
closely resembling what the English call " d'oyleys ;" a pre
caution by no means unnecessary, because you use, at
these repasts, no knives or forks except those known to
Father Adam.
In this case the Pasha, foreseeing my embarrassment,
had most considerately caused me to be supplied with a
silver spoon ; but I declined it, being resolved to conform
myself, in all such particulars, to the usages of the country.
Doubtless, in the estimation of the masters of the art
of European cookery, the Turkish condition and style of
culinary art would appear utterly barbarous aud patri
archal ; but their dishes are not devoid of skill in pre
paration, nor by any means made at random. They are
.very numerous, and succeed ea,ch other rapidly; and the
custom is, to take, with the fingers, a few mouthfuls from
each dish. They consist of morsels of mutton ; dismem
bered fowls ; fish dressed in oil ; cucumbers, in various
fashions ; balls of rice wrapped in rine-leaves, and pan
cakes with honey ; the whole sprinkled with rose water,
slightly dashed with mint and aromatic herbs, and the
banquet being crowned with the sacred "pilau-" a dish as
rigorously national as ih& puchero of Spain, the couscoussou
of the Arabs, the saur-kraut of Germany, or the plum-
pudding of England ; and whieh figures, compulsorily, in
all Turkish repasts, in palace or in cottage. For drink,
we had water, sherbet, and syrup of cherries ; which last
we dipped from a dish, with a tortoise-shell spoon fur
nished with an exquisitely-carved handle of ivory.
The meal ended, the brazen table was removed, and
water brought for washing (an indispensable ceremony.

A TURKISH DINNER. ' 193
when one has dined with no other "plate" than his ten
fingers) ; then coffee was served, and the chibouckdji pre
sented to each guest a superb pipe, with an exquisite
mouth-piece of amber, aud a stera of cherry-wood as
glossy as satin ; each pipe being supplied with a tuft of
Macedonian tobacco, and placed upon a little plate of
metal, laid on the floor, to preserve the mat from the
sparks or ashes which might fall from the lighted bowl.
The conversation was as animated as it well could be,
when two of the three composing the party were obUged
to make an interpreter of the third. The ex-Pasha
seemed quite familiar with European politics, and over
whelmed me with a mass of questions about certain
leading events. He was especially anxious about the coup
d'etat of December 2nd, of which he highly approved ;
the abstract idea of a Republic, being very difficult to
introduce into a brain fashioned beneath an oriental
despotism. He wished to know if the Emperor had many cannon,
and coraraanded a large number of troops ; what dress he
wore ; if he rode well on horseback, and if he was likely
to engage in wars as freely as his uncle, "Bounaberdi ;" if
I was acquainted with him, or had spoken with hira ; and
innumerable other questions of a similar kind ; — which I
answered as I best could. The brother of the Pasha,
seated near him, and who knew some words of French,
seemed to follow the conversation with much interest.
The servants removed the pipes. The ex-Pasha rose,
and retired to perform his devotions, kneeling on a piece
of carpet in an adjoining room ; and retumed, in a few
minutes, calm and grave, after discharging his religious
duty as became a good Mussulman. We exchanged a few
words more ; and when we took leave, the Pasha told me
to come again whenever it should please me to do so, and

194 . CONSTANTINOPLE.
that I should be always welcome; a phrase which, from
the lips of a Turk, is no idle forraula.
As we went out, we spoke a few words with the secre
tary, who was installed in an apartment on the ground-
floor. He was a young man of exceedingly good manners
— probably an Armenian, — who spoke French fluently.
We found our caidjis awaiting us at Beschick-Tash.
They soon conveyed us to Top-IIauc, where we stopped at
a cafe frequented by Circassians. My friend translated
their conversation ; and, to my amazement, I found them
speaking of the politics of England and France, and even
of the individual ministers of either country, with a per
fect knowledge of the subject.
While they thus talked politics, a little dervish came
by, chanting a nasal canticle, with a tone and manner im
possible to any European organ, aud soliciting charity, —
a circumstance that brought me back to the East, which I
had quite forgotten, in hearing the Circassians, who were
talking like the regular subscribers to the " Journal des
Debats" or the " Times."

THE WOMEN. 195

XVI.
THE WOMEN.
The first question, invariably addressed to every traveUer
• on his retum frora the East, is : " WeU, and the women?"
To which cach responds by a smile, more or less mj'ste-
rious and significant, according to his degree of fatuity,
and the character of the inquirer ; but always implying,
with more or less distinctness, that he has encoimtered
more of romantic adventures than he thinks fit to recount
to everybody. Whatever it may cost my self-love, I humbly avow
that / have, in this particular, " no story to teU ;" but
am compeUed, to my great regret, to send forth my
narrative, devoid of aU incident of love or romance. A
few such, would certainly have served admirably to vary
my descriptions of cemeteries, mosques, tekkes, palaces,
and kiosks. Nothing is more charming in an Eastem
tale, than to read, how an old woman, in a deserted street,
made you a sign to foUow her cautiously, and at a distance ;
and introduced you, by a secret door, into an apartment
heaped with aU the luxuries of the Orient, where, re-
cUning upon a superb divan, a sultana, gleaming with
jewels, — which, however, paled beside her superb love
Uness, — impatiently awaited your coming, and received
you with smiles of tenderness and welcome. In due
course, the adventure should terminate by the sudden
arrival of the master, who scarcely leaves you time to

196 CONSTANTINOPLE.
fly by the back-door; unless, indeed, a more tragical
cUniax is attained, by a contest from which you barely
escape with Ufe, and the plunge into the Bosphorus, at
dead of night, of a sack which bears some vague resem
blance to the human form.
This orthodox narrative of Eastem adventure, slightly
varied in details, always passes current, and interests all
readers; and more especially, aU " fair readers;" and
doubtless, it is not entirely without precedent, that a
young Giaour, handsome, rich, knowing thoroughly the
language of the country, and residing in liis own house'
in the Turkish fashion, should, with great perU to himself
and absolute danger to the life of the lady, have an inti-igue
with a Tm-kish woman ; but if such a thing occms, it is
very rarely indeed, and this for many and obrious reasons.
First, the bolts and the gratings, which intervene between
the females and the rest of the world, are tangible and
unmistakeable obstacles ; then, the difference of religion,
and the unconquerable suspicion, with which every Turk
— the women not excepted — instinctively regards aU un-
beUevers; not to mention the difficulty, or almost im
possibUity, of that prerious acquaintance, which might
awaken a mutual regard between the parties.
Besides this, it is to be remarked, that in most European
countries, the world at large are rather disposed to con
nive and smile at any "flirtation" which is observed,
even though the lady be a married woman; wliUe in
Turkey, a cawas, a hammal, any man, of even the lowest
grade, who should observe a Mahometan woman speaking
in the street to a Frank, or eveu exchanging the sUghtest
sign of intelUgence with him, would Uterally fall upon
her, with hand, foot, and cudgel, and be warmly applauded
for such bmtaUty, by any casual spectators, especially
among the women. No one, here, understands the remotest

the women. 197
approach to raillery, on the subject of conjugal infideUty.
The purely material jealousy of the Turks, and the pre
cautions which it involves, protect them, almost invariably,
from any cause of domestic scandal ; although jocose aUu
sions to the subject are made famUiarly enough m the
theatre of our friend Karagheuz, and in the course of the
comic disputes incidental to his performances.
It is tiue, that the Tm-kish women go out freely, take
their walks and drives to the VaUey of Sweet Waters, to
Hyder-Pasha, or to the Place of Sultan-Bajazet; seat them
selves beside the tombs of the Little Fields of Pera or
Scutari ; pass entire days at the bath, or in risits to their
friends; talk beneath the porticos of the mosques ; lounge
in the shops of the Bezestin ; and sad, in caiques or
steamers, upon the waters of the Bosphorus; but thej' have
always some companion, be it a negress, or an old woman
in the capacity of duenna, or, if they are rich, a eunuch,
often more jealous thau his master. If they are not thus
accompanied, — which exception is rare, — a child, led by
the hand, insures them respect ; or even in default of this
protection, the tone of public manners watches over them,
and "protects" them, perhaps, a little more rigorously
than they altogether care about. The excessive Uberty
of action which they enjoy is only apparent.
Foreigners have sometimes fancied themselves beloved
by a Turkish woman, when they have, in fact, confounded
the Armenians with the Turks, whose costume they wear,
except the yellow boots, and -whose manners and aUure
ments they imitate so closely, as to deceive any but a
resident of the country. For this, it suffices to have an
old woman, who arranges her plans with a pretty young
Armenian coquette, a rather credulous and romantic young
man, and a rendezvous in a lonely house. Vanity does
the rest ; ¦ and the adventure generally terminates in the

198 CONSTANTINOPLE.
extortion of a smn of money; — an insignificant circum
stance, omitted frora the subsequent narrative of the
deluded Giaour, who imagines in his heroine at least
the favourite slave of a Pasha, if not one of the harem
of the Grand Seignor himself.
But, in real truth, the actual Turkish life is not less
" hermetically sealed " than we have always supposed ;
and it is very difficult to even conjecture what passes
behind those closely-trellised windows, the only view
through which is that from within ; each being furnished
with a sort of bull's-eye, to enable those on the inner-
side to command a perfect view of all that passes without,
whUe they themselves remain rigorously invisible.
Nor is it of any use to think of obtaining information
from the natives of the country. As the author says at
the commencement of " Namouna " —
" Utter silence reigns throughout this narrative."
To speak to a Turk of the feraales of his household, is
to commit the grossest possible breach of etiquette and
politeness. It is forbidden to make the slightest allusion,
even indirectly, to this delicate subject ; and, of course,
all such phrases as " How is madam, to-day?" (common
place as they are to us) are quite banished from conver
sation. The most ferociouslj'-bearded and turbaned 'Turk
would blush like a school-girl, if he heard an inquiry so
outrageously improper^
The Ambassadress of France, wishing to make a pre
sent to Redschid Pasha, of some superb Lyons silks, for
the ladies of his harem, sent them to him with this brief
note: — "Pray accept some silks, which you will know
better than any one how to use." To have expressed
more plainly the object of the gift, would have been bad
taste, even in the eyes of Redschid Pasha, despite his
familiarity with French manners ; and the exquisite tact

THE WOMEN, 199
of the Marchioness caused her to adopt a form of expres
sion so gracefully vague, as could not wound even the
sensitive susceptibility of an Oriental.
It is, therefore, easy to understand, that it would be
singularly unbecoming to ask from a Turk any details as
to the habits or customs of the harem, or the character
and manners of the women. Even though he may have
known you familiarly at Paris, have taken two hundred
cups of coffee and smoked an equal number of pipes ou
the same divan with you,, he wUl, nevertheless, if you
question hira on this subject, stammer and hesitate, and
evade your inquiries in every possible manner. Civilisa
tion, in this particular, has not advanced a single step.
The only method to employ, in order really to obtain any
authentic inforraation, is to request some European lady,
who is well introduced and has access to the harems, to
recount to you faithfuUy that which she has seen. For a
man, he may as well abandon, at once, the idea of knowing
anything more of the Turkish beauties than he is able to
gather from the glimpses whieh he m.ay snatch, by sur
prise, from beneath the awning of an araba, through the
window of a taUka, or beneath the shade of the cypresses
of the cemetery, at some moment when heat or solitude
has caused a momentary and partial withdrawing of the
veil. StUl, if one approaches too boldly, even under such
circumstances, — and especially if there chance to be any
Turk within hearing, — he draws upon hiraself a shower of
such compliments as the following : — " Dog of a Chris
tian ! — Miscreant ! — Giaour ! — May the birds of the air
soil your beard ! — May the plague dwell in your house ! —
May your wife be childless !" The last being a BibUcal
and Mahometan malediction, of the utmost severity. It
may, however, be suspected, that this fury is more affected

200 CONSTANTINOPLE.
than real, and is, in great part, a piece of acting " for
the gallery;" for a woman, even though a Turk, is seldom
displeased at being admired ; and among the Moslem
women, the secret of their beauty, no doubt, weighs some
what upon their minds (as any other secret would do upon
any female mind), and they are not sorry to have an
occasional confidant, of that sex which is best able to
appreciate the value of the disclosure.
By the " Sweet-waters of Asia," — by leaning immove
ably against a tree, or the fountain, in the attitude of one
who is lost in profound reverie, — I have been able to catch
a glimpse of more than one lovely face, but imperfectly
concealed by a thin veil of gauze half-withdrawn, and
more than one sno-wy throat, gleaming between the folds
of a half- open feredge, while the eunuch was walking at a
little distance, or gazing upon the steamboats on the Bos
phorus, assured by my assumed air of drowsiness and
abstraction. . The Turks, however, see no more of them than do the
Giaours. They never pass beyond the Selamlick, even in
the houses of their most intimate friends ; and they are
acquainted with no females but those of their own harems.
When the inmates of one harem visit those of another, the
well-known custom of placing the slippers of the visitors
upon the threshold of the harem which they are risiting,
at once announces the presence of strangers, aud in
terdicts the entrance of the odalick, even to its own
master; who thus finds himself, at any moment, shut
out from a part of his own house. An immense female pojiu-
lation — anonymous and unknown — circulates through this
mysterious city, which is thus transformed into a sort of
vast masquerade, — with the peculiarity, that the dominoes
are never permitted to unmask. The father and the brother
are the only males who are allowed to behold the faces of

THE WOMEN. 201
theil- daughters and sisters, who rigidly veil themselves for
any relative of remoter degree ; and thus a Turk may, iu
his whole Ufe, have seen but half-a-dOzen faces of Moslem
women !
The possession of large and numerous harems is re
stricted to viziers, pashas, beys, ahd other persons of
either great wealth or high ranlc, for their maintenance
is enormously expensive; especially as each female who
becomes a mother, is entitled to her separate apartments
and her own suite of slaves. The Turks of middle rank
have rarely more than oue wife (although legaUj' entitled
to espouse four), together with perhaps three or four pur
chased female slaves ; and, for them, the rest of the sex
remains in the condition of a myth or chimera. It is tme,
that they can compensate themselves by looking at the
women of other races — the Greeks, Jewesses, and Ar
menians, together with the few European ladies who
extend their travels so far ; but of the females of their
o-wn people, they know absolutely nothing beyond the
waUs of their owu harems.
The sentiment of love and the delicacies of courtship
are, necessarUy, almost unknown to the Moslemah. A
Turk who wishes to marry has recourse to some woman
of mature age, who exercises the profession of a matri
monial negotiator. This woman frequents the baths, and
gives him a minute description of the personal charms of
a certein number of Asmes, Rouchens, Nourmahals, LeUas,
and other beauties of marriageable age ; taking proper
care, of course, to adorn with the greatest profusion of
metaphors the portrait of the young girl whom she herself
favours, or whom it is her interest to select. The Effendi-
becomes a lover on the strength of her description ;
sprrakles with hyacinths the path by which his veiled
idol must pass ; and, after the interchange of a few glances

202 CONSTANTINOPLE.
(his share of which is limited to such glimpses of a pair of
eyes as he can snatch through the close-dravni veU),
demands the maiden of her father, offering her a do-wry
proportioned to his passion and his fortune ; and at length
sees removed, for the first time in the nuptial chamber
itself, the yachmack which has hitherto concealed the fair
one's features from his longing gaze.
These marriages by procuration, do not appear to give
room for much more of mistake or deception, than those
which take place among us.
It were easy to transcribe here, from the works of pre
ceding traveUers, a mass of detaUs about the sultanas,
the odaUsques, and the intemal economy of the harem ;
but the books from which I should copy are before the
world ; and I prefer to pass to something rather more pre
cise, and to draw "a Turkish interior," from the sketch
given me by a lady, who was iuvited to dine -with the
¦wife of that ex-Pasha of Km-distan, whose guest I had
already been.
The Pasha's wife had been iu the imperial seragUo,
before marrying the Pasha. When they attain the age
of thfrty years, the Sultan gives permission to certain of
his slaves to many ; and they can always form most
desirable aUiances, on accountof the relations wliich they
are — or are supposed to be — able to maintain with the
palace, and the honour which attaches to thefr haring
formed a part of the imperial household.
Besides this, they are always weU educated; knowing
how to read, write, make verses, dance, and play upon ^
musical insti-uments ; and have also the stately manners,
which are supposed to be acquired at court oidy. They
usuaUy possess, moreover, both the sldll aud habit of
political cabal and intrigue ; and often leai-n, through
their friends who remain in the harem, state secrets, of

THE WOMEN. 203
which their husbands avail themselves to win a favour or
avoid a disgrace. To marry a daughter of the seragUo is,
therefore, a very politic measure for an ambitious and
calculating man.
The apartment in which the Pasha's wife received
her guest, was both rich and elegant, and formed a strong
contrast to the plain severity of the selamUck, which I
have described in the preceding chapter. Three sides of
the room werc furnished with windows, so arranged as
to admit thc utmost possible amount of air and light. A
European conservatory would be the best illustration of
this apartment ; and in that, too, they guard the loveUest
and rarest of flowers. The floor was covered by a superb
Smyrna carpet, upon which the heaviest foot would fall
noiselessly ; the ceding was decorated with coloured and
gUded arabesques ; a long divan, of yellow and blue satin,
ran along two entfre sides of the room, and another very
low divan stood between two -windows, from which was
seen a splendid view of the Bosphorus in fidl perspective.
In one eomer shone a beautiful emerald-coloui-ed ewer
of Bohemian glass, placed upon a plateau of the same
material, both being richly gilded ; while in the other
angle was placed a chest, or large casket of leather, chased,
inlaid and gilded in the most perfect taste. Strangely at
variance, however, with this air of oriental luxurj', was a
sort of table or chest of drawers of mahogany, the marble
.slab of which , was surmounted by a clock in ormolu;
covered by a glass shade, and standing between two vases
of artiflcial flowers, also under glass ; the whole being
neither more nor other, than one of those French clocks,
with its supporters, which you will find on the mantel
piece of every respectable burgher in the department of
the Seine. These discrepancies abound in all those Tm-kish
houses which make any pretension to " good taste ; " that
N 2

204 CONSTAN'TINOPLE.
is, those which ape the cirilised and European fashions of
" the reform," and destroy the harmony of the fine old
Turkish luxury and massive wealth of decoration, without
having the skiU to introduce the substituted style in
perfection. Next to this charming apartment was another, very
plainly fui-nished, which served for a dining-room, and
communicated with the stafrcase which led to the domestic
offices. The Khanoun was sumptuously dressed, as the Turkish
ladies always are, even at home ;' especiaUy when they
expect visitors. Her black hafr, dirided into an infinity
of sraall plaits, fell upon her shoulders and over her
cheeks. Her head shone as if it were decked with a
casket of diamonds ; for around a little cap of blue satin,
were twined quadruple strings of briUiants of the finest
water, covering the cap almost entirely, and sparkling
with wonderful lustre.
Her neck was encircled by a necklace of large pearls,
and her chemisette of silk, half-open, gave to view a
lovely throat, and the outline of a bust which owed nothing
to the aid of the corset; that instrument of tortm-e being
unknown in the East, or replaced only by the bowstring
or bastinado. She wore a dress of dark ruby-coloured
silk, open in fi-ont like a peUsse, looped up at eaeh side
to the knee, and foi-ming behind a train, like that of a
court-dress. This dress was trimmed with white ribbon,
formed at intervals into rosettes ; while an exquisite
Persian shawl encircled her waist, and confined a pafr of
flowing trousers of white silk, the folds of which over
hung her tiny slippers of yellow morocco, learing nothing
of them visible, but the points of the toes, long and
turned up in the Chinese fashion.
She received her ¦s'isitor very gracefully, and placed

THE WOMEN. 205
her beside herself on the divan (after having flrst offered
her a chafr, if she should chance to prefer it) ; and then
examined curiously, but not discourteously, the Emopean
lady's dress ; frankfy, in fact, and without affectation ; as
a weU-bred person, anywhere, may examine objects which
are confessedly strange.
The "conversation," between persons not speaking
the same language, was necessarUy limited to pantomime,
and could not have much variety. The Turkish lady in-
qufred of the European " if she had any chUdren ;" and
made her understand that she herself was, to her great
regret, deprived of that happiness.
When the dinner-hour arrived, they passed into the
neighbouring apartment, similarly surrounded with divans,
and the servants brought the small table of poUshed brass,
suppUed with dishes very simUar to those with which I
had been served when I dined with the Pasha ; except
that the dishes of meat were fewer in proportion, and
those of confectionery more numerous and more varied.
A favourite female slave of the Khanoun partook of
the repast, seated beside her mistress. She was a fine
gfrl of seventeen or eighteen years of age ; lively, healthful,
and superbly developed in person , but very inferior in race
and breeding to the ex-odalisque of the seraglio. She
had large black eyes, somewhat heavy brows, red lips,
and full checks ; and, in fact, a bloom of somewhat rude
and rustic health upon her countenance.
A mulatto gfrl, of a fine bronze complexion, with a
white scarf gracefuUy wound about her head, in the form
of a turban, stood, with bare feet, near the door, and re
ceived the dishes from the hands of the servant, who
brought them to her from the kitchen below.
After dinner, the Cadine rose, and led the way again
into the saloon, where she presently smoked a cigarette,

206 CONSTANTINOPLE.
instead of the traditionary narghUe ; which, in faet, is
being to a great extent superseded aniong the Turkish
ladies, by the cigarette ; the latter having become "quite
the fashion," untU they are smoked almost as universally
at Constantinople as at SeriUe. It is, in fact, a wonderful
amusement and resource for the women, to employ their
delicate fingers in pulUng the long threads of the latakia,
and rolling them into the neat little cigarettes en papillote,
which they subsequently occupy themselves in smoking.
The master of the house now came to pay a visit to
his wife and her European visitor ; but on hearing his
approach, the female slave fled with extrerae precipitation ;
for, it appeared that she belonged strictly to the lady, and
being already promised in mamage, could not appear -vrith
uncovered faee before the ex-Pasha ; who, by the way,
like many other of his countrjrmen, had but one ¦wife.
After the lapse of a few minutes, the Pasha retfred
to pei-form his devotions, and the Khanoun recaUed her
slave. The hour of departure had anived, and the sti-anger
rose to take leave ; when her hostess made a sign to her
to wait for a moment, and whispered a few words to the
J-oung slave at her side, who immediately began to ransack
the drawers in search of something, whieh she presently
produced, and which the Pasha's wife handed to her
guest as a souvenir ofthe pleasant evening passed together.
Courtesy forbade the risitor to examine the gift, while
still in presence of her hostess ; but fi-om the care -with
which it was encased in a deUcate Uttle ecrin of morocco,
she could not doubt that it was some rare object of oriental
taste or skiU.
On reaching her own apartment, she immediately
opened the case, and found vv-ithin the object which the
Pasha's lady had selected as a choice raemorial for her

THE WOMEN. 207
fair visitor. It was a Uttle glass bottle, bearing an en
graved and gilded paper, on which was inscribed the
following legend : " Extrait pour le Mouchofr : Paris,
Miei ; " while a similar scroll upon the reverse, dis
played : " Extrait double, qualit6 guarantie de miei :
L. T. Piver, 103 Rue Saint-Martin, Paris."

20S CONSTANTINOPLE.

XVII.
THE TERMINATION OF THE FAST.
I HAVE repeatedly written the word " ca'ique," in this
narrative ; and indeed it would be difficult to avoid doing
so in speaking of Constantinople ; but I do not remember
that I have given anything like a precise description of
the thing itself, although it is weU worthy of it ; for the
caique is, assuredly, the most graceful vessel that ever
rippled the blue waters of the sea.
Beside the Tui-kish caique, the Venetian gondola,
elegant enough in itself, is but a fisherman's skiff; and
the gondoUers are but vulgar watermen, compared to
the superb caidjis.
The caique is a boat of tome fifteen or twenty feet in
length, by three in width ; shaped like a skate, and ter
minating at each extremity in such a form as to be rowed
in either direction with equal facility. The sides are
forraed of two long boards, carved on the inside to re
present foUage, flowers, fi-uits, knots of ribbon, aud other
deUcate omaments. Two or three other boards, carved
into open-work, intersect the boat laterally, and support
the sides against the pressure of thc water, while a sort
of iron beak arms the prow.
All of this is executed in beech-wood, waxed or
varnished, and relieved sometimes by bands of gilduig ;
and is of an elegance and neatness not to be surpassed.

TERMINATION OF TIIE FAST. 209
The caidjis, who pull each a pair of oars, sit upon a low
cross bench, which is covcrcd with a sheep-skin to prevent
the rowers from sUpping as they work ; and thefr feet are
braced against a small slab of wood.
The passengers sit in the bottom of the boat, near the
stem, and are so placed as to have the effect of slightly
elevating the bow of the craft, and so causing it to swim
more easUy ; an object, for the attainment of which, it
is not unusual even to grease the outside of the boat,
that it may encounter less friction from the water. A
more or less costly carpet covers the bottom of the caique ;
seated upon which, it is necessary to maintain the most
rigid immobility ; for the sUghtest sudden movement might
capsize the fragile vessel, or at least cause the wrists of
the rowers to come in contact. The caique is, in fact, as
sensitive in the matter of counterpoise as a balance, and
lurches fearfuUy to right or left, in punishment of the
slightest departure from strict equilibrium. Thc ira-
passivpiiess of the Turks, always motionless as statues,
suits amazingly with this constraint, which is as singularly
trying to the petulant restlessness of the Giaom-s ; who,
although soon becoming habituated to the necessity of the
case, generaUy imperil their lives some scores of times, by
thefr indiscreet rivacity, before acquiring the proper self-
control. Four persons can sit in a two-oared caique. Despite
the heat of the sun, these boats have no awning ; for
that convenience would not only retard thefr progress,
but be contrary to the Turkish etiquette, which restricts
its use to the caiques of the Sultan only ; but it is usual to
carry a parasol, merely taking care to lower it, on passing
near any of the imperial residences. One of the caiques
will easUy keep pace with a horse, passing along the
shore at a rapid trot ; and, indeed, often outstrip him.

210 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Everj' caique bears near the bow a sort of plate or
badge, indicating the laudiug at which it is stationed : —
Top-Hane, Galata, Yeni-Djami, etc., etc.
The caidjis, or boatmen belonging to the caiques, from
which they take their name, are mostly superb feUows, —
Arnaouts or Ai-matoUans, — of herculean build, and fine,
manly proportions. The air and sun, in embro-wning
their skius, have given them the tint of handsome bronze
statues, — the form of which they afready possessed.
Their dress consists of loose linen trousers or drawers, of
pure white ; striped shirts, with sleeves looped-up to leave
their arms unemban-assed ; a red fez, the blue or black
tassel of which is more than six inches in length ; and a
woollen sash, striped with yellow and red, wliich is woimd
repeatedly around the waist, giving support to the chest,
and finely developing the bust.
They wear nothing of beard but the moustache, to
avoid the heat which the superfluous hair would occasion.
Their feet and legs are bare, and their shirts, opeu in
front, expose a chest of great breadth and power; while, at
each stroke of the oar, the biseps muscles rise upon thefr
brawny arms like baUs of iron. The compulsoiy ablu
tions of their religion keep always in a state of thorough
cleanliness these fine models of form, glowing with the
robust health, consequent upon thefr open-au- avocation
and an invariable temperance miknown among the same
classes in northern countries. These men, despite the
severity of their labour, eat little else than bread, cucum
bers, maize, and fruits, and drink nothing but water or
coffee ; and those who are Mussulmans, pull from inorning
till uight without even taking a drop of water, or a single
puff of the pipe, during the whole thirty days of the fast
of Ramadan. It is certainly no exaggeration, to estimate at three or

TERMINATION OF TIIE FAST. 211
four thousand, tho number of caidjis who ply at the various
landing-places of Constantinople, and fi-om the Bosphorus
to Theraiiia or Buyuk-Dere. The arrangeraent of the
town, separated ns it is from its suburbs by the Golden
Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmora, necessitates
perpetual cominunication by water. It is necessary, at
each moment, to take a caique, to go from Top-Han6 to
Sera'i-Boumou ; from Beschick-Tash to Scutari ; from
Psammathia to Kadi-Keu'i ; or even frora one side to thc
other of the Golden Horn, if one chances to be a little too
remote for convemence, from any of the bridges of boats
which cross the harbour.
Nothing can bc morc amusing, than, on nniving
at one of these landing, or rather embarking, places, to
see thc caidjis crowd around and dispute the possession
of J-our person, as our old hackney-coachmen used to do
in former times, assailing each other with an amazing
volubility of abuse, while each overwhelms the desfred
passenger with praises of his own particular boat ; the
tumult being often augmented by the participation of a
stray dog or two, who complain loudly of having been
distm-bed or trampled upon by the boatmen, in thefr re
gardless haste. At length, pushed, hustled, elbowed,
" chaffed," and bewildered, you reraain the helpless prej-
of one or two gigantic feUows, who bear jou in triumph
towards their own caique, through grumbling groups of
their disappointed brethren.
But although, when you have once fairly surrendered,
you experience aU the chivalrous courtesy with which
gaUant soldiers maj' be expected to treat " prisoners of
war," your perils and difficulties are by no means past ;
for to get into a caique without causing it to turn its keel
uppermost, is an operation requiring great skiU, care, and
experience. Some one, however, volunteers to maintain

212 CONSTANTINOPLE,
the boat in its perpendicular, while you effect your em
barkation ; and for this complaisance you toss hira a. para,
or something like half-a-farthing.
Nor is it always easy to disengage the caique from the
large fleet of boats in which it lies, and which is to be
found at every landing-place ; and it is ouly by the in
comparable skill of the caidjis, that this feat is accom
plished without collision or capsize.
To " land," the caique tums so that its stei-u shall
touch the shore ; and this evolution also requfres great
address, and would lead to frequent collisions, but for a
certain code of "cries" which serve as signals, and by
means of which the boatmen communicate their intentions
to each other.
On landing, the passenger leaves the amomit of his
" fare " upon the carpet in the bottom of the caique, in
piastres or bechliclcs, according to what may have been
the length of the passage, or the price agreed upon.
It is a pleasant vocation, that of a caidji at Constan
tinople; and would continue to be avery lucrative one, but
for the interference of steamers, which begin to ply upon
the Bosphorus, like the small steamers upou the Thames,
with frequent stoppages and low fares.
From the bridge of Galata — beyond which they can
not penetrate — a crowd of steamers starts at every horn-
in the day — Turkish, EngUsh, Austrian, or Freuch — the
smoke frora which mingles with the silvery haze of the
Golden Horn. They deposit thefr passengers by lumdi-eds
at Bebck, Amaout-Keui, Anadoli-Hissar, Therapia, and
Buyuk-Derd, iipcm the Eurojiean shore ; or at Scutari,
Kadi-Keu'i, or Princes' Islands, on the Asiatic coast, —
passages which it was foi-mcrly necessary to make in
caiques, at great expense of both time and monej', and
not without incurring some danger from the force of the

TERMINATION OF TUE FAST. 213
currents, and from the wind, which is Uable to burst in
riolent gusts, at any moment, from the mouth of the
Black Sea.
The caidjis strive in vain to compete in speed -with the
steamers. Thefr muscles of flesh strain themselves hope
lessly, against the fron muscles of the engine. There wUl
soon remain for the caidjis only the short intermediate
distances and crossings, and the patronage of the Turks
of the "retrograde" party, who, stUl weeping over the
annihilation of the Janissaries, employ caiques only, to
transport them to their summer mansions, out of hatred
to the diaboUcal intrusion and inventions of the Giaours.
There is also a sort of caique-omnibus ; a heavy affafr,
laden with some thfrty persons, and propeUed by four or
six oarsmen ; who, at each stroke, rise, mount upon a
wooden step, and throw themselves downward again -with
aU thefr weight, to moA'e the enormous oar that they
¦wield ; which automaton-Uke movement, repeated momen
tarily, produces a curious effect. The passengers by these
boats are soldiers, hammals, Jews, old women, and poor
devils in general, 'who employ this cheap but slow means
of transport ; which, however, the stearaboats wUl soon
banish, by the creation of thfrd-class fares, for passengers
ofthis description.
I have not, therefore, been at aU surprised to hear of
a riot among the caidjis ; for it was an event easUy to
be predicted, on seeing the funnels of the innumerable
steamers which smoked around the bridge of Galata, and
whitened, beneath thefr paddles, the waters, which, untU
then, had been disturbed only by oars hoUowed into cres
cents. Afready, even during my sojoum, the boatmen
crouched moodUy upon thefr deserted stafrs, regarding
with saddened eye the steamers crowded with passengers,
which gUded swiftly past, and stemmed the rapid current

214 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Uke gigantic fishes, and as if the water were their native
element. At length, comes the long waited-for termination of
the Fast of Ramadan ; which epoch is always celebrated
by public rejoicings, as if it were a national calamity
from which the people were just relieved, instead of
the performance of an essential ceremonial of thefr
reUgion !
The Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, and the Sea of
Marmora, all present, therefore, an aspect the gayest and
UveUest imaginable. All the ships in the harbour are
decorated -with streamers ; flags of all nations float on the
breeze. The swallow-tailed Turkish standard displays its
three crescents of silver upon a shield of green, in a
crimson field ; Franee unrolls her simple tricolor ; Austria
flings wide her banner streaked vrith red and white, and
charged with her escutcheon ; Russia shows her cross of
blue upon a field of silver ; Great Britain her blended
crosses of Saint George and Saint Andrew, and America
her sky of azm-e sprinkled with stars ; while around may
be seen the blue cross of Greece, bearing in its centi-e
the black and white chequer of Bavaria ; the blood-red
pennon of Morocco (of old time widely known and di-eaded
on the seas as the fearful ensign of avowed pu-acy) ; the
green flag of Tripoli, sprinkled with half-moons, and the
green, blue, and red stripes of Tunis : whUe the sun plays
and sparkles brightly, upon aU these banners, reflecting
and multiplying them in the limpid waters beneath.
Salvos, in every du-ection, salute the caique of the Sultan,
wliich passes, resplendent -vrith purple and gold, propeUed
by the vigorous arms of thirty caidjis ; whUe the sailors,
crowding the yards of aU the ehips, pour forth incessant
th-anders of cheering, and the alanncd albatrosses wheel

TERMINATION OF THE FAST. 215
and circle, amid the hea^y wreaths of smoke which begin
to surround the vessels.
I take a caique at Top-Hane, and go from one ship to
another, examining the form of the different vcssels. and
pause to give thc preference to those of Trebisond, Mou-
. dania, Ismick, and Larapsaki. Thefr stems rising Uke
castles, their bows resembUng the breasts of swans, and
thefr masts with long lateen-yards, cannot differ much in
model from the vessels which composed the Grecian fleet,
at the tirae of the Trojan war ; and it would not require
much iraagination to picture to one's self the fair-hafred
AchiUes, seated upon one of these lofty poops bathed by
the sea into which flows the Simois. The "American
clippers," so much vaunted, are far from having this
elegance of contour; speed and utiUty are quaUties not
worth speaking of.
In wandering about, my boat grazes that island of
rocks -whence rises the tower which the Franks have
named (Heaven laiows why!) "Leander's Tower," and
which the Turks caU Kiss-Koulessi, or " The Maiden's
Tower." Itis hardly necessaiy to say, that the tradition
of Leander is very absurdly attached to this white tower,
since it was the Hellespont, aud not the Bosphorus, across
which he swam to risit the fafr Hero, — the lovely priestess
of Venus. But the Turkish designation is explained by a
veiy graceful legend.
The Sultan Mahmoud had a daughter of singular
beauty, to whom a sorceress had predicted that she woidd
die of the bite of a serpent. Her father, alarmed, and
seeking to thwart this sinister prophecy, caused a kiosk to
be built for his daughter, upon this island of rocks to
which no reptUe could find access. Tho son of the Schah
of Persia, having heard the fame of the marveUous beauty
of Mehar-Schegid (this was the name of the young girl),

216 CONSTANTINOPLE.
became passionately enamoured of her, and contrived to
convej' to her one of those emblematical bouquets, by
which the Orientals make their tender avowals in letters
of flowers. Unhappily, among the clusters of hyacinths
and roses an asp had nestled and lay concealed, which
stung the finger of the Princess as she clasped the love-
token. She was dying from the effects of the sting, in
dcfiiult of finding some one sufficiently devoted to suck the
poison frora the wound, when the young Prince, the author
of all the evil, presented himself, drew the venom from
the sting with his Ups, and thus saved the life of Mehar-
Schegid, whom the Sultan afterwards bestowed upon him
as a wife.
The simple truth, however, is, that this tower, or one
upon its site, built by Manuel Commenus, in the time of
the Lower Empire, served to support one part of the
immense chain of iron, which (attached also to two other
points of the shores of Europe and Asia) barred the
entrance of the Golden Horn to hostUe vessels descending
from the Black Sea.
If we go still fm-ther back, we shall find that Damalis,
wife of Charis, — the general sent from Athens to succoiir
the Byzantines, when attacked by Philip of Macedon, —
died at Chrysopolis, and was bm-ied upon this island,
beneath a raonument surmounted by the effigy of a
heifer. A Greek inscription, which has been preserved,
was carved upon the column of the tomb ; and this, no
doubt, is the true origin ofthe name of" Kiss-Koulessi ;"
the " Tower," or " Tomb," of the " Maiden." The epi
taph runs thus : —
" I am not the image of the cow, daughter of Inachus, and I have
not given my name to the Bosphorus, which extends before me. Her,
the cruel resentment of Juno drove beyond the seas ; but I who
occupy this tomb, I am one of the dead— a daughter of Cecrops. I

TERMINATION OP THE FAST. 217
was the wife of Charis, and I sailed with that hero, when he came to
combat the ships of Philip. Until then, 1 had been called Bo'iidion,
the young heifer ; now, the wifo of Charis, I enjoy two continents."
This epitaph explains why a heifer was carved upon
the funeral colmnn of Damalis. It is kno-wn that, among
the Greeks, the cow has fumished more than one com
pUmentary subject of coraparison ; and that Homer even
gave to Juno the eyes of the ox. Boiidon is, therefore, a
graceful surname, according to ancient notions ; and it is
not strange to find it appUed to a lovely young woman.
But enough of the Greek ; let us retum to the Turk.
It is the custom, at the termination of the fast, that
the Queen-mother should make the Sultan a present of
a young virgin, of the most surpassing loveliness ; and
to find this phoenix, the slave merchants, or djellabs, ran
sack, for months in advance; both Circassia and Georgia ;
and the price of the selected damsel mounts to a fabulous
height. This closing day of the fast, is consecrated to prayers,
and risits to the mosques ; and in the evening there is a
general Ulumination.
If the riew of the harbour, with aU the shipping de
corated with flags and streamers, and its perpetual move
ment of vessels, was afready a marveUous spectacle beneath
the superb sun of the Orient, what must it not have been
beneath the nocturnal iUumination ! It is in attempting
to delineate such scenes, that one discovers the impotence
of both pen and pencU. Nothing less than a diorama,
aided by its actual motion and rapid changes, could convey
the sUghtest idea of the magical and gorgeous effects of
light and shade, which this scene presented.
The Turks are particularly fond of buming powder on
all occasions of rejoicing ; and the roar of cannon re
sounded continuaUy in aU dfrections ; the minarets of the

218 CONSTANTINOPLE.
mosques shone Uke beacons ; ver.ses of the Koran were
traced, as on the former occasion, in letters of fire from
tower to tower, and seemed as if inscribed in characters
of light upon the dark blue of the evening sky. The com
pact crowd descended, in human cataracts, the streets of
the hiUs of Pera and Galata ; around the fountain of Top-
Hane shone, like glow worms, thousands of lights ; while
the mosque of Sultan- Mahmoud rose proudly toward the
sky, with its outUnes marked by lines of flame, and its
muiarets flashing in the brilliant but fitful light.
A boat took myself aud friend on board a ship of the
Austrian Lloyds, where the kindness of an acquaintance
had obtained a place for us. Top-Hane, iUuminated with
Bengal lights of green aud red, blazed in the atmosphere
of an apotheosis ; disturbed, however, at eaeh moment, by
the earthquake breath of artillery, the crackling of fire
works, fizzing of serpents, and bm-sting of bombs. The
Mahmoudieh — mosque of Mahmoud — appeared of the
colour of an opal ; or like those palaces of carbuncleSj
erected by the glowing fancy of Ai-abian story-tellers, for
the habitation of the Queen of the Peris. It was bluid-
ingly magnificent !
The ships at anchor lined their masts, yards, and
bulwarks with lamps of green, red, blue, and j'cUow ; and
resembled castles or churches of jewels, floating upon an
ocean of flame ; so dazzling were the waters of the Bos
phorus, illurained by the reflection of tlus blaze of lamps,
and this wilderness of coloured Ughts.
Serai-Bournou seenied like a promontoiy of topaz,
above which burst forth, encircled by bracelets of fire, the
masts of silver formed by the minarets of Saint-Sophia,
Sultan-Achmet, and the Osmanieh. Upou the coast of
Asia, Scutari threw out myriads of brilliant rays ; and the
two flaming shores of the Bosphoms, enclosed, as far as

TERMINATION OF THE FAST. 219
the eye could reach, only one continuous stream of fircj
which gave out innumerable clouds of sparks, whenever
touched by the oars of the countless caiques, which
flashed and gUded fri all dfrections.
OccasionaUy, some ship in the distance — not before
perceived — was surrounded in a moment by a whole
firmament of suns and stars, of blue and purple, which
disappearing, she vanished again iuto the shadow, Uke
a brilUant dieam. The effect of these pyrotechnic sur
prises was charming.
The steamers, starred -with coloured lamps, went and
came, bearing bands of music, the clash of whose instm
ments, rose joyously upon the breeze, or died away in
the distance, to be again renewed.
Above aU this, the sky, as if it were also desfrous of
joining in the iUumination, displayed prodigaUy its casket
of stars, upon thefr field of lapis-lazuU, of the richest and
deepest blue ; of which the sublunar conflagration seemed
hardly to redden eveu the verge.
I remained for an hour or two on board the Austrian
vessel, intoxicating myself with this wonderful spectacle —
sublime and unrivalled ; and trying to imprint for ever
upon my memory, the picture of these dazzling scenes
of magic, reflected in the mirror of the Bosphorus.
What are our poor fetes in the Place de la Concorde,
where we burn some scores of lamps, beside this artificial
fire of diamonds, emeralds, sapphfr-es, and rubies, which
stream and shine over a surface of teu or twelve nules in
length, and instead of extinguishing themselves in the
water, are only multipUed and rendered more briUiant by
its reflection !
Here and there the brilUancy begins to fade ; breaches
are risible in the Unes of fire ; the powder explodes at
longer intervals, and with some seeming difficulty ; the.
o 2

220 CONSTANTINOPLE.
massive banks of smoke, which the wind ean no louger
drive away, roll and heave upon the water like enormous
seals ; the cold dew of the night begins to penetrate even
the thickest garments, ^d one is forced to think of re
tiring ; an operation, however, attended -with both diffi
culty and perU. My caique awaited me at the ship's
side. I haUed my caidji, and we departed.
There was upon the Bosphorus the most incredible
swarm of boats of all kinds, and of more kinds and
numbers than one can imagine or estimate ; and, despite
aU the usual signals and precautions, the oars were con
stantly clashing, the boats' sides raking against each other ;
and at every instant, it was necessary for the caidji to trail
, the oars to prevent them from being tom from his hands,
or his frail vessel overset.
The points of the bows of boats passed vrithin two
inches of my face, like leveUed lances, or the beaks of birds
of prey ; the reflections of aU the Ughts on the shore were
shedding thefr last rays, blinding the caidjis, and de-
ceiring them as to thefr true dfrection ; when a boat at
fuU speed came dashing forward, dfrectly across our
course, and must inevitably have gone over us, — in which
case I should have been sent to the bottom, or cut in
two, — if the boatmen had not, with extraordinary quick
ness and skiU, backed their oars, and an-ested thefr
progress, -with a strength and suddenness that seemed
superhuman. At length I axi-ived, safe and sound, at Top-Hane,
through a tumult of boats and cries, at once deafening
and maddening ; and, amidst a crowd swarming around
the landing, like ants in summer, I made my way to the
Hotel de France in the Little Field of the Dead, through
streets which began to be deserted ; picking my way,
with care, among the encampments of slumbering dogs ;

TERMINATION OF THE FAST. 221
and, wearied out with seeing, hearing, and enjoj'ing, was
speedily lost to everj'thing, but the recurrence in dreams
of -vague impressions of the magnificent spectacle just
¦witnessed, and certainly never to be forgotten.
During this time, the fortunate CaUph, in the depths
of the seragUo, had raised the veil of the lovely slave
presented to him by the Queeu-mother;' and his eye had
scanned those unsurpassed charms, which, henceforth, no
eye of man save his own should ever behold. The flower
had been plucked, and had bid fareweU for ever to the
afr and the soU of nature, and the free light of heaven ;
and, although placed in a jewelled vase, was destined to
fade and pine, in perpetual, though splendid, imprison
ment. ' The " Queen-Mother," or " Sultana- Valid^," are equivalent
terms. — Trans.

CONST.iNTINOPLE.

XVIII.
THE WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
I IIAD formed a decided resolution to make a grand
expedition among thosc remote districts of Constantinople,
which arc but rarely visited by travellers ; their curiosity
seldora extending farther than the Bezestin, the Atmei
dan, Sultan-Bajazet, the Old Seraglio, and the environs
of Saint-Sophia ; around -syhich localities is concentrated
the life and movement of the Moslem City.
I started, accordingly, at an early hour, accompanied
by a j'oung Frenchman, who had been a long time resident
ill Turkey. We descended rapidly the slope of Galata ;
crossed the Golden Horn, by the bridge of boats, on pay
ing four paras to the toll-keeper ; and leaving Yeni-Djami
at one side, we plunged boldly into a labyrinth of narrow
streets and lanes, of the purest Turkish character.
As we advanced, the scene becarae more lonely ; the
dogs, growing more savage at each stage of our progress,
glared sullenly at us, and followed growling at'oiir heels.
The wooden houses, discoloured and dUapidated, with their
crumbling lattices and floors out of line, presented much
the appearance of decayed hen-coops. A fountain, in
ruins, allowed its water to escape thi-ough various un-

THE WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 223
regarded crevices, into a green and slimy basin. A dis
mantled lurbi (funeral chapel), overrun with briars, nettles,
and daffodils, displayed, through its cob-web covered
gratings, some dingy sepulchral columns, leaning to right
and left and offering to view only a few illegible inscrip
tions. A marabout reared its coarsely whitewashed dome,
flanked with a minaret which resembled a tall candle
surmounted by its extinguisher ; above the long line of
waUs projected the sable cones of cypresses, and tufts of
sycamore, or plane-tree, hung over into the streets.
No more mosques with colurans of raarble, and
Moresque balconies ; no more konacks of pashas glowing
with brilUant colours, and sustaining their elegant aerial
gaUeries ; but, instead, great heaps of cinders, from amidst
which rose black and grimy chimnej's, formed of bricks
placed on end. On every side, decay, dilapidation, and
neglect ; and above aU this squalor and abandonment,
the pure, dazzling, implacable sun-Ught of the Orient,
making even more painfuUy obrious every minute detaU
of the -wretchedness around.
Through lane after lane, crossing after crossing, we
reached a large dUapidated khan, with lofty arches, and
long stone walls, originally designed to accommodate
caravans with trains of camels.
It was the hour of prayer ; and from the exterior
gaUery of the minaret of the neighbouring mosque, two
muezzins, clad in white, and moring around the gaUery
vrith the step of phantoms, proclaimed the sacramental .
formula of Islam to these mansions, deserted, blind and
deaf, and losing themselves in silence and soUtude. The
verse of the Koran thus proclaimed, and which seemed
almo.st as if it had been uttered from heaven (so devoid
was the region of any movement of humanity), caUed forth
no other response thau a sort of sigh from some dog whose

224 CONSTANTINOPLE.
dreams it distm-bed, or the flapping of the vrings of some
pigeon alarmed by its suddenness.
The muezzins, however, did not the less continue their
round, uttering the names of AUah and of the Prophet to
the four winds of heaven, Uke sowers who are regardless
where the seed faUs which they scatter in thefr progress,
weU knowing that it -vrill find root somewhere.
Perhaps, indeed, beneath even these wonn-eateu roofs,
aud in the recesses of these seemingly abandoned ruins,
there may be some of the faithful who spread their wom
and faded carpets ; and, turning themselves towards Mecca,
repeat, with sincere devotion, " AUah is Allah, and
Mahomet is his Prophet."
A negro on horseback passes occasionaUy ; an old
female mummy, stuck against a wall, protrudes frcm amid
a mass of rags her monkey-like paw, and profits by the
unexpected occasion to demand alras ; two or thi-ee young
imps (who seemed to have escaped bodUy fi-om one of
Decamp's marvellous sketches), seek to amuse themselves
by throwing pebbles into the basin of the exhausted foun
tain ;' a few Uzards crawl fearlessly about over the stones ;
and this is aU.
I felt myself, in my own despite, oppressed by an over
whelming sadness ; and I should even have forgotten the
proposed object of our ramble (which was to see the
mountebanks near the gate of Silivi-i-Kapoussi), if my
companion had not repeatedly rerainded me of it.
I was fatigued, and perishing with thirst ; for, without
thinking of it, we had traversed an enormous space, and
diverged very considerably from our road, which we re
covered, not without difficulty. We traversed the court
and garden of a mosque, the name of which I forget ; and
our ears were saluted with the sound of some barbarous
and discordant music, issuing from an enclosure or booth

THE WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 225
of planks, which indicated to us that we were on the
right track at last.
There it was, indeed. We seated ourselves upon one
of those low ottomans or footstools (about four inches in
height), which abound in these places ; caUed for coffee
and pipes, and gave our best attention to the performance,
which, in the middle of the area, around whicli we were
seated, was ttking place upon a heap of fine dust. This
exhibition was that of Moors, performing nearly the same
feats, as have been so often executed in France and Eng
land, by the Arabian troop of gymnasts or acrobats.
Indeed, I even fancied that I could recognise the big
fellow, who served as the base of the human pyramid,
and carried eight men piled upon his bronzed shoulders.
Some wooden-horses, supporting tight-ropes, showed
that the exhibition had been augmented by rope-dancing ;
but we arrived too late to witness that part of the per
formance ; a fact which I regretted exceedingly, because
the performers were little girls of eight or ten years old,
and (we were told) very pretty and singularly agile. There
were also some comic rope-dancers; Turks with large
beards, and great parrot-noses, who assumed, with the
utmost gravity, the most grotesque attitudes.
At the extremity of the area was a latticed gallery, a
serail, as they say in Turkey, serring as a private box,
or tribune, for the females ; and we were made to retfre,
that they might depart unmolested, — the presence of
Giaours outraging their modesty ; a modesty soraewhat
exaggerated, I must say, for we saw them pass at a distance,
muffled up to the eyes, and looking like nothing on earth
so much, as those wicker-work frames on which they hang
the linen in the baths.
We now sought for something to eat; for if we had
refreshed our ej'es, our stomachs were none the better for

226 CONSTANTINOPLE.
it, and every instant aggravated our sufferings. But in
this unheard-of quarter, there were none of those delicacies
to which we had accustomed ourselves ; no kabobs
sprinkled with pepper ; no balls of rice wrapped in vine-
leaves ; or exquisite salads of cucumber, floating in oil,
amid delicate morsels of meat. We found nothing to buy
but white mulberries and black soap — a- rather mediocre
feast. We hurried on famishing, casting our hungry eyes in
all directions, and observing the streets which, being at
least less deserted than the rest, seemed to offer some
promise of sustenance. At length, a benevolent old Greek
lady, who was followed by a small servant carrying a
large parcel, took pity upon us, and pointed out, at no
great distance, a sort of restaurant, in which we could
probably appease our hunger. Her iuformatiou proved to
be most accurate ; only the restaurant had been closed for
several years ! The recollections of the good old lady
dated back to the days of her own youth !
The quarter through which we now passed, presented
an entirely new aspect. It had no longer a Turkish air.
The half-open doors of the houses, allowed the eye to
penetrate the interior. At unlatticed windows, appeared
charming female heads, decked with little caps of gauze,
and surmounted by large braids of hair, forming a sort of
crown. Young girls seated on the thresholds, gazed fear
lessly into the street ; and we could, without alarming
them, adraire their pure and delicate features, their fafr
tresses, and large blue eyes. Before the cafes, men in
white tunics, red caps, and jackets with loose hanging
sleeves, were swallowing large glasses of raki, and niaking
theraselves drunk like good Christians.
In short, we were in Psaiuraathia ; a quarter inhabited
by the rayahs, the non-Mussulman subjects of the

TUE WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 227
Porte ; a sort of Greek colony in the midst of the Turkish
town. Animation had succeeded to silence; merriment to
sadness. We found ourselves, once raore, amid a race of
living beings ; and we unconsciously felt the unspeakable
advantages of Christianity, even of the lowest order, over
Heathenism, in a social point of view.
A young vagabond, seeing us in search of a tavern,
offered himself as our guide, after raaking us look at his
passport, like a young scamp, as he was ; and conducted
us in a most round-about manner, in order to enhance the
importance of the service, to a sort of restaurant, situated
about twenty steps from where he started with us. We
gave him a few paras for his trouble ; but, thinking himself,
no doubt, inadequately rewarded, he possessed himself,
with all the skill of a patriarch of pick-pockets, of the
porte-monnaie of my companion, which contained some
five and twenty shillings in bechlicks and piastres !
We entered a large room, where, behind a counter
charged with dishes and bottles, stood a truculent-looking
brigand, seemingly far more fitted to cut the throats of
travellers than of chickens. This ferocious, blue-bearded
personage, condescended, however, to serve us with
some prawns, and some mullets broiled in paper ; followed
by peaches, raisins, cheese, and a flask of white resinato
wine. He was unable, on that day, despite our wish, to
supply us with any meat ; for it was, I know not what feast
of the Greek church, and fasting from flesh was obligatory.
But we were so desperately hungry, that this simple
collation seeraed to us a Belshazzar's feast ; and we were
almost looking to see the fiery inscription blazing upon the
wall. Meantime, however, Psammathia stood firm upon
its foundations, and we achieved our repast without any
Biblical catastrophe.

228 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Duly refreshed, we put ourselves again under way
vrith renewed vigour, and soou reached the gate which is
nearest to the Castle of the Seven Towers ; in Greek
Ileptapurgon, in Turkish Jedi-Kuuleler ; names which
have, all three, the same signification. Here we en
countered one of those men with horses for hire, who so
abound at Top-Han6, near the Green Kiosk, or. by the
great cemeteiy of Pera, and in other frequented quarters
of Constantinople, but of miraculous rarity in such a
place as this. We speedUy bestrode his two beasts, who
were very lucely caparisoned, and as good, certainly, as
those pretended English jades, with which our triumphant
countiymen parade the Champs Elysees at Paris.
1 These worthy beasts of Kurdistan, the one white, the
other black, set out side-by-side in brotherly style, at a
long swinging pace, followed by thefr master on foot ;
and we, turning to the right, left upon the other hand the
dilapidated towers of the reno-wned old prison of the state ;
the prison to which, as tradition records, the Porte was
wont to commit the foreign ambassadors, at the moment
of declaring war against the countries which they repre
sented; not thinking it worth whUe to stand upon
ceremony -vrith mere Christian dogs. But times have
changed sUghtly, and the Turk has leamed to look -vrith
different eyes upon the European Powers, since the time
when the Castle of the Seven Towers obtained its fearful
and gloomy reputation.
We would have gone along the whole outer extent of
these ancient waUs of Byzantium, fi-om the sea to Ederne-
Kapoussi, and even farther, had we not been far too much
fatigued. I do not suppose, that there is iu the world a ride more
austerely melancholy, than upou this road, which extends for
nearly a league, between a cemetery and a mass of ruins.

THE WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 229
The ramparts, composed of two lines of waU flanked
with square towers, have at thefr base a large moat, at
present cultivated throughout, which is again surrounded
by a stone parapet ; forming, in fact, three lines of fortifi
cation. These are the waUs of Constantine ; at least such as
have been left of them, after time, sieges, and earthquakes
have done their worst upon them. In their masses of
brick and stone, are still -risible breaches made by cata
pults and battering-rams, or by that gigantic culverin,
that mastodon of artUlery, which was served by seven
hundred cannoniers, and threw balls of marble, of nearly
half a ton in weight.
Here and there, a gigantic crerice severed a tower from
top to bottom ; farther on, a mass of waU had fallen into
the moat ; but where masonry was wanting, the elements
had suppUed earth and seed ; 'a shrub had suppUed the
place of a missing battlement, and gro-wn into a tree ; the
thousand tendrils of parasitical plants sustained the stone
which would otherwise have faUen ; the roots of trees,
after acting as wedges to introduce themselves between
the joints of the stones, became chains to confine them ;
and the line of wall was stUl (to the eye) continued -vrith
out interruption ; raising against the clear sky its battered
profile, and displaying its curtains and bastions, draped
vrith ivy, and gilded by time, -vrith tints by tums meUow
and severe. At intervals were risible the ancient gates,
of Byzantine architecture, overlaid -vrith Turkish masonry,
but stiU leaving euough of the original to be recog
nised. It was difficult to reaUse, that a U-ving city lay behind
the defunct ramparts -vvhich hid Constantinople from our
view. It had been easier to beUeve one's self near some
of those cities of the Arabian legends, all the inhabitants

230 ' CONSTANTINOPLE.
of which had been, by some magical process, turned into
stone. Only a few minarets, rearing their heads above
the imraense circuit of ruins, testified that there was life
within, and that the Capital of Islam stdl existed.
The conqueror of Constantine XIIL, if he could return
to the world, could make again, with striking appro
priateness, his celebrated quotation from the Persian :
" The spider shall weave her web in the palace of
Emperors, and the owl cry by night from the towers of
Ephrasiab." These embrd-wued waUs, encumbered by the vegetation
pecuUar to ruins, which seemed to expand itself lazily in
the soUtude, and over which crept'fearlessly an occasional
lizard, -witnessed, four hundred years ago, thronging
around thefr base, the hordes of Asia, urged on by the
ten-ible Mahomet II. The bodies of Janissaries and
of savages roUed, covered with wounds, in this moat,
where now peaceful vegetation displays itself ; streams of
blood poured down, where now droop only the tendrils of
i-«y or of sassafras.
One of the most fearful of humau struggles — the
conffict of race against race, of religion against religiou —
occurred on this spot, now deserted, and where now
reigns the silence of decay and death. As is always the
case, the young and vigorous barbarism overpowered the
old and decrepid civiUsation ; and while the Greek priest
StiU continued tranquiUy to ft-y his fish, unable to beUeve
in the possibility that Constantinople coidd be taken, the
trimnphant Mahomet II. spm-red his steed into the sacred
precincts of Saint-Sophia, and struck his ensanguined
hand upou the marble waU of the sanctuai-y, in token of,
conquest. The Cross fell before the Crescent ; and the
corpse of the Emperor Constantine was withdra-wn fi-om a
heap of nameless dead, bleeding, mutilated, and distin-

THE WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 231
guishable onlj' by the golden eagles, which served as
clasps to his buskins of imperial purple.
I spoke just now of the priest, occujjied in frying his
fish, dming thc heat of the terrific and final nssault upon
Constantinople, and who repUed, incredulously, to the
announcement of the success of the Turks, " Pooh ! I
would sooner beUeve that these fish wiU come to life again,
jump out of the boUing oil, and swim upon the floor !"
This prodigy, however, is said to have actually occurred,
and, of course brought conviction to the mind of the obsti
nate monk ; and it certeinly was followed — or preceded —
by the parallel prodigy of the triumph of the Moslems.
The miraculous escape ofthe fish was made into the cis-
tei-n ofthe ruined Greek church of Baloukli, which is risible
at some distence from the ramparts, a Uttle before arriving
at SUivri-Kapoussi. The fish themselves are red upon one
side, but browu on the other, in memory of their expe
rience of the frj'ing-pan, in which they were haK-cooked ;
and a poor devil of a monk stUl exhibits them to strangers !
Although I do not profess opinions of the Voltafre
school on the subject of mfracles, I did nof think it ne
cessary to go to the convent, to verify or refute this one
for myself; especially as it was a non-CathoUc miracle,
which I was by no means called upon to believe. I con
tented myself, therefore, with taking the legend upon
trust ; and continued my progress.
The rains of winter, the winds of suraraer, and the
work of time, have heaped the dust upon the road which
we were pursuing, and which has, probably, not been re
paired since the days of Constantine, and have so utterly
destroyed its distinctive character, that in places it seemed
more like the summit of some vast, half-biu-ied rampart,
than a practicable roadway ; but, nevertheless, two arabas
were teking their comse along it, — one, gilded and painted,

232 CONSTANTINOPLE.
fiUed with ricly-dressed and closely-veUed females, car
rying beautiful children upon thefr knees ; the other,
formed of coarse planks attached by a rough frame-work
of wood, and crowded with a troop' of Zigani, male and
female, brown as Indians, wUd, and half-clad ; who roared
out some rude Bohemian baUad, accompanied by the deep
tones and melodious clang of tambourines.
I have yet to understand how these clumsy vehicles —
alike clumsy, despite the difference of decoration — escaped
being a hundred times precipitated, in fragments, to the
bottom of the trenches on either side ; but the oxen were
sure-footed, and the drivers never left hold of their horns.
As to myself, I quitted this rugged pathway of stones, and
walked my horse beneath the cypresses of the immense old
cemetery, whieh stretches from the Seven Towers to the
foot of the hUls of Eyoub.
I was riding slowly along a narrow path, traced among
the graves, when I observed, resting beside a tomb, a
young female, veUed -vrith a rather transparent yachmack,
and enwrapped in a feredge of pale green. She held in
her hand a bunch of roses, and the fixed gaze of her large
and luminous eyes, seemed to indicate that she was lost
in profound reverie. Did she bring these flowers as a
tribute to the grave of some beloved one ; or was she
simply idUng among these gloomy shades ? That is a
question which I cannot answer ; but, at the sound of the
hoofs of my horse, she raised her head, and, through the
transparent muslin of her veU, displayed a face of surpass
ing loveliness. Doubtless, my eyes expressed, frankly,
the admiration which her beauty excited; for she ap
proached the verge of the pathway, and, with a move
ment full of timid grace, offered me a rose, drawn from
her bouquet.
My companion, who foUowed, now overtook me ; and

THE WALLS OF CONSTANTINOPLE. ¦ 233
she offered him a rose, also, with an instinct of deUcacy,
which seemed designed to correct aught that might have
been too free, in her first impulse.
I saluted her, with my best grace, in the oriental
maimer ; two or three companions rejoined her, and
she disappeared beneath the shadow of the overhanging
cypresses. Thus terminated the only "conquest," I can boast
among the Turkish fafr ones. But I have never forgotten
those luminous black eyes, -vrith thefr rich, drooping lashes ;
and I stUl preserve, with care, the rose she gave me, and
which I shaU ever guard as a precious reUc. ,

234 CONSTANTINOPLE.

XIX.
JEWISH QUAETEK.  GREEK QUAETEE.— TURKISH BATH.
Were I making an antiquarian tour, instead of the
joumey of an artist, or mere traveUer, I should have been
able to indulge, here, in a long dissertation upon the
probable sites of the edifices of ancient Byzantium ; to
reconstruct thcm, from the few dubious fi-agments lost
amid the aggregation of Turkish hovels and ruins ; and
lend authenticity to my creations or assumptions, by tran
scribing and importiag bodily into the subject, a certain
number of Greek inscriptions, which would, at least, have
given me an air of great learning and antiquarian msdom.
But I prefer a rough sketch made from nature — a real
impression honestly rendered.
I shall not, therefore, enter upon a detaUed account of
every ancient gate, nor seek to define the precise spot,
on which fell the unfortunate Constantine Dracosis ; a
spot marked, nevertheless, — so they say, — ^bj' a gigantic
tree planted on the rampai-ts. These gates open through,
or beneath, massive towers ; and are also ornamented by
columns of a composite order, indicating the decadence
of the Byzantine architecture, and the shafts of which are
often borrowed from some ancient temple.
The " Golden-Gate," is the designation of an arch
way, completely filled-in -with solid masom-y ; but, accord
ing to an old tradition, the future conquerors of Constan-

JEWISH quartf.r. 235
tinople, wUl penetrate into the city by this gate, through
which, aforetime, passed in triumph Alexis Stratcgo-
polos (lieutenant of Michael Paleologus), when he, in one
night, reconquered Byzantium frora Beaudoin II. , and
put an end to the Freuch Empire in the East.
Is it true, as the Greeks hope and expect, that this
gate will soon open again its massive portals, to adrait
thefr co-religionists the Russians, aftcr the interval of four
hundred years (fi.xed bj' a prophecy as the time which
should intervene frora the last capture of Constantinople)
shall have elaipseA,— a period which tvill expire on the 29//j
of May next; and will mass, on that day, be celebrated in
Saint-Sophia, in presence of the Czar ?
This is a question — being of the future — whose depths
I will not seek to explore ; but recent events render it by
no means surprising, that the imaginations of both Greeks
and Turks should be strongly excited, in reference to a
prophecy so long, and so well known, and the fulfilment
of which at one moment seemed far frora irapossible, if it
could be then deeraed even improbable.
'The interference of the corabined forces of Great Bri
tain and France, seems now, however, to militate strongly
against the literal fulfilment of the prediction ; but it may,
perhaps, prove that through the " golden gate " of friendly
alliance and advanced civilisation, the resident Christians
may enter Constantinople as the equals of the Turks, and
by such peaceful conquest over prejudice and intolerance,
offer a fulfilraent of the prophecy, in a better and loftier
sense than even a literal one ; and one certainly scnrcely
less remarkable, or, but a short time since, less jjrobable,
than would have been the actual militarj' entry of the
Russians, as victors and conquerors.
Near the Adrianople gate we dismounted from our
horses, to take a cup of coffee and smoke a chibouque, in
' p 2

236 CONSTANTINOPLE.
a cafe which we found crowded with a motley population ;
and this done, we pursued our way, stiU followed or ac
companied by the cemetery — the Field of the Dead, — the
extent of which seemed almost as etemai as the repose of its
inhabitants. At length, however, we did find the end of
the wall of the cemetery, and were able to re-enter the
town, by guiding our steeds with great care among
the broken and decaying tombs, and over the slippery
fragments of marble with which the earth was thickly
strewn. In this way we arrived at a quarter of a strange and
peculiar aspect. The houses became more and more
dilapidated, poor, and dingy. Their fronts — haggard,
riven, and projecting in all dfrections — seemed ready to
fall, not only in ruins, but in a state of putrefaction. The
roofs seemed afflicted with scurvy, and the waUs to reek
with leprosy. A few mangy dogs, reduced to the condition
of skeletons and swarming with vermin, lay sleeping in
the black and fetid mire. Some -wretched rags hung at
the windows, behind which, aroused by the tramp of our
horses, we discovered strange and grotesque heads, covered
with enormous turbans, or rather pads of white linen ;
haggard and sickly countenances, whose yellow skin and
lifeless black eyes, reminded one of nothing so much as
of omelettes, into each of which two coals had fallen.
Some phantoms passed furtively along, among the houses,
their foreheads bound with a rag of white spotted with
black, — as if a usurer had wiped his pen there all the
day, — and their forms enveloped in ragged garments,
varnished with dirt.
Wewereat JSo^ato; the Jewish-quarter — the Ghetto of
Constantinople ; and we saw there the squalid residue of
four hundred years of oppression and exaction — the filth,
beneath which these people, everywhere proscribed, sought,

JEWISH QUARTER. 237
like certain insects, to escape from their persecutors. They
endeavour to save themselves from pursuit, by the disgust
which they inspire ; they live in the mire, and acquire its
colour. It were almost impossible, to imagine anything
more impure, or more thoroughly infected. Scurvy,
scrofiila, leprosy, and aU the other Biblical irapurlties and
diseases, of which they have never been cleansed or
cured since the days of Moses, devour them, without a
seeming effort on their part to oppose their ravages.
Money and gain seem their sole idea ; they do not
shrink from even the plague, if they can raake sorae small
profit upon the garments of the dead.
In this hideous region, roll, pell-mell, Aaron and
Isaac, Abraham and Jacob — those grand old Scriptural
names, with their historic associations, reduced to sueh
companionship ; and these unfortunates, of whora sorae
are clandestinely millionaires,-^their wealth their greatest
danger and cm-se, — live chiefly upon the heads of fish,
which are cut off as poisonous ; and which induce, among
the Jews, certain dreadful disorders. This filthy diet
has, for them, the paramount advantage of costing almost
nothing ; for oppression has degraded them, until the
possession of money which they dare not use, and for
mere possession of which they are persecuted, is their
sole and absorbing object in life.
On the opposite side of the Golden-Horn, upon a bar
ren declirity, extends the cemetery which absorbs their
sickly race. The sun burns the formless stones which
compose thefr tombs, where not a blade of grass grows,
nor a single tree casts its shade. The Turks would not
allow that luxury to the proscribed race ; but chose that
their place of burial should retain the aspect of a place
ignominious and accursed. It is scarcely permitted to
them, to carve a few Hebrew characters upon the rude

238 CONSTANTINOPLE.
blocks of stone, which sprinkle with their rough masses
this desolate and miserable field of mortalitj'.
What a difference between these sickly and suffering
caricatures of humanity, these women, whose age, and
even sex, it is difficult to conjecture, and the superb
Jewesses of the time of Constantine, beautiful as the
Queen of Sheba, and clad like her in their dalmatiques of
silk and purple ; their girdles and chains of gold, and
embroidered and jewelled tiaras ! It is, nevertheless, the
same race, although one can hardly give the fact credence.
The one could offer models for the Madonnas of Raphael ;
Rembrandt alone would be capable of making the others
figure in sorae scene of squalor, or of infernal magic.
The same abasement of race is discernible among the
men as the women. Not one has that purity of type
common to the Jews of Africa, who seem to have pre
served their original oriental stamp, in its highest per
fection. The Turks, who recognise A'issa (Jesus) as a prophet,
have demanded from the Jews a fearful retribution for his
death. It is proper to add, however, that at present, they
are not maltreated as in former times ; and their lives and
fortunes are tolerably safe against persecution and extor
tion. But they do not yet feel sufficient assurance of safety,
themselves, to abandon the filth and miserj', which have,
heretofore, been their only protection. They are still re
pulsive, sordid, and low ; hiding their gold amid rags.
They, in tum, take their vengeance upon Christian,
Greek, and Turk, in the waj- of usury.
In the recesses of these infected hovels, more than
one Shylock, awaiting the maturity of his bond, sharpens
his knife upon ^he leather of his shoe ; more than one
cabalistic rabbi, casts ashes upon his head, and works his
incantations, to obtain from Heaven the chastisement of

GREEK QUARTER. 239
nations, who have been afready, for centuries, swept from
the face of the earth.
We issued, at length, frora this -wretched locality, and
made our way into Phanaris — the quarter inhabited by
the better classes of Greeks ; a sort of " West End," in
proximity to an " Alsatia," or a " Cour des Miracles." It
consists of houses of stone, of considerable architectural
pretension ; many of which have balconies sustained by
brackets cut into steps, or ornamented with sculpture.
Others, more ancient, recaU the narrow fronts of the
small French mansions of the middle ages — half-fortresses
and half-dwellings. The walls are thick enough to sustain
a siege ; the iron shutters are bullet-proof ; enormous
gratings defend the windows, and the cornices seem to
transform theraselves unconsciously into battlements ; a
harmless luxury of fortification, which is at present ser
viceable only against fire, whose forked tongues would
lash themselves in vain against these piles of masonry.
This quarter is, in faet, what remains of the ancient
Byzantium. Here live, in obscurity, the descendants of
Commenus, Ducas, and Paleologus ; princes vrithout prin
cipalities, but whose ancestors have worn the purple, and
in whose veins flows the blood of emperors. Thefr own
servants treat them as kings, and they console themselves
with the reverence which they receive from their own
race. Considerable wealth is contained in many of these
mansions, which, although richly omamented within, are
very plain externaUy ; oriental luxury habitually shi-inking
from any display which may attract the envy or cupidity
of those in power. The Phanariotes have long been
celebrated for thefr diplomatic talent, and they formerly
dfrected aU the intemational affafrs of th^ Porte; but they
seem to have lost ground very much, since the Greek
revolution.

240 CONSTANTINOPLE.
On issuing again from Phanaris, we enter the streets
which coast the Golden-Horn, and in which swarms an
active commercial population. At every step, one en
counters hammals in couples, carrying immense weights
suspended between them from a pole ; asses, harnessed
between two long planks of which each supports an end,
obstruct the thoroughfares, and mow down all who do not
rapidly get out of their way, whenever they tum a comer.
In fact, these poor beasts sometimes remain fixed against
the walls of a narrow street, vrithout being able either to
advance or retreat ; an occurrence which, by checking the
circulation, speedily produces an agglomeration of horse
men, foot-passengers, porters, women, children, and dogs ;
who grumble, swear, shout, and bark in all varieties of
tone, until the ass-driver succeeds in puUing his beast
out of the dUemma by the tail, and so opens again the
thoroughfare. The accumulated crowd begins to flow
on again in its destined channels, and tranquiUity is
re-established ; not, however, without a previous liberal
distribution of thumps and thwacks, of which the donkeys,
as the innocent and unwilling cause of the difficulty,
engross, very properly and equitably, the greater
portion. The ground rises, in the form of an amphitheatre,
from the sea to the ramparts of which we had just made
the circuit ; and above the medley of roofs of the Turkish
houses, the eye could discern, here and there, some frag
ment of the embattled wall, or some arch of the ancient
aqueduct, which enclose the wretched modem construc
tions, that seem deliberately prepared to encourage fires,
and which a single match would set in flames.
How large a portion of Constantinople has afready
crumbled into ashes, at their base, in sight of these dark
and antique masses of stone ! A veritable Tm-kish house

TURKISH BATH. 241
of one hundred years old, is a veritable rarity in
Stamboul. Our " master ofthe horse," waUting with his hand upon
the croupe of my steed, led ray friend and myself through
the crowd and the labyrinth ; aud we soon reached the
second bridge across the Golden-Hom ; following which,
we traversed "Kassim-Pasha" and the acclivity of the
Little Field, and were deposited at the door of the Hotel
de France ; our guide not appearing to have suffered the
least fatigue from this enormous roiind.
As for me, I threw myself upon a divan near the
window, and abandoned myself to the luxury of the kief,
somewhat overcorae by fatigue and by the narcotised
tobacco with which I had charged my pipe ; and in the
evening, after an early supper, I felt little temptation to
pursue my custom of walking in front of the caffes of the
Little Field.
The next day, finding myself slightly rheumatic, I de
termined to take a bath in the Turkish fashion (which is
declared to be a wonderfully refreshing process) ; and
with this view, I dfrected my steps towards " the baths of
Mahmoud," situated near the Bazaar, and admitted to be
the largest and most luxurious in Constantinople.
Thc traditions of the aneient Thermm, lost to us, are
preserved in the East. Christianity, in teaching the dis
regard of material things, has allowed to fall into gradual
desuetude, the inculcation of care for our perishable bodies
as a duty ; regarding such a sentiment as savouring
somewhat of paganism.
Indeed, some Spanish monk or other, some time after
the conquest of Granada, actually preached against the
use of the Moorish baths ; and declared those who used
them, obnoxious to the charge of sensualism and heresy.
But in the Orient, where cleanliness of person is among

242 CONSTANTINOPLE.
the first obligations of religion, the baths have preserved
aU the luxmy of both the Grecian and the Roman periods ;
and are superb edifices, of the loftiest architectural pre
tension, with cupolas, domes and columns, em-iched with
marble and alabaster, and displaying great varieties of
colour and design ; while they are thronged with armies
of attendants, whose various offices recall the ancient time
afready named, and carry us back, in imagination, to Rome
and Byzantium.
A large hall, opening upon the street, — the doorway of
which is closed only by a piece of tapestry, — receives the
risitor on his entrance. Near this doorway, the master of
the bath is seated, having on one side the "till," into which
he drops the money received as the price of the batb,
and on the other, a sort of chest, in which he deposits the
watches, money, and other articles of value left with him
by the bathers on their entrance.
Around this hall, at a temperature neai-ly the same as
exists externally, run two raised galleries, supplied with
camp-beds ; in its centre gushes a fountain, whose spray
floats in the afr-, or spdrkles upon the marble floor.
Around this fountain are ranged pots of basil, mint,
and other odoriferous plants, of which the Tm-ks are so
peculiarly fond.
Cloths of white, blue, or parti-colour hang upon
cords, or are pendant from the ceiling, recaUing the flags
and banners in the arches of Westminster or the In
valides. In the beds, smoking, sipping coffee, drinking sherbet,
or sleeping WTapped to the chin, the bathers — i. e., those
who have bathed — await the moment when perspiration
shaU have ceased sufficiently to permit them to dress.
I was made to ascend to the second gallery, by a little
wooden stafrcase, and a bed pointed out to me ; and so

TURKISH BATH. 243
soon as I was disencumbered of my clothing, two tellaks
twisted a white napkin around my head, in the form of
a turban, and enwraped me, from the waist to the ankle,
in a piece of calico, like the drapery of the Egyptian
statues. At foot of the stairs, I found a pair of gigantic
wooden shoes, into which I stuck my feet ; and, thus equip
ped and mounted, I was half led and half supported by the
teUaks, into the second apartraent, where a somewhat more
elevated temperature is maintained. Here I was left for
a short time to habituate myself to the atmosphere, and
be prepared in some degree for the heat of the thfrd
chamber, in which the ternperature is raised to 125° or
130" of Fahrenheit.
These baths differ very much from our " vapour-baths."
A fire burns continually beneath their slabs of marble,
and the water, which is spread above them, is volatilised in
clouds of white steam, instead of issuing from a boUer in
jets. They are in a manner air-baths, and the extreme
heat induces the most profuse perspiration.
Under a sort of cupola, lighted by large panes of a
greenish glass, and admitting but a vague and doubtful
light, were disposed sorae seven or eight marble slabs, —
resembling tombs in form, — to receive the persons of the
bathers ; who, extended like corpses on a dissecting-
table, submit to the first process of a Turkish bath, which
consists in being lightly pinched, and not so lightly rubbed
and kneaded, untU their persons are covered with a dew
of perspiration, like that which forms outside a bottle of
champagne when placed in ice.
When the pores are thus opened, and the whole frame
streaming with perspiration, the bather is raised by the
attendants, made to assume again his wooden shoes, —
without which the feet would be blistered by contact with
the heated floor, — and conducted into one of the niches.

244 CONSTANTINOPLE.
which abound in the wall of the rotunda that forms the
bathing-roora. A fountain of white marble, from which are drawn, at
pleasm-e, jets of either hot or cold water, occupies each of
these niches. The tellak makes the bather sit near the
basin, arms his hand with a guantlet of camel-skin, and
begins to " curry," first the arms, then the legs, and after
wards the body, with a mercUess severity, which almost
draws blood, but inflicts no actual excoriation or injury.
Then, from the fountain, he dashes over his patient
several basins of warm water ; and having allowed this to
partiaUy dry, seizes him again and "polishes him off" with
the naked hand ; causing long gray rolls to peel from the
skin, in a manner astounding to a European convinced of
the cleanliness of his own person.
This process is followed by a new deluge, and then by
a fresh scrubbing with tufts of hemp streaming with
soap-suds. Then the tellak separates the hair, and scrubs
the skin of the head ; and then follows a cataract of fresh
water, to prevent any determination of blood to the head,
in consequence of the heat and the friction.
My teUak was a young Macedonian, — perhaps, of fifteen
or sixteen years of age, — whose skin, softened by constent
immersion, had acquired a brownish tint, and a fineness
of polish almost inconceivable. He had no flesh left,
nothing but muscles ; but no lack of strength, for all that.
These various ceremonies terminated, I was enwrapped
in dry Unen, and conducted to ray bed, where two youths
" kneaded " me once more. I lay there for about an hour,
in a drowsy reverie, taking coffee and iced lemonade ;
and when I at length rose and went forth, I felt so light,
so supple, so relieved from all sense of fatigue, that I
appeared to be walking on air.

THE BAIRAM. 245

XX.

THE BAIBAM.

The Ramadan was finished ; and, -vrithout detracting in
the least from the zeal of the Mussulmans, it may be
acknowledged that the termination of the fast is always
received with general satisfaction; because, despite the
nocturnal carvinal which is blended with the daUy fast, it
is excessively severe.
At this epoch every Turk renews his wardrobe ; and
nothing can be prettier than to see the streets sparkling
with new clothing of gay and bright colours, ornamented
with embroidery which displays all its first freshness,
instead of the accustomed gathering of rags, which, how
ever picturesque, are more pleasing in a picture of De
camps than in reality.
Now, therefore, every Mussulraan puts on aU that he
has of richest and gayest aspect ; blue, pink, green,
and scarlet, shine in all directions ; the muslin of the
turbans is clean, the babouches unsoiled by dust or wear ;
and, in fact, the mefropolis of Islam has put on its hoU
day garments from head to foot.
If a traveller just arrived by steamer, were to land to
day, and depart again to-morrow, he would teke -vrith
him an idea of Constentinople strangely different from
that which a more lengthened sojoum would give. The
city of the Sultans would appear to him much more
Turkish than it reaUy is.

246 CONSTANTINOPLE.
The streets are thronged with musicians, bearing fifes
and druras, who had given serenades, during the Rama
dan, to the more considerable inhabitants. When their
charivari has lasted long enough to attract the attention
of the inraates of a house, a lattice opens, and a hand
appears, which throws a shawl, a piece of stuff, a sash,
or some analogous article, which is quickly placed in a
basket laden with gifts of the same description. This is
the bachish, given as the reward of the previous efforts of
the musicians, who are generally novices from the tekkes
of the dervishes. This sort of service is paid by the
Turks " in the lump," in preference to giving, on each
occasion, a para, or a halfpenny.
The Bairam is a ceremonj' similar in kind to the hand-
kissing ill Spain ; and all the great digniteries of the
empire cometo pay their homage to the Padischa (Sultan).
Turkish magnificence is theu seen in all its splendour ; and
it is one of the most favourable occasions that can be
seized, by a stranger, to study and admire the luxury,
ordinarily concealed behind the mysterious walls of the
seragUo. Only it is not easy to witness this ceremony,
except by being fictitiously included, for the moment,
among the members of some friendly embassy.
The Sardinian Legation kindly consented to show me
this favour ; and at three o'clock in the moming, one of
the minister's cawas knocked at my door with the hilt of
his sabre. I was already up, dressed, and ready to follow
him. I descended in all haste, and we began to thread
the mountainous, streets of Pera ; arousing hordes of sleep
ing dogs, — regardless of the proverb, — who raised their
noses at the sound of our footsteps, and essayed a feeble
bark, as an acquittance to their consciences ; and encounter
ing long fUes of camels, whose loaded flanks grazed the
walls of the houses, and hardly left us room to pass.

THE BAIRAM. 247
A gleam of rose-coloured Ught began already to tinge
the summits of these houses, although their base was still
wrapped in deep shadow. It was very charraing to see
the dawn plaj'ing upon these roofs, and brightening the
spfres of thc neighbouring minarets, with a freshness of
hue which I have seen in no other clime. One seems to
realise, that he is but two steps from the land where the
sun rises. The sky of Constantinople has not that intense
blue, characteristic of southern countries, but resembles
more that of Venice, with, however, greater transparency
and more of light and vapour. The sun, as it rises, seems
to throw aside curtains of pink muslin and silvery gauze ;
and it is not imtil a more advanced hour, that the atmo
sphere is bathed in some tints of azure. It is easy to imder
stand, in walking at this early hour in Constentinople, the
force of the epithet rododactulos, which Homer applies, so
invariably, to the dawn.
We had to caU for some other persons on our way ;
but — rare occurrence — we found every one ready ; and, our
little band being completed, we descended to the landing-
place of Top-Hane, where the caique of the legation
awaited us.
Despite the early hour, the Golden-Horn, and the
large basin which expands at its entrance, presented a
most animated scene. AU the vessels were decorated
with many-coloured flags and streamers, from boom to
•track. A vast nuraber of gilded boats, decorated with
superb carpets or tepestries, and manned by vigorous oars
men, flew across the rose-tinted water ; and these boats,
laden -vrith pashas, viziers, beys, and other dignitaries,
coming from thefr palaces on the banks of the Bos
phorus, were aU directing thefr course towards Serai-
Bournou. The albatrosses and gulls, somewhat amazed at this

248 CONSTANTINOPLE.
unseasonable tumult, flew about, and hovered, screaming,
over the boats ; or seemed seeking to chase away, with
thefr wings, the few scattered flakes of morning mist,
which -stUl lay upon the surface of the water, Uke frag
ments of swans'-down.
A vast number of boats were crowded about the
landing-place of the Green Kiosk, in front of the seragUo
quay ; and it was with great difficulty that we reaohed
the shore, which was, in tum, crowded with sais, holding
superb horses by the bridle and awaiting thefr masters.
As we were somewhat too early, we went iuto the
Green Kiosk, to teke pipes and coffee. This kiosk is a
charming pavilion, in the aneient Turkish style, but now
shorn of its original splendour, and serving only for a
guard-chamber and waiting-room. It is covered externally
with draperies and awnings, of the colour which its name
indicates ; while, internally, the remains of sculpture,
enamel, painting and gilding, evince the more dignified
uses of its primitive destination.
On this occasion, it presented a curious gathering of
diverse "types," — European, Asiatic, and Turkish; of
richly-dressed cawas of the various embassies, and soldiers
in the uniform of the Nizam, whose bronzed complexions
alone declared them Mussulmans.
At length, the gates of the seraglio were thrown open,
and we passed through a court lined with cypresses,
sycamores, and plane-trees, of enormous size; bordered
with kiosks of Chinese design, and buildings with battle
mented walls and demi-tuiTets, resembling somewhat the
English feudal architecture, — a milange, in fact, of garden,
palace, and fortress ; until we reached an inner court, at
the angle of which rises the ancient church of Saint
Irene, now transformed into an arsenal ; and where is also
a smaU building, pierced with numerous windows, and

TIIE BAIRAM. 249
devoted to the use of the foreign embassies ; from which
can be seen all that passes.
The ceremony commenced with a religious act. The
Sultan, accompanied by his chief officers, goes to perform
his devotions at Saiut-Sophia. It was now, perhaps, six
o'clock, and every neck was outstretched for the first
sign of moveraent. Presently, a powerful band was heard,
playing a Turkish march, arranged by Donizetti, the
Sultan's musical director. The troops stood to their
arms, and formed in line. These soldiers, forming a part
of the imperial-guard, were dressed in white-trousers and
red-jackets, not dissimilar to the undress of English grena
diers ; and with which the fez does not harmonise badly.
The officers mounted the superb horses, whom we had
afready seen kept in waiting by the sais.
The Sultan, arrived frora his suramer palace, directed
his com-se towards Saint-Sophia. Now came the Grand
Vizier, the Seraskier, the Capidan- Pasha, and the other
Ministers, all clad in the straight frock-coat of the Reform,
but so covered with gold embroidery, that it required a
sharp eye, to detect any feature of European costume;
although, on the other hand, the tarbouch was not
sufficient to Orientalise it. They were surrounded by
groups of officers, secretaries, and other subordinates,
superbly dressed, and mounted (like their masters) upon
magnificent horses. Then came Pachas, Beys of provinces,
Agas, Selictars, and other officials, composing the four
odas of the selamlick, whose strange names would convey
no idea to the reader, and whose functions are : — this one
to un-boot the Sulten, — that, to hold his stirrup, — and the
other to hand him the napkin or escritoire ; and, finaUy,
the Tzouhadar, or " Chief of the pages," the Icoglans, and
a whole host of inferiors, forming the household of the
Padischa. Q

250 CONTSTANTINOPLE.
Next, advanced a detachment of the body-guard, in a
uniform somewhat more in keeping with our traditionary
idea of Oriental splendour. These guards, selected for
thefr superb appearance, wear tunics of velvet, embroid
ered with brandenburgs of gold of amazing richness;
white trousers of silk, and caps shaped like an inverted
mortar (resembling, in fact, those wom by the French
presidents and judges) ; surmounted by immense plumes
of peacock's feathers, of two or three feet in height.
They are armed with curved sabres, suspended fi-om a
broad belt of the richest gold embroidery, and large
gilded and damascened halberts, the blades of which are
formed into those grotesque and ferocious-looking shapes,
characteristic of the ancient Asiatic weapons.
To these, succeeded some half dozen superb horses, —
barbs, or Arabians, — led by the hand, and caparisoned
witb housings and head-stalls, of inconceivable richness.
These housings, embroidered with gold and starred -vrith
precious stones, were also enriched by the imperial cypher,
the compUcations and interlacements of which compose a
most elegant arabesque. These ornaments were so
crowded, that the red or blue ground, formed by the
material of the housings, was scarcelj- discernible. The
luxury of these saddles and caparisons, takes, with the
Turks, the place which with us is conceded to the orna
mentation of our carriages ; although, now, not a few of
the pashas begin to import broughams or chariots, from
Paris or Vienna.
These noble animals seemed to have a consciousness of
their beauty. The light played upon the changeable gloss
of their polished flanks ; their manes flashed in sparkling
waves at every movement of their graceful heads ; they
had that proud aud yet gentle air, that look almost human,
thnt elasticity of movement, and half coquetiy of manner.

THE BAIRAM. 251
¦which form the aristocratic bearing of the Eastern steeds
of pure race, and enable us to understand the semi-idolatry
of the Orientals for these superb creatures, whose qualities
are vaimted by the Koran itself, and the care of whom is
recommended to the faithful, as if to add the obligation of
religious duty, to the natural feeling of admfration, and
almost of affection, which creatures so high in the scale
of animal nature, and possessing such uoble quaUties, would
even otherwise inspire.
These horses immediately preceded the Sultan, who was
mounted upon another noble beast ; whose housings glowed
with rubies, topazes, pearls, emeralds and other precious
stones, forming the " flowers " of a mass of golden foliage.
Behind the Sultan, marched the Kislar- Agassi and the
Capou- Agassi, chiefs df the black and white eunuchs ; theu
a corpulent dwarf, with ferocious visage, dressed Uke a
pasha, and occupying towards his master the position of
the jesters of the middle age. This little dwarf was stuck,
doubtless for contrast, on top of a gigantic horse, which
his short legs could hardly bestride. I suspect that he is
the oidy one of his species, now existing in Europe ; the
only recognised "Court Jester; " and the office of Triboulet,
AngeU, Wamba, etc., is perpetuated in Turkey alone.
The eunuchs no longer wear the lofty white cap, with
which they are represented on the European stage. The
fez and the single-breasted frock-coat, now form their
dress ; but they have uot the less that peculiar aspect,
which at once identifies them to the observer.
The Kislar- Agassi is hideous enough, with his beard
less black face, marked by gray streaks ; but the Capou-
Agassi "beats himhoUow,",although without the advantage
of a single negro feature. His face, covered with un
wholesome fat and furrowed with livid folds, his two dead
eyes shiniag from out a surface of parchment, and his
q2

252 CONSTANTINOPLE.
nerveless hanging Up, give him the air of an ill-tempered
old woman.
But these two monsters are, nevertheless, most impor
tant and powerful personages. The revenues of Mecca
and Medina are appropriated by them. They are im
mensely rich, and make foul or fair weather, at pleasure,
iu the seraglio ; although thefr sway is greatly shorn of
its proportions, within the last few years. It is, never
theless, they who govern, despotically, those throngs of
houris whose beauty is never profaned by human gaze ;
and they are, as one may suppose, the centre of thousands
of intrigues. A platoon of body-guards closed the line of march.
This brilliant cortege, although less varied than formerly, —
when all the wealth of Asia blazed in the fantastic costumes
of the pashas, capidgi-pashas, bostaudgis, maibaindzes, and
- janissaries, with their turbans, kalpacks, Circassian casques,
antique arquebuses, maces, and bows and arrows — was stiU
strikinglj' gorgeous and original. It disappeared, through
the archway of the passage leading from the seragUo to
Saint-Sophia ; and after the lapse of about an hour, re
turned in the same order as it went.
Duriug this interval, my companions and I placed
ourselves upon a sort of " tribune," forined by the planks
which covered a well, situated in an immense court
lined with large trees, and iu close proximity to the
kiosk, before the gate of which the ceremony of foot-
kissing was to be performed.
In front of us extended a large building, surmounted
by numerous columns, painted yellow and decorated with
bases and capitals of white. These columns were chimneys,
and the vast range of buUdings kitchens ; for every day, —
to use the Oriental phrase, — " fifteen hundi-ed mouths eat
the bread of the Grand Seignior."

THE BAIRAM. 253
r We found it very difficult to maintain our stand on
our perch, against the continual assaults of new " inquisi
tlves," whom we were obliged to repulse by punches of
the elbow ; but, in the end, we remained masters of the
position. While awaiting the retum of the procession, let us
glance at the locality where the ceremonial is to be per
formed. It is a large kipsk, the roof of which, sup
ported by pillars, projects on all sides of the building.
These pillars, sculptured at base and summit in the style
of the Alhambra, sustain arcades and recesses, formed by
the projection of the roof and richly ornaraented with
lozenges and arabesques ; the door, flanked by two re
cesses, opens amid a mass of carving of flowers and of
arabesques, combined with more of profusion than of taste;
as is too often the case in Turkish buildings.
Upon the wall, on each side the door, are painted two
Chinese perspectives, sirailar to those we see in children's
toys, and representing galleries, whose pavement, adorned
with squares of alternate black and white, seems to ex
tend itself into infinity. These absurd decorations must
be the work of sorae Genoese glazier, made captive by
the corsairs ; and they produce a most extraordinary effect,
thus plastered upon what is otherwise a perfect gem of
Mussulman architecture and decoration.
The Sultan, followed by some of his chief dignitaries,
now entered the kiosk, where he partook of a very slight
collation. The interval thus created, was employed in
the final preparations for the reception.
The attendants spread upon the ground, before the
kiosk, between the two pillars of the arch which led to
the entrance, a carpet or strip of black cachemere, on which
they placed a throne ; or more properly a divan, similar
in form to a sofa, richly ornamented with carvings of gold

254 CONSTANTINOPLE.
or silver-gilt, of Byzantine workmanship. Refore this
divan, was placed a footstool of similar style, and the
band formed a semi-circle around, with their faces tumed
toward the kiosk.
When Abdul-Medjid re-appeared, the band executed a
succession of flourishes, and the soldiers shouted " Long
live the Sultan ! " A genuine enthusiasm pervaded the
whole crowd, and every one partook of the excitement,
whether Turk or European.
The Sultan remained standing for a few minutes, and
could be plainly scanned from head to foot. In his fez,
a clasp of diamonds secured the plume of heron's feathers,
which is the sign of supreme power ; a sort of surtout of
dark blue, fastened by a buckle of briUiants, partially con
cealed the embroidery of his superb uniform ; and these,
with white satin trousers, poUshed-leather boots, and ex
quisitely-fitting straw-coloured gloves, formed a dress,
which, in its simplicity, outshone the gorgeous costumes
of the subordinate personages around.
Presently, the Sultau seated himself, and the ceremonial
began. I have, already, giveu a hasty description of the person
of the Sultan ; but, as the ceremony of the Bafram lasts
for at least two hours, I have time to add soraething to
that hasty sketch.
Abdul-Medjid-Khan was bom on the llth of the
month Chaaban, in the year 1238 of the Hegira (23rd
April, 1823); and has, therefore, in this present year,
(1853), attained the age of thirty years. Ascending the
throne — where he succeeded the Sultan Mahmoud — at
sixteen years of age, he has already reigned fourteen
years. His impassive countenance appears, to me, to wear
the air of profound satiety of power; an expression of
fixed and intense ennui, always unchangeable, and eternal

THE BAIRAM. 255
as the snows of the mountains, seems to form a mask,
as it were, of marble, upon his visage, and give sternness
and permanence to features by no means regular. His
nose has not the aquiline curve belonging to the strictly
Turkish type ; his cheeks are pale, marked with Unes in
dicative of fatigue, and contrasted with a soft brown beard;
and his forehead — iu so far as the fez leaves it visible —
seems large and full. His eyes, I can compare to nothing
but suns of black, fixed in a sky of diamond. No object
seems to reflect itself in them. One would suppose them
the eyes of an ecstatic, absorbed by some vision not
apparent to the vulgar gaze.
For the rest, his physiognomy is not sombre, nor ter
rible, nor cruel, but simply extra-human : I can find no
better word. One felt, that this young man, seated like a
deity upon a golden throne, had nothing more to desfre
in the world ; that all the most golden dreams of humanity
were, to him, but worn-out and insipid realities ; and that
he was gradually freezing out of the reach of the warm
sympathies of our nature, in the frigid atmosphere of such
utter soUtude. In fact, that, from the height of his
grandeur, he looked down upon the earth, as upon only a
vague mist, from amid which the heads of the most
elevated alone were risible ; and even those beneath his
feet! They are only the highest dignitaries of the Mussul
man empfre, who have the right to kiss the feet of the
glorious Sultan. This surpassing honour is reserved for
the Vizier, the Ministers, and a few privileged Pashas.
The Vizier started from the angle of the kiosk which
was at the right of the Sultan, described a serai-circle
within the line forraed by the guards and musicians ;' and,
arriving in front of the throne, advanced to the footstool
after performing the Oriental salutation; and there, bending

256 CONSTANTINOPLE.
over the feet of his master, kissed his boot, as reverentiaUy
as a fervent Catholic could kiss "the toe of the Pope. This
done, he retired backward, and gave place to an Dther.
Theu followed the same salutation, the same genu
flexion, the same prostration, and the sarae manner of ap
proaching and retfring ; performed by seven or eight of
the foreraost personages in the erapire.
Luring these adorations, the countenance ofthe Sultau
remained impassive and expressionless. Ilis fixed dark
eyes looked without seeing, like eyes of marble in a statue.
No movement ofa muscle, no play of countenance, nothing
to induce a belief that he observed what was passing. In
fact, the superb Padischa was eridently unable to see across
the vast space which separated him from humanity ; the
humble worms which crawled in the dust at his feet. And
yet his immobUity had in it nothing offensive or over
strained. It was the mere aristocratic negligence aud ab
straction of " The Grand Seignior," receiving the homage
which was his due, -vrithout giving himself a thought on
the subject ; the drowsy indifference of the deity fatigued
by the adoration of his devotees, themselves too happy, in
being permitted to adore him.
I could not help remarking, in looking upon the
pashas whom the occasion had assembled, the universal
corpulence of the persons of high degree in Turkey.
They attaiu proportions Uterally monstrous ; and to some
of them, the performance of this ceremony was truly
laborious. One can hardly conceive anything more
grotesque, than the contortions of these unhappy men,
compelled, with reverence and solemnity, to stoop to the
earth and rise again ; and some of them, whose breadth
exceeded their height, narrowly escaped burying thefr
noses in the grouud and remaining extended at the feet
of thefr master.

THE BAIRAM. 257
Beside these prodigious Turks, Lablache would seem
slender and smaU ; and this excess of corpulence over
takes the Turks at an early age, too. I have encountered,
at the Sweet-waters of Europe and Asia, youug sons of
pashas, afready encurabered with fat, at the age of ten or
twelve years, and certainly weighing two hundred pounds.
The horses which carried them were afready bending
beneath thefr monstrous weight.
By way of contrast, however, it is scarcely less re
markable, that aU the inferior officials are made up of
nothing but skin and bone ; and thus are presented the
extremes — Uteral caricatures — of fat and lean. The dimi-.
nution of fat preserves an inverse mathematical propor
tion to the elevation of the grade of the indiridual. One
would say, that office was distributed according to weight.
Next after the Pashas, in this act of homage, came the
Sheik-ul-Islam, in his white caftan, and turban of the
same colour, crossed in front by a band of gold. The
Sheik-ul-Islam is the Mahometan Patriarch ; next to the
Sultau in the reUgious scale, and consequently exceedingly
powerful and greatly reverenced. When, therefore, after
the usual salutation, he was about to kiss the Sultan's
foot, as the others had done, Abdul-Medjid broke, for the
first time, his calm imperturbabUity, and, raising the Sheik
graciously, prevented the actual performance of that
homage. The Ulemahs, or prelates of Islamism, theu defiled
before the Sultan ; but, iustead of kissing his foot, they
were content -vrith touching, -vrith thefr Ups, the hem of
his surtout ; not being sufficiently great personages to
aspfre to the more distinguished honour.
And here, a little incident disturbed the ceremony. A
former " Scherif" of Mecca, who had been removed from
office for his excess of fsmaticism, approached aud threw

258 CONSTANTINOPLE.
himself at the feet of the Sultan; who, however, re
pulsed him sharply enough to prevent his performing any
act of homage, and dismissed bim with an imperious
gesture of refusal. Two taU young men, almost mulat
toes in complexion, and seemingly his sons, also essayed
to throw themselves at the Sultan's feet, but were no
better received; and the whole three were conducted out
of the cfrcle.
To the Ulemahs, succeeded other officials, civil or
mUitary, of less elevated grade, who could not presume
to kiss either the boot or the robe; an end of the
Sultan's sash, held by a pasha, offered its fi-inge of gold
to their hps, at the extremity of the divan. Enough for
them, to touch anything that had been in contact -vrith
thefr master. They came, one after auother, described
the entfre cfrcle, holding one hand to the forehead, aud
the other to the heart and, after bending to the earth,
touched the scarf, and passed on. The dwarf, standing
behind the throne, watched the whole, with the maUcious
grimace of an evil-disposed gnome.
During aU this time, the band played airs from V Elisir
d'A'more and Lucrezia Borgia ; the cannon thundered in
the distance, and the pigeons, frightened from the eaves
of Sultan-Bajazet, flew, in hurried cu-cles, above the garden
of the seraglio. When the last functionary had paid
his homage, the Sultau re-entered his kiosk, amid tumul
tuous " vivas ;" and we retmued to Pera, to seek that
breakfast, of which, by this tune, we stood crueUy in need.

THE CHARLEMAGNE. 259

XXI.
THE CHARLEMAGNE.  FIEES.
People had been, for a length of time, talking of the
Charlemagne, whose arrival had been long expected, but
she came not. She had come to be considered a chimerical
ship, a myth, a ship Argo, or a " Flying Dutchman ; "
when lo ! one fiue moming, just wheu people had given
over thinking about it, there, appeared before the landing-
place of Top-Haue, at the entrance of the Golden-Hom,
a superb vessel bearing the tri-coloured flag, displaying
on her cut-water a bust of the Eraperor, and on her stem,
carved in letters of gold, the name Cliarlemagne !
How carae she there ? By what magic did she find
herself at once in the middle of the harbour ?
Along her sides, frowning with the port-holes of a
triple row of cannon, no trace of paddle-boxes for her
wheels ; on her deck, uo appearance of a funnel ; and on
her yards, saUs furled and clewed ; whUe from her mast
streamed a pennant, fluttered by a -wind dfrectly adverse
to the course by which she must have come. It was in
comprehensible !
So the worthy Moslemah adopted the only sensible
solution of the difficulty ; and it became quite understood
among the people, that it was a magical ship, manned by
Djinns and Afrites.
But, said everybody, diplomatic difficulties, raised by

260 CONSTANTINOPLE,
Austria and Russia, oppose the entry of the Charlemagne,
into the strait where no man-of-war may enter, without a
firman. The firman, however, was granted ; and to
legitimatise, even more thoroughly, the presence of such a
vessel in the waters of the Golden- Horn, the Ambassador
of France had arrived on board the Charlemagne ; which
smoothed everything. The Charlemagne became (by pre
sence of the Ambassador) France; and now, also, could
be satisfied the curiosity of the Capitan-Pasha, who was
most desirous to see a screw-auxiliary steam-ship.
The caiques rowed timidly around this marine colossus,
like henings around a whale ; fearing, apparently, some
blow from tail or fin ; but at length some, bolder thau the
rest, ventured to approach her black and frowning sides,
and certain daring visitors climbed over her bulwarks.
I was oue of these last. In setting foot on her deck, the
fii-st face I encountered was that of my old and dear friend,
Giraud, smiling fi-om behind his brown moustache, as I
had once before encountered him in Spain ; and I received
him with a salaamleck, sufficiently Oriental to show that I
was " accUmatised."
I then proceeded to pay my respects to the Ambassador,
to whom I was slightly known, and who received me vrith
great courtesy. Afterward, Giraud presented me to his
fr-iends, the officers, and I made the tour of the three
decks of the ship ; a promenade always sm-prising, even
wheu not new ; for a vessel of war is one of the most
prodigious reaUsations of humau power. Twelve or
thirteen hundred men, swarming, eating, sleeping, man-
oe-vring, without tho least confusion, in a space crowded
-vrith eighty gigantic cannon, an engine as large as a house
of two storeys, a powder magazine, a eoal store-room, a
kitchen, and provisions for all these men for many months!
It is, at once, a town, a fortress, and a locomotive !

THE CHARLEMAGNE. 261
The Dutch housewives, who think themselves such
patterns of cleanliness, are but sluts beside the seamen,
whom no one can approach in the arts of sweeping,
washing, holy-stoning, polishing, and giving lustre to
every object. Not a stain on the planks, not a spot of
rust, or of tarnish, ou the frons or the brasses ; all shines,
all glows. The mahogany of an EngUsh tea-table, is less
bright and clean than the deck of a man-of-war. To
adopt an expressive popular phrase, — "You may eat
your soup off it ; " and among aU these ropes, of which
every one has its name, and which cross and interlace
like the threads of a spider's web, no single Icnot or
entanglement ; not an error, uot the slenderest halyard
out of place ; they all run and gUde through their puUeys,
and are made fast at the proper points, with au order and
exactitude, as admirable as wonderful !
I returned to land, where the Charlemagne was stiU
the one subject of discussion. Her screw entfr-ely sub
merged, her funnel sinking iuto itself Uke an opera-glass,
and learing her aU the appearance of a sailing ship ; so
that it was not until subsequently, when she made an
excursion to Therapia, that the astonished caidjis in
credulously recognised her as a steamer, on seeing the
smoke issue from the chimney which rose through her
deck as by enchantment, and witnessing the foam and
sweU, which made thefr fragUe vessels roll and toss in her
wake. The next day, the Arabassador landed with due official
ceremony, and was received by the French residents ; aU
of whom, forgetting poUtical differences, remembered, at
such a moment, only the dear brotherhood of home, and
thought only of the Alma Mater, — the common mother.
The arrival of the Charlemagne had caused a con
siderable popular effervescence among the Turks, and

262 CONSTANTINOPLE.
there was some apprehension of insult or riolence to our
cortege ; but the Uttle caravan reached, safely and un
molested, the palace of the embassy, despite the looks
askance of the old fanatics who regretted the times of the
Janissaries ; aud could not aUow a Frank to pass, without
growling at him, through their teeth, the traditionary
insult, of " Dog of a Christian ! "
The presence of the Charlemagne at Constantinople,
coincided remarkably -vrith the occurrence of an unparal
leled number oi fires ; uot less thau fourteen, occurred in
one week ; and most of them very serious.
To what were they attributable? To the extreme
dryness of the weather, which transformed these houses of
planks and plaster almost into tinder, ready to ignite with
the least spark ? Or, to the witchcraft and fii-e-scattering
of this mysterious steamer, -vrithout wheel and vrithout
chimney, to which the populace attributed the whole evil ?
Or, to the corporations of carpenters, anxious for work ?
Or, finaUy, to a poUtical cause, and the act of deUberate
incendiaries ; as was beUeved by those best able to
judge ?
At the close of the Ramadan, which, by its fasts and
its devotional exercises, tends to excite the imagination
greatly, there is very often manifested an effervescence
of fanaticism ; and this fermentation of spfrits was not
favourable to Redschid Pasha, then ininister, accused of
a leaning toward European ideas, and regarded as almost
a Giaour by the old Turks in green caftans and large
turbans, to whom all the "reformed" ideas are horrible
and impious. Although there is a French newspaper,
very ably conducted, at Constantinople, yct, as this journal
is assisted by the government, the opposition, instead of
disputing its articles, set fire to a street; a significant

FIRES. 263
mamier of testifying thefr discontent, certainly. At least,
it is said that this is the case ; and it certainly was a re
cognised means of expressing dissatisfaction on the part
of the Janissaries, whose fall these worthies deplore.
Others, again, see, in these fires, which break out in
one quarter of the city as soon as quenched in another,
the torch, or at least the " lucifer-match," of Russia, en
deavouring to prejudice the people against France ; but
the courage -vrith which the crew of, the Charlemagne, led
by M. Rigaud de GenouUly, dashed into the midst of aU
these fires, mounting, axe in hand, upon the buming
houses, and disputing with the flames for thefr victims,
went far to secure for us the general good opinion.
Redschid Pasha was also superseded by Fuad Effendi ;
which, although the latter is a foUower of his poUcy, was
regarded as a concession ; and directly afterward the fires
ceased; perhaps naturally, perhaps from that cause.
With a town buUt ahnost eutirely of wood, and the
indirect co-operation of the negUgence produced by
Turkish fatalism, " fires " may, perhaps, be considered as
constituting the normal condition at Constantinople. A
house sixty years old is a rarity. Except the mosques,
aqueducts, walls, and fountains, together with a few
(Jreek houses in Phanaris, and some Genoese buildings at
Galate, aU is wood. Past ages have left no -vritness on the
soU, perpetuaUy swept by flame. The face of the town
renews itseK every half-century, although, perhaps, -vrith
out much change. I do not speak of Pera, that Mar
seilles of the Orient, where, in place of every shanty
bumed down, there rises a mansion of stone, and which
wiU soon be a town altogether European in character.
On the summit of the Seraskier's Tower — a white
tower of prodigious height, rising against the sky, not
far from the domes and minarets of Sultan-Bajazet, — stands

264 CONSTANTINOPLE.
perpetually, a watchman, whose duty it is to look narrovyly,
whether, in any quarter of the horizon of the immense
panorama that lies unrolled at his feet, any gush of dark
smoke, any red jet of flame, bursts through the in
terstices of a roof. Wheu the watchman perceives the
outbreak of a fire, he hangs out, from the summit of his
tower, a basket if by day, or a lantern by night, to indicate
the quarter of the towu in which it is situated ; the cannon
thunders out the alarm, and through the awakened streets
rings, in sinister tones, the lugubrious cry of Stamboul
hiangin var ! Every one is aroused, and the water-car
riers, who are also the firemen, rush at racing speed in the
dfrection indicated by the signal.
A similar watch is constantly maintaiued on the sum
mit of the Tower of Galata, which is almost directly
opposite to the Seraskier's Tower, ou the other side of the
Golden-Hom. The Sultan, the Viziers, and the Pashas, are bound to
be present, in person, at all fires of importance. If the
Sultan has even retired into the recesses of his harem,
and a fire breaks out, his sanctuary is not safe from in
trusion. An odalisque, clad iu scarlet, and -wearing a
tm-ban of the same colour, penetrates to the chamber,
raises the tapestry which covers the doorwaj', aud stands
before him, silent and sinister. The appearance of this
flame-coloured phantom, announces to the Sultau that
there is a fire in Constantinople, and summons him to do
his duty as a sovereign. •
I was sitting one day upon a tomb, in the lesser
' How far this popular belief is literally true, is diflicult to
ascertain ; but it is certain that such ts the popular belief, and that
the Sultan and his chief officers of state are always present at great
fires. " An hour" is understood to he the limit, beyond which, if a
fire continues, the Sultan ia bound to attend. — Teaks.

FIRES. 265
cemetery of Pera, when I observed, rising above the
cypresses, a wreath of blue smoke, which speedily became
yeUow, and then black, and was presently streaked with
jets of flame ; the latter scarcely risible, however, in the
brilUant sunUght. I sprang up and sought an open spot,
whence I saw, in au instant, that the quarter caUed
" BLassim-Pasha " was in flames.
This Kassim-Pasha is a miserable region, peopled by
v^etches equally miserable, — Jews and Armenians, — and
shut in between the arsenal and the cemetery.
I descended the principal street, coraposed of shanties,
hovels, and bnUdings in the last stages of dUapidation,
and the centre of which is occupied by a gutter or open
sewer, crossed at frequent intervals by culverts. The fire
was afready buming furiously, in the iramediate vicinity
of a mosque, whose minaret (looking more than usuaUy
like a tall candle surmounted by a tin extinguisher) I
expected, every moment, to see melting in the flames ;
but a sudden change of wind drove them in another
dfrection, and threatened a quarter which had before
seemed safe.
The street was crowded by negresses carrying
mattresses ; porters laden with chests ; men saving their
pipe-stems ; fiightened-lookfrig women, with a chUd iu
one hand and a bundle of clothing in the other ; soldiers
and cawas armed -vrith long hooks ; saccas rushing through
the crowd, canying thefr pumps on thefr shoulders, and
mounted meu gaUoping along vrithout the least regard for
the foot-passengers. Every one elbo-wing, pushing, and
hustUng, with an accompaniment of shouts and impreca
tions, in every conceivable dialect of almost every con
ceivable language.
The tumult was at its height.
During aU this time, the fire was spreading, and en-

266 CONSTANTINOPLE.
larging the cfrcle of its ravages. Fearing to be trodden
under foot in this increasing and maddened crowd, I re
gained the height of Pera ; and, seating myself again upon
a funeral column, I sat, in company with Turks, Gi-eeks,
and Franks, watching the fearful spectacle which unrolled
itself at foot of the hUl.
The buming rays of noonday feU perpendicularly
upon the bro-wn-tUed roofs, or wooden sheds, of Kassim-
Pasha, the houses of which Ughted iu succession, like the
fiisees of a set of fireworks. Now you would see a Uttle
wreath of white sraoke issuing from some crerice, then
a little tongue of scarlet intermingled with the white
smoke, then the whole roof became clouded, the windows
began to gleam with red ; presently the flames burst
forth in every dfrection, and, in an inconceivably small
nmnber of minutes, the house was in ashes !
Against a back-ground of flames, on the walls and
summits of the burning houses, stood out, in black profile,
the figures of the men who threw water upon the neigh
bouring waUs, to prevent their also igniting ; all attempts
to quench such inflammable materials, when once freely in
flames, being hopeless ; while others, with axes and hooks,
threw down masses of building, to restrain the flre within
certain limits, for sheer lack of food to prey upon.
The saccas, standing upon transverse beams, directed
the ho.e of their pumps against the flames; and, from a
distance, these pumps, with thefr long coils of flexible
leather pipe and spouts of bright metal, had the afr of
angry serpents combating some gigantic fiery dragon,
who was vomiting forth sparks and flame, to repel his
antagonists; while the latter retumed to the attaek,
hissing and furious, wielding a watery lance which
sparkled like diamonds in the surrounding glow.
After often abating and rekindling, the fire died out

FIRES. 267
for lack of " pasturage ; " and there remained only the
smoke which slowly rose from among blackened heaps of
ashes and cinders.
The next day, I visited the scene of the disaster. Two
or three hundred houses had been burned ; and this was a
small matter, if one considers the extreme inflammabUity of
the materials, of which the whole region was built. The
mosque, protected by its walls and arches of stone, rested
intact. Upon the spot where the wooden buildings had
stood, remained only the brick chimneys, which had re
sisted the flames. They_ had a strange effect, these red
obeUsks, alone standing, in memory of the buildings which
had suiTounded them the day before. They looked some
what like gigantic skittles, planted there to be bowled at
by Typhon or Briareus.
Amid the yet hot and smoking ruins of the houses, the
former proprietors had already constructed some sort of
habitation, by means of rush mats, old carpets, and pieces
of caUco or canvas, supported by stakes ; and were smoking
thefr pipes, with all the resignation of Oriental fatalism.
Horses were fastened to stakes, in the place where thefr
stable had once stood; fragments of old partitions, and
bits of plank nailed together, reconstituted the harem ; a
cawadji was making coffee, over the furnace, which alone
remained of his shop ; upon the ancient site of which, sat
cross-legged, in the ashes, his faithful customers. Fai-ther
on, some bakers were digging out, with wooden shovels,
heaps of grain, of whieh the flame had scorched only the
upper portion ; poor devUs were seeking, amid the half-
extinguished cinders, nails and bits of fron, — the remains
of thefr fortunes, — but without haring any aspect of
special despondency. I did not see, at Kassim-Pasha,
those groups, lost, wailing, and utterly in despafr, which
a similar calamity would collect, ia France, among the
E 2

268 CONSTANTINOPLE.
ruins of a village or a district destroyed by fire. In fact,
it seems, that to be burned-out, is, at Constantinoplp, rather
a matter of course.
I followed to the Golden-Hom, and near the arsenal,
the pathway traced by the fire. The heat was terrific,
and augmented by a burning sun. I walked upon hot
coals, ill-covered by treacherous and cmmbling cinders ;
among ruins half consumed, planks, beams, fragments of
divans and counters ; now over spots of gray, now of
black, through stifling sraoke, and reflections of sunUght
hot enough to cook an egg. Then I passed through a
street somewhat picturesque, along which ran a gutter,
choked with old shoes and fragments of crockery, and
offering, with its two tottering bridges, a subject for an
artist ; and was, at length, more glad than I cared to ac
knowledge, to find myself on firm earth, and safe from the
volcanic soil, which for the previous three hours I had
been treading at no smaU risk.
I had seen a fire by day ; it remained to see one by ,
night, and I was not destined to wait long.
One evening, a purple light, not dissimilar to that
caused by the aurora-boreaUs, tinged the heavens on the
other side of the Golden-Horn. I was taking an ice in
the Little Field, and descended instantly to Top-Hane,
to secure a caique for a passage to the scene of the dis
aster ; when, in passing near the tower of Galata, one of
my Constantinople friends, who accompanied me, sug
gested the idea of ascending the tower, to wituess from
its summit the scene on the opposite side of the water.
A Uberal baschivh removed the scruples of the keeper ; and
we began to climb in the darkness, trying each step before
we ventured upon it, following the wall with our hands, and
ascending a steep spiral staircase, interrupted at frequent in
tervals by barriers and doors. At length we reached the

FIRES. 269
lantern ; and, walking upon the plates of brass which cover
its floor, we fixed ourselves, at last, on the ledge of the
masonry with which the suramit of the tower is crowned.
It was the storehouses of oil nnd tnllow which were
on fire. These buildings are situated on the verge of the
water, which, in reflecting the flames, produced the appear
ance of a double fire. Long lines of light, rippled by the
oscillation of the water, extended over the Golden-Horn,
making it resemble a vast bowl of flaming punch. The
fire rose to a tremendous height, — red, blue, yellow, or
green, according to the material burning at the moment.
At intervals, a more intense phosphorescence, a light more
incandescent, sparkled amid the general glow. MiUions of
buming flakes soared in the afr, like the gold and silver
rain of a rocket ; and, despite the distance, we could hear
plainly the crackUng of the flames. Over the fire,
writhed and heaved enormous masses of smoke, dark on
the one side, and glowing -vrith every varied shade of
red upon the other, like clouds at sunset. The Seras
kier's Tower, Yeni-Djami, the Suleimanieh, the mosque of
Achmet, and above, upon the crest of the hUl, the arches
of the ancient aqueduct, shone with rosy Ught. The
shipping in the harbour loomed in clear black outline,
against the fiery back-ground. Two or three smaU vessels,
nearest to the scene of destruction, took fire, and for the
moment a general conflagration among the shipping seemed
imminent ; but the danger M'as soon overcome.
Despite the cold wind, which chilled us at that eleva
tion, — for we were very lightly clad, my Companion and
myself, — we could not withdraw from the contemplation
of this spectacle of disastrous magnificence ; which, by
its splendour, made us understand, and half-excuse, Nero
enjoying the sight of burning Rome, from the Palatine
Tower.

270 CONSTANTINOPLE.
It was indeed a splendid illumination. Fire-works of
a hundred times multiplied power, with effects that pyro
technic art cannot hope to imitate ; and as we had not
the remorse of having caused it, nor any power to check
its ravages, we could at least enjoy the scene as artists,
while not the less deploring so grave a calaraity.
Two or three days afterwards, Pera took fire in its
tum. The tekke of the Dancing Derrishes was speedUy
invaded by the flames ; and there I witnessed a striking
specimen of Oriental immobiUty. The chief of the der
rishes sat on his carpet, smoking his pipe, and moring
from time to time, as the fire intruded upou his resting-
place !
The little bit of cemetery, which extends in front of
the tekke, was rapidly heaped -vrith aU manner of articles,
utensils, merchandise, and moveables, from the endangered
or buming houses ; and which, especiaUy the more fragUe
of them, were often precipitated from the -vrindows to
save time. The most grotesque heaps were scattered
upou the tombs, in a peU-meU as frightful as it was
absurd. The population of the quarter — mostly Chris
tian — displayed none of the resignation, which I had
observed in the Turks under similar cfrcumstances. The
women howled or wept, seated among the wreck of thefr
goods. Vociferations blended from all quarters ; the disorder
and tumult were fearful. At length, when the conflagra
tion began to abate, and its extent could be seen, it
appeared that, from the tekke to the foot of the hiU,
there remained only chimneys standing.
In the most serious disasters, there are, almost always,
some burlesque incidents ; and it was so here. I saw a
man literaUy risk his life to save some bits of stove-pipe ;
and innumerable instances of persons, in their be-vyilder-

FIRES. 271
ment, clinging to things utterly valueless, and rejecting,
or unconsciously destroying, what they would have -vrished
to save. A pictm-esque effect was produced by the cypresses iu
the garden of the tekke, which, drying-up before the
flames, and tuming yellow, then took fire, and blazed from
all thefr limbs, like huge, many-branched candelabra.
Only two or three nights afterwards, Pera was Ulu
minated at the other side, near the Great Cemetery. Some
twenty wooden-houses bumed Uke matches, sending flame
and sparks far up into the blue of the night, despite the
floods of water with which they were inundated. The
great street of Pera presented a most sinister aspect ;
companies of saccas, pump on shoulder, dashed along,
oversetting everything in thefr passage, as it is thefr priri
lege to do (and a privilege in the exercise of which they
seem to flnd a maUcious satisfaction) ; mushires on horse
back, foUowed by a crowd of vagabonds, rattled through
the street, to the great risk of aU foot-passengers ; the dogs,
alarmed by the noise, the Ught, and the crowd, for once
shrank from the highway, and gathering in by-places, or
flying in packs, uttered the most prolonged and dismal
howls; men and women passed along bending beneath
huge burdens ; grooms endeavoured to lead and pacify
horses, haK-mad vrith excitement and aflright : — the whole
-was, at once, terrible and magnificent.
Fortunately, the intervention of some lofty houses of
stone prevented the further spread of the conflagration,
and it bumed itself out.
In the same week, Psammathia, a Greek quarter of
Constentinople, became, also, a prey to the flames. Two
thousand five hundred houses were burned !
Afterward, Scutari took fire in its turn !
At each moment the sky glowed with red, iu one

272 CONSTANTINOPLE,
quarter or another, and the watchmen, ou the Seraskier's
Tower and the Tower of Galate, were weary vrith the
repetition of their fearful signal. It seemed as. if the
demon of conflagration waved his , torch over the city,
and had doomed it to utter destruction !
At length, however, aU was extinguished — the fires
ceased, and the recent disasters were speedUy forgotten ;
-vrith that happy carelessness of past misfortune, -vrithout
which the life of humanity would be a burthen beyond
endurance. The coincidence with the arrival of the Charlemagne,
was, however, not the less remarkable ; nor vpiU the
various surmises, arising from that coincidence, cease to
afford anxious food for speculation, and for inquiry into
the causes — poUtical, social, international, or accidental —
which occasioned so many, and such disastrous fires, at
that precise period.

,' rs^ic?£lL..-'-_il^S ¦ '

SAINT-SOPHIA. 273

XXII.
SAINT-SOPHIA.  THE MOSQUES.
It would be dangerous for a Giaour to penetrate to the in
terior of the mosques during the Ramadan, even -vrith a
firman and attended by cawas. The exhortations of the
Tmans excite, among the faithful, a double amount of
fervour and fanaticism ; and the action of the fast heats
the brain, imtil the habitual tolerance, produced by the
progress of ci-vilisation, is easUy forgotten. I awaited,
therefore, untU after the Bafram, before making this
essential part of my tour of observation.
It is usual to commence the series -vrith Saint-Sophia,
the most ancient and most important buUding of Constanti
nople, which, before being a mosque, had been a Christian
church; not dedicated, however, as ite name might
suggest, to a particular saint, but to the Divine Wisdom,
" Agia- Sophia," personified by the Greeks, and, according
to thefr teaching, mother of the three theological -virtues.
After having once seen, from the space which extends
in front of the Augustan Gate, the back — enriched vrith
deUcate carvings and inscriptions — of the fountein of
Achmet III., Saint-Sophia presents but an Ul-assorted
mass df misshapen constructions. The original plan
has disappeared, beneath an aggregation of excrescences
and additions, which have obUterated the primitive out
Unes, and rendered it almost impossible to retrace them.

274 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Between the buttresses erected by Amurath III., to
support the walls, shaken by repeated earthquakes, are
crowded tombs, shops, baths and staUs.
Above this miscellaneous gathering, rises, amid four
heavy minarete, the great cupola, supported upon the
walls by courses of masonry, altemately white and pink,
and encircled, as by a tiara, with a range of latticed
windows. The minarets have not the graceful slenderness
of the Arabic style, and the cupolas rest hearily upon the
unadorned stone-work ; and the traveUer, whose imagina
tion has been stimulated by the magical name of " Saint-
Sophia " (reminding him of the temples of Ephesus and
of Solomon), experiences a disappointment, which, fortun
ately, does not continue, after he has once reached the
interior of the edifice.
To reach the entrance ofthe mosque, the visitor foUows
a uarrow street, lined with sycamores, and -vrith turbos
whose gilded and painted stone-work gleams vaguely
through their gratings ; and he arrives, after a few diver
gences, in front of a gate of bronze, one leaf of which
stiU retains the imprint of the Greek cross. This is a
side entrance, which gives access to a vestibule pierced
-vrith nine doors. At this poiut, the visitor exchanges his
boots or shoes for sUppers, which it is important to have
brought by the dragoman ; because to enter the mosque in
boots, would be as palpable an irreverence as to keep one's
hat on, in a Catholic church ; and might, moreover, enteU
results by no means agreeable to the offender.
At the first step within, I was struck with amazement.
I seemed to be at Venice, and entering from the Piazza,
beneath the nave of Saint-Mark ; only that the dimensions
had enlarged immeasurably, and assumed colossal pro
portions. The columns rose gigantic, from the mat- covered
pavement ; the dome of the cupola hung overhead, like

SAINT-SOPHIA. 275
the arch of the sky ; the gaUeries, fri which the four
sacred streams pour forth thefr waters in mosaic, described
immeasurable cfrcuits; the tribunes seemed destined tO
contain whole nations! Saiut-Mark, in fact, is but a min
iature of Saint-Sophia ; reduced, on the scale of an inch
to a foot, from the basiUca of Justinian. Nor is there
anything surprising in this ; for Venice, separated by only
a narrow sea from Greece, Uved always in famiUarity -vrith
the Orient ; and her architects would naturaUy seek to
reproduce the type of that church, which was then con
sidered the richest and the most beautiful of aU Chris-
tendon. I'he erection of Saint-Mark was commenced
about the tenth century ; and its architects would have
been able to see Saint-Sophia, in all its integrity and
splendour, before it had been profaned by Mahomet II. ;
an event which did not take place until a. d. 1453.
The existing Saint-Sophia was erected upon the ashes
of the temple consecrated to " The Wisdom Divine," by
Constentine the Great, which had been bumed during the
tumults of the contest between the "greens" and the
" blues," and whose antiquity was founded upon an
antiquity even more remote. Anthemius of TraUes and
Isidore of Miletus, in tracing ite foundations, dfrected ite
reconstruction. To enrich the new church, the ancient pagan temples
were despoiled ; and the dome of Christ's Church was
supported by the columns of the temple of " Diana of the
Ephesians," still black from the torch of Erostratus, and
the pillars of the "Temple of the Sun" at Palmyra,
stUl gilded with the emblem of their original worship.
From the ruins of Pergamus, were taken two enormous
urns of porphyry, whose " lustral waters " gave place to
the consecrated water of Christian baptism, and, later still,
of Mahometan ablution. The waUs were adorned -vrith

276 CONSTANTINOPLE.
mosaics of gold and gems ; and when the work was com
pleted, Justinian might well exclaim, in delighted admi
ration, " Glory be to God, who has esteemed me worthy to
achieve a work so sublime ! Oh, Solomon ! I have sur
passed thee ! "
Although Islamism, in its hostility to the pictorial and
plastic arts, has despoiled Saint-Sophia of the greater part
of its noblest omaments, it is stiU a magnificent edifice.
The mosaics, upon a ground of gold, representing Scrip
tural subjects, Uke those of Saint-Mark, have disappeared
beneath a coating of lime. They have preserved the four
gigantic cherubim of the galleries ; the six wings of each
shine through the scintillations of masses of gilded crystal ;
but the heads of these masses of gorgeous plumage are
hidden behind "enormous golden suns ; the representation
of the humau face being the especial horror of the Mos
lemah. At the end of the sanctuary, beneath the oven
like arch which forms its termination, are vaguely traceable
the outlines of a colossal figure, which the deposit of the
Ume has not altogether obliterated : this was the image of
the patron of the church, — an embodiment of the Dirine
Wisdom in an individual form, the Agia-Sophia ; and
which, beneath this half-transparent veil, stUl presides
over the ceremonies of a hostUe faith.
The statues have been removed. The altar, made of
an unknown metal, — the result, like the Corinthian brass,
of a combination of gold, silver, bronze, fron, and precious
stones, in a state of fusion, — is replaced by a slab of red
marble, indicating the direction of Mecca. Above, hangs
an old and worn carpet, a mere dirty rag, which possesses,
for the Turks, the unspeakable merit, of being one of the
four carpets on which Mahomet himself knelt to perform
his devotions.Immense green disks, given by different Sultans, are

SAINT-BOPHIA. 277
attached to the walls, and inscribed with verses from the
Koran, or pious maxims, -written in enormous golden
letters. A scroU of porphyry, bears the names of AUah,
of Mahomet, and of the first four Kalifs : Abu-Bekir,
Omar, Osman, and Ali. The pulpit (nimbar), where the
khatib stands to read the Koran, is placed against one of
the pillars, and is reached by a steep staircase, decorated
with two balusfrades of open carving, of a delicacy un
surpassed by that of the finest lace. The reader always
ascends with the Book of the Law in one hand and a
drawn sabre in the other, as in a conquered mosque.
Cords, from which are suspended tufts of sUk, and
ostrich eggs, hang frora the dome to withiu ten or twelve
feet of the floor, sustaining circles of iron wire, deco
rated with lamps to form a chandelier. Desks in the
form of an X, similar to those which we use to support
portfoUos of engravings — in fact, a sort of tressels — are
dispersed about the mosque, to support manuscripts of
the Koran. Many are omamented with enamel, or deU
cate inlayings of brass, or mother-of-pearl.
Mats of rushes in the summer, and carpets in the
winter, cover the pavement, formed of slabs of raarble, the
veins of which are skilfully arranged, to give the appear
ance of three streams, congealed, as they flow in wa-vy
undulations through the edifice. The mats also present a
singular peculiarity ; they are placed obliquely, and con
trary to the Unes of the architecture ; like the planks of
a floor, placed diagonally, instead of paraUel, to the waUs
which enclose them. But this strange pecuUarity is soon
explained. Saint-Sophia was not originaUy designed for a
mosque, and consequently does not stand in the proper
direction, relatively to Mecca.
Many of the mosques, much resemble, intei-naUy, Pro
testant churches, or rather " chapels." Art is not there

278 CONSTANTINOPLE.
allowed to display its elegancies. Pious inscriptions, a
pulpit, reading desks, mats to cover the floors ; and you
have all the " ornament " that is permitted. The one
idea of Deity should fill His temple, and is sufficiently
vast to do so unassisted.
I admit, however, that the artistic elegance of the
Catholic and Episcopal churches, seems to me preferable ;
and the alleged danger of idolatry, is to be feared only
among a barbarous and ignorant people, incapable of
distinguishing the form from the spirit — the image from
the idea. There is also, certainly, an express indication
of reverence and adoration, in the mere fact of thus
enriching our teraples ; and, if it be esteemed becoming
to adorn the halls in which we do honour to earthly
potentates, how much more, the palaces which we dedi
cate to the King of Kings !
The chief cupola of Saint-Sophia, a little broken in ite
curve, is surrounded by several half-domes, like those of
Saint-Mark. It is of immense height, and must have
shone like a sun of gold aud mosaic, before the Moslem
coating of lime extinguished its splendours. But, such
as it was, it produced upon me an impression eveu more
StartUng than the dome of Saint-Peter. The Byzantine
architecture is certainly the stj'le necessary for Catho
licism. Even Gothic architecture, whatever its religious
value, is not so perfectly adapted to this object. Despite
its deteriorations of aU sorts, Saint-Sophia stUl stands
above all other Christian churches that I have seen ; aud
I have seen many. Nothing can equal the majesty of its
domes; the tribunes resting against its columns of jasper,
of porphyry, and of verd-antique, -vrith their strange Co
rinthian capitals ; or the animals, the chiraeras, and the
crosses, enlaced among its sculptured foliage. The superb
iu:t of Greece, although degenerate, still makes itself felt;

SAINT- SOPHIA. 27
and one can understand that when Christ enters the temple,
Jupiter must go forth.
Some years since, Saint-Sophia was menaced with de
struction. The waUs began to bulge, fissures to appear in
the domes, and the pavement to undulate; and the
columns, fatigued, perhaps, with standing so long up
right, leaned in aU dfrections, Uke drunken men. Nothing
was in line ; the whole building leaned visibly on one side;
and, despite the buttresses erected by Amurath, the church-
mosque, worn by the lapse of centuries and shaken by
repeated earthquakes, appeared tottering to ite fall.
An exceedingly capable Tessinese architect, however,
(Signor Fossati), undertook the difficult task of rescuing
this noble monument of antiquity from ruin ; which he
effected by under- pinning, portion by portion, with inde
fatigable caution and activity. Bands of brass were
thrown about the riven pillars ; supporters of iron propped
the sinking arches ; massive ground- works sustained the
trembUng waUs ; the crevices were filled up ; the crum
bUng stones replaced by those of fresher and stronger
quality ; masses of masonry, whose purpose was skilfully
disguised under the garb of ornaraent, were made to bear
the enorraous weight of the cupola ; and, at length, thanks
to this elaborate and skilful restoration, Saint-Sophia
eould still promise iteelf many centuries of existence.
During the progress of the works, Signor Fossati had
the curiosity to exhume many of the primitive mosaics,
from the bed of Ume in which they were buried ; and,
before covering them again, he caused them to be care
fully copied ; a proceeding, the fruits of which, it is to be
hoped, may be one day given to the world.
These mosaics are those of the cupola and the demi-
domes. The others, which decorate the lower walls, may
be regarded as destroyed. The mollahs remove, almost

280 CONSTANTINOPLE.
daily, with their knives, cubes of crystal, covered with
gold leaf, and sell them to strangers. I myself possess
some half-dozen of these, detached in my presence ; for,
although I am not one of those tourists who break off the
noses of statues, as a souvenir of the monuments they have
visited, I could not disappoint the hope of a gratuity
which inspired the worthy Moslem who offered me these
memorials. From the height of the tribunes (which are reached
by gentle winding slopes, as in the Giralda or the Campa
nula), an admirable view of the mosque is obtained. At
this moment, some faithful believers, kneeling upon the
matting, are devoutly performing thefr prostrations ; two
or three females, wrapped in their feredg6s, stand near
one of the doors, and a porter, with his head supported
on the base of a pillar, is sleeping with all his might. A
soft and tender light falls frora the elevated windows ; and
I can see, iu the distant recess, opposite the pulpit, the
sparkle of the golden gratings of the tribune reserved for
the Sultan.
A species of platform, supported by colurans of finest
marble and ornamented with carved railings, rises at each
point of intersection of the aisles. In the side-chapels
(useless in the Mussulman ritual), are heaped trunks,
boxes, and packages of all kinds ; for, in the East, the
mosques serve as store-houses, and those who are going
away on a journey, or who fear being robbed at home,
deposit thefr wealth under the immediate protection of
Allah ; and there has never been an instence of the loss of
a farthing under such circumstances, for theft would need
to combine itself with sacrilege. Heaps of dust accumulate
upon masses of gold, or of precious objeets, scarcely
covered with wrappers of coarse cloth, or old leather ;
and the spider, so cherished among the Turks, for having

SAINT-SOPHIA. • 281
thrown his web across the mouth of the cave in which the
Prophet was concealed, weaves his thread peacefuUy about
the locks, which no one takes the trouble to use.
Around the mosque are grouped hospitals, colleges,
baths, and kitchens for the poor ; for the whole of Moslem
life gathers around the house of God. People without
home sleep beneath the arches, where no police disturb
them, for they are the gueste of Allah. The faithful pray
there ; the females go there to dream away their time ;
and the sick are transported thither, to be cured or to die.
In the East, the present life is never separated from reli
gion and the thought of the future.
I sought in vain, in Saint-Sophia, for the imprint of
the bloody hand, which Mahomet IL, dashing, on horse
back, into the sanctuary, imprinted upon the wall, in sign
of taking possession as conqueror, while the woraen and
maidens were crowded round the altar as a last refuge from
the besieging army, and expecting rescue by a miracle,
which did not occur. This bloody imprint of the conqueror's
hand — is it an historical fact, or only an idle legend?
While writing the word " legend," I recall a remark
able one, which is current at Constantinople, and to which
the evente of the day give a peculiar interest.
When the gates of Saint-Sophia gave way, beneath the
pressure of the barbarian hordes who stormed the city of
Constentine, a priest was before the altar, performing
mass. At the noise made upon the pavement of Justi
nian by the hoofs of the Tarter horses, the shoute of the
soldiers, and the terrific cries of the Moslems, the priest
paused in his sacred office, took with him the sacramental
vases, and retfred towards one of the side isles, with a calm
and deUberate step. The soldiers brandished thefr swords,
as if to slaughter the priest, when he suddenly disap
peared, through a wall which opened to receive him ;

282 CONSTANTINOPLE.
by means, as one would suppose, of a secret door; but
no, the waU was firm, compact, impenetrable. The priest
had passed through a mass of solid masonry.
Sometimes are heard, even now (it is said), faint notes
of psalmody, through the thickness of the wall. It is the
saintly father, still, living, who repeats, in his miraculous
sleep, portions of his interrupted liturgy. When Saint-
Sophia shall be again restored to Christian worship, the
wall will once more open of itself, and the priest, issuing
from his long retreat, will retum, to finish, at the altar,
the mass commenced four hundred years before.
If, according to invariable rule in these legendary pre
dictions, we allow the additional " one year," which com
pletes the mystic period (as does the " one day," in the
term of " a year and a day," so well knowm in all magical
tales) ; and assume that four hundred and one j'ears com
plete the tele ofthe predicted tirae, the 29th of May, in this
present year (1854), will be the day on which the sleeping
priest should again cross the nave of Saint-Sophia, and
mount, with phantom-fread, the steps of the alter of Justi
nian, to consummate his mutilated rites. It is strange, at
least, that the events of this epoch, should have rendered a
Christian re-occupation of Saint-Sophia within the pre
scribed period (at one moment), no very remote possi
bility; but whether it is still to be accomplished, is
another question, under the present aspecte.i
On issuing from Saint-Sophia, I visited several other
mosques. That of Sultan-Achmet, situated near the Atmeidan,
is one of the most reraarkable. -It presents the pecu-
1 Perhaps the opinion of the Anglo-French allied forces, might,
now, have some weight in furnishing a reply to this question. —
Tk.ins.

THE MoSQUEg. 283
liarity of having six minarete, which has given it the
designation, in Turkish, of " Alti-Minareli-Djami ; " and
I mention this, because it gave occasion, during the
erection of the edifice, to a fierce debate between the
Sulten and the Iman of Mecca. The Iman declared that
the Sultan was about to commit an act of sacrileo-e ; for
that no other mosque should presume to rival in splendour
the most holy Kaaha of Mecca, flanked by just that
number of minarets. The works were suspended, and
the mosque was in danger of never being finished, when
the Sulten, being a man of inteUigence, discovered an in
genious subterfuge to close the mouth of the fanatical
Iman : he caused a seventh rainaret to be added to the
Kaaba, and then proceeded to the completion of his own
magnificent work, in accordance with its original design.
This mosque cost a fabulous sum for its construction,
and it has even been reckoned that each drachm- weight
of stone in the building had cost three aspres ! What
ever the precise totel, it must have been very great. Ite
lofty dome rises majesticaUy in the midst of several lesser
ones, and surrounded by six superb minarets, each en-
cfrcled by ite graceful gallery as by a bracelet. It is
faced by a court, surrounded by columns, with capitals
of white and black, and haviug bases of bronze, sup
porting arches which form a quadruple range of cloisters
to the portico ; if one may apply the word " cloister " to
a mosque. In the midst of this court, rises a richly-orna
mented fountain, covered with a sort of cage of gilded
trellis-work, doubtless to protect the purity of the water
destined for religious ablutions.
The stj-le of all the architecture is noble and pure,
and recalls the grandest epoch of Arabian art ; although
the actual date of the structure goes back no farther than
the beginning of the seventeenth century. A door of
8 2

284 CONSTANTINOPLE.
bronze, reached by three steps, gives access to the interior
of the mosque. The beholder is most impressed, at first
sight, by the four colossal columns, or rather the four
fluted towers, which support the massive weight of the
principal dorae. These jiillars, with capitals carved in
stalactite, are encircled, at mid-height, by a plain band,
covered with inscriptions in Turkish letters. They have
a ch.aracter, altogether, of wonderfiil majesty, endurance,
and power.
Verses of the Koran encircle, also, the cupolas and
domes, and run along the comices ; a species of orna^
ment, imitated from the Alhambra, and to which the
Arabic writing lends iteelf charmingly, with its characters
of veritable " arabesque," resembling those designs of
surpassing richness, which are seen upon the genuine
shawls of cachemere.
Key-stones, alternately black and white, adom the
summits of the arches ; the mirahb, which indicates the
direction of Mecca and contains the sacred book, is en
crusted with lapis-lazuli, agate, and jasper ; and it is said
to contain also a fragraent of the blaek stone of the
Kaaba ; a relic as precious for a Mussulman, as a frag
ment of the "True Cross" for a Catholic. Itis in this
mosque, also, that is preserved the Standard of the Pror
phet ; which, like the Oriflamme of the ancient French
monarchy, is never displayed, except upon occasions of
the most supreme solemnity. Mahmoud caused it to be disr
played, wheu, surrounded by the Imans, he announced to
the prostrate raultitude the decree of extermination against
the janissaries. ,
A pulpit, surmounted by its conical sounding-board —
the mustaches, or platforms raised upon pillars, whence
the muezzins call the faithful to prayer — and the chande
liers, decorated with globes of crystal and ostrich eggs.

THE MOSQUES. 285
complete the decoration, which is of the sarae character
in aU the mosques. As in Saint-Sophia, beneath the side
arches, are heaped boxes, trunks, and packages, placed
there under the Divine protection.
Near the mosque is the turbe, or torab, of Achmet him
self; the glorious Padischa, who sleeps in his funeral
chapel, beneath his coffin, which is covered with the most
precious stuffs of India and Persia ; having at his head his
turban, with its jewelled aigrette, and at foot two gigantic
tapers, Uke the masts of a ship for size. Thirty lesser coffins
surround hira, being those of his chUdren and his favourite
vrives, who keep him company in death as in life. At the
extremity of the turbe, stands a cabinet, gleaming with
sabres, kandjars, and other arms, literally blazing with
gems. These detailed descriptions of the two most remarkable
mosques, allow me to dispense with any description of the
mosque of Sultan-Bayezid (Bajazet), which differs in no
important particulars from the others ; and those parti
culars, such as demand rather the pencil than the pen,
for thefr Ulustration. One may remark, in the interior,
some beautiful pillars of jasper and porphyry ; and above
the cloister which is attached to the mosque, hover per
petually clouds of pigeons, as familiarly as those in the
Place of Saint-Mark at Venice. A worthy old Turk is
always in attendance, beneath the arches, with a sack of
grain, of which you buy a smaU measure, and scatter by
handfuls upon the ground ; when, in a moment, domes,
pUlars, minarets, and cornices, give forth myriads of
pigeons, who precipitate themselves at your feet, alraost
brushing your face with thefr -vrings ; and you fiifd
yourself in the midst of a whfrlwind of plumage. In a
a few seconds, not a grain of com reraains upon the
pavement, and the feathery cloud rises again to its

286 CONSTANTINOPLE.
aerial position. This world of pigeons coraes from a
single pafr, which the Sultan Bajazet purchased from
a poor old woman who solicited his charity, and gaye
to the mosque. They have certeinly multipUed amaz
ingly ; but, doubtless, thefr lives are sacred.
According to the custom of the founders of mosques,
Bajazet has his turbe near to that to which, he has given
his name. He sleeps there, covered with a drapery of
gol4 and silver, nnd having beneath the head — with an
assumption of humility, rather Christian thau Mahometan
in character — a brick, made from the dust upon his gar
ments and his shoes ; for there is in the Koran, the
following verse : " He who is soiled with dust in the
paths of Allah, has nothing to fear fi-om the fii-es of heU."
We wiU extend no farther this review of mosques ;
which, as already remarked, greatly resemble each other,
having only slight architectm-al variations.
It is well to mention the Suleimanieh; as one of the
most perfect in its architecture ; and near wbich stands
the tm-b6, where reposes, beside SoUman I., the cele
brated Roxalana, beneath a coffin covered with cache-
meres. Not far from this mosque, is a sarcophagus of
porphyry, said to be that of Constantine.

IMrERIAL GATE 01' THE SEIIAGLIO.

THE SERAGLIO. 2S7

XXIII.

THE SEBAGLIO.

When the Sulten is occupying one of his summer palaces,
it is permitted to strangers, by means of a firman, to risit
the SeragUo : but from this word, do not evoke any
dreams of the Paradise of Mahomet.
" Seraglio " is, in fact, a generic word, signifying
simply "palace" and perfectly distinct from " harem," —
the habitation of the women, — with which it is coraraonly
confounded, in the European mind. The harem forms
certainly a part of the seraglio ; but male strangers are
never admitted there, under auy circumstences ; not even
in the absence of ite fair inhabitante.
To make a risit to the seragUo, it is usual to form a
party of some ten or twelve persons ; for the bestowal of
numerous, ahd somewhat considerable gratuities, forms a
necessary part of the process ; and these amount to a
totel of from six pounds to eight pounds, which is neither
augmented nor diminished, by any variation in the num
bers of the party.
A dragoman employed for the " community," precedes
the risitors, and arranges aU these matters with the guard
ians of the Enchanted Castle. He robs you, of course ;
but, as you cannot help yourself, it is as well to submit
tranquiUy. Here, as at the mosques, it is aU-important to
be prorided, beforehand, with sUppers ; for if, in Europe,

288 CONSTANTINOPLE.
we take off our hats, on entering any respectable place,
in Turkey you teke off your shoes : which latter process
has, perhaps, the more significance of the two ; because, in
performing it, you, at least, leave at the tlireEhol4 the dust
of your feet.i
The seragUo, or properly " serai," occupies, with its
irregular buUdings, that triangular piece of land, which
is washed on one side by the waters of the Sea of
Marmora, and on the otberby those of the Golden-Hom.
An embattled waU encloses its whole extent ; wliich is
very considerable. An embankment, paved with large
flagstones, extends along the two sides which face the
sea. The current dashes past, with stertUng rapidity ;
the blue waters boU and foam as if fri a heated cauldron,
and make miUions of sparks to dance in the suu. Apart
from this, the water is remarkably transparent, and renders
plainly visible the green rocks or white sand at the bottom.
Vessels cannot stem this current, except they be towed,
or employ steam-power.
Above the walls, — which are mostly dUapidated aud
sunken, and made up of incongruous fragments of more
ancient structm-es, — can be seen buildings with latticed
windows ; kiosks of a Chinese or rococo style ; the cones
of cypresses, and tufts of plane-trees.
Over the whole, hangs an air of solitude and abandon
ment ; and it is hard to beUeve, that behind this duU and
dingy wall is the luxurious abode of the glorious KaUf,
¦ the aU-powerfid Sovereign of Islam.
The entrance for visitors is through a gateway of very
unpretending architecture, guarded by a few soldiers.
Beneath this gateway, in superb cabinets of mahogany,
' Those who have visited any of the German " show-palaces, "with
their floors of inlaid and polished wood, will be aware, that the com
pulsory assumption of slippers is not restricted to the East. — Tuans.

THE SERAGLIO. 289
are guns ranged in racks, in most admirable order and
condition. This gate passed, our little band, preceded by
an officer of the palace, a cawas and a dragoman, traversed
a sort of garden, wild and uneven, planted -vrith gigantic
cypresses ; a cemetery minus the tombs ; and speedUy
reached the entrance of the apartments.
By direction of the dragoman, we here assumed our
slippers, and began to ascend a wooden staircase, which
certeinly had nothing monumental about it. In our
Northem countries, whfere (founded upon recollections of
the " Arabian Nights ") an exaggerated idea of Orientel
mp gnificence obtains, the coldest spirite cannot but raise,
in imagination, magical architecture ; columns of lapis-
lazuU, -vrith capitals of gold and foUage of emeralds and
rubies ; and fountains of crystal sparkling with jete of
li-ving sUver. But we confound (to begin with) the
Turkish style with the Arabic, -vrith which it has nothing
in common ; and we dream of Alhambras, where there
are, in fact, but sUght kiosks, and rooms of the simplest
ornamentation. The first room which we entered, was cfrcular in form,
pierced by nuraerous trellised windows, and surrounded
by a divan in its whole extent. The waUs and ceiUng
were adomed with gUding and arabesques ; black curteins
and a sloping comice of carved work, completed the
decoration. A very fine matting (which is doubtless
superseded in -vrinter by a luxurious Smyrna carpet)
covered the floor. The second apartment was painted of
a grayish tint, in " distemper," in the Italian mode.
The thfrd had, for decoration, landscapes, mirrors, blue
curteins, and a mantel-clock -vrith gUded face. Upon the
walls of the fourth, are sentences traced by the hand of
Mahmoud ; who was an exquisite caligraphist, and, Uke
aU the Orientals, vain of that talent ; a vanity quite com-

290 CONSTANTINOPLE.
prehensible, because this writing, compUcated by its
curves, ligatures and interlacements, approaches closely to
the art of drawing.
After traversing these rooms, we reached a smaller
one. Two sketches in crayon by Michel Bouquet, were the
sole objects of art, that attracted the eye, throughout
these apartments, in aU of which reigned the severe
nudity of Islamism. One of these sketches represented
The Harbour of Bucharest, and the other, a View of
Constantinople, from the Maiden's Tower ; -vrithout figures,
be it weU understood.
A mechanical clock displayed a view of the Seraglio-
point, with caiques and vessels, set in motion by the
machinery, and pitching about in a manner to excite the
intense admiration of the worthy Turks, and the smiles of
the irreverent Giaours, who scoff at everything ; for such
a clock were more appropriately placed iu the dining-room
of a rich grocer, than in the mysterious abode of the
Padischa. The same room, however, as if by way of
compensation, contained a cabinet, the parted curteins of
which gave to riew a mass of workmanship in gold and
jewels ; the true luxury of the Orient.
It was a treasure which had no need to envy that of
the Tower of Londoii. It is the custom for each Sulten
to bequeath to this collection, some article which has been
pecuUarly in his personal use. The greater part have
given arms, consisting of kandjars, with handles Uterally
overlaid by diamonds and rubies ; sabres, in sUver scab
bards, carved in relief, and blue-veined blades covered
with Arabic inscriptions, in letters of gold ; masses of arms,
richly enamelled; and pistols, of which the stocks had
disappeared beneath clusters of pearls, corals and precious
stones. But the Sultan Mahmoud, in his quaUty of cali-

THE SERAGLIO. 291
grapliist and poet, had bequenthed his writing-desk, inlaid
with gold and covered with diamonds. By a sort of
civiUsed coquetry, he had sought to blend thought with
this mass of emblems of brute force ; and to show that the
brain has its power as well as the arm. In this cabinet
is seen, also, a curious Turkish mantel-piece, made in honey
comb, like the stalactites which were pendant from the
ceiUng? of the Alhambra.
Beyond, is a gallery where the odalisques play and take
exercise, under the surveiUance of the ¦ eunuchs, who
exercise over the females much that sort of authority
which an usher -vrields in the play-ground of a school.
But the place was too sacred to be entered by the profane,
even when the bfrds were no longer in the cage.
A Uttle farther on, rise the cupolas, sterred with large
panes of green glass, which cover the imperial baths,
adomed with columns of alabaster and slabs of marble ;
but which we had to content ourselves -vrith admuing from
the outeide.
We resumed our shoes, at the door by which we had
entered, and continued our "risit. We came, presently, to
a garden fiUed -with flowers, framed, as it were, in com
partments of wood, in the old French mode. Then we
traversed courts, surrounded by a species of cloisters with
Moorish arcades, containing the apartments of the icoglans,
or pages of the seragUo ; and reached a kiosk or paviUon,
containing the Ubrary, which is entered by a ffight of
steps, with a marble balustrade, deUcately carved.
The door of this library is a marvel. Never did the
Arabic genius trace upon bronze so wonderful a maze
of lines, angles, sters — blending, crossing, interlacing and
entwining, in a labjrrinth, at once compUcated nnd mathe
matically precise. Only the daguerreotype, eould retrace
this fairj'-like piece of workmanship. Tho workman, who

292 CONSTANTINOPLE.
should conscientiously undertake to copy, with his pencil,,
these inextricable meanderings, would of necessity go mad
iu despair, after wasting half of a life upon the attempt.
In the interior, are ranged, in book- cases of cedar,
Arabic manuscripte, with the edge turned toward the
spectator; a disposition quite peculiar, which I had
afready remarked in the library of the Escurial, and which
the Spaniards have, undoubtedly, borrowed fi-om the
Moors. There, also, we were shown, upon a large roU of
parchment, a sort of genealogical-tree, bearing, in oval
medaUions, the portraits of all the Sultans, executed in
miniature, in water-colours. These portraits are said to be
authentic originals; a thing somewhat hard to believe,
for they are represented of one uniform tjrpe, -vrith pale
faces and black beards ; and the costume is, throughout,
that of the Turks of Moliere and Racine, without distinc
tion of age or period.
The Ubrary seeu, we were introduced into a kiosk of
Arabian architecture, approached by steps of marble; and
in which shone, in all its splendour, the ancient Oriental
magnificence, of which, as has been seen, the apartmente
preriously risited had not exhibited the sUghtest trace.
The greater part of the apartment was occupied by a
throne, in the form of a divan, or couch, with a canopy
supported by hexagonal columns of gilded brass, sprinkled
-with garnets, amethysts, turquoises, topazes, emeralds,
and other precious stones, in the rough state ; for formerly
the Turks did not cut their gems. Horse-teils hung at
the four comers, from large golden balls surmounted by
crescents. It were difficult to imagine anything richer,
more elegant, or more truly regal, thau this throne, made
as a seat for the Kalifs.
The barbarians alone have the secret of this marvel-

THE SERAGLIO. 293
lous goldsmiths' work ; and the art seems likely to be lost
— one does not know why — in proportion as civiUsation
advances. Without falling into the monomania of an an-
tiquarj', onc may dcclarc, that the fnrther back the date
of an architecture, a jewel, or a weapon, the more perfect
is the taste, and the more exquisite the workmanship.
Pre-occupied -vrith the development of inteUect, the
modem world seems, in some respects, to have lost ite
accurate perceptions of grace and beauty.
Some rays of Ught, falUng from a half-open -wdndow,
made these earrings sparkle and drew fire from the geras.
Some tiles, of Arabic workmanship, designed with ad
rafrable symmetry, decorated the base of the walls, as in
the haUs of the Alhambra at Granada; in the ceUing,
baguettes of sUver-gUt, curiously carved, formed compart
ments and roses. In one coi-ner, from out the shadow,
shone a curious Turkish fire-place, made in the form of a
niche, and destined to receive a brazier. A sort of
conical dome, in carved brass, enameUed with most
graceful Arabic designs, served for mantel-piece.
Facing the throne, was a -window, omamented -vrith a
massive grating of gUded bars. It was outside of this
sort of wicket, that, in olden times, the foreign ambassa
dors waited, standing, whUe thefr humble commimica-
tions were transmitted, by proper officers, to the Sublime
Sultaur seated, with the immobUity of an idol, on his dais
of gold and jewels, between his two symboUcal turbans.
Hardly could the ambassadors see, through thefr grating,
shining like fixed sters, the magnificent eyes of the unap-
piroachable Padischa ; but this was quite enough for the
Giaours ; only the shadow of the deity should, at most, be
risible to the dogs of Christians !
The exterior is not less remarkable. A large project
ing roof covers the edifice. Columns of marble, sustain

294 CONSTANTINOPLE.
the carved and decorated arcades. A slab of verd-antique,
charged with au Arabic inscription, forms the sill of the
door, the lintel of which is very low ; purposely so, it is
said, that even the haughtiest of the vassals of the Sidten
must, perforce, stoop his crest in entering the presence of
the Gi-and Seignor; a trick of etiquette, Jesuitical enough,
and as worthUy as . grotesquely evaded, by an envoy of
Persia, who entered backivards, as one does in a Venetian
gondola. In the description of the Bairam, I spoke sufficiently
of the portico under which that ceremony took place,
and have uo need to visit it again ; and I continue the
description of my route at hazard, mentioning things as
they present themselves to mind.
It were difficult to give an accurate account of the
nuraerous buildings, of various styles and periods, erected
¦vrithout preconcert or effort at harmony of effect ; and fol
lowing, each, the caprice or the necessity of the moment ;
scattered, as they are, too, over a vast sm-face, with large
intervals, and shaded, here and there, by cj-jiresses, plane-
trees and sycamores, of gigantic proportions.
From amid a tuft of trees, rises a fluted column with
a Corinthian capital, producing a most chai-ming effect,
and to which is given the name of Theodosius ;' but with
how much accuracy, I cannot pretend to say. I refer to
it, because the number of Byzantine ruins or monuments,
at Constantinople, is very liraited.
The ancient city has disappeared almost utterly ; the
gorgeous palaces of the Greek dynasty, of Paleologus
and Commenus, have vanished ; their columns of marble
and of porphyry have served for the decoration of
mosques, and their foundations, covered by the fragile
mbbish of Mussulman constructions, are bm-ied, little by
Uttle, beneath the ashes of ever-recm-ring fires. Some-

THE SERAGLIO. 295
times, the cm-ious visitor may encounter, built into some
wnU, a fragment of a broken stetue, or a shattered
column ; but nothing retaining its original form. It is
beneath the soil, that the remaius of ancient Byzantium
must be sought.
It is worthy of remark, however, as a striking indica
tion of " progress," that in the court in front of the
ancient church of Saint-Irene, now transformed into an
arsenal, and which forms a part of the dependencies of
the seragUo, the authorities have coUected many relics of
antiquity ; heads and trunks of statues, bas-reUefs, in
scriptions, and tombs ; the rudiments, in fact, of a
Byzantine museum, which may graduaUy become cm-ious
and valuable, by daUy additions. Near the church, stand
two or three sarcophagi of porphyry, covered with Greek
crosses, and which have, doubtless, contained the remains
of former emperors and empresses ; but now, deprived of
thefr Uds, become reservoirs of the rain of heaven, and ¦
serve as baths to the bfr-ds of the afr, who hover joyously
about them.
The interior of Saint- Irene is stored with guns,
swords, and pistols, of modem fabric, arranged with a
miUtary precision, that woidd do no discredit to any
European museum of arms.
A collection of much higher interest to visitors, is,
however, that of historio arms, preserved in one of the
gaUeries. There we saw the sabre of Mahomet II. — a short,
straight blade, of blue Damascus steel, inscribed, in gold,
vrith Arabic letters ; an enaraelled armlet of Taraerlane,
and a battered sword, of iron, with cross-handle, once
wielded by the renowned Scanderberg. In glass-cases,
lie the keys of conquered cities — syrabolic keys, oma
mented, Uke jewelry, with inlayings of gold and sUver.

296 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Beneath the vestibule, are coUected the kettles aud
the kettle-drums of the janissaries ; those kettles, which,
when turned bottom upwards, made the Sultan tremble
aud tum j)ale, even in the recesses of his harem ; together
with fascines of ancient halberds, old cannon, and sin
gular antique culverins, recalling the Turkish mode of
warfare before the reforras of Mahmoud ; those reforras, so
useful, doubtless, but so calamitous, in a picturesque sense.
The stables, over which we cast a passing glance, had
nothing worthy of remark, and contained, at the moment,
only some comraon horses ; the Sultan always being fol
lowed bj' his favourite steeds. The Tui-ks have not, how
ever, the passion for horses, which distinguishes the
Arabs; although fond of them, and possessing sorae noble
specimens. In the foregoing account, you have pretty much all
that a stranger can see, or know, of the seraglio. No
stranger-foot profanes the private retreats, the retired
kiosks, of the Sultan. The seraglio, like all Mussulman
dweUings, has its selamlick ; and in the seraglio, as else
where, it is for the harem that are reserved the refine
ments of a voluptuous luxury ; — the divans of cachemere,
the carpets of Persia, vases of porcelain, cabinets of enamel,
ceilings of cedar, fountains of marble, and columns of
jasper. Throughout Turkey, indeed, the abode of the
meu is, as it were, the naked and bare vestibule of the
abode of the females, for whom the mansion would seem
to be constructed, — a raere guard-room, interposed be
tween the internal Ufe and the world without.
I much regretted that we were not allowed to pene
trate into a marvellous hall of baths, — a veritable realised
dream of the Orient, — of which Maxime Ducarap has
given a splendid description; but, on this occasion, its
keeper was less compliant, or had received fresh com-

TUE SERAGLIO. 297
mands. If the houris take vapour-baths in paradise, it
must be in a hall, similar to his btjou, of Mussulman
architecture and luxury.
Fatigued by this long circuit, — during which I had
been shod, and unshod, and reshod, seven or eight times,
— I issued from the seraglio, by the Augustan gate {Bab-
Hummayoun) ; and, leaving my companions, went and
seated myself on the bench outeide a little cafe ; whence,
while eating sorae grapes of Scutari, I could conteraplate,
at leisure, this monumental gate-way, with its high
Moorish arch, ite four superb columns, ite marble scroll,
inscribed in letters of gold, and ite two uiches ; in which
are exposed the heads of decapiteted stete-crirainals.
Among other heads, tbere is stiU to be seen, upon a
sUver plate, that of AU-Teppelleni (or Ali-Tebelen), the
renowned Pasha of Janina, whose history has been so
viridly recalled to European readers, in Dumas' wou
derful romance of " Monte- Christo."
I examined, also, the beautiful fountain of Achmet HL,
at which I had glanced on my way to Saint- Sophia. This,
and the fountain of Top-Hane, are by far the most re
markable in Constentinople, where there are so many
others that are beautiful ; and are unequaUed specimens
of the richest Oriental architecture, combined vrith the
most gorgeous Oriental ornamentation.

298 CONSTANTINOPLE.

XXIV.
PALACE OF THE BOSPHOEUS.  MOSQUE OF MAHMOUD. 
THE DEKVISH.
In sailing upon the Bosphorus in a caique, after passing
the Maiden's Tower, there becomes risible, opposite
Scuteri, an immense palace in course of construction,
which bathes its white feet iu the blue and rapid
waters. The exists in the East a superstition, sedulously en
couraged by all architects, to the effect that no man dies,
while the house which he is building remains unfinished ;
and the Sultans, in particular, teke care always to have
some palace in progress.
Forming a remarkable exeeption to the custom of
the Turks, — whieh is to consecrate soUd and precious
materials to the use of the house of God, and to erect
for the transitory habitetion of mau, oidy kiosks of
wood scarcely more enduring than himself, — this palace
is of marble, and built for iraraortality. It consists
of a large centre building, and two vrings. To say
to what " order of ai-chitecture " it belongs, were diffi
cult. It is not Greek, nor Roman, nor Gothic, nor
Saracen, nor Arab, nor yet Tm-kish ; but approaches,
nearer than to any other, to that style which the Spani
ards term plateresco ; and wliich makes the facade of a
buildiug resemble a gigantic piece of goldsmith's-work.

PALACE OF THE BOSPHORUS. 299
in respect of the complicated luxury of its oi-naments, and
the exaggerated minuteness of its details.
Windows with open-work balconies, -wreathed pUas
ters, and festooned frames, and the intermediate spaces
crowded with sculpture and arabesques, recaU the ancient
Lombard style, and remind one of Venice ; except that
there is, between the palace Dario, or Cad' Oro, and that
of the Sultan, the sarae difference as between the grand
canal and the majestic Bosphorus.
This enormous structure of the marble of Marmora —
of a bluish white, which the gloss of novelty makes look
somewhat cold — produces a superb effect, standing between
the azure of the sky and the azure of the sea ; and this
-wiU be stUl more striking when the warm sun of Asia
shaU have softened and gUded the massive pile, -vrith those
glorious rays, which are there received dfrect, and at first
hand. An architect would find much to criticise, in this
hybrid front, where the stj'les of aU periods and all
countries form an order, as undeniably " composite " as it
is original. But it may not be denied, that this multitude
of flowers, of -wreaths, and of foUage, carved with the
fineness of jewelry, and in a precious material, has an
aspect singularly rich and voluptuous to the eye.
It is a palace, which might be the work of an oma-
mentist, who was not an architect, and who spared
neither the hand of labour, nor time, uor yet expense.
Such as it is, it is far preferable to those everlasting
stupid classic reproductions, so flat, sUly, aud wearying, —
as monotonous in model as sages or soldiers ; and I Uke
much better these rich iaterlacing masses of foUage, -vrith
thefr fantastic elegance, than a triangular gable, or a
horizontal attic, resting, in accordance with strict rule,
upon ranges of spindle-shanked columns. T 2

300 CONSTANTINOPLE.
This fresh and elegant ignorance, or defiance, of rule
and form, displayed upon so gigantic a scale, has ite
charm. It is probable that the bold constructors of our
own cathedrals, were little wiser on the same subjects ;
but thefr works are not the less admfrable, for aU that.
Along the whole extent of the palace runs a terrace,
bordered, on the side toward the Bosphorus, -vrith a line
of columus, linked to each other by a i-aUing or grating,
beautifully -wrought, and in which the fron curves and
twines in a thousand arabesques and flowers, Uke the
flgm-es which a bold penman traces vrith free hand upon
the paper. These gilded gratings form a balustrade of
exceeding richness.
The two wings, constructed at a different time from
the main body, are much less lofty, nor do they harmonise
-vrith the centre in style or form. Imagine a double range of
Odeons and Chambers of Deputies in miniature, foUowing
each other in wearisome alternation, and presenting to the
ej'e a long line of Uttle columns, which seem to be of
wood, although, in fact, of marble, and you -vrill save me
the necessity of description.
In passing and repassing, often, in front of this palace,
I had fi-equently wished to visit it. In Italy, nothing
would have been easier or more simple ; but to bring
your boat to shore at au imperial landing-place, would be,
in Turkey, a daring and intrusive act, and uot unUkely to
be followed by mipleasant consequences. Fortunatelj-,
however, a fi-iend put me into communication with the
architect, M. Balyan, a young Armenian of great intelU
gence, who speaks French fluently.
M. Balyan had the courtesy to take me to the spot in
his own boat, propeUed by three pau-s of oars. He led
me at once into an old kiosk, a remnant of the former
palace, where we were served with pipes, coffee, and

PALACE OF THE BOSPHORUS. 301
sherbet ; and, subsequently, himself conducted me through
the new apartments, -vrith an attention and courtesy, for
which I wish here to make my acknowledgments.
The interior of the palace was not yet corapleted ; but
sufficiently advanced to give an admfrable idea of the
future splendour.
The religious notions of the Turks, necessarUy de
prive thefr ornamentation of innumerable subjects and
resources, and sadly restrict the fancy of the artist, who
is compeUed to abstain, scmpulously, from blending with
his arabesques the representetion of any Uring thing.
Thus there are no stetues, no bas-reUefs, no griffins, no
dolphias, bfrds, sphinxes, or butterffies ; no figures, half-
woman, half-flower ; no heraldic monsters ; — in short, none
of those creations which form the fabulous zoology of
omamentetion, and of which, for instence, Raphael has
made such splendid use iu the galleries of the Vatican.
The Arabic style, with its undulating lines, its stucco-
lace, ite stalactite ceUings, and bee-hive niches, and ite
combinations of bright colours, tastefully enriched with
gold, offers resources natural to the decoration of an
Orientel palace ; but the Sulten, in the same spfrit which
makes us biuld Alhambras at Paris, chose to have a palace
in modem taste. At ffrst, oue is surprised at his caprice ;
but, on reflection, nothing can be more natural, if simply
as an escape frommonotonous harmony-vrith aU arouudhim,
and all prerious models. M. Balyan, however, had need
of a rare fertiUty of imagination, to decorate, in different
styles, more than three hundred haUs or apartmente, with
the restriction, above named, imposed upon his materials.
The general arrangement of the buUding is very
simple. The rooms succeed each other in Une, or open
upon large corridors. The harem, among others, adopts
the latter style of arrangement. The apartment of each

302 CONSTANTINOPLE.
lady opens, by a single door, upon a vast hall or passage,
as do the cells of the nuns iu a convent. At each ex
tremity of this passage, is an apartment for a guard of
eunuchs or bostangdis.
From the threshold^ I cast a glance over this retreat of
pleasure, which, I repeat, resembles much more a convent
or boarding-school, than oue would be prepared to beUeve.
There are hidden and extinguished, -vrithout ever shining
upon the outer world, unknovm and radiant stars of
beauty ; but, perchance, each has won from the eye of the
master, one glance of admiration : and that is sufficient ;
that makes up thefr happiness !
Tlie apartment of the Sultana- VaUdS, composed of
lofty rooms, looking upon the Bosphorus, is remarkable
for its ceilings, which are painted in fresco, with incom
parable elegance aud freshness. I know uot who are the
workmen, who have effected these marvels ; but Diaz
could not find upon his palette, tones finer, mm-e vague,
more tender, or at the same time, more rich.
Now they are skies of turquoise, streaked -vrith Ught
clouds, that form depths of inconceivable profundity, in
thefr- intervals; then, immense veUs of lace of marvel
lous design ; next, a vast sheU of pearl, frradiated vrith
aU the hues of the prism, or imaginary flowers hang
ing their leaves and tendrils through trelUses of gold.
Another chamber presents the same class of splendour.
Here is a casket, the jewels of which are spread about in
pictm-esque disorder ; necklaces, whose pearls have broken
from thefr chain, and rolled forth like drops of haU;
while a perfect flood of diamonds, sapphires, and rubies,
forms the basis of the decoration. Censers of gold, painted
upon the cormces, send forth the blue or clouded smoko
of their perfumes, aud cover one ceiling with the varying
tints of thefr transparent vapour ; in another, Phingari

PALACE OF THE BOSPHOEUS. 303
bm-sts through the openmg of a cloud, and displays the
sUver bow, so dear to the Moslem. Aurora tinges with
blushes a moming sky ; or, farther on, a piece of em
broidery, glowing -vrith liglit, shows its golden texture,
confined by a clasp of carbuncles. Arabesques -vrith
countless interlacements, sculptured caskets, masses of
jewels, -vrildemesses of flowers, vary these subjects in in
numerable ways, utterly beyond the reach of description ;
and I despair of giring a sufficient clue to guide even the
imagiaation of the reader through this gorgeous world of
fairy magnificence.
The apartments of the Sultan himself, are in a Louis
xrv. style. Orientalised, in which the intention to imitate
the splendours of VersaiUes is erident. The doors, and the
fiames and sashes of the -windows, are of cedar, of maho
gany, or of riolet-ebony, exquisitely carved, and protected
by richly-gUded gratings or shutters. From those win
dows, spreads the most magnificent prospect that the
world cah offer ; a panorama without rival, and such as
never sovereign beside could behold extended before his
palace. The coast of Asia, where, reUeved against a gigantic
screen of dark cjrpresses, Scutari stands out, with its
picturesque landing-place, crowded vrith vessels ; ite pink
mansions ; ite white mosques, and graceful minarets ; the
Bosphorus, with its rapid and transparent waters, rippled
in every dfrection by ships, steamers, feluccas, antique
gaUeys from Ismid and Trebizond, caiques and boats of
every form, above which hover the famiUar clouds of
mews, guUs, and albatrosses ! Leaning forward, the eye
catches, on both shores, the long lines of summer mansions,
aud of bright-coloured kiosks, which form, for that won
derful marine stream, a double quay of palaces. Add to
this, the thousand accidents of Ught, the contrasted effecte

304 CONSTANTINOPLE.
of sun or moon, and you have a scene, which, taken in its
various aspects, imagination itself cannot surpass, and
hardly depict !
One of the pecuUarities of this palace, is a large
saloon, enclosed by a dome of red glass. When the sun
streams through this dome of ruby, aU things -vrithin
blaze with strange Ught ; the afr seems to be Dn fire, and
you almost imagine yourself breathing flame ; the columns
shine like lamps, the marble pavement reddens Uke a floor
of lava, a fiery glow devours the waUs, and the whole
wears the aspect of the reception-haU of a palace of
salamanders, bmlt of metals in a state of fusion. The
pictorial " heU" of a grand opera, or the glare of a mass
of Bengal Ughts, can alone convey an idea of this strange
effect ; the taste of which may be questionable, perhaps,
but which is, nevertheless, very striking.
A " gem" of the structure, and one whieh would not
disgrace the loveUest architecture of the " Thousand-and-
one-Nights," is the hall of baths of the Sultan. It is in
Moresque style, built of veined Egyptian alabaster, and
seems as if carved out of a single precious stone, with
its colonnades, its piUars, vrith graceful over-hanging
capitals ; and its arch, starred with eyes of crystal, which
sparkle Uke diamonds. What luxury, upon these trans
parent flags, shining like agate, to surrender one's frame
to the deUcious and skilfid manipulations of the teUaks,
surrounded, the whUe, by a cloud of perfumed vapour,
and beneath a gentle rain of rose water and benzoin !
Tired of these marvels — fatigued -vrith admfration, I
thanked M. Balyan again and again, as he led me forth
by the court of honom-, the gate of which is a sort of
triumphal arch, in white marble, richly ornamented, and
which forms, on the land side, an entrance weU worthy
of this sumptuous palace.

MOSQUE OF MAHMOUD. 305
Then, as I was dying of hunger, I made my way into
a fruiterer's shop, and caused myself to be served with
two spits of kabobs,^ each enwrapped in a deUcious pan
cake. This I moistened with a glass of sherbet, and so
made a repast of a truly local character.
Issuing thence, I walked at hazard, trusting to chance
for discovering some of those detaUs, which escape you
, when you seek thera. WhUe amusing myself by regard
ing the shops of the confectioners, and of the raakers of
pipes, I reached the mosque of Sultan Mahmoud, near
Top-Hane ; one of those centres to which your feet lead
you of Ijhemselves, when your thoughts are other-vrise
occupied. I adjusted ray watch, at a kiosk fiUed -vrith
clocks aud watches, sueh being the frequent neighbour of
a mosque. This was a Uttle pa-riUon, of much elegance,
with high clear -windows, through which you could read,
upon a great variety of dials, almost as many varieties of
time, in that sort of way, that you could choose any time
you pleased, or which you thought the most probably
correct. These clocks gave the Turkish and the European
time ; the figures of which do not at all agree ; the
Orientals counting from the rising of the sun — a natural
starting point, but oue which varies constantly.
To these time-recording kiosks, is very generaUy at
tached a fountain, where hang cups and ladles of tin,
which a keeper fills at the inner basin, and hands to those
who ask to drink. These fountains are, almost aU, pious
endo-wmente. The mosque of Mahmoud is of modem style, and
• It is hard to say how to vmte this in English — kebab, or kabob —
the true sound being something that resembles both, but ia identical
' -with neither. — Tkans.

306 CONSTANTINOPLE.
different in arrangement from most edifices of its kind, of
which Saint'Sophia is the proto-tjrpe. A single dome,
encfr-cled at its base by a coronet of windows and fluted
brackets, rises amid four high fagades, rounded at their
summit, flanked at thefr angles, by piUars or buttresses,
and surmounted by crescents, as is also the central dome.
Its two minarets are deservedly reno-vmed for their
elegance. Picture to yourself, two lofty fluted columns,
having for capitals each a projecting balcony, fi-om the
centre of which spring other and smaUer columns,
crowned also vrith Ught and elegant balconies, and sup
porting, in their tm-n, fasces of colonnettes, surmoimted
by a conical spfre. They are very graceful, very bold,
and very original.
OrdinarUy, the turbe, or funeral chapel, of the founder,
is placed near the mosque which he has built ; but, con
trary to this custom, the turbe of Mahmoud is, charac
teristically, placed in a special edifice, of a modem archi
tecture, very slightly Orientalised, and in quite another
quarter of Constantinople. The Sulten-reformer has, upon
his coffin, instead of the classic and traditional turban,
the innovating "fez" of the Nizam, starred -vrith a
superb agrafe of gems. There is also shown, to those
who visit his tomb, a transcript of the Korau, made by
this caUgraphie prince, during the tedious leisure hours of
the long captirity, which preceded his accession to the
throne. Around the mosque are grouped camion foundries,
and parks of artiUery ; and there extends a tenace, bathed
by the sea, and adomed, at either extremity, by a pretty
paviUon. Not far distant, one encounters the joyous tumult of
the Great Square of Top-Hane, its charraing fomitain,
and its mosque. Beneath the porch of this mosque, I

THE DERVISH. 307
saw a figure which I shall never forget. It was the
person of a dervish, couched upou the earth, near the
fountain of ablutions. He had no clothing but a mere
i-ag, of stuff made of camel's hair — a veriteble " sack
cloth" for coarseness, and aU soiled with the dust of the
desert. This morsel of tetters was tied carelessly arouud
his waist, and left, almost naked, a frame strong, bronzed,
cooked, and recooked by the blaze of the sun, and the
torrid breath of the khamseen. His legs, red as bricks,
were shod to the ankle with a coating of gray dust. A
vigorous leanness brought out all his muscles and bones ;
his hafr, black and matted, bristled upon his head Uke
locks of horse-hair ; and upon his bronzed cheeks were
scattered some tufts of a scanty beard, for he was young.
An insane placidity reigned in his fixed eyes. Alone
iu the midst of the crowd, as if in the centre of Sahara,
he seemed luUed by some apocaljrptic rision. He made
me think, involuntarUy, of Saint John in the desert, and
never did painter dream of such an one. It is impossible
to imagine anything more wUd, more savage, more hag
gard, or more ferociously ascetic ; more thoroughly con
sumed by fanaticism, or wasted by faste and macerations.
Such a penitent might, indeed, fearlessly traverse the
waste places of the earth, for the lions and panthers
would shrink before that vrild form, fed upon locusts.
He was a hadji, just retumed from Mecca. He had
seen the blaek stone, performed the seven sacred evolu
tions, and drank of the water of the weU Zem-Zem,
which washes away aU sins ; and, aU naked as he lay, he
would have regarded as Uttle the rank and grandeur of a
vizier, if placed -vrithin his reach, as he would a grain of
the dust which clung to his feet.

308 CONSTANTINOPLE.

XXV.

THE ATMEIDAN.

" The Atme'idan" (which lies behind the walls of the
seraglio), is the ancient hippodrome. The Turkish word
has precisely the same signification as the Greek; i. e.,
arena for horses.
The Atme'idan is a large, open space, bounded ou one
side, by the extemal waU of the mosque of Sultan Achmet,
and, on the others, by ruins, or scattered buildings. In
the central portion, rise the Obelisk of Theodosius, the
Serpentine Column, and the Walled-pjramid ; faint ves
tiges of those splendours, which, in other days, frradiated
this superb circus.
These ruins are, however, nearly aU that remain, on
the surface, of the marvels of ancient Byzantium. The
Augusteon, the Sigma, the Octagone, the Baths of
Achilles and of Honorius, the Porticos of the Forum ;
all these are buried beneath that mantle of dust and
forgetfulness, in which all dead cities are enwrapped.
The work of time and decay has been acoeleTated, by the
depredations of Barbarians, Latins, French, Tm-ks, and
even Greeks. Eaoh successive invasion has worked iw
ravages. It is incomprehensible, this blind fury of de
struction, and this stupid hatred of mere stones ! And
yet it must be natural to humanity, for the same thing
has occurred at all epochs. It would seem as if a work

THE ATMEIDAN. 309
of art pained the eye of a barbarian, as day-light the eye
of an owl. The light of intellect annoys hira, — he knows
not why, — imd he extinguishes it. Religions, too, destroy
with one hand, even if they construct with the other ;
and there have been many reUgions at Constantinople.
Christianity destroyed the monuments of Paganism ; Is
lamism, the monuraents of Christianity ; and, perhaps, the
mosques are destined to fall before the progress of another
change. It must have been a gorgeous spectacle, when a crowd,
blazing with gold and jewels, murmured and sparkled
beneath the porticos that surrounded the hippodrorae ;
nnd contended alternately for "The Greens," or "The
Blues ;" those factions of charioteers, whose rivalry agi
tated the empire, and even caused seditions ! The
golden cars, drawn by horses of noble race, scattering,
with rapid wheels, the powder of azure, or vermilion,
with which the course was sprinkled ; and the Emperor
bending from the lofty terrace of his palace, to applaud
his favourite colour ! Conceive the scene !
The " Blues," if one may adapt a modern phrase to
the Byzantine epoch, were Tories, and the " Greens"
were Whigs ; for poUtics were mingled with these con
tests of the circus. The green faction actuaUy at
tempted to create an emperor, and dethrone Justinian;
and it required nothing less than the efforts of Belisa
rius and a powerful army, to quell the insurrection.
In the hippodrome, also, as in an open-air museum,
were gathered the spoUs of antiquity. A population of
stetues, sufficiently numerous to have peopled a city,
thronged its circuit. The horses of Lysippus, — the ste
tues of Augustus and other emperors, — Diana, Juno,
Pallas, Hercules, Paris, Helen ; aU these celestial majes
ties, or superhuman beauties ; aU the high art of Greece .

310 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and Rome, — seemed to have sought here a final asylum.
The horses of Corinthian brass, removed by the Venetians,
paw the air, over the gate of Saint-Mark ; the iraages of
gods and goddesses, heroes aad beauties, melted down
by barbarians, are scattered abroad, in pieces of base
coin !
The obelisk of Theodosius is the best preserved, of
the three monuments which remain standing in the
hippodrome. It consists of a quadrangular monolith, of
rose-granite, sixty feet in height, by six in diameter at
the base, gradually diminishing till it reaches a point
at the summit. A single vertical Une of hieroglyphics,
sharply carved, marks each of its four faces. But, as
I am not ChampoUIon, I cannot translate for you
the meaning of these mysterious emblems ; doubtless,
however, a dedicttion to some Pharaoh or other. But
whence comes this gigantic block of stone ? " From
HeliopoUs," say the learned. But it does not appear to
date back to the earliest Egjrptian antiquity. It is, per
haps, only three thousand years old, — raere infancy for
an obelisk ! Thus its colour is alraost perfect ; the deli
cate rose tint, bearing but a few faiut marks of gray.
The column does not stand immediately upon its
pedestal ; but is separated from it by fom- blocks of
bronze. The marble pedestal is decorated with sorae
rude and barbarous bas-reliefs, the subjects of which it is
difficult to divine ; seemingly, however, the triumphs, or
deifications, of Theodosius and his family. The stifi&iess
of the attitudes, the bad drawing and want of expression
of tlie figures, aud the crowding of personages, with an
utter lack of perspective, chai-acterise a period of decad
ence. The recollections of Greece are ah-eady lost, in
these shapeless chiselings. Other bas-reUefs are half-
buried, by the gradual rising of the earth ; but enough

THE ATMEIDAN. ¦ 311
is visible, to show that they are representations of the
means employed to raise the obelisk. [Strange resem
blance, — the same sort of bas-reUefs appear upon the
base of the obelisk of Luxor, placed in the Place de la
Concorde, at Paris, by the ingenious Lebas !] Inscrip
tions, in Greek and Latin, state that the obelisk, lying
upon the ground, was raised in thirty-two days, by
Proclus, prefect of the prajtor, in obedience to the com
mands of Theodosius ; and to celebrate the virtues of that
magnanimous eraperor. Hence the bestowal of his narae
upon the monuraent. The Egyptian column, and the
pedestel of the Lower Empire, harmonise well, and pro
duce a fine effect ; except that the obelisk is almost as
fi-esh as if it had but just been hewn from the quany,
whUe the pedestal, the younger by fifteen hundi-ed years,
is greatly dilapidated and defaced.'
Not far from this obelisk, writhes the " Serpentine
Column," made of three serpente, intertwined, mounting
in spiral, like the grooves or flutings of a Solomonic
column. The three heads of the serpents, crested with
sUver, have disappeared. There is a tradition, that Ma
homet II. , passing on horseback through the hippodrome,
struck them off with one blow of his mace-of-arms, by
one of those feate of prowess common to sultans. Accord
ing to others, he cut off only one of the three heads with
his sword, and the second and thfrd were teken away
for the value of the bronze ; — a fact which is not incre
dible, when we remember the trouble taken, by the bar
barians, to seek fragments of froo among the stones of
the Coloseura. To destroy a palace, in order to find a naU,
is quite characteristic of a savage.
This column, raised about nine feet above the ground,
but the base of which is buried, seems insignificant in the
midst of the vast surrounding space. A noble origin is.

312 ' CONSTANTINOPLE.
however, attributed to it. According to the antiquaries,
these intertwined serpents sustained, in the temple of
Delphos, the golden tripod, vowed by adnuring Greece to
Phoebus- ApoUo, after the victory of Platsea, gained over
Xerxes. Constantine, it is said, caused the monument to
be transported from Delphos to his new city. A tradition,
less popular, but to me more probable, when the trivial
artistic value of the monument is considered, is that it is
merely a taUsman, constructed by AppoUonius of Thyana,
as a charm against serpents. I leave the reader to choose
between these two origins, as I eould find no eye-witness
to testify as to the time or purpose of its erection.'
As to the Walled-pjrramids of Constantine Poi-phyro-
genetus, which used to be counted as a paraUel to the
Seven Wonders of the World, at a period when the most
hj'perbolical exaggerations cost nothing, it is no more than
a block of masonry, a formless mass of stone, wom by the
rain, eaten by the sun, fiUed vrith dust and cobwebs, se
vered by cracks, and threatening min on aU sides ; and
has no longer the sUghtest significance in an artistic point
of riew. This pile of masonry was formerly covered by large
plates of gilded bronze, embossed with bas-reliefs, which,
from the mere value of the metal, had excited the cupidity
of depredators ; and the pyramid of Constantine has been
despoiled of its covering, uutil nothing remains but a
blackened pUe of stones of some eighty feet in height.
This golden pjrramid, which the panegjrrlsts of the period
compared, in importance, to the Colossus of Rhodes,
must have made a splendid appearance, mider the clear
sky of Constantinople, and amid the noble monuments of
' It is remarkable, that the Greek priests have not affirmed it to he
the identical "Brazen Serpent" reared in the wilderness by Moses.
¦W^ere it iu Spain, this would be done as a matter of course.— Teams.

THE ATMEIDAN. 313
ancient art, surmounting the colonnades- of the cfrciis,
crowded -vrith smnptuously-clad spectators. But, to
imagine what it then was, the fancy must go through a
process of entire restoration.
Formerly, the Turks used this cfr cus as an arena for
racing their horses, and for practising the easting of the
djerid, or javelin ; the ground being for centuries prepared
for such uses. The " Reform," however, and the intro
duction of European tactics, have caused the abandonment
of the javelin ; — a weapon better suited to the vrild riders
of the desert, than to regiments of regular cavalry, discip
Uned in the modem manner.
At the extreraity of the Atmeidan is situated the Et-
Meiden (meat-market) — a place memorable, and, de
spite thc brilUant sun which floods it vrith Ught, gloomy
¦and sinister.
If you observe yon half-decayed mosque, and those
walls which stUl retain the marks of flre, you -vriU readily
perceive the traces of buUets. This ground, to-day wliite
and dusty, has been wet and red with blood. It was in
this Et-Meiden, that the celebrated and fearful massacre
of the janissaries took place.
The late Sultan Mahmoud, feeUng, -vrith the instinct
of genius, that his erapfre was tottering to ite faU, beUeved
that it inight be saved by the introduction of arms and
discipUne like those of the Christian kingdoms ; and he'
caused his troops to be armed accordingly, and driUed bj'
Egyptian officers familiar with European tactics. This
just and simple reform aroused the indignation of the
janissaries, and met their most resolute opposition. Their
gray moustechios bristled with indignation ; the fanatics
cried out against this sacrilege, invoking Allah and Ma
homet the while ; and were inclined almost to regard the
Commander of the Faithful as a Giaour, because of his fr-
u

314 CONSTANTINOPLE.
reUgious foUy-in introducing diabolical manoeu-yres, of
which Mahomet II. and Soliman I. had found no need,
either to achieve or to retain thefr conqueste.
Fortunately, Mahmoud was a man of firmness, and not
easUy intimidated. He had resolved to conquer or perish
in this struggle; for the insolence of the janissaries, (equal
to that of the praetorians, or the streUtz,) had become in
supportable ; and thefr perpetual seditions shook the
throne, of which they claimed to be the main prop. In
fact, they had long held the Sultans in awe, and often dic
tated the succession to the almost powerless throne.
The opportunity to bring the affafr to a crisis
was not long in comiug. Au Egyptian insti-uctor struck
a soldier, who was either insubordinate, or wUfuUy awk
ward ; and the indignant janissaries espoused the cause of
thefr comrade, overturned thefr kettles in sign of revolt,
and threatened to fire the city, at its four comers ; — these
being (as we have remarked) thefr two especial modes of
expressing discontent.
They assembled in front of the palace of Kosrew-
Pasha, thefr aga ; and demanded, vrith fearful cries, the
heads of the Grand- Vizier and the Mufti, who had ap
proved ofthe Sidtan's impious " reforms."
But they had not to do with one of those enervated
Sultans, who had so often been but too happy to appease
theu- revolts, by throwing them a few heads of obnoxious
ministers. At news ofthe insurrection. Sultan Mahmoud hastened
from Beschick-Tasch, where he was steying, assembled
the troops who stiU remained faithfid, convoked the
ulemahs, and took fi-om the mosque of Achmet, near the
hippodrome, the Stendard ofthe Prophet — never displayed
except the empire be in danger ; — and summoned aU
good Mussulmans to raUy around the Commander of the

THE ATMEIDAN. 315
Faithful and Successor of Mahomet, in support of a holy
war. The aboUtion of the janissaries was decreed.
MeanwhUe, the rebels had intrenched themselves in
the Et-Meiden, near thefr barracks. The regular troops of
Mahmoud occupied all the neighbouring streets, and
planted cannon to command the market-place. The in
trepid Sulten passed repeatedly, on horseback, before the
ranks of the insurgente, braring a hundred deaths, and
suraraoning them to disperse.
The " situation " continued. A moment's hesitation
might ruin aU.
A brave aud devoted officer — Kara Dyehennem, by
name — seeing the urgency of the crisis, had the boldness to
precipitate ite cUmax, by suddenly firing his pistol upon the
priming of one of the cannon. The piece exploded, and
the shot -vrith which it was charged, opened a long lane
of death in the ranks of the rebels. The action had
begun. The artiUery now thundered ou aU sides. A
susteined fire poured Uke haU upon the crowded and
confused masses of the janissaries, and the combat soon
degenerated into a massacre. It was a literal butchery.
No quarter was given. The banacks, where the fugitives
sought to entrench themselves afresh, were set on fire, and
those who escaped the sword perished in the flames.
Accounte differ enormously as to the number of per
sons slain. Some say six thousand ; others twenty thou
sand, or even more ; but from the preriously-estimated
numbers of the janissaries, it was probably between four
and five thousand. The bodies not consumed by the fire,
were thrown into the sea ; and, for several mOnths after
ward, the fish, rendered semi-putrid by thefr banquet of
human flesh, were unfit for food.
The vengeance of the Sulten (or, perhaps, of his over-
u 2

316 CONSTANTINOPLE.
zealous subordinates) did not stop there. Wheu you walk
in the cemetery of Pera, or Scutari, you see innumerable
decapitated monuments, standing stUl upright, with their
carved tmbans of marble at thefr feet. These are the
tombs of former janissaries, whom even death had not
placed beyond the reach ofthis expression of vengeance.
Was this terrible extermination vrise, or othei-wise, in
a political point of riew ? Did not Mahmoud, iu destroying
this powerful body, extinguish one of the forces of the
state ; one of the main props of Turkish nationaUty ?
Has the modem progress effectively replaced the ancient
barbaric energy? In the twilight which shadows the
decline of empfres, does the torch of reason yield a better
light, than the blaze of fanaticism ? It is stiU hard to
saj'. But the events which the world is about to vritness,
will soon decide the question ; and the policy of this
great and fearful act of Mahmoud, can then be definitely
judged by its results, '
' Had our author -written after the late gallant displays of Turkish
military energy and skill, in their unaided contests with the Russians,
he would have felt tbat, at leaat, the power of the nation was not
sensibly weakened by the loss of the janissaries j and, apart from this,
I think it but just to append to the censure of Mahmoud, implied by
the tone of the narrative, the observation, that the world has long
recognised the fact, that, in the struggle with the janissaries, the
Sultan's life and throne were both at stake ; and that the struggle was
not of his provoking. That formidable and lawless corps, had long
been the terror of successive Sultans, — raising and deposing them
almost at pleasure ; and indulging with impunity in every extreme of
cruelty, extortion and license, at the expense of the people. It had
become evident, that either the Sultan or the janissariea must fall,
and they challenged their own doom by opon revolt. This fact, alone,
quite destroys all parallel between their case and that of tbe Mame
lukes (so inhumanly murdered by Mehemet Ali), to which it has
been sometimes likened.
Indeed, fearful as it was, it may be doubted, whetber, under Eas
tem institutions and customs, anj thing less tlian such utter extermi-

THE ATMEIDAN. 317
But I have wandered, very far, from my humble voca
tion of mere Uterary daguerreotypist ; let us retum to our
narrative. At some distance from the Atmeidan, in the midst of
a spot streAvn with the ashes of former fires, and at the
back of a hUlock, gapes, like a great black mouth, the
entrance of a gigantic Byzantine cistern. The descent
is by a wooden stafrcase. ¦
The Turks call it Ben-Bir-Dereck, or the Thousand-and-
one Columns, although there are, in fact, but two hundred
and twenty-four piUars. These columns, of white raarble,
are surmounted by large capitals, of a barbarous Corinthian
style, supporting arches, and forming numerous aisles with
their ranges. They haVe a projection three or four feet
from thefr base, which shows the height to which the
water rose, and which formed their apparent base, when
the reservoir was filled. The earth has been elevated by
the accumulations ofthe dust of centuries, the crumblings of
the roof, and detritus of all sorts ; and the cistem must for
merly have been much deeper, than it now appears. There
are some sculptures faintly discernible upon the capitals
of the columns ; — Byzantine hieroglyphics, the raeaning of
which is unknown. An Epsilon and a Phi, which are
often repeated, are rendered by these words : " Enge-
Philoxena;" signifying, that this cistem served for stran-
¦gers. It was built by Constantine, whose raonogram is
apparent upon the large Roraan bricks which form the
/irches, and on the shafts of many of the colurans. At
present, some Jews and Armenians have established a
silk manufactory here.
nation would have eifected its purpose ; and it has long been admitted,
ithat, even if carried out to an inhumanly fierce extent, it was, in its
essentials, an act of self-defenoe on the part of the Sultan ; and a
rescuing of both the throne and the people of Turkey from a murder
ous, lawless, and moat tyrannical domination. — Trans.

318 CONSTANTINOPLE.
Spinning-wheels and winders buzz beneath the arches
of Constantine, and the noise of looms imitates the rippling
of the waters which have disappeared. There reigns in
this subterranean region — half Ughted and half buried in
profound shadow — an icy coldness, which chills the visitor;
and it is with a lively sensation of pleasure, that he re-
mounte, from the depths of tbis gulf, into the warm glow
of the sunshine ; pitying, sincerely, the poor work-people,
patiently pursuing their tasks, like gnomes or kobolds in
their cold and dreary cavern.
Not far from this cistem, in the rear of Saint-Sophia,
there is another reservoir, called Yeni-batan- Serai, the
Palace of the Mother Earth. This last, however, does not
contain a silk factoiy, like Ben-Bir-Dereck. Near the
entrance a humid and penetrating mist, charged with
colds, coughs, and rheumatisms, envvraps you in its damp
mantle. A vast dark expanse of water bathes the columns,
green with moisture, and extends beneath the gloomy
arches, to a distance which no eye can penefrate, and
which the torches cannot illumine.
Nothing could be more grim and sombre. The Turks
believe that djinns, ghouls, and afrites, hold their sabbath
in these lugubrious regions; and there flap, joyously, their
bat-like wings, damp with the drippings of the vault.
Formerly, it was customary to navigate, in a boat, this
subterranean sea ; and the voyage must have strongly re
sembled the crossing of the infernal stream under the
guardianship of Charon. Some boats, drawn, doubtless,
by the action of unknown currents, towai-ds some gulf,
never returned from this dark journey, which is now,
therefore, peremptorily interdicted ; and which, even were
it otherwise, I should not have had the slightest desire to
undertake.

THE ELBICEI-ATIKA. 319

XXVI.
THE ELBICEI-ATIKA.
Upon the Atmeidan, in front 6f the mosque of Achmet,
and near the Mecter-Hanfe (or dep6t of tente), stends a
rather handsome house, of Turkish style. It is the
Elbicei-Atika ; the museum of ancient Ottoman costumes.
This museum, recently opened to the public, has in
front a court, where spreads a lovely carpet of verdure,
and where sparkles the water of a fountain playing in a
basin of marble. If there were not, at the door, a person
to take the tickets of admission, the visitor might fancy
himself in front of the Konak of some bey. Nothing can
be more agreeably tranquil than the whole aspect of this
retrospective vestiarium of the ancient Turkish Empfre.
The shade and sUence of the past enwrap this calm asylum
in thefr gentle cloud. In setting foot within the Elbicei-
Atika one retrogrades from the present, and enters, in
bodily presence, the realms of histoiy.
Upon the steircase, as a sign or a sentinel, one en
counters a yenitcheri-hollouk-nefefri ; in other words, a
janissary of the body-guard. In the time of the power
of the janissaries, no one passed iu front of a post of that
lawless body, without being more or less laid under con
tribution. It was imperative to throw something into the
basin, or be insulted and beaten.
A figure, whose head aud hands are of wood, carved

320 CONSTANTINOPLE.
and coloured (not without skiU), wears the dress of the
ancient janissary. This infraction of the peremptory law
of Mahomet, which prohibits all representation of the
human figure, is very remarkable ; aud gives incontestable
evidence of the weakening of religious prejudice, on one
point at least ; a result produced, doubtless, by contact with
Christianity and civilisation. Such a museum as this, in
which one sees nearly four hundred personages, had been
an utter impossibility not long since, although, at present,
it seems to shock no one ; and, not unfrequently, some
old janissarj', who escaped the massacre, comes to indulge
his reminiscences amid the costuraes of his former compa
nions-in-arms, and sigh over the remenjbrance of " the
good old times" which have passed away for ever.
The wooden janissary has the air of a jolly swaggerer.
A sort of ferocious bonhomn^ie breathes in his marked
features, heightened by a long moustache. He would
evidently be capable of murdering facetiously ; and his
attitude expresses all the disdainful indifference of a privi
leged body, who considered, that, for them, everything
was permitted. With his legs crossed one over the other,
he plays upon the louta, — a sort of three-stringed guitar,
— to charm the leisure of his friends. He wears a red
tarbouch, aroimd which is rolled, in the fashion of a
turban, a piece of common cloth ; a brown sort of cassock,
the ends of which are covered by his sash; and large
trousers of blue cloth. In his belt — at once arsenal and
pocket — are heaped, or bristling, handkerchief, napkin,
tobacco-pouch, poignard, yataghan, and pistols. This
habit of cramming everything into the sash, is common
among both Spaniards and Orientals; and I remember
having seen, at SevUle, a combat with knives, in which
the only thing killed was a melon contained in the sash of
pne of the combatants !

THE ELBlCEI-ATIKA. 321
Before the yenilcheri is placed a little table, covered
w-ith ancient Turkish money, — aspres, paras, and piastres,
which have become rare, — showing the " black-mail"
levied by the janissaries upon the " cockneys" of Con
stantinople. Near him are roasting, upon a girdle, sorae
grains of maize ; a food with which Eastern frugality
contente itself. We passed without fear, because he was
of wood ; and we had, moreover, paid our ten piastres at
the entrance.
Facing this janissary, stood some soldiers of the same
body, in costumes very similar.
Passing the threshold, we found ourselves in an oblong
apartment, dimly lighted, and filled with large glass-cases,
containing figures dressed with scrupulous care and ex
actitude. This was the hall of Curtius, — the "Tussaud
exhibition" of a world which has disappeared. There are
collected, like the types of antediluvian animals, in the
museums of natural history, the individuals and the races
suppressed by the coup d'itat of Mahmoud. There live
again, in an existence dead and motionless, that fantastic
and chimerical Turkey, of turbans like mounds of pastry ;
of dolmans triramed with catekin ; of high conical caps ;
of jackete with suns embroidered on the back ; and of
arms barbarously extravagant, — the Turkey of melo
dramas and fairy tales. Only twenty-seven years have
glided away since the destruction of the janissaries, and
it would seem to have been a century, all is so radically
changed. By the resolute wUl of the reformer, the old
national habits have been annihilated; and costumes,
which have been really contemporary, have become his
toric antiquities.
In viewing, behind these glasses, those moustached or
bearded visages, with fixed eyes and colours mocking the
Ufe, iUuminated by a feeble and oblique light, one cannot

322 CONSTANTINOPLE.
but experience a strange impression, — a sort of indefinable
uneasiness. This approach to reality, differing from the ideaUsation
of art, disquiete, by the sort of iUusion which it produces.
In tracing the transition, from the statue to the Ufe,
you seem to have encountered a corpse. These fierce
visages, but no muscle of which moves, remind one of
those rouged and painted bodies of the dead, which, in
some countries, are carried to the grave with uncovered
faces. These long files of strange-looking personages, main-
teining etemaUy the stiff and constrained positions ori
ginaUy assigned to them, resemble those people, petrified
by the vengeance of some sorcerer, of whom we read in
Eastem fables. There is wanting only the white-bearded
old man, sole surrivor of the dead city, reading the
Koran, whUe seated upon a stone bench beside the gate.
He might be personated, perhaps, although father prosai
cally, by the man who had demanded, at the door, the
money for our tickets.
It is impossible, here, to describe, one by one, the
himdred aud forty figures enclosed in the glass cases of
these two floors, between many of whom the difference is
only some almost imperceptible variation of cut or colour
in the costume. Such a detaUed descriptiou has, however,
been admirably given by M. George Nagnes, son of the
editor of the French newspaper at Constantinople.
The Elbicei-Atika is composed, chiefly, of the former
costumes of the household of the Grand Seignor, and the
different uniforms of the janissaries. There are, also,
¦ some flgures of artizans, dressed in the old fashion ; but
not many.
The chief functionary of a seraglio is naturaUy the
master of the eunuchs — the kislar-agassi. The specimen

THE ALBECEI-ATIKA. 323
of this dignitary, in the Albicei-Atika, is splendidly clad
in a pelisse of brocade, embroidered with flowers and
worn over a tunic of red silk, and enormous trousers, sup
ported by a magmficent cachemere, doing duty as a sash.
He wears a twisted turban of red rauslin, and bootees of
yellow morocco. The Grand Virier {Sadrazam) wears a
turban of singular form, entwined with a roll of muslin
traversed by a band of gold. He has also a lierslu-kaftan
(robe of honour) of brocade, embroidered -vrith flowers
of red and green. From his sash of cachemere protrudes
the richly-jewelled handle of his kandjar. The Sheik-ul-
Islam, and the Capiten-Pasha, are very similarly dressed.
Hosts of other officials, in. gorgeous and characteristic
dresses, stand around in throngs. Perhaps, the most
remarkable is the tchameh-agassi, or chief of the ushers,
vrith his robe of gold tissue, his sash, fastened by a mas
sive gold clasp and bristling with a whole arsenal of
weapons, an^ his cap (also of gold) terminating in a cres
cent, of which one hom is in front and the other behind,
— a fantastic head-dress, arousing reminiscences of the
lunar Isis. This official, who mould not appear misplaced
at the gate of the palace of Thebes or Memphis, carries
in his hand a wand, with bifurcated handle, and, in form,
much resembling a nilometer — another Egyptian associa
tion. This wand is the badge of his office.
One other remarkable figure is that of a man, in a robe
of white silk fastened by a sash covered -vrith plates of
gold, and wearing a cap of the same material, which ex
pands, at the top, into four curves or protuberances, Uke
those of the chapska of a Polish lancer. This is a dilciz,
or mute ; — one of those silent executioners of secret ven
geance or justice, who pass around the necks of rebeUious
pashas the fatal silken eord, and at whose sUent appear
ance, the cheek of the boldest was wont to tum pale.

324 CONSTANTINOPLE.
After a long sequence of guards and officers, the series
is closed by two dwarfs, fantasticaUy accoutred. These
Uttle monsters are hardly two feet and a half in height,
and are grotesquely hideous. No sovereign of the middle
ages considered his court complete, vrithout the presence
of either dwarf or jester, to serve as a foil to his splendour
and greatness ; and, in Turkey, the custom was not only
honoured then, but is stUl mainteined ; — as we have had
occasion to observe.
The rest of the museum is fiimished from the corps of
janissaries, every variety of whose costume is here repro
duced ; as if Sultan Mahmoud had not sought to annihilate
them in the Et-Meiden.
But, before speaking of their costume, it -vrill, perhaps,
be more interesting to inqufre into thefr organisation. '
The yenitcheri, or " new troop," was formed by Amu
rath IV., with the object of surrounding himself by a
chosen body-guard, upou whose devotion he could rely.
The nucleus was formed of his slaves ; aud to these were
added, subsequently, prisoners of war and recruits. Thefr
name, yenitcheri, has beeu conupted by Europeans into
yanissary, or janissary, — which sound has the defect,
however, of forming another word in Tm-kish, which sig
nifies " keepers of the gate ; " and has thus been supposed
to express the original function of this body.
The orta, or corps, was dirided into odas, or messes ;
and the different offlcers assumed culinary titles, laugh
able enough at first hearing, but thus explainable. The
soup-maker, the cook, the scuUion, the water-bearer,
seem strange military designations ; but they gi-ew to
have far more of the terrible than the absurd in thefr asso
ciations. To harmonise -vrith this culinary hierarchy, each
oda, in addition to its standard, had for ensign a kettle,
marked with the number of the regiment. While in re-

THE ALDICEI-ATIKA. 325
volt, thcy reversed their kettles ; a process which carae to
make the Sultan tremble in the recesses of his palace ; for
this respectable body did not always content theraselves
¦vrith a few heads to boil in their kettles, but occasionaUy
insisted upon a revolution, and a change of sovereign.
Having enorraous pay, being well fed, and strong in
privileges, conceded or extorted, the janissaries, at length,
formed a nation within the nation, — an imperium in im
perio ; and their aga was one of the most powerful per
sonages of the empire. The aga whose effigy is exhibited
at the Elbicei-Atika, is dressed and armed in the most
gorgeous manner, but the style of his costume is the sarae
as has been afready described. Beside him, stands the
sauton, — hermit or devotee, — who was the patron of the
corps, and named Bekiack-Emin-Baba. He blessed the
orta at ite forraation, and his memory was always held in
high veneration. They invoked his name in battle, in
danger, and jn all times of eraergency.
Without attempting to describe the various costuraes
of the janissaries, which were aU founded upon the
Turkish dress of the period, one cannot but bestow a word
upon the singularities of habilement of sorae of their
officers. The chief scullion — a grade equivalent to lieu
tenant — wore upon his shoulder a gigantic ladle, as the
badge of his rank I — a ladle which might have been stolen
from the kitchen- dresser of Gargantua. This strange de
coration terminated, however, in a lance-blade ; doubtless
to associate the idea of war with that of cookery. Other
officers, bore gridirons, spiders, saucepans, and almost
every variety of utensil, made more or less military by
modification of form, but all retaining the priginal fea
tures with unmistakeable distinctness. But to describe
the dress of " the candle-lighter," the " bearer of the cat-
o'-nine-tails," the man with the " wooden-bowl," and

326 CONSTANTINOPLE.
another with a stove for a tmban, would take too much
space. We may just glance at the kombaradji (bombardiers),
forming part of the corps founded by Ahmed-Pasha, Count
of Bonneval ; a celebrated renegade, and one of the
soldiers .of the Nizam-djedid, instituted by the Sultan
Selim, to counterbalance the influence of the janissaries.
it is from this body, formed of the remains of the
soldiers of St. Jean d'Acre, that may be traced the intro
duction of a uniform araong the Ottoraan troops. The
dress of the Nizam-djedid, is very like that of the Zouaves
and Spahis of the French army of Africa.
A few specimens of Greeks, of Armenians, and of
Arnaouts, complete the collection.
In wandering through the Elbicei-Atika, before these
cabinets peopled with phantoms of a past time, it is im
possible to avoid a feeling of melancholy ; and one asks,
involuntarily, whether it may not be by an unconscious
prescience, that the Turks have been led to form this con
servatory of their ancient nationaUty, so formidably
menaced by the events of the present day. Those events
would seem, to a sombre imagination, to impart almost a
prophetic significance, to this anxiety to gather together
the peculiarities aud reminiscences of the ancient Ottoman
Empfre of Europe, now in danger of being di-iveu back
upon Asia, as its last asylum.
Let us hope, however, that it is only the antiquated
usages and habits of that period, symboUsed by its costume,
which, having become unfitted for the associations of
progress and civilisation, are destined to be thrown aside,
or preserved only as curious objects of reference or remi
niscence ; while the nation itself shaU gain, in intelligence
and freedom of action, by the change.

KADI-KEUL 327

XXVII.

KADI-KEUI.

An excursion to Kadi-Keu'i, is a pleasure which the in
habitante of Pera rarely refuse theraselves on holidays ;
especially those who are not rich enough to own a country
house on the Bosphorus, among the summer palaces of
the beys and pashas.
Kadi-Keni — " vUlage of judges" — is a Uttle town on
the coast of Asia, opposite the seraglio, and in that locality
where the 5ea of Marmora begins to narrow iteelf to
form the entrance ofthe Bosphorus. Upon its site stood,
in ancient times, the town of Chalcedon, or Chalcedonia,
built by Archias, under the Megarians, about the time of
the itwenty-third Olympiad, 685 years before Christ ; a
tolerably respectable antiquity. Others, however, attri
bute the founding of Chalcedon, to a son of the soothsayer
Calchas, at the time of the return from the Trojan war ;
and others, again, to colonists from Calchis in Euboea, who
gave the town the name of the City of the Blind, in con
tempt of those who selected ite site, when they could have
chosen that on which Byzantium afterwards rose. This
reproach does not, however, at this day, seem so very just;
for Kadi- Keui enjoys one of the most admfrable prospecte
in the world, and Constantinople displays, upon the oppo
site shore, the magnificence of its domes, its minarete, and

328 • CONSTANTINOPLE.
its masses of many-coloured houses, intermingled with
tufts of foliage. When one wishes to enjoy the panorama
at Cologne, he must take his lodging at Deutz, on the
other side of the Rhine ; and to see Stamboul to ad
vantage, there is no better course thau to go and take a
cup of coffee at Kadi-Keu'i.
Two modes of transport are avaUable for this little
journey : first the caique, then the steamer, which smokes
near the wooden bridge of Galata. As the crossing is
rather long, and the cunent rapid, the preference is gener
ally given to the stearaer. I have tried both. The
steamer is more amusing for the traveller, inasmuch as it
presents to him, crowded into a small space, so many
specimens of humanity. The separation of the sexes
forms so esssential an integral part of the manners aud
thoughts of the people, that the quarter-deck of the
steamers is reserved for the women, and forms a sort of
harepi, within which the Turkish females are confined.
The Armenian and Greek women, when they are alone,
take the sarae place. The whole deck is covered with
low stools, upon which the passengers sit, vrith their
knees in their mouths. Boys buzz about, carrying glasses
of water or of raki, chibouques and cups of coffee, sweet
meats, or pastry ; for, at Constantinople, one is always
munching something ; and grave functionaries stop at the
comer of a street to buy and eat a slice of baklava, or
pastaka, whenever appetite suggeste such a proceeding.
At the stem of the boat, were five or six Turkish
women, under the care of an old woman and a negress.
Their yachmacks, of muslin, were ti-ansparent enough to
render visible regular and delicate features, and, through
the openings, wildly sparkled great blaek eyes, with heavy
eyebrows, joined by the sarmeh. The nose seemed aqui
line ; and the chin, depressed perpetually by ite bandages,

KADI-KEUI. 329
seemed to retract somewhat. The fault of Tm-kish beau
ties, when they are unveiled, is, that the portion of the
face about the eyes, is of a much darker tint than any
other part of the countenance.
" But how do you know this ? " the reader is about
to say, DO doubt ; scenting some gaUant adventure, that
I have failed to recount. But my knowledge has been
attained, in a manner the least Don Juanish in the world.
In wandering in the cemeteries, it has frequently happened
to me to surprise, involunterily, some lady adjusting her
yachmack, or having left it open on account of the heat,
tmsting, for security, to the soUtude of the place. That
is " the whole story."
Those women (on board the steamer), who seemed to
belong to the middle class of society, wore feredg^s of
light, transparent colours, and exceedingly clean ; and
thefr limbs, polished by the use of the Eastem bath, shone
Uke marble, between their Uttle pantalettes of sUk and
thefr morocco boote. Those same limbs were generally
rather stout ; for one must not seek, in Turkey, the slen
der and graceful exfremities of the Arab race. One of
these woraen was nursing an infant ; and it was amusing,
to a European, to see the anxious fastidiousness with
which she kept her face covered, whUe seeming perfectly
indifferent to the exposure of her whole throat and bosom,
caused by the playful antics of the infant.
Near this Moslem group, were seated three beautiful
Greek gfrls, with their hafr most gracefuUy dressed, after
the manner of thefr nation, — parted in wavy bands, as in
an antique statue, and flovring over thefr temples on
each side ; these bands being encfrcled by a large braid
of hafr, forming a sort of diadem. This braid is not
always real ; and some old ladies carry their indifference
to that fact so far, as to wear it of a different colour from
y

330 CONSTANTINOPLE.
that of their own hair. A good dame, not far from these
beauties, displayed, above some dark bands of hair inter
twined with black cord, a large tress of brilliant blonde,
which never could lay the slightest pretension to having
taken root in her head.
The ancient costumes disappear everywhere ; and thus
the three j-oung Greeks were dressed in European style ;
but their coiffure, and a jacket of embroidered silk, gave
them an air sufficiently picturesque. Their chiseled
features showed that the Grecian models, now become
classic, were but simple copies fi-om Nature. Man can
really invent, or imagine, scarcely anything ; not even a
monster. It is easy to find, araong the girls of ^Eleusis
and Maegara, the living models of Phidias, Praxiteles,
and Ly.sippus. These three girls were sufficiently per
fect in form, to remind one of the virgin triad of the
Graces. During the crossing, everybody smoked ; and a thou
sand blue spirals of vapour rose, to join the dark column
of smoke from the funnel. The boat, over-loaded on her
deck, lurched fearfully ; and, had the " voyage" been ten
minutes longer, there would certainly have been some
cases of sea-sickness, although the water was as smooth
as glass. At length, however, the Bangor (such was the name
of this great wooden shoe), ranged alongside the jetty,
scattering a whole flotiUa of caiques ; and we set foot on
land. What may be called the harbour of Kadi-Keni, — if
the word is not too ambitious, — is bordered with caf6s of
Turkish, Greek, aud Ai-menian ownership ; always fuU of
a motley crowd. The Perotes and Greeks drink great
glasses of water, whitened with raki ; the Moslemah swal
low little cups of muddy cofi'ee ; and Greeks, Tm-ks, and

KADI-KEUI. 331
Perotes, without distinction, raake the rose-water bubble
in the narghil^, while the polyglot cry, of" some fire, "ut
tered in three or four languages, forms the running accom
paniment of the conversation.
It is very charming, to sit here and admire the pros
pect, under the drearay influence of the pipe ; but it was
not for that, that I had come to Kadi-Keui.
I had been invited to breakfast, by Ludovic, the Ar
menian, in whose shop I had bought some Persian slip
pers, sorae tobacco-boxes from Lebanon, and some scarfs
of sUk of Broussa, inwoven with gold and silver ; together
with some few other of those Oriental knick-knacks,
without which no traveUer dare present himself in Paris,
on his retum from the East.
Ludovic has one of the finest shops of curiosities in
the whole Bezestin ; and I have spoken of it, iu detaU,
some chapters since. He has, also, at Kadi-Keui, a
charming habitation. Like the merchants of " the City,"
those of Constantinople pass the day at their shops or
warehouses, and retfre, every evening, to some villa or
cottage, to enjoy thefr domestic life ; leaving all idea of
business behind them, as they cross the threshold.
I foUowed the chief street of Kadi-Keui to ite termi
nation, according to insfructions previously received. It
is picturesque enough, with ite coloured houses, project
ing balconies, and overhanging floors. Some white fronts
interrupt, here and there, the chequer of Armenian and
Turk, and produce no bad effect. Upon the door-steps
of many houses, were seated, or grouped, beautiful young
women, who did not fly as you gazed ; Turkish cavaUers
passed along on horseback ; Greek papas, in their violet
robes, marched gravely by, caressing their venerable
beards ; — animation reigned everywhere. V 2

332 CONSTANTINOPLE.
The chief street once passed, the houses became less
frequent, and were sunounded with larger gardens.
After a few minutes' walk, I perceived a white door,
with stripes of blue. It was the door of Ludovic's house.
I entered, and was welcomed by a charming woman, with
large black eyes, and bearing, in her young face, the
featm-es of the Armenian r.ace ; — one of the finest in the
world, and almost preferable to the Greek, if the aquiline
of the nose did not incline to become a Uttle too much
exaggerated, with the approach of age.
Madame Ludovic spoke only her mother-tongue ; and
our conversation, necessarilj', came to a stand, after the
first salutations. I know nothing more vexatious than
such a situation. I felt myself the greatest fool in the
world, not to know Armenian; although one may, without
suffering fiom an education very much neglected, be
ignorant of that dialect.
With a movement of feminine tact, however, Madame
Ludovic relieved my emban-assment, by leading me into a
room where some lovely children were at play.
Reallj', now that communication between all countries
is so universal and so prompt, mankind should adopt a
universal language, in which every one could be under
stood ; for it is a shame, that two human beings should
stand, facing each other, reduced to the condition — for all
purposes of communication — of deaf-mutes. The ancient
curse of Babel ought to be revoked, in the world of modem
civilisation. The arrival of Ludoric, who speaks French fluently,
restored to me the use of any tongue ; and, before break
fasting, he showed me his house.
It is impossible to conceive anything more fresh, or
more charmingly simple. The ceiUngs and walls of the
rooms were painted in pale, delicate colours, relieved by

KADI-KEUI. 333
-white bands ; fine Indian mats, replaced in winter by
carpete of Ispahan or Smyrna, covered the floors. Div.ans
of antique Turkish stuffs, and ottomans of morocco leather,
tempted indolence in every corner. Some small tables,
inlaid with pearl, and serving to support plates of con
fitures and vases of sherbet, corapleted the furniture.
As it was very warm, we breakfasted in the open air,
under a sort of portico, facing a garden planted with vines,
figs, and melons. Our repast consisted of fish, of a pecu
liar kind, fried in oil (the fish are called " Constantinople
scorpions"), mutton- cutlete, cucumbers with hashed meat,
nnd Uttle cakes with honey ; the whole moistened with
Greek wine of two sorts, one like Muscat, the other
rendered bitter by an infusion of fir-cones, — a reminis
cence of antiquity.
The dishes were brought by a little serving-maid of
some fourteen years old, who, in her haste, made a
glorious clattering upon the gravel of the pathways, with
the great wooden shoes, into which she had stuJk her
Uttle, naked feet ; and our cook was a big Armenian, with
a rubicund risage and a beak Uke a parrot.
The breakfast finished, we went to take coffee and
smoke a pipe, beneath the great trees which border the
shore of the bay. Some musicians were performing an
indescribable air, which begun by distressing, but, at
length, in a manner fascinated yoii. Thefr orchestra
consisted of a rebeck, a flute, and a tarbpulta.
When we had heard enough of the singing, the fancy
took us to go and see the performance given by some
Armenian and Turkish buffoons, at Moda-Boumou, close
to Kadi-Keui. The subject of thefr performance was a
mysterious beauty, a sort of Princess Boudroulboudour,
whose veiled charms, befrayed by the indiscretion of her
servante, made fearful ravages among the people. The

334 CONSTANTINOPLE.
primitive theatre contented itself with slight decorations.
Thespis played in a cart ; the great plays of Shakspeare
demanded no other scenic aid than a screen, bearing, in
turn, the inscriptions " castle," " forest," " apartment,"
"fleld of battle," etc., etc., according to the requirements
of the text. And at Moda-Boumou, the theatre consisted
of an area of beaten ground, shaded by frees, and covered
with carpet; the spectators sitting Turk-fashion, and there
being a kind of open shed for the females. No scenes, no
wings, no curtain, no railing.
A tent of canvas, to imaginative spectators, portrayed
a harem. A young rogue, with his face enwrapped in
a yachmack and his person smothered in veils, like a
Turkish woman, proceeded to enclose himself in this
harem, affecting languishing and amorous attitudes, aud
imitating that goose-like waddle, which their obesity
renders but too habitual to the Turkish belles. This
entrance produced roars of laughter, and deservedly, for
it was comicaUy perfect.
When the beauty had taken her place in her habite
tion, the sighing lovers came in a crowd to twang the
guzla beneath her windows, fi-om which her head leaned ;
occasionally showing two stupendous eyebrows, briUiantly
charcoaled, and two superb spots of rouge beneath her
eyes. The slaves of the house, armed with cudgels, made
frequent sorties, and pummeled the suitors, to the intense
jubilation of the audience.
It was not the lady who responded to the lovers, but
a little old man, mummified and broken-down, and with
his face surrounded by a little stumpy white beard.
This grotesque creature, hidden behind the canvas, sang,
in falsetto, at an amnriiigly shrill pitch, tender airs, in
imitation ofthe voice ofa woman.
At sound of these shrill whinings, the suitors were over-

KADI-KEUI. 335
whelmed with delight, and fancied themselves enjoying
the music of Paradise. They made, thi-ough the agency
of the young lady herself (closely veiled), the most pas
sionate declarations to this atrocious old aniraal. The
audience, being in the secret, arause theraselves by laugh
ing at the contrast, between the words of love and adrafra-
tion and the person to whora they are, in realitj', addressed.
The Turkish, to those who understand it, lends itself,
more than almost any other language, to conundrums,
puns, and equivoques. A very slight alteration suffices to
change the sense of a word, and turn it into absurdity or
something worse ; and this is a facility, of which the
comedians no more neglect to take advantage, than do the
exhibitors of our old friend Karagheuz.
To retm-n to the " play."
Two or three of the unsuccessful lovers lose what
Uttle brains they may have had, and are " struck comical,"
eaeh in his owu particular way. One, continually bobs
his head forward and back, like those wooden birds which
are fixed to a table and moved by the swinging of a
ball, by way of pendulum. Auother, to every question
addressed to him, responds by a caper and an unvarying
exclamation, of bim, boum, bim, boum, paff! A third,
carries a lantern, hung on the end of an iron-rod fastened
to his turban, and pokes this appendage into every pos
sible place where it is not wanted ; earning, in return, an
inconceivable amount of whacks, kicks, and tumbles.
At length appears the tchelebi, the Almaviva, the tenor,
the conqueror ; he who has only to show himself, to capti
vate any beauty. He gives to the other pretenders a
general clearance. Nourmahal blushes, trembles, partly
opens her veil, and answers (this time herself) with a
fine gruff voice. The music becomes excited, and the
young Greeks, dressed like females, advance, and enact a

336 CONSTANTINOPLE.
sort of pantomime expressive of nuptial rejoicings. The
beauty has eridently surrendered at discretion.
Such, at least, is the interpretation wliich it appeared to
bear, following the gestures of the actors, and the seeming
movement of the piece ; although it is certainly possible,
that I may have deceived myself, as entfrely as did a
certein amateur, who mistook, for a sacred oratorio, a
pastoral symphony, which he happened to hear per
formed ; nnd received for penitential sighs, that movement
of the music which the composer had intended should
express the chirping of the quails among the com !

MOUNT BOUGOURLOU. 337

XXVIII.
MOUNT BOUGOURLOU.  THE ISLES OF PEINCES.
The farce being finished, I hired a teUka, in order to visit
Mount Bougourlou, which rises, at some distance from
Kadi-Keui, a Uttle behind Scutari ; and from the height
of which the spectetor enjoys an admfrable panoramic
riew of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmora.
The Turks, although they have, properly speaking,
" no art," because the Koran condemns, as idolatry, all
representation of animated beings, have, nevertheless, in
a high degree, the sense of the picturesque. Wherever
there is, in any locality, a fitne vista, or a smiling per
spective, there is sure to be, also, a kiosk or a fountein,
and some Osmanlis enjoying kief upon thefr outspread
carpete. They wiU remain thus for entfre hours, in per
fect immobility, fixing thefr dreamy gaze upou the
distance, and aUowing, from time to time, a fleecy cloud
of smoke to escape lazily from thefr parted lips.
Mount Bougourlou is frequented, chiefly, by the women,
who pass thefr days under the trees, in little companies,
or by harems ; watching thefr children at play, chatting
among theraselves, drinking sherbet, or listening to the
strains of itinerant musicians.
My talika, drawn by a stout horse, which the con
ductor led by the bridle, foUowed a path which ran close
to the sea, whose waters frequently dashed against the

338 CONSTANTINOPLE.
wheels as we passed. We left behind us the houses ot
Kadi-Keui, crossed the large open space of Hyder-Pasha,
(whence, by the way, depart, every year, the numerous
caravans of pilgrims bound for Mecca), traversed the im
mense cypress grove of the cemetery behind Scutari, and
began to clirab the steep ascents of Mount Bougourlou, by
a road ploughed with ruts, bristling with fragraents of
rock, obstructed, frequently, by roots of trees, and nar
rowed by the projection of houses into the highway.
For, it must be avowed, that the Turks have the most
profound indifference, as to the passability of thefr roads.
Two hundred carriages will, in one day, turn out of the
road, to drive around a large stone Ijdng in its midst,
without any one of the drivers forming the least idea of
taking the slight trouble of removing the obstacle. De
spite, however, the obstructions and the forced deliberation
of the drive, it presents an agreeable and animated scene.
The carriages follow and meet each other : arabas,
with the measured step of their oxen, drawing parties of
six or eight females ; talikas, containing four, seated facing
each other, with legs crossed upou their carpete; all
richly dressed, and their heads starred with diamonds and
jewels, which sparkle through the thin muslin of their
veils. Sometimes there passes, in a modem " brougham," the
favourite of some pasha ; and, although the thing is easily
understood, it has a very droU effect, to see, at the window
of one of these broughams, instead of the well-known
face of some young lady, who always di-ives in the park
without an escort, the muslin countenance ofa lady ofthe
harem, enwrapped in her Oriental draperies, and veiled to
the eyes. The difference is so remarkable, that it almost
jars upon the sense like a discord.
There are, also, plenty of cavaliers and of pedestrians.

MOUNT BOUGOURLOU. 339
who climb, more or less rapidly, the abrupt ascent of the
hiU, following its numerous windings and zig-zags.
On a sort of table -land, or plateau, mid- way the
ascent, and beyond which the horses cannot mount, stand
a large number of carriages, waiting for their owners;
specimens of Turkish vehicular taste at aU epochs, and
forming a medley, excessively picturesque and bizarre. I
caused ray talika to take up a position in which I could,
with certainty, find it on my return, and continued my way
on foot. Here and there, on the level spots which occa
sionally break the ascent, and form a species of terrace,
were seated, in the shade, an Armenian or Turkish famUy,
recognisable by thefr bootees of yeUow or black, and thefr
faces more or less scrupulously veiled. (Wheu I say
" family," it must be clearly understood, however, that I
speak of women only. The men form separate parties,
and never accompany the females.)
Upon the suramit of the mountain, were instaUed seve
ral cawadjis (coffee-makers), with thefr portable furnaces,
vendors of water and sherbet, and dealers in pastry and
confectionary, — the invariable accompaniment of every
Turkish party of pleasure. A very gay spectacle is pre
sented to the eye, by these females, — clad iu pink, green,
blue, lilac, — scattered among the grass Uke flowers, and en
joying the fresh air and light, beneath the shade of the
sycamores and plane-trees ; for, although the weather was
oppressively hot, the elevation of this spot, and the play
of the sea-breeze, diffused there a deUcious and refreshing
temperature. Some Greek gfrls, cro-wned with their diadems of
braided hafr, had teken each other by the hand, and,
moving to a sweet and gentle afr, resembled, beneath
that bright sky, the " Train of the Hours," in the cele
brated fresco of Guido.

340 CONSTANTINOPLE.
The Turks regarded them vrith silent contempt ; evi
dently quite unable to conceive that people should resort
to motion as a source of amusement, and stiU less, that
they could make such a violent exertion as is involved in
dancing. I continued my course, until I reached a clump of trees,
which crowned the mountain like a giant plume, and
whence one commands the whole course of the Bosphorus,
and beholds the Sea of Marmora, dotted with the Isles of
Princes ; a radiant and marvellous spectacle. Seen from
this height, the Bosphorus, here and there shining at in
tervals between its banks of brown, resembles a succession
of lakes. The curves of the cliffs and promontories, which
project into the water, seem to contract, or even to close
it up, from point to point. The undulations of the hUls,
upon the borders of this marine stream, have an unsur
passed gentleness of profile. The wavy line which is
fraced by the recumbent form of a lovely woman, has not
a grace more softly voluptuous.
A silvery light, clear and tender, bathes, in ite vague
fransparency, this extended landscape. In the west, Con
stentinople, with its net- work of minarets, on the shore of
Europe ; toward the east, a vast plain, intersected by a road
leading to the heart of Asia ; in the north, the embouchure
of the Black Sea, and the Cimmerian regions ; in the south,
Olympus, Bithynia, and the Troad ; and beyond, if the
jnind's eye can pierce the distent horizon, Greece, and her
sea-dotted Archipelago.
But that which most atfracted my regards, was that
vast plain, naked and desert, sfr-etching away towards the
mysterious depths of Asia, and over which my imagination
foUowed in the train of caravans, dreaming of strange ad
ventures and exciting incidents.
After half an hour of sUent contemplation, I de-

MOUNT BOUGOURLOU. 341
scended to the level occupied by the groups of smokers,
women, and children.
A large circle had been formed around a band of Zi
gani, who were playing upon the riolin, and chanting bal
lads in a strange dialect. Their complexions of russet
leather, their loug blue-black hair, wild and exotic afr,
savage moveraents, and picturesquely ragged habiUments,
reminded me of the poem of Lenau, " The Bohemians
amongthe Heather," four stenzas of which will infect any
raan with a desire for the unknown and strange, and the
most ferocious longing for an enant life.
Whence comes this inextinguishable race, of which
identical specimens are found in every corner of the world,
among the numerous populations amid whom they move,
nnd yet with whom they never blend ? From India, no
doubt. Some tribe of Pariahs, who would not submit to
their abject hereditary condition.
I have rarely seen an encampment of Bohemians,
without having the desire to join them and share their
vagabond existence. The savage nature stiU existe, beneath
the skin of the civilised man ; and it needs but a sUght
touch of cfrcumstance, to awaken the secret desfre of es
caping the restraint of laws and conventionaUties. It is
true, that after sleeping for a week beneath the beautiful
sters, beside a cart, and enjoying cookery in the open afr,
one begins to miss his slippers, his easy chair, his cur
tained feather-bed, and, above aU, his cutlete, moistened
with grape juice that has made the Indian voyage — or'
even the latest edition of the evening paper; but the
sentiment that I have expressed, does not the less reaUy
exist. I found my taUka and ite driver where I had left them,
and the descent commenced ; an operation sufficiently dis
agreeable, considering the rudeness of the decUvity and

342 CONSTANTINOPLE.
the state of the road ; which last much resembles a stair
case, in ruins throughout, and in sorae places entfrely
demoUshed, so as to leave a mere precipice. The sais
held the head of the horse, who barked his shins continu
ally amongst the stones, and against whose croup the
front of the carriage was perpetually thumping ; and my
situation in that confounded deal-box, called a taUka, was
not unlike that of a rat shaken about in a trap. Jolts, to
displace a heart the most firmly encased, occurred at each
instant, flattening my nose against the carriage-front when
I least expected such a gratification ; and, at lengtlj,
although excessively tfred, I was compeUed to get out and
follow my infernal machine on foot.
Arabas and talikas, filled with women and children,
were also " operating" their descent (degringolade, de-
tumblementj fi-om Bougourlou ; and there were shoute of
laughter at each new plunge, each unexpected semi-
somersault. One whole line of females would be plunged
into the laps of those opposite, and even rivals embraced
each other involuntarily. Oxen, with heads upraised
and bent knees, were doing their utmost to " hold-back"
against the inequalities of the road ; and the horses de
scended, with the prudence of animals who had served a
long apprenticeship to bad roads. Horsemen gaUoped
along, as if they were on a level, sme of the footing of
their barbs, or horses of Kurdistan. It was a charming
pell-mell, cheering to the eye, and truly Turkish in char
acter ; for although only a space of a few minutes separ
ates the Asiatic coast from that of Europe, the local
colouring is there much better preserved, and one encoun
ters there far fewer Franks.
The road became a Uttle more practicable, and I
climbed again into my vehicle ; regarding, from the win
dow, the coloured houses, the cypresses and turbijs whicli

THE ISLE OF PEINCES. 343
bordered the road, and sometiraes forraed an island in the
middle of the street, Uke St. Mary-le-Strand.
I reached the Bangor once more. The embarkation of
her passengers, did not take place without much noise and
laughter. An almost perpendicular plank forraed the
junction between the boat and the quay. The ascent was
very difficult, and it happened to several of the ladies,
involuntarily to bestride the plank ; an incident which
gave rise to a vast number of modest and virtuous cries
and scrambles. In this perilous passage, more than one
garter of European manufacture showed how far our
merchandise has penetrated ; and more than one half-
exposed Umb betrayed its incognito, despite Turkish
jealousy. I do not speak of this little incident, however,
in the spirit of Paul de Kock, nor for its own sake, but as
a trait of manners. The plank was a long one, and by
pushing it a few feet farther on to the shore, all this alarm
to feminine delicacy might have been avoided ; but the
idea of doing such a thing, entered no man's mind !
Night had faUen when the Bangor discharged her Uving
cargo at the landing-place of Galate, after having balanced
herself across the water (as before), like a frantic see-saw.
As the " lions" of Constantinople were pretty nearly
exhausted for me, I resolved to pass a few days at the
Princes' Islands ; a miniature Archipelago, scattered upon
the Sea of Marmora, at the entrance of the Bosphorus ;
and which is esteemed a healthful and pleasant residence.
These islands are seven in number, besides one or two
islete not counted. The largest is caUed Prinkipo ; and
is much frequented. It is reached by steara-boat (Turkish
or English) in about an hour and a-half. The Turkish
boat, which I had chosen, had a singular mechanism,
unUke any other that I have ever seen. The piston, in

344 CONSTANTINOPLE.
rising through the deck, rose and fell like a large saw,
wielded by two men sawing " cross-cut." i Despite this
oddity, the English boat outsped us, and justified her
name of Swan. Her white prow parted the waters, Uke
the breast of a veritable water-fowl.
The coast of Prinkipo presents itself, as approached
from Constantinople, in the form of a high cliff, surmounted
bj- a line of houses. Stairs of wood, or steep winding
paths, descend to the beach, bordered by little wooden
buUdings for bathing. The firing of a gun announces,
from the cliff, that the steamer is in sight, and a flotiUa
of caiques and canoes leave the land, to disembark the
passengers ; for the shallowness of the water prevente
vessels of any draft from approaching the shore.
A lodging had already been secured for me, in the
only inn of the island ; a wooden house, very fresh and
clean, shaded by large trees ; and from the windows of
which the view extended seaward, until lost in the
distance. In front, was the Isle of Kalki, with its truly Turkish
village minored in the water, and ite one mountain, sur
mounted by a Greek convent. The water washed the foot
of the cUff, upon which my " hotel " was situated ; and
one could descend in slippers and dressing gown, to take a
bath, rendered inviting by a far out-stretching beach of
sparkling sand.
' 'Wbat the author describes, is a common form of machinery in
many of the " low-pressure" steamers, particularly on the American
waters ; and many of the Turkish steamers are fitted by Amerioan
engineers. The piston works in a gigantic black frame,* of irou
wood, rising above the deck like tt monstrous guillotine or gal
lows ; and has a heavy cross-beam on its top, which moves up and
down in this frame (like a window in its sash), at every revolution of
the engine ; and the whole has, certainly, a most sinister appearance,
to an unaccustomed eye. — Tbans.

THE ISLES OF PRINCES. 345
At the table d'hdte, which was extremely -vfrell served,
a majestic lady came to teke her place, behind whom stood
a superb domestic, in the dress of a Palikari, embroidered
with gold and silver,^ and waited on his mistress with a
grarity worthy of an English footman. This fellow,
looking more fitted to be loading carbines behind a rock,
than to be changing plates, had, certeinly, a very strangely
misplaced air ; and I doubt if any one -ever poured wine
into a glass in a style so grandiose.
In the evening, the Armenian and Greek women
dressed themselves, to promenade the nanow space be
tween the houses and the brink of the cliff. Dresses of
rich sUk displayed their folds ; diamonds sparkled in the
moonlight; and bare arms were laden vrith enormous
bracelets of gold, formed of numerous chains, an omament
peculiar to Constantinople, and which our jewellers would
do well to imitate, because they give slenderness to' the
wrist, and set off the hand to great advantage.
The Armenian families are as prolific as those of the
English ; and it is not at aU unusual to see an ample
mafron preceded by four or five daughters, and as many
active boys. The braided hair and the bare necks and
shoulders, give to this proraenade the aspect of a ball in
the open air. Some Parisian bonnets showed themselves,
as on the Prado of Madrid ; but few in number.
In the cafes, with which all the terraces upon the sea
are supplied, are to be had ices, made with the snow of
the Olympus of Bithynia ; one drinks little cups of coffee
accompanied by glasses of water, and smokes tobacco in
aU imaginable manners ; whUe, in the rear, the trans
parent curtain of Karagheuz tempte spectators, with the
aid of the clash of a tambourine.
Now and then, a blue glare, like that .of the elec
tric light, brightens the front of some house, a tuft of

346 CONSTANTINOPLE.
trees, or a group of promenaders, some one of whota
tm-ns and smiles. It is a lover, who burns a Bengal hght
in honour of his mistress, or his affianced. There must
be a great many lovers at Prinkipo, for scarcely was one
light extinguished, before another shone out. The word
" mistress " must be understood in the sense of the old
gallantry ; for the manners here are very rigid.
Little by little every one returns home, and near mid
night all the island is wrapt in vfrtuous and peaceful
slumber. This proraenade, and the sea-bathing, form the
delights of Prinkipo. To vary them a little, I executed,
with an agreeable young man, whose acquaintance I had
made at the table d'hote, a grand excursion on donkeys
into the interior of the island. We first passed through
the village, the market of which made a fiue display of
cucumbers, melons, tomatoes, pimento, and grapes ; then
we foUowed the sea — sometimes near, soraetimes remotely
— through plantations of trees and cultivated fields, to the
house of a papa ; a very good Uver, who caused us to be
served, by a very pretty girl, with raki and glasses of ice-
water. Afterward, coasting the island, we arrived at an
ancient Greek monastery, sadly dilapidated, and serving
at present as an hospital for the insane.
Two or three of these unfortunates, in ragged clothing,
with wan coraplexions and morose air, dragged them
selves along with the rattle of irons, in a court blazing
with sunlight.^ The guardians showed us, for a small
gratuity, the chapel, containing sorae wretched jimages,
gilded and with brown faces, such as are made at Mount
' Tho word " sunlight," indicates that this excursion was under
taken next day ; but, up to this point, the original text would lead one
to believe, that tbe author set oflf on this expedition immediately aftcr
"all the island" had gone to sleep at "midnight;" and had thua
enjoyed a donkey gallop, by moonlight. — Tbans.

THE ISLES OF PEINCES. 347
Athos, of Byzantine pattern,' for the uses of the Greek
worship. The situation of this convent is admirable. It occu
pies the platform above a mass of rocks, and from its ele-
¦vated terraces, the eye can enjoy the contemplation of two
iUimitable depths of azure, — the sky and the sea.
We returned by another road, wUder than our first,
aniong tufts of rayrtles, of tamarinds, and of pines, which
are indigenous, and which the inhabitants cut for fire
wood ; aud reached the inn, to the great satisfaction of our
asses, whom it had been necessary to kick and beat,
most unmercifully, to prevent them falUng asleep on the
road; for we had comraitted the grave mistake of not taking
the driver with us, although that personage is indispensable
in a caravan of that description ; the Oriental donkeys des
pising exceedingly all " cite" and civiUans, and disregard
ing alike their threats and entreaties.
After the lapse of four or five days, being sufficiently
edified by the delighte of Prinkipo, I started for an ex
cursion upon the Bosphorus, from Seraglio-point to the
enfrance of the Black Sea.

¦w 2

348 CONSTANTINOPLE.

XXIX.

THE BOSPHOEUS.

The Bosphorus, from Serai-Bournou to the entrance of
the Black Sea, is furrowed by a perpetual movement of
steamers, almost like that upon the Thames. The caidjis,
who used to reign as despots over these green and rapid ,
waters, regard the passage of the pyroscaphs, much as
the postilions do the locomotives of the raUways ; and
they look upon the invention of Fulton, as utterly dia
bolical. There are still, indeed, many obstinate Turks, and
cowardly Giaours, who take caiques, to ascend the Bos
phorus ; just as there are, with us, persons, who, despite
the railways on both banks of the Seine, vrill go to
VersaUles in boats, or to Saint-Cloud in a hackney-
coach, or one-horse " chay." These, however, become, day
by day, more rare ; and the Mussulmans accommodate
themselves very weU to the steam-boats.
The " steam-boat" pre-occupies their minds, also, not
a little ; and there is not a cafe, or a barber's shop, the
walls of which are not adorned with many prints ; where
the naive artist has done his best, to portray the gorgeous
plume of smoke escaping from the funnel of the steamer,
and the paddle-wheels beating the water into foam.
I embarked at the bridge of Galata, in the Golden-
Hom ; — a point of departure for many of the steamers,

THE BOSPHORUS. 349
-which lie there in great numbers, puffing off their white
steam, and dark smoke, which form a constant cloud
above them, in the clear sky. London Bridge, or Heres-
ford (Hungerford) Suspension Bridge, could not present
a scene more animated, or a crowd more tumultuous, than
this landing ; the arrangemente of which are very incom
modious, for, to reach the vessels, one must climb over
the bulwarks of the boats, bestride beams, and walk upon
decayed or broken planks.
Nor is it easy to extricate the steamer from this crowd
of vessels, without repeated contact with one or other of
them ; but, when once at large, a few strokes of the
piston eend you floating freely, between a double Une
of palaces, kiosks, viUages, gardens, and hiUs ; upon bright
waters, blended of emerald and sapphire, and where the
track of the vessel throws out miUions of pearls and
diamonds, beneath the loveliest sky in the world, and
under the rays of a sun, which forms rainbows in the
sUvery spray of the wheels.
I know nothing comparable to this two hours' voyage,
upon this line of azure, drawn as the boundary between
two quarters of the world, — between Europe and Asia,
both in riew at the same time.
The Maiden's Tower soon comes into riew, with ite
clear, white outline, beautifully relieved against the deep
hue of the waters ; — Scutari and Top-Han6, appear in
tum. Above Top-Hane, the Tower of Galata rears it
green, conical roof; and on the reverse of the hiU, spread
the stone raansions of the Europeans, and the coloured
wooden-houses of the Turks.
Here and there, some white minaret rears its mast-
Uke spire ; tufts of dark green are visible around ; the
massive structures of the foreign legations, display thefr
fronte ; and the great cemetery, shows its screen of cy-

350 CONSTANTINOPLE.
press ; against which, stand relieved the artUlery bar
racks and the military college. Scutari — the Tower of
Gold (Chrysopolis) — presente an appearance very sirailar.
The dark trees of the cemetery, there, also, serve as a
back-groimd for the bright-coloured houses aud snow-
white mosques. On both sides, Life has Death imme
diately in its rear ; and each town encircles iteelf with a
suburb of tombs ; — this association, however, as is so
constantly remarked, not in the least disturbing the placid
fatalism of the Orient.
On the European coast, Schiragan soon coraes in sight
. — a palace, built by the late Mahmoud, in European style,
-vvith a classic front, like that of the Chamber of Deputies
(in the centre of the gable of which, appears the cj'pher
of the Sultan, in letters of gold), and two ^rings, sup
ported by Doric columns, of Grecian marble.
I confess that, in the East, I prefer the Arabic or
Turkish architecture ; although this large pile of building,
the white staircase of which descends to the sea, produces
a flne effect. In front of the palace, a splendid caique,
with awning of purple, and enriched with gilding and
colours, and bearing on the poop a silver bird, awaited the
coming of the Sultan.
Opposite, beyond Scutari, extends a long line of sum
mer palaces, shaded by arbutus, ash, and plane trees ;
and, despite their closely-trellised windows, recalling
rather the pleasure-house than the prison ; and, bathing
their feet, as it were, iu the water, seem horaes of luxury
and tranquil ease.
Between Dalma-Baktche and Beschik-Tasch, rises the
Venetian front of the new palace, in progress of building,
by the Sultan, of which I have already given a particular
description. If it be not in the pm-est architectural
taste, it is, at least, a palace worthy of a Kalif, weary

THE BOSPHORUS. 35J[
of the regular orders of building, and resolved to make
his home in a gigantic bijou of marble, wrought in
filigree. Dalma-Baktehg was called, in olden time, Jasonion ;
for Jason landed there with his Argonaute, in his expedi
tion in search of the Golden-fleece.
The steamer ran close to the European shore, where
the landing-places are frequent ; and, in passing Beschik-
Tasch, we could see, in the cafl, the smokers squatting in
their treUised stalls, overhanging the water.
We soon left behind, Orta-Kieui and Kourou-Tchesme,
which border the sea ; and beyond which rise, in gentle
undulations, hills, decked with trees, with gardens, houses,
and rillages, of the loveliest aspect. From one village to
the other, extends a quay, not interrupted by palaces and
sumraer residences. The Sultana- Valida, the sisters of
the Sultan, thc Viziers, Ministers, Pashas, and other high
personages, have erected there charming habitations,
with a perfect idea of the Orientel " comfortable ;" which,
although not like the English " comfortable," is,, never
theless, what it styles iteelf.
These palaces are mostly built of wood, with the
exception of the columns, which are wrought, ordinarily,
out of a single block of marble, of Marmora, or taken from
the ruins of some ancient building. But, despite the
material of these houses, they are exceedingly elegant,
with their projecting roofs, thefr balconies, and recesses ;
thefr kiosks and arbours, their treUised paviUons and
terraces, adomed with vases and fountains.
In the middle of the lattices of cedar, which guard the
windows of the apartmente reserved for the women, are
round openings, like those made in the curtain of a
theafre, and through which the actors riew the spectators.
It is by these openings, that, seated upon their carpets or

352 CONSTANTINOPLE.
ottomans, the indolent belles can see passing (without
themselves being seen) the vessels, the steam-boate, and
the caiques, while they amuse themselves by eating mastic,
to enhance the whiteness of their teeth.
A narrow quay of granite, fonning a sort of terrace,
separates these houses fi-om the sea. In passing them,
the voyager feels himself seized, in his own despite, with
a vague desire to do like Hassan, the hero of Alfred de
Musset ; and " throw his cap over the miU" to adopt the
fez, and " turn Turk."
Near Arhaout-Keui, the water of the Bosphorus boUs
like a kettle, by reason of the rapid current. The blue
stream rushes, with arrowy swiftness, past the stones of
the quay; and there, vigorous as are thefr embrowned
arms, the caidjis feel the oars give in their hauds, Uke the
stick of a fan ; and if they essay to resist the imperious
current, the oars snap like glass. The Bosphorus is fall
of currents, the dfrection of which varies greatly, and
which give it more the appearance of a river, thau of an
arm of the sea.
When one reaches the point above described, a cord
is thrown to the shore, three or four men pull at it, like
horses ; and, bending thefr strong shoulders to the work,
haul the boat along, its bow forming a Une of white foam
in its contact with the swift current.
This rapid passed, the oars are resumed, and the boat
glides easily over still water. At foot of the houses, may
often be seen groups of three or four Tui-kish women,
seated beside their children ; while upon the quay some
Greek girls walk, holding each other by the hand, and
glancing curiously atthe European traveUers ; men pass on
horseback, and flgures are not wanting in the landscape.
I remarked, as peculiar, some of the old Armenian
houses, painted black — that colom- having been formerly

THE BOSPHOEUS, 353
obligatory, the Ught colours being reserved to the Turks,
and the antique, or blood-red, to the Greeks. But now,
every one can paint his house what colour he pleases,
except green — the colour of Islam, of the hadjis, and
descendants of the Prophet.
Upon the Asiatic coast, more wooded than that of
Europe, the -vUlages, palaces, and kiosks, succeed each
other, perhaps, a little less closely ; but still very near.
There are Kous-Goundjouk, Starros, Beylerbey, Yani-
Keui, and, opposite to Babec, " the Sweet-waters of
Asia" (Guyuck-Sou).
A charming fountain of white marble, surmounted
with crescents, and adorned with sculpture and gilding,
is risible from the sea, and indicates to the passenger the ¦
locaUty of this favourite resort of the Osmanlis. An ex
tensive lawn, covered with velvet tu^f, and studded with
spreading beech-frees, planes, and sycamores, is crowded
(especially on Fridays) with arabas and talikas ; and, upon
thefr Smyrna carpets, lounge the peerless beauties of the
harem. Blaek eunuchs, switching thefr white trousers with the
whip which is thefr badge of office, walk among the
groups, watching for any furtive glance, or covert sign of
intelligence, made by any of thefr fafr wards ; and, above
aU, watching if any accursed Giaour is seeking to penefrate
from afar the mystery of the yachmack or feredgfe. Some
times, the women fasten shawls to the boughs of trees, and
rock thefr infante in these improvised hammocks ; others
amuse themselves with comfitures or iced-water; and some,
again, smoke narghUes or cigarettes — aU chattering, or
abusing the Frankish women, who are so brazen as to
show thefr imcovered faces, and walk in the streete among
men. Farther on, some Bulgarian peasante perform thefr

354 CONSTANTINOPLE.
national dances, in hope of a gratuity ; cawadjis prepare
their coffee in the open air ; Israelites, with robes divided
at the side and turbans spotted with black, offer sniall
wares to the passers-by, with that servile air which belongs
to the Eastem Jews, always crushed beneath the fear of
extortion ; and caidjis, on the verge of the quay, sit smok
ing, with legs hanging over the water, while they keep
watch upon their boats, with one corner of an eye.
It were too long a task to describe all the villages
which follow, and which greatly resemble each other. It
is always a line of coloured wooden houses, like those of
the Nuremberg toys, stretching along the line of the quay,
or plunging their foundations actually into the water;
while the hills, rising in gentle slopes behind, form a soft
and harmonious back-ground.
At certain parts ofthe stream, are placed, upon perches,
a sort of hen-coops, of stra'nge construction, in which the
fishermen watch the passage of the shoals of fish, and ascer
tain the proper moment for throwing or drawing their nets.
It sometimes happens that they fall asleep upon their
perch, and tumble head-foremost into the water, waking,
only to be drovmed.
And now, the two shores approach each other con
siderably. It was here, that Darius caused his army to cross, on
thefr expedition against the Scythians, upou a bridge
erected by Mandrocles of Samos. Seven hundred thou
sand men passed there ; a gigantic assemblage of the
hordes of Asia, of exotic types with strange arras, and
supplied with a cavalry, blended with elephanta and camels.
Upon two stone pillars, erected at the bridge-head, were
engraved the list of the nanies of the different nations
marching in the train of Darius. These colurans rose
where now stands the castle of Guzeldjfe-Hissar, con-

THE BOSPHORUS. 355
sfructed by Bayezid-Ilderito, " Bajazet the thunderbolt
of war." —
Mandrocles, according to Herodotus, drew a picture of
this passage of the army, which he suspended in the tem
ple of Juno at Samos, his native place, with this inscrip
tion : " Mandrocles, having built a bridge upon the fishy
Bosphorus, dedicates the picture thereof to Juno. In exe
cuting this project of King Darius, Mandrocles acqufred
glory for the Samiotes, and obtained a crown."
The Bosphorus, at this point, is of about four hundred
toises in width ; and it is at this same place that have
crossed the Persians, the Goths, the Latins, and the Turks.
The invaders, whether coming from Europe or Asia, have
followed the sarae path. AU these grand out-pourings of
nations, have strearaed through the same channel, and
marched in the track of Darius.
The Castle of Europe — Roumeli-Hissar — named also
Bagas-Kcsen, or " cut-throat," makes a fine appearance on
the slope of the hill, with its white tovfrers and embattled
waUs. The three large towers, and the small one which
is near the sea, form, according to the Turkish character,
four letters, M. H. M. D., which make the name of the
founder, Mahoraet II. This architectural rebus, which
one would never guess, recalls the plan of the Escurial,
which represente the gridiron of Saint-La-wrence, iu whose
honour the monastery was erected.
The Castle of Europe is directly opposite to the Castle
of Asia, which I have already mentioned ; the two being
the guardians of the nanow channel.
Near Roumeli-Hissar is a cemetery, whose high, dark
cjrpresses and white tombs are mirrored in the blue waters ;
and which seems a charming spot to select for one's last
resting-place. The steamer, after passing Balte-Liman, Stereh, Yeni-

356 CONSTANTINOPLE.
keui, and Kalendar, stops at Therapia, a cliff whose name,
in the Greek, signifies " healing," and which, by the salu
brity of its atmosphere, justifies the appellation. It is
there that the English and French ambassadors have their
summer residences. In the pretty little bay which it
borders, Medea, retuming from Colchis with Jason, landed,
and unpacked the coffer, enclosing her magical drugs and
philtres ; and thence, says the legend, and not from its
salubrity, the place derived its ancient name oi Pharmaceus,
now transformed into Therapia.
It is a delightful locality. Its quay is bordered by
cafes, decorated with a luxury rare in Turkey, inns,
pleasure-houses, and gardens.
In the anchorage was moored the Chaptal, commanded
by M. Poultier, to whora I paid a visit, and who received
me with the invariable courtesy common to officers of the
navy. The palace of the French Embassy is a vast Turkish
pile of wood, having not the slightest architectural merit ;
but airy and commodious. Behind, rise terraced gardens,
planted with ancient trees of iraraense height, incessantly
shaken by the breezes of the Black Sea. From the high
est elevation, the view is magnificent. The coast of Asia
spreads before you the shady freshness of the Waters of
the Sultana, and in the distance rises the Mountain of
the Giant, where tradition places the bed of Hercules.
Upon the European shore, Buyuk-Dere displays its grace
ful curve ; and the Bosphorus, beyond Rouraeli-Kavak and
Anadoli-Kavak, stretches to the Cyanian Isles, and loses
itself in the Black Sea.
The white sails pass and repass, or go and come, in
the distance, like giant sea-birds ; and thought, like the
view, loses itself in infinity.

BUTUK-DEEE. 357

XXX.
BUTUK-DEEE.  S-WEEI-WATERS OF EUROPE.
BuTUK-DEEE, Seen from the terrace of Therapia, is one of
the most charming pleasure villages in the world. The
shore curves at this place, and describes a semi-circle,
into which the waters pour, to subside in gentle undulations
upon the beach. Elegant habitations (among which is
discernible the summer palace of the Russian Embassy)
rise upon the borders of the sea, at the foot of the hills
which form the channel of the Bosphorus. The rich mer
chante of Constantinople possess there country houses, to
whioh, every night, they are conveyed by steam-boat, to be
re-conveyed to their places of business every^ morning.
Upon the terrace of Buyuk-Dere, after sunset, the
Greek and Armenian ladies, superbly dressed, promenade.
The lights of the caf6s and the houses blend in the water
with the silvery wake of the moon and the reflections of
the stars. A breeze, laden with perfume and freshness,
sighs gently, and waves the air like a fan moved by the
invisible hand of Night. Orchestras of Hungarian musi
cians give to the echoes the waltzes of Strauss ; and the
bulbul sings the poera of his loves with the rose, hidden
beneath the tufts of the myrtles.
After a day of heat, the frame, re-animated by this
balmy air, feels a delicious sense of being ; and it is with
regret, that one retires to rest.
The hotel recently opened at Buyuk-Dere (and rendered

358 CONSTANTINOPLE,
necessary by the number of visitors), is well kept. It has
a large garden, in which the branches of a superb plane-tree
expand themselves, among the boughs ofwhich is established
a little bower, wherein I took my breakfast, shaded by a
parasol of leaves. As I was admiring the size of this tree,
I was told, that, in a plain at the end of the chief street of
the village, was another, much more enormous, and known
as " the plane-tree of Godfrey de Bouillon."
1 went to see it, and at first glance, I seemed to behold
rather a forest than a tree. The trunk, coraposed of an ag
glomeration of seven or eight stems, resembles a tower,
dilapidated in parts ; enormous roots, like giant serpents
half hidden in the ground, creep upon the soil ; and the
boughs have more the air of horizontal trees, than of mere
branches. In its sides gape black caverns formed by decay,
in which the herdsmen sit, as in a gi-otto, and make fires
there, without disturbing the giant tree more than do the
insects that crawl upon its bark. It is majestically pic
turesque, with its monstrous masses of foliage, over which
centuries have glided like drops of rain ; and which have
seen outspread beneath their shade, the tents of heroes sung
by Tasso, in his " Jerusalem Delivered."
But do not let us abandon, ourselves to poetry. See,
here, the history, which comes, as usual, to contradict the
tradition. The learned declare that Godfrey de Bouillon never en
camped beneath this tree, and they bring, for proof, a pas
sage from Anna Commenus, a contemporary of the facts,
which certainly destroys the legend. But, nevertheless.
Count Raoul established his camp at Buyuk-Dere, with other
Latin Crusaders ; and the people subsequently gave to the
tree the name of Godfrey de Bouillon, which, in their
minds, was specially identified with the whole crusade.

BUYUK-DEEE. 359
Be this as it may, the millennial tree is ever there, full
of nests and of sunbeams, seeing the years fall at its feet
like leaves ; itself, from century to century, more firm and
raore colossal ; while the winds of the desert have long
since scattered, among the sands, the impalpable ashes of
the Crusaders.
The Charlemagne was moored at Therapia, in front of
the French Embassy ; and on this night the Ambassador
gave an entertainment to the crevv, composed of some twelve
hundred men. The sailors had arranged a theatrical per
formance in the gardens of the Embassy, which they enacted
with surpassing skill, to the great amusement^of their fellow-
sailors, and a numerous audience of Europeans, either
residents or belonging to the other Legations.
The weather was lovely ; and, after the entertainment,
1 resolved to return, that very night, to Constantinople, in
a caique with two pairs of oars, manned by two robust
Arnaouts. Although it was ten o'clock when 1 started, I
could see perfectly, and in faith better than in London at
mid-day. It vvas not a night, but a softened day, of incon
ceivable purity and transparency. I established myself in
the stern of my caique, with my paletot buttoned to the
throat, — for the dew fell in fine silvery drops, like the
nocturnal tears of the stars, and the bottom of the boat was
quite damp.
My Arnaouts had thrown jackets over their striped
shirts, and we commenced the descent of tbe stream. The
caique, aided by the current and impelled by four vigorous
arms, flew along almost as rapidly as a steamer, amid the
luminous trembling of the water. The hills and capes of
the shore threw large shadows across the silvery surface of
the waves ; lights burned here and there, on board ships at
anchor, or in the distant windows of the villages. No noise

360 CONSTANTINOPLE.
¦was heard, but the measured breathing of the caidjis, the
rythmical movement of the oars, the ripple of the water,
and an occasional distant barking of some awakened dog.
From time to time, a meteor would shoot across the
heavens, and die away like a rocket. The milky way un
rolled its zone of white, with a brightness and definiteness
of outline unknown in the misty nights of the North ;
the stars shone, even in the wake of the moon. It was a
marvel of tranquil magnificence, and serene splendour.
In contemplating this vault of lapis-lazuli, I could not
but ask, " Why is the sky so splendid, when the world is
asleep ; and why do the stars not rise, but at the hour
when all eyes are closed ? " This fairy-like illumination is
seen by no one. It is displayed only for the nyctalopic
eyes of owls, bats, and cats. Does the Divine Decorator
despise the world, that He doea not display His most mag
nificent pictures until the spectators have retired ? This is
not flattering to human pride ; but then the earth is only
a speck, a grain of seed, lost in the immensity of space ;
and, as Victor Hugo says, " the normal state of the sky
is night." One o'clock had struck, when my boat grazed the land
ing at Top-Han6. I lighted my canterio, and climbed the
deserted streets, until I gained my apartment, in the Great
Field of Pera, — exhausted but delighted.
The next~day, I visited " The Sweet-waters of Europe,"
at the extremity of the Golden-Horn. Passing the thin
bridges of boats (the last of which has been lately built by
a wealthy Armenian, at his own charge), I cleared the docks
of the naval arsenal, — where, upon stocks, hung suspended
carcasses of ships, like skeletons of mammoths or whales,
and, going between Eyoub and Pein-Pasha, I soon entered

THE SWEET-WATERS OF EUROPE. 361
the archipelago of low islands which divide the embouchure
of the Gydaris and Barbyses, united a little before they fall
into the sea.
Some herons and swans, their beaks upon their wings,
and one foot held up against their breasts, looked at us with
a friendly air as we passed ; gulls flapped our faces with
their wings, and hawks described circles above our heads.
As we advance, the murmur of Constantinople dies away,
and solitude begins : the country succeeds to the town by
an insensible transition.
The Sweet-waters of Europe are more especially fre
quented during the winter. The Sultan has a kiosk there,
with artificial waters and cascades, bordered by charming
pariUons, in Turkish style. Thia residence was built by
Mahmoud ; but as it ia scarcely ever inhabited, and not
kept in repair, it has suffered greatly from neglect, and ia
almost in ruins.
The canal overflows, and the disjointed stones allow the
water to escape, while parasitical plants blend vvith the ara
besques of the walls. It is said that Mahmoud, having
built this charming nest for a favourite odalisque, refused
again to visit it, after an early death had taken her from
him. Since that time, a veil of melancholy appears to hang
over thia deserted palace, buried in masses of sycamores,
beeches, and plane-trees, which almost hide it from the eye
of the traveller, like the thick forest that surrounds the cha
teau of the Sleeping Beauty of the Wood ; and the weeping-
willows drop aadly into the water their tears of foliage.
On that particular day, there was no visitor but myself,
and after wandering for a time beneath the trees, I paused
at a little cafl to take some youarth (milk-curd) and
a morsel of bread — a frugal repast, of -which I stood in
great need.

362 CONSTANTINOPLE.
In place of returning in my caique, I took a horse, and
retraced my way by Pein-Pasha, Haas-Keui, and Kassim-
Pasha, towards San-Demetri, the Greek village near the
Great Cemetery of Pera ; and, following vast naked fields, I
arrived at Ock-Meidani, which one would take, at a dis
tance, for a cemetery, so thickly is it studded with a mul
titude of small columns of marble.
It is, however, merely the place where the Sultans used
to practise throwing the djerid; and these little monuments
are to mark the spots of extraordinarily successful casts.
They are very simple, and have for ornament only an in
scription, or sometiraes only a star of brass, on the summit.
The djerid is fallen into disuse, and the most modem of
these columna are already old. The old customs disappear,
and will soon be only remembrances.
Seventy-two days have elapsed since I reached Constan
tinople, and I know its every street and corner. Doubtless,
this is a very short time in which to study the character
and manners of a nation, but it is enough to seize the pic
turesque physiognomy of a city ; and that was the sole
object of my visit.
Life is walled-in in the East ; religious prejudices and
old habits oppose all attempts to penetrate its mysteries ;
the language is unacquirable, except by a study of seven or
eight years ; and one is forced to be contented with a view
of the external panorama. A few weeks' prolongation of
my sojourn, would have gained me no advantage ; and,
besides this, I began to have a longing once more for pic
tures,- statues, and works of art. The everlasting bal masque
of the streets had began to weary me. I had seen enough
of veils ; I wished to see a few faces.
This mystery, which at firat occupies the imagination.

THE SWEET-WATERS OF EUEOPE. 363
becomes fatiguing at length, particularly when one finds
that the veil is really impenetrable. Tou soon cease to
think of it, and throw only absent glancea upon the phan
toms which glide past you. .Ennui gains upon you, despite
the Frankish society of Pera ; which, although compoaed
of most worthy people, is not altogether amusing, particu
larly for a poet.
I therefore secured a cabin on board the Austrian vessel
the Imperatore, to go to Athens (by correapondence with
Syra), visit Corinth, the Gulf of Lepanto, Patroa, Corfu, the
Mountain of the Chimera, and reach Trieste by coasting the
shores of the Adriatic.
I see already, in imagination, shining upon the rock of
the Acropolis, the white colonnade of the Parthenon, with
ite interstices of azure ; and the minarets of Saint-Sophia
give me no more pleasure. My spirit, turned towards another
goal, was no longer impressed by the surrounding objects.
I departed ; and yet, although glad to depart, I took
one last look at Conatantinople, disappearing on the verge
of the horizon, with that indefinable feeling of regret which
presses upon the heart, when one quite a spot which he may
probably never more behold.

X 2

861 CONSTANTINOPLE.

NOTE.

The following description of an "Eastern bath," forms so ad
mirable a corollary to the brief account given by the Author,
(pp. 241-244), that I am tempted to append it.
It is from a translation of M. Alexander Dumas' admirable
" Travels in Egypt and Arabia Petrcea," never published in this
country, but charmingly rendered, some years since, by a
highly accomplished American lady. — Teans.
" The next morning I presented myself at the baths, the
moment they were opened. After the mosque, the bath is the
finest embellishment of Oriental cities. The one to which I
was conducted, is a vast ediflce of simple architecture, and
neatly ornamented. At the entrance is a large vestibule, having
rooms on the right and left for the reception of cloaks, and, in
the rear, a door hermetically closed. Through this door you
pass into a room warmer than the surrounding atmosphere, and
from this (as I afterwarda learned) you may reti-eat, if you
choose ; but put your foot in one of the adjoining closets, and
you are no longer your own master. Two attendants seize
you, and, for the time, you are the property of the establish
ment. Much to my surprise, this was my predicament. I had
scarcely entered a closet, when two strong men, belonging to
the bath, laid hold of me ; and, in an instant, 1 was stripped to
the skin.
" One of them then passed a linen shawl around my waist,
while the other buckled on my feet a gigantic pair of clogs,
which at once made me a foot taller. This mode of shoeing
not only rendered flight impossible, but, by its clumsy elevation,
desfroyed my equilibi-ium ; and I should inevitably havc fallen,
had not the two men supported me on either side. I was fairly
caught. I could not retreat, and therefore suffered them to
lead me whither they would.
" We passed into another room. Here, whatever mightbe

NOTE. ' 365
my resignation, the vapour and heat stifled me. I thought
that my guides had mistaken the way, and turabled we into an
oven, I tried to shake them off, — but my resistance was an
ticipated. Besides, I was in no condition for a frial of sfrength,
and Was obliged to confess myself vanquished.
" In a few moments, I was astonished at perceiving that, as
the perspiration poured from me, my lungs began to dilate,
and my respfration returned. In this state, I passed through
five or six room ; the heat of which increased so rapidly, that I
began to believe man had, for flve thousand years, mistaken his
proper element, and that his appropriate destiny was boiling
or roasting. At last we came to the furnace. Here, the fog
was so dense, that I could not see two steps before me ; and the
heat so entirely insupportable, that I partly fainted.
" I shut my eyes, and resigned myself to my guides in utter
helplessness. After leading, or rather carrying, me a few steps
further, they took off my girdle, unhooked my clogs, and ex
tended me, half swooning, on something like a marble table, in
the middle of the apartment.
" Here, again, I soon became accustomed to the infemal at
mosphere. I prudently took advantage of the gradual return
of my faculties, and looked about me.
" With my other senses, my sight revived ; and, despite the
fog, I made out, with tolerable accuracy, the surrounding
objects. " My tormentors seemed to have forgotten me for a moment :
they were busy at one side of the room. I lay in the centre of
of a large square saloon, incrusted to the height of five or six
feet with variously-coloured marbles; A series of spouts threw
out, incessantly, streams of smoking water, which, falling npon
the pavement beneath, glided thence into four basins, like
cauldrons, at the four comers of the room. On the surface of
the water in these basins, was an indefinite number of bald
heads, bobbing about, and expressing, by the most grotesque
contortions of face, various degrees of feUcity.
"This spectacle so occupied my attention, that I scarcely
heeded the return of my masters.

366 CONSFANTINOPLF.
" They came, however ; one with a large wooden bowl of
soap-suds, the other with a ball of fine hemp.
" Suddenly, one of the rascals inundated my face and neck
with his suds J and tbe other, seizing me by the shoulder,
rubbed, most furiously, my face and breast with his hemp.
" This treatment, and the pain induced by it, were so per
fectly intolerable, that all my powera of resistance and resent
ment waked at once. I bolted upright, kicked my hempen
fl-iend half across the room, and planted my fist in the face
of soap-suds, with such good will, that he lay sprawling on the
floor. Then, knowing of no other remedy for the soap (which
was blistering my skin), I drew a straight line for the basin
that seemed the most inhabited, and boldly plunged in.
"I had misjudged. The remedy was worse thaa the
disease. Before, my face and neck were cauterised ; now, my
whole body was scalded : the water was boiUug ! I yelled
with pain ; I sprang on and over my neighbours, who could not
comprehend my case ; and got out of the tub almost as rapidly
as I got in. However, I was not rapid enough to escape the
effect of my immersion ; my body was as red as a lobster ! I
was stupified ! I must be dreaming, or riding a night-mare ;
yet there was no deception. Here, under my very eyes, were
men stewing in a bath of whioh I had tried the temperature,
who evidently took great delight in the opeiation. What
could it mean ? My notions of pleasure and pain had became
confused. They could enjoy what to me was agony! I once
more resolved to resign myself to fate. I doubted my own
judgment. I distrusted ray own senses. I determined o"-ain
to submit to my tormentors.
"They came, haring recovered from my assault. I fol
lowed them without resistanoe to another basin. They made
signs to me to descend the steps. I obeyed, and found myself
in water of about 100° Fahrenheit. This seemed to me tem
perate. From this I passed to another of a higher tempera
ture, but still supportable. I remained in it, as in the first,
about three minutes. I then proceeded to the fom-th, where I
commenced my hellish apprenticeship. I approached it with

NOTE. 367
the greatest repugnance, but I liad made up my mind to go
through with my deaperate adventure. I first dipped my toes
in tho water ; it wns hot, cerl ainly, but not so scalding a
before. I gradually immersed my whole body, nnd was sur
prised to flnd it endurable. In a few seconds, I thought no
more of it, — though, I am confident, the heat of the water
must have reached 140° or 150°. When I emerged, my skin
had changed from the lobster scarlet to a deep crimson.
"My attendante now again took me in hand. They re
placed the linen round my waist, bound a, shawl on my head,
and led me back through the rooms by which I hnd entered
(taking care to add to my covering at each change of atmo
sphere), until I arrived at the chamber where I was so uncere
moniously stripped. Here I found a good carpet nnd pillow.
My turban and girdle were taken off, I was enveloped in a
large woollen gown, laid down like an infant, and left alone.
"I had now an indefinable feeling of comfort. I was per
fectly happy ; yet so exhausted that when the door waa opened,
half an hour after, I had not changed my position by the
movement of a finger or a muscle.
" The new comer was a heavy and well-set Arab. He ap
proached my couch as if he had some buainess with me.
" I looked on him with a sort of dread, very natural to a man
who had passed such an ordeal as I have described ; bnt I
was too weak to attempt to rise. He took my left hand,
cracked all ite joints, and did the same to the right. After my
brands, he administered upon my feet and knees ; and, to finish
tbe matter, he dexterously threw me into the position of a
gudgeon to be broiled ; and gave me the ' coup de grace,' by
cracking the vertebraj of my spine I I screamed with terror ;
thinking my backbone was broken, to a certainty. My mas
seur then kneaded my arms, legs, and thighs, for a quarter of
an hour, and left me, I was weaker than ever ; mj- joints all
pained me, and I had not strength sufficient to cover myself
with the carpet. A servant now brough^?ine coffee, pastilles,
and a pipe, and left me to intoxicate myself with perfume and
tobacco. I passed half an hour in a drowsy state, lost in thc

368 CONSTANTINOPLE.
vagaries of a delicious inebriation, experiencing a feeUng of
happiness before unknown, and entertaining a supreme indif
ference to every (absent) earthly thing. I was awakened from
this by a barber, who shaved me, and combed my whiskers and
moustache. Next, my Arab returned, to whom I made signs
that I wished to depart. He brought me my clothes, assisted
me in my toilette, and led me to the chamber opening on the
vestibule, where I found my cloak. The cost of this entertain
ment, which lasted three hours, was a piastre and a half, or
about fivepence English.''

IIENEY VIZETELLY, PRINTER AND BNOEATEE, GOUGU SOUAaR, FLEET Sl-RKET.

This preservation copy
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Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc.,
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(OO) 1999

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