pipes were brought: the visit lasted about a quarter of an hour, during which the conversation turned on the pleasures of sporting, and the prince proposed a party for the following morning. He was attended by about fifty armed desperadoes who formed his guard, one of which carried before him a golden axe, at once emblematical of his wealth and power. Coffee and pipes were proposed to his Royal Highness, who preferred a tumbler of rum, which he drank off with great relish. The morning was damp and somewhat rainy; the sport was indifferent, few birds or beasts being taken Osman Oglu grew wearied of the pursuit, and left the field. Constantinople presents an appearance of more extensive commerce than it actually enjoys: the port, and indeed the whole of the canal from the mouth of the Hellespont to the entrance of the Black Sea, is filled with ships of different nations. But the fact is that they are compelled to stop, first in their passage to the Black Sea for a bill of health, and on their return for a tescare or order to pass the castle at the Dardanelles. The trade of Constantinople, though limited in comparison with that of Smyrna, is more advantageously conducted. At the former city the merchant receives his settlement in cash at the end of four or five months. At Smyrna he can rarely get an account settled in less than two or three years, although the goods are nominally sold at a credit of three or six months; and after all, it is but seldom that funds can be withdrawn from Smyrna, except in produce. The principal articles of import trade at Constantinople aretin, tin-plates, shalloons, cloth, cotton goods, cotton-yarn, indigo, cochineal, dye-woods, pepper, vitriol, rum, sugar, arms, cutlery, watches, jewels, rabbit-skins, glass, ANN. REV. VOL VII. and furniture. The Turks make great use of tinned dishes, and their current money is deeply alloyed with that metal: the consumption oftin for one year at Constantinople is about 400 barrels. Cloth has a very extensive sale, but it is principally the manufacture of France and Germany. Thus it is with muslins: immense quantities are brought from India and Ger-, many on cheaper terms than the British manufacturer can afford them. The consumption of cottontwist amounts to more than 300 bales in a year, producing about 100,000l. sterling, all which is spun in Great Britain, but has been supplied by way of Germany, either through Triest, or by the Danube. The trade between Constantinople and Great Britain has very much diminished; indeed the whole commerce of the Turkish empire is dwindling away daily. At a period not far distant, the Turks had many articles for exportation, of which they have now scarcely a sufficiency to supply their own demands. Silk was formerly exported in considerable quantities; at present there is scarcely enough to supply the manufactories, and the article is at six times more than its former price. The fact is that export goods are farmed by rich governors and ministers, who themselves pay a miserable price for the article, and prohibit the sale to every one else: Silk is at present farmed by the Reis Effendi, or minister of foreign affairs. The necessaries of life are also scarce, and raised to an exorbitant price, being likewise farmed in every branch. An empire, like the Turkish, must nod and totter to its fall when the people are so ground down by oppression, when their nerve is so entirely unstrung as to have deprived them of all energy, all spirit of enterprize. The husbandman C of many articles, says Mr. Macgill, raises now only the quantity necessary to pay his tythes, for it is a maxim with the Aga and his people to make no allowance for a bad year. You have once paid tythes of an hundred, and if the following year you should have but that hundred, it must all be his. Well may he exclaim," how heart-breaking it is to see one of the finest countries in the world in a state of ruin and decay; villages depopulated, fruitful fields lying waste, the richest pastures unstocked, the mulberry cut down for fire-wood, and the vine left to grow wild: the husbandman is unable to gain a scanty pittance by his labour, the tythes being exacted with rigour and the produce farmed at prices no cultivator can afford." With respect to the public buildings of Constantinople, the manners and character of the Turks, their mode. of life, amusements, business, &c. we have so many accounts, that with the exception of a few anecdotes there can be but little novelty expected. Mr. Macgill is rather disposed to soften the Turkish character and relieve it from its degra dation but he is an unskilful advocate, accounting for the bad qualities of the Turks rather than offering a palliation of them. I must confess, he says, "that they are in some respects brutal, barbarous, and ferocious; but this arises from their religion, which absurdly makes them regard all those who are not Mussulmen as infidels; and from their having constantly under their eye," the subtle Jew and the perfidious Greek." That a Turk should call an unbeliever in Mahometan. infidel' is at any rate no more absurd than that a Christian should give the same denomination to an unbeliever in Christ. The Turkish mode of expression towards us, infidels in their religion, is sufficiently offensive to our ears, but indicates no worse feelings, and no more intolerance than the expressions we make use of towards them, or even which Christians who differ in some doctrinal points employ towards each other. Any one who has read such pamphleteers as Mr. Deputy Birch, or who has heard such speechifyers as Dr. Duigenan, when treating on the claims of the Catholics, will hesitate to give the palin of superior vulgarity, bitterness, and intolerance to the Turks, even though they denominate us Christian Dogs.' Mr. Macgill attended the English ambassador's audience with the Sultan, and is really angry at the lavish use of the word infidel applied to the suite: if he had been a believer in the Koran, there might have been some ground for his anger at a suspicion being cast upon the firmness of his faith, but to be accused of infidelity towards Mahomet ought surely to be no ground of offence to a Christian. The Turks, he says, are generous, humane, and charitable: slaves in Turkey are healthy and good looking; they are well fed and kindly treated." To the brute creation the Turks pay a foolish attention, and carry it even to the extreme of absurdity; of this, the innumerable quantity of dogs in their streets furnishes a striking example: each of these dogs belong to one particular person, but they are fed by all, and they seem to know that that the Turks are their friends, for they bark at, and molest every body else." From this fact alone one might be justified in inferring that a Christian dog is rather an expression of endearment than a term of reproach, since the dog is an animal for which the Turks have a peculiar fondness. To be sure, there are some strong grounds to suspect that the infidel Christian is not altogether so much a favourite as the faithful dog: Mr. Macgill tells us that it is dangerous to walk in the suburbs of Smyrna, for the recruits enlisted in the service of the Deys on the coast of Barbary, all armed and flushed with insolence and brandy, will let fly a bullet without any ceremony or provocation at the Christians. The Gulph of Smyrna abounding with fish, it is a favourite amusement to pass the night on the water: on these occasions, however, it is necessary to go armed, as a party of Turks would otherwise be very likely to come and take every fish away; and it is not at all an uncommon thing for them to fire at the Franks at random, when if the compliment is not returned, they will probably attack the boats. Among other animals which are great favourites among the Mahometans is the stork, which abounds in Turkey. These storks live upon vermin and reptiles, destroying locusts and snakes innumerable. They are domesticated, as in Holland; they are allowed to build their nests in the roofs of houses, and being unmolested are quite tame. Where it is not the fashion to eat snake-steaks or dried locusts, it is certainly very politic to hold sacred those animals which like such dainties better than we do; locusts and snakes, however, are very edible animals: the rattlesnake is thought a very good dish in North America, and Captain Cook surely it is who mentions the South Sea islanders as snake-eaters; there is a very good cut to be had from the Boa Constrictor. Locusts are such blasting plagues, that the legislator of those countries which they visit cannot do better than cultivate a taste for the flavour of them among the people. Mr. Hornemann, in his travels from Cairo to Moursouk, says, that dried locusts are a great Fezzan delicacy for himself, he had an idle prejudice and squeamishness about eating them at first, but he soon became fond of the dish. When eaten, the legs and wings of the insect are broken off and the inner part is scooped out; what remains has a flavour similar to that of red herrings, but more delicious. The following few particulars concerning the stork will interest the naturalist. "In shape and size they resemble a heron; the legs and the beak are red and very long, the body and neck pure white, and the wings jet black; notwithstanding this they appear very ugly birds. They pay an annual visit to Turkey: they arrive in vast numbers about the middle of March, and always in the night: they arrange their progress very systematically they send forward their scouts, who make their appearance a day or two before the grand army, and then return to give in their report, after which the whole body advance, and on its pas sage leaves, during the night, its detach ments to garrison the different towns and villages on their way. Early in October, they take their departure in the same manner, so that no one can tell from whence they come, or whither they go. They are known in the night time to leave all the villages, and have been seen none behind but those who, from infir in the air like immense clouds; they leave mity or accident, are unable to fly. A person who, at the season of their departure, was in the habit of coming from the interior, told me, that, on his journey the year preceding, he had seen thousands and hundreds of thousands of them near the banks of a river, and that they annnally assemble there, and when the general sees that his whole army is collected, he at a given moment sets them in motion, leaving a detachment, no doubt, to bring up the strag glers." Leaving storks, snakes, and locusts, let us return to the proud and silent Turk. The presentation of an English ambassador at the court of Constantinople is described by our traveller with great minuteness; we shall venture to transcribe it : the whole of the British at the time in Constantinople repaired to the palace of the Swedish envoy, where his Excellen cy our ambassador waited for them, to proceed to his audience with the Sultan: before six the whole procession was in motion; the ambassador was carried in a chair by six men in red robes, with high hairy caps on their heads; on each side of the chair walked one of his Excellency's armed attendants, namely, his hussar and his sportsman; the chair was followed by another, which was empty, and then by the secretaries, dragomen, and gentlemen and factor, who happened to be then in the country. "In this manner we proceeded to the water side at Tophana, where boats were provided for us by order of the Porte, to carry us across to the Golden Horn, where when we arrived, we found horses from the stud of the Sultan waiting to convey us to the seraglio: after some little ceremonies we again set forward for the Sublime Porte; before entering it, we all alighted, and proceeded onward between the gates; the outer and inner ones were then shut, and information was sent to the Divan, that an infidel ambassador was without, who wished to throw himself at the feet of the Great Sultan. "After a short time the inner gate was thrown open, and an exhibition truly novel presented itself; a great number of dishes of pillau and cakes of bread were strewed on the ground at appropriate distances, which, at a signal given, a troop of janizaries ran in in the nimblest manner, and carried off. On enquiry, I found that this grotesque spectacle was intended to shew to us infidels in what manner the Turkish troops are fed, and also how active they are. "At length we were permitted to advance, and after crossing an exterior court of the seraglio, arrived at the entrance of the divan, near the door of which were exposed on the ground the presents brought by the ambassador, in order to gain or secure the friendship of the Turks; amongst these were several pieces of fine cloth, some of rich silk, a table clock, and many other articles. "Here his Excellency presented his credentials to the Vizir, who by some gentlemen of the long robe sent them to the Sultan to know his pleasure. "The interval between this and the arrival of the answer was employed by us in examining and admiring the magnificence of the apartment in which we were, and which was richly gift and painted on the roof and columna; the floor was of variegated marble, around the room were sophas covered with costly stuff; in the middle of the side opposite the door, upon a cushion more elevated than the rest, sat the Vizir; over his head we observed the little window covered by a thick grating, at which it is said the Sultan sits to hear what passes on occasions of this kind. It was evident to perceive through the grating that some person sat there, but conjecture alone could lead us to conclude that it was Selim. "A gracious answer from the Sultan at length arrived, which was received with a shout of "Long live the King of Kings, Selim the Sultan of Sultans." Here every one arose, even his Highness the Vizir slipt from his throne, and met the bearer half way to the door; the order was delivered into his hands, he first kissed it, then placed it to his forehead, ki sed it again, and then, and not till then, presumed to break the seals; the order was to feed, wash, and clothe the infidels, and then admit them to his presence. In a short time, some liule stools were arranged in different parts of the divan, on the top of which were placed large trays of gold and silver, about four feet diameter, and of a circular form, from which we were to be fed at the expense of the Turks. A most sumptuous entertainment was served up; first, a kind of blancmanger, next, different kinds of roasted and baked meats; sweetmeats followed, and to conclude a delicious cooling sherbet was handed round in gold and silver ba, sons. "We experienced one grievous want at this feast, for we were not furnished either with knife or fork, and were obliged to tear in pieces whatever was set before us; for the articles of a liquid kind, spoons of tortoise-shell, studded with gold, were handed to us. "The eating part of the farce being over, perfumed water was poured on the hands of hts Excellency, and a napkin of rich embroidery was thrown to him to wipe them with; he was farther perfumed with aloes wood and ambergris. "The usual ceremony of paying the janizaries takes place in general after this part of the audience, but his Excellency had, I suppose, expressed himself uffici ently satisfied of the riches of the Sultan, and it was dispensed with. I happened to be in Constantinople at a former period, when two senators of Ragusa came to pay their tribute to the Porte, and was present at their audience, when the usual entertainments for the ambassadors, of paying the janizaries, was gone through, a description of which may perhaps amuse you On quitting the divan, the senators and suite were conducted to a place in the court immediately opposite to the door of it, where seats were prepared for their reception; the servants of the Porte then brought out a number of leathern purses, which were strewed on the ground, and suppos ed to contain the pay of one company; the colonel of the company then gave the word, upon which the men came running forward, snatched up the purses, and carried them to some other quarter, where they divided them; this they repeated again and again: at the audience of the Ragusans it lasted upwards of an hour and a half; at that of Lord Elgin, this farce continued some hours, when his Lordship, with just indignation, declared, that if it was not concluded immediately, he would return home." "We were now marched to a kind of open room under the piazzas, where coffee was served, and where the infidels were clothed in a manner suitable to their making their appearance before the sublime Sultan; this dress consisted of pelisses; that of his Excellency was lined with samour, worth no small sum; those for the secretaries were very good; the dragomen, who generally take care of themselves, having in some measure the arrangement of this part of the business, were served with a pelisse each, little inferior to that of the ambassador; the others were of trifling value. "To the presence of the Sultan only fourteen can be admitted, and they must be unarmed; so here his Excellency, and those who wore swords, unbuckled: we now passed to the gate of the second Court, where we encountered the first guard of eunuchs. This guard was composed of the ugliest monsters that ever wore the human form; their features were horrible, with the flesh depending from them; their faces were of the most deadly hue. Each infidel was now adorned with two eunuchs, who laid a paw on each shoulder, to signify when he was to bend before the King of Kings, and also to prevent outrage in his presence; in this manner we promenaded the second court, and were soon ushered into the august presence. "The Sultan was sitting on a bed, for his throne has the appearance of a large four-posted bed, indeed it is exactly of that shape; the posts were inlaid with precious stones; the cushion on which Selim sat was composed of a massy embroidery of pearls; before him stood his boots, beside him lay his sword, and some turbans of state with rich aigrettes in them. "Selim is a man of about forty-three years of age, his beard is become grisly, his countenance is attractive, the tout-ensemble of his physionomy benign; he never lifted his eyes, nor even gave a side glance; the ambassador made a polite speech to him, which the Prince Marwze, first dragoman at the Porte, translated to the Vizir, who repeated it to the Sultan; he made his reply in simple, kind, and elegant expressions; it was likewise spoken to the Vizir, who passed it to the prince, who then repeated it to the British Company's dragoman, and he to the ambassador. Our audience being finished, we turned to de part, still in our humiliating condition, like criminals; the Sultan, just as we were leaving the room, desired the dragoman to inform his Excellency, that he had ordered him a horse,which he hoped would turn out a good one: his excellency thanked him, and we departed. A strong guard of janizaries attended during the whole of the procession." The fate of Selim has been a hard one: as much of a reformer as Joseph II. or the Czar Peter, he conducted his improvements with was less capricious than either, and so much perseverance, energy, and skill, that Turkey itself seemed for a moment to be arrested from its imminent perdition by his wisdom. The entire administration of the |