or more days. Instances have indeed been known, when they have taken advantage of a leading breeze and dashed through, at the hazard of being sunk by the fire of the castles. It is not often however, that the rash experiment is made.

Towards evening, the rain which had continued during several days, gave place to a clear sky; and though the wind was light, our little bark got under weigh, and by the aid of the current, soon floated past the Seraglio. Whenever a vessel or boat belonging to Ray. ahs doubles this point, every head is required to be uncovered of shawls and umbrellas, so that nothing but the appointed calpac of the subject, or the hat of the foreigner, may be visible. Several times when coming to town from Prinkipos in a drenching rain, I have been necessitated to furl my umbrella with the rest of the company. Not that I was greatly disposed to submit to such a servile mark of homage, but I yielded from motives of humanity. Had I refused to conform to the custom, the reis or master of the boat, would probably have atoned for the neglect by the bastinado. While still at a considerable distance, the boatmen, or some passenger who is acquainted with the regulation, cries out—ỏ Baocheus, ở Gordanos the king, the sultan.” Immediately there is a bustling among the company; the shawls with which both men and women shelter their heads from the heat or cold, are laid aside, and a general clamor is raised against any individual, who delays compliance. At the cancellaria, where on landing in Galata, all are required to report themselves, and present their tescarees, a surly Turk stood with his stick, to see that every one left his shoes at the When I wore the Turkish shoes, or the streets

were unusually dirty, I conformed to the usage by slipping off the outer pair. At other times, I followed the example of the Franks, and paid the porter a few paras, rather than walk in my stockings only. It is not an unreasonable requisition with their fashion of double shoes, filthy streets, carpets, and divan, on which they sit with their feet under them. All customs of an indifferent nature, the missionary should readily comply with after the example of the apostle, who became "all things, to all men: to the Jew, became as Jew, if by any means he might save some." At first, when I entered into the presence of the chancellor, I was in the habit of uncovering my head, but I soon learned to avoid so great an oriental incivility.

As the current drifted us almost against the walls of the Seraglio, and as our vessel bore the Russian banner, I very unceremoniously, climbed one of the masts, to take a farewell view of the residence of the Sultan. From this elevation I was enabled to look down upon his outer garden, and indeed to have a very tolerable sight of the principal buildings within these limits of the ancient Byzantium. Both buildings and trees are scattered about with little regard to order, and in point of convenience as well as beauty, the whole seemed scarcely superior to the establishments of a hundred private gentlemen in Europe and America. A new structure was erecting in the lower garden, intended apparently for a mosque, and various repairs were making upon the other buildings. At a distance, on the summit of the highest hill delightfully situated in the centre of the Seraglio, I discovered a youth richly dressed, walking leisurely upon one of the terraces. This was not improbably Abdul Mechid, the heir ap

parent of the Ottoman empire. A crumbling, or at least, a disputed sceptre, one would think no very enviable inheritance in prospect.

Amidst many contradictory accounts, the following appears to be the truth respecting the male descendants of the almost extinguished house of Othman. The oldest son of the reigning Sultan, Mahmoud II., died a few years since, as some say, by fire, and others, by disease. Others again report that he has been carried off, and secreted by the Janissaries. During my residence at Constantinople there have been great rejoicings on occasion of the birth of the only surviving brother of Prince Abdul, who is of course now not a year old. In case this family become extinct, it is said, though I cannot vouch for the authority, that there are prominent candidates for the throne. These are to be found in the sacred Tartar families, who not many years ago, on being driven by the Russians from their native land, found an asylum in the northern provinces of European Turkey. Whether there be any besides those who sprung from the ancient sovereigns of the Krimea, and who claim descent from Genghis Khan, I am unable to say.*

By degrees the entrance of the Bosphorus has closed upon us, and the suburbs of Galata, Pera and Scutari have disappeared. The far-famed beauties of this

*The youngest son has since died. The daughters of the Sultan are sometimes married to the Pashas of the provinces, but seldom are in a situation to acquire much political influence. Should ever the regular line of male descendants be broken, it is probable that aspirants to the Caliphate would imitate the founders of the dynasty, in placing their chief reliance on the sword,

Mohammedan capital; the massive gilded domes of its royal mosques, surrounded by their four tall columnshaped minarets; the groves of cypresses rising amidst low dark colored dwellings, all have melted away into one indistinct view. Alas! for thee, thou Nineveh of the west! Thou too hast thy six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left. But will thy proud monarch arise from his throne, and lay aside his robe, and cover himself with sackcloth and sit in ashes! And will thy people believe in God, and "turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands?”

From the contemplation of objects without, I turn now to make enquiry respecting the companions of my voyage, who have been for some time watching the movements of my pen. Besides the crew of eighteen Greek sailors, and two passengers under Frank protection, there have come forth from their hiding places, five Greeks without passports. One of them is a priest, whose looks still shew how much he has suffered through fear of falling into the hands of the Turks. He informs me, that he has received of our tracts when on a visit at Prinkipos. Another of the fugitives is a female, who is going down to join her husband at Andros. For some time, the desire of emigration to the Archipelago has been so great, that no tescarees, or passports have been granted for Greek women to come from Asia up to the capital, lest their families should there unite and escape to Greece. So natural and so operative is the sentiment, "Where liberty dwells, there is my country." Russian vessels enjoy peculiar advantages for conveying away these people, since according to treaty, they are not liable

to search like those of other nations. There are hundreds also who pass clandestinely to Greece in Ionian vessels, and still more in those of the independent Greeks, which under various foreign flags, are extensively engaged in the commerce of the Black Sea.

During the weeks of suspense which I have now spent in Pera, there have been rumors of serious dissensions existing between the Sultan and the Divan. The report was again revived that the former wished to blot out the name of Christian from his empire. But though the females of the family have several times been thrown into a panic at the alarm of a rebellion actually begun in the city, we ourselves felt no serious apprehensions. We could not but observe indeed, the feverish state of feeling manifested by all classes of people. Even the Turks looked with unwonted curiosity on the hurried step and anxious manner of the Christians. Yet the strong military force put it out of the power of the populace to rise without the instigation of the government. As for the doubling of the guards, and the stationing of a new regiment near the British palace, this seemed evidence of a disposition to prevent rather than to promote disorder. And if, as some predicted, the subjects of the three obnoxious powers should be thrown into the castle of the Seven Towers, it seemed likely to be done without tumult.

With these views of the political prospects, we did not hesitate to spend our days in visiting the city and its environs. On Friday, we followed the multitude to see the Sultan in his weekly attendance at the mosques. My more zealous companion by pressing forward too eagerly among the guards, received a