by an introduction to this very beautiful representative of the much
talked-of, and far-famed, Turkish ladies.
Considering the rigid seclusion of eastern women at home, and the
ingenuity with which their apparel is contrived for concealing their
persons when abroad, I have reason to congratulate myself on my good
fortune in having seen so many.
[Sidenote: OTTOMAN EMPIRE.] _Wednesday, 12th._--I took a long ramble
to-day over hill and valley with Lord Ponsonby; during which we had a
very interesting conversation on the present position of this country.
The Sultan's future prospects were canvassed; but the opinions being
confidential, I cannot report them here. Thus far, however, I am at
liberty to observe, that to me they appeared sound, judicious, and
suited to the exigency. His plan for the maintenance of the Turkish
empire may not suit Lord Grey's views; but it is the best, and must
inevitably be adopted, now, or at some future period. I, however,
believe, that, when it comes to the "_ultima ratio regum_" with Russia,
which will be sooner or later, Austria will forsake her quondam ally;
that is, if France and England go hand in hand: Persia will rise in
arms; her southern provinces will probably rebel; Poland will again
revive; and the great empire fall to pieces. But I will say no more; for
my own ideas appear so identified with those confided to me, that, in
giving them utterance, I might unconsciously betray a trust, and make
known that which, for the present, ought to be a secret.
_Thursday, 13th._--To-day the Sultan crossed in the state caique to his
new palace near Beglerbeg. The frigates, &c. manned yards, were dressed
in all their colours, and fired a royal salute. Unfortunately, this
transferring of his sacred person from Europe to Asia was not previously
made known, so that I did not witness the procession; but the thundering
of the cannon announced that some great event was going forward.
[Sidenote: MORNING PRAYER.] _Friday, 14th._--The sound of the muezzin,
calling the faithful to prayer, again arrested my attention this
morning. Though it was late ere I got to my couch, I could not resist
the pure and freshening air, which entered my chamber to summon me
forth, and I reached the garden ere the sun rose upon Terapia. Just
then, a loud voice came borne on the wings of the breeze, breaking the
stillness which reigned below and around me. The village was yet in
repose; Philomel had ceased her song, and the other choristers of the
grove were silently awaiting the coming of the god of day. The night
breeze, in dying away, had left the trees calm and motionless; and it
was in that moment of breathless nature, that the usual solemn
invocation to prayer spread itself in sonorous undulations through the
silent valley, chanted forth in clear distinct tones from the tapering
minaret of the little mosque on the opposite side of the bay.
In such a scene as this, it sounded like the voice of the Divinity
calling on every frail mortal to confess and own the power of the
omnipresent Being, the Great Spirit who made the temple of the universe
for his worship. The humbled sinner acknowledges the awful summons, and
offers the outpourings of a heart full of gratitude to the Eternal, who
made him, and this beautiful world for his enjoyment; and responds to
the voice of God, speaking through nature, with an intensity of feeling
which is the sure pledge of its sincerity.
[Sidenote: SUNRISE.] As these sounds died away upon the breeze, the sun
arose; the morning gun of the camp responded to the echoes of that from
the fleet; the rattling of the marine sentries' muskets, discharged
immediately after; the roll of drums, and the blast of trumpets,
proclaimed that man had started from his couch, to toil or idle through
another day. The smoke soon curled in thin white masses from the cottage
chimneys of the numerous villages around, and the complicated machinery
of life's business was set in motion by the Great Engineer in full-orbed
majesty arrayed.
[Sidenote: RUSSIAN CAMP.] I have already mentioned the slight offered to
the captain of the Actaeon, when he went to visit the Russian camp; and
that the commander-in-chief had gone on board to make an apology, and
had sent tickets for the officers to enable them to enter without future
difficulty and trouble. To-day we espied the ambassador's boat coming
over, and, on nearing the head-quarters, it deposited Lady Ponsonby and
a party, who also went and made an inspection of this formidable army.
On going to the palace to dinner, I learnt that they had been much
gratified: the officers were attentive; the tents comparatively clean,
much cleaner and more comfortable than they expected to have found them;
but the men were rather badly clothed, and looked shabby.
[Sidenote: RUSSIAN INSOLENCE.] The ambassador informed me that, in order
to ascertain whether the American consul of Beiroot, had not made some
unintentional mistake in his story respecting the contemptuous treatment
offered by the Russians to a party whom they supposed to be English, he
had recently sent the pilot of the Actaeon, in plain clothes, on board
the admiral's ship. The experiment, however, only served to elicit a
still more flagrant and unequivocal manifestation of their rancorous
insolence; for when George approached within hail, he received orders to
"sheer off instantly, as he was very well known." He replied that he was
not an Englishman; but that availed nothing: "Be off!" was the order of
the day. I need not add, that Lord Ponsonby was now quite satisfied of
the truth of the story; yet, though he felt highly indignant, and has
manifested on all occasions the most earnest desire to shield us from
the injurious treatment experienced from these northern barbarians, what
could he do? The Russians would, of course, disclaim any intentional
insult; say it was all a mistake, and then repeat the outrage.
[Sidenote: NAMIK PASHA--TAHIR PASHA.] Namik Pasha[15] was at the palace
to-day; he professes to be highly gratified with his reception in
England, and is quite enthusiastic in his encomiums on Lord Grey, the
English ministry, and the ladies. He appears to be a clever, sensible
man; and much benefit must arise to this country, from the enlarged
views he has no doubt acquired during his sojourn among the more
civilised nations of Europe; especially as he is known to have
considerable influence with the Sultan. I do not mean politically, for
every one here believes he is bribed by Russia; but he will take an
active part in improving the manners, customs, and feelings, and in
bettering the condition, of his countrymen. Tahir Pasha divides the
friendship of the Sultan with him, and will much assist any plans for
the amelioration of the country. He commanded the Turkish fleet at
Navarino, and is the best instructed and most intelligent man in the
Sultan's service. He converses fluently in several of the European and
Oriental languages; and, as I am informed, understands those of
antiquity. The Sultan has appointed him general of cannoneers, and
governor of Galata and Pera; while Namik holds the important post of
commander of all the fortresses and batteries on the Bosphorus, on which
he sails to and fro in a very beautiful caique, manned by three rowers,
who pull up and down the current at an astonishing rate. His boat, and
that of Dr.---- (I forget his name), are the most elegant on this
stream.
[Sidenote: EXCURSION TO THE BLACK SEA.] _Saturday, 15th._--It being
arranged that the steam-boat should make an excursion into the Black
Sea, some of the officers and myself went down to Stamboul this morning,
with the intention of joining the party; and we expected that a great
many Perotes would have accompanied us; but not above six were on board:
as it was, the deck proved to be sufficiently crowded. The boat was
detained one hour after all the passengers had arrived, in waiting for
his Highness the Prince; who being at length on board, off we started.
As her paddles revolved, the caiques of the Turks began to dance on the
waves, much to the terror of their owners. On approaching the new kiosk,
the Francesco stopped to salute the Sultan, who was sitting in one of
the bow-windows with several of his suite about him, watching us through
an English spy-glass; and we could discern that the apartment was fitted
up in the Parisian style. A battery near the palace answered our salute;
and the Sultan having retired, we started again. In that portion of the
building appropriated to the harem, some females were observed peeping
at us through the blinds; but none of the lineaments, not even the eyes,
could be distinguished, the mere contour of the figure being all that
was discernible; so those who were prepared to boast of having
exchanged glances with the Sultan's dark-eyed beauties, were entirely
disappointed.
On nearing the Actaeon, the Captain came on board, and we lay to for some
time, while a boat was despatched to that vessel for a Russian flag, and
when it arrived we steamed on again. Another salute was fired as we
passed the Russian admiral, which he was so long in returning, that it
was supposed they did not think our boat worth replying to. However, it
came at last, with a bad grace, though better late than never.
[Sidenote: THE SYMPLEGADES.] After sailing past the old ruined Genoese
castles, which have been restored by some French engineer, we entered
the Sea of Storms. Near the coast, which is low and sandy, in the
direction of Rivaz, arise the "blue Symplegades," those fatal rocks,
about which so many fables had been narrated by the ancient poets; and I
expected to behold vast masses of rugged cliffs: but certainly these
_geese_ have been magnified into _swans_; for there was nothing to
inspire terror on the present occasion, though it is possible the waves
may break violently on them during a storm, and perhaps a Turkish vessel
might be reminded of _Davy Jones_. [Sidenote: COLOUR OF THE BLACK SEA.]
We returned after having gone about three miles out, and satisfied some
of our _learned_ associates that, although the element on which we were
sailing was called the _Black_ Sea, the water was not in reality of
that colour: some of the more hardened unbelievers, however, aware that
experiment is the test of truth, actually insisted on having a bucket of
it hauled up, and examined in a tumbler, before they would renounce
their preconceived opinions.
A long discussion now arose, whether the boat should remain until the
next evening at Buyukdere, or proceed onwards to Galata, after landing
those who wished to disembark at the former place. After a stormy
debate, the first-named proposition was carried by a large majority, a
majority decided by the democratic principle of vote by ballot.
Notwithstanding this apparent settlement of the question, the captain
changed his mind, and, landing those who were Buyukderotes, he left them
to find their way to Stamboul, and obtain lodgings for themselves as
they could: rather a difficult thing, by the by; for to-morrow evening
the Austrian ambassador gives a grand fete, dinner, ball, and supper to
the Prince of Bavaria, who is to review the Russian troops in the
morning, and leave Stamboul on Monday. All attempts have failed to
procure him an audience of the Sultan, who will not receive him,
because, he says, naturally enough, "What has he to do with me, or I
with him? He is brother of the King of Greece: granted: but why come to
intrude himself here? I will not see him; it can do no good." These were
the Sultan's words, in answer to the application.
[Sidenote: CHARACTER OF THE RUSSIANS.] Having landed at Buyukdere, with
many of the _Inglesi_, we went to the hotel, a clean, comfortable
well-fitted house, with a good cook and good wines. It was very
laughable to hear the landlord execrating the Russians. "They never,"
said he, "spend a penny; stingy close fellows, who would eat a tallow
candle down to the very end, and leave not a drop for the waiter!" He
wished to God they were at the bottom of the Black Sea, with the English
fleet anchored above them. "Then," said he, "we should see the porter
corks fly, the tables swim with grog, cigar boxes burst their cedar
sides, the cook roast all day, and I be happy in the general scramble:
but, alas! there's no such luck nowadays."
After partaking of a few bottles of London porter, we embarked in my
caique which had been waiting for me, and away we rowed to Terapia. We
dined at the palace, and went to bed early, to be up betimes, and over
the water, in order to accompany the Prince at the review. By the by,
the splendid lobsters we had for supper must not be forgotten. I never
saw such immense shell-fish; any one of them would have satisfied the
cravings of an alderman.
[Sidenote: GRAND REVIEW.] _Sunday, 16th._--Our party arrived in time to
see the Prince received by a guard of honour. Count Orloff, the general,
and a staff of officers, were present, superbly dressed in Polish,
Russian, and Turkish uniforms. The guard consisted of one man in full
dress, from each regiment, and a brass trumpet band; and, from what I
afterwards observed, it was very evident that the uniform worn on this
occasion by each soldier was the only one of the kind belonging to his
respective regiment. After inspecting this body, the Prince got on
horseback, and we also found horses provided for us all and many to
spare, though most of us preferred going on foot.
We first visited the Turkish camp, and then proceeded to that of the
Cossacks. A guard of the latter, wild fierce-looking marauders, led the
way; then followed the Prince and his staff; and the procession was
closed by a troop of Turkish lancers, very odd-looking soldiers, and our
party of pedestrians, who managed, by making short cuts, to get before
the main body of reviewers. The tents were all whitened, and put in the
best possible order for the occasion; and it must be allowed they looked
very pretty and comfortable, being surrounded by tall green branches,
which were stuck into the ground; so that, in walking between them, we
seemed to be moving through a grove of shady trees. Each regiment was
drawn out, with its arms piled, and the soldiers were dressed in grey
_great-coats_, though it was the hottest day I ever remember to have
experienced during my stay at Constantinople.
As the royal cortege passed along the line, the soldiers doffed their
caps, and when it arrived at the centre of each regiment, the fugle-man
gave a signal, and they raised a loud shout, followed by a short
expressive ejaculation, in their native language, which means, "God save
the Emperor!" But the most striking and novel portion of the whole was,
when the regiments, after being reviewed, successively poured forth one
of those beautiful solemn chants, which I heard once before, from the
quarter-deck of the Actaeon. [Sidenote: GIANT'S MOUNTAIN] In the present
instance, the whole army did not commence singing together, but each
regiment caught up the strain as the preceding one dropped it, so that
the music lasted for a considerable period; and never did the elaborate
productions of the most celebrated composers, sound to me half so
beautiful as these sacred simple melodies, when chanted by a thousand
united voices, and spreading heavenly music over the whole mountain. I
shall not readily forget the effect produced on my feelings by this
harmonious "concord of sweet sounds;" and at that moment how highly
poetical did the rich descriptive imagery of Shakspeare appear, where he
makes one of his characters exclaim:--
"That strain again;--it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet south,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing, and giving odour!"
After following the Prince to the top of the Giant's Mountain, we
allowed him to descend without our train, and remained to enjoy the wide
extended prospect.
Behind the mosque situated on this eminence, is an oblong narrow garden,
full of rose trees and jasmine, which vulgar tradition points out as the
grave of the giant who gives name to the mountain, and who figures in
the Pagan annals as a hero of extraordinary size and valour. Among the
Christians, he is said to have been a vast and ferocious giant; while
the Mussulmans will have him to be a holy dervish. In each tradition he
was a monster, that sat on the top of the mountain, and dangled his feet
in the waters of Buyukdere to cool himself. According to the poets,
every one who passed the Bosphorus was compelled to engage him in
single combat, until he fell, at last, by the hand of Pollux. The
Christian version of the story, that describes him as the stirrer up of
whirlpools, and the devourer of the sailors who attempted to pass the
channel without paying tribute, is equally wild and fabulous. The
Mussulman account, which makes him a dervish that lived to a vast age,
and whose favour it was the object of every one of the Faithful to gain,
is the least improbable of the whole.
[Sidenote: DISTANT PROSPECT.] Near the mosque stands a pretty little
kiosk, belonging to the Sultan, shaded by some amazingly fine plane
trees. Constantinople is not seen from this spot, but the view extends
along the whole channel, and the isles in the Sea of Marmora are just
visible; while beyond them, towering into the skies, and of the most
dazzling whiteness, appears Mount Olympus, the habitation of the gods.
The prospect on the European side is tame and unpicturesque, consisting
almost entirely of a succession of flat uncultivated downs, with nothing
to break the dull monotony of the scene, except here and there, where
the tall slender minaret of a mosque, or a single tree, rises against
the horizon, and resembles the mast of some solitary vessel ploughing
its course through the boundless waste of waters.
We descended by a different route, through part of the ground marked
out for a new camp, the necessity for which it is difficult to
comprehend, unless more troops are expected. We got into the Sultan's
Valley, and lounged under the trees till dinner-time, when we passed
over to Terapia.
[Sidenote: GRAND FETE.] Most of the Turkish ministers were present at
the grand fete and dinner given by the Austrian embassy, at which the
Seraskier got "plenissimus Bacchi," and, I believe, proved rather
uproarious; at least he became terribly amorous, and attentive to the
ladies. Had he been able, and dared, he would have waltzed and danced
with them all. I did not go, for a good reason,--I was not asked. One
had, after all, the satisfaction of the "fox and the grapes." It was a
poor affair! There could, in reality, be no great pleasure in seeing an
assembly of old grey-bearded Turks getting drunk on porter and
Champagne, and making fools of themselves, however much gratification it
might afford the sapient heir to the throne of Bavaria, and his
attendant crowd of Germans and Neapolitans.
[Sidenote: THE PRINCE AND THE SULTAN.] _Monday, 17th._--This morning the
Russians began to embark their tumbrils and heavy baggage, so that they
seem to be absolutely going in earnest. I went down to Pera to learn the
result of the negotiations for delaying the steam-boat, and found most
of the passengers in a state of fury. Some among them had resigned their
passage, and resolved to travel home by land; others were storming,
because it was now proposed to put off the boat's starting till
Saturday, Prince Butera having been offered an audience on Friday. It
seems that when the Sultan refused the Austrian application, Orloff went
and COMMANDED him to receive his Royal Highness, "UNDER PAIN OF
INCURRING THE DISPLEASURE OF HIS IMPERIAL MASTER THE EMPEROR OF ALL THE
RUSSIAS, THE EMPEROR OF THE East!" And how did Mahmoud act? Why, he
consented; ay, consented, not only to receive with open arms this man,
who is the brother of a king set over a portion of his empire, which has
been wrested by force and treachery from his sublime grasp, and once the
brightest jewel of his diadem, but also to present him with a snuff-box
set in diamonds, with his own portrait on the lid! This is the first
instance in which the great imperial monkey has made use of the sublime
cat's paw!
[Sidenote: PRINCE BUTERA.] Though the delay in the starting of the boat
was openly resisted by all the English, as well as by the supercargoes,
the Prince's governors continued running from one passenger to the
other, canvassing for votes. The almost universal reply to this
unreasonable application was, "that it appeared extraordinary a prince
royal, who, together with his suite, had treated the passengers during
the whole voyage with supercilious contempt, and thwarted them whenever
they wished the slightest change in the route, should now condescend to
solicit those same individuals to delay the boat a week, and
inconvenience themselves, to further an object in which the Prince alone
was at all interested."
The conduct of the royal party, on the very morning when this selfish
request was made, was not at all calculated to remove the prejudices to
which their previous behaviour had given rise. The Prince had obtained a
firman to see the mosques, which would have admitted four hundred as
readily as four; yet he had not the good feeling or politeness to
announce to any single passenger that he was going to visit these
exclusive curiosities, but went with his suite and his particular
friends alone; and though he had appointed a certain hour for assembling
before St. Sophia, he actually went thither an hour earlier, so that
those who intended to spunge upon the royal firman came too late, and
were disappointed. [Sidenote: PREPARATIONS TO DEPART.] After such
treatment, could they assent to postpone the departure of the boat for a
single day? Though I am proud to say none of my countrymen gave in, yet
the Neapolitans, Germans, and Spaniards, and one or two Frenchmen on
board, uniting with the Prince's friends and suite, obtained a majority
for the measure. As we dined at the palace, I determined to sound Lord
Ponsonby, in the evening, as to the probability of the Actaeon's
departure; for hitherto he had repeatedly told me it would take place in
a few days, or, at the latest, by the end of the month. This state of
uncertainty was very unpleasant; for I was prevented from leaving
Terapia on any excursion, even for two or three days; because it was
possible she might sail any day at six hours' notice. Now, as it seemed
very probable that the steam-boat would remain in the harbour till the
end of the week, I might arrange to go in her, especially as my friend
and fellow-lodger Barrow was very anxious to be off, and a house divided
cannot go on smoothly. By taking a passage in the Francesco, I should
also have an opportunity of visiting Smyrna and most of the Greek
islands. Unfortunately, however, the French ambassador and several of
his legation came in, and sat until a late hour; so the opportunity did
not occur. In fact, the reply of Captain Grey, in answer to an
observation made by the commander of the French frigate, in the course
of the evening, sufficiently explained that his departure was
altogether uncertain.
_Tuesday, 18th._--I was informed to-day, by Hodgson, that on Thursday,
the American charge d'affaires intends visiting the mosques, having
received a firman for that purpose; and he very kindly invited me to go,
observing, at the same time, that if my two friends chose to be at the
gate of the seraglio, opposite St. Sophia, at a certain hour, they might
enter in the train.