Divides Pera from Galata

Descending the steep narrow lane, we passed an old gateway which divides Pera from Galata, and then the road became steeper and narrower still. Put the same busy throng kept slipping and jostling, and hurrying up and down ; although the absence of carriages allowed an odd kind of silence to prevail, — such as has struck one in a great London thoroughfare, when the pavement has been taken up. Now and then, a horseman clattered and stumbled over the rough pavement, in imminent danger as regarded himself, his horse, and the foot-passengers ; and occasionally some mules increased the confusion. But. everything was carried by the Ninth — even the blocks of stone from the port, to be used for the buildings high above us; andat last, I met one toiling up with a sick sailor on his back, going to a hospital.

From Galata to Stainboul

A few minutes brought us down to the bridge of boats, leading from Galata to Stainboul, across the Golden Horn, which is here somewhat over a quarter of a mile in breadth. From this point, one of the most superb views in Constantinople is to be obtained, more comprehensive than that from the steamer, as the continufttion of the port towards the arsenal is added to the range. Emerging from the close and dirty Galata, the bright panorama fairly takes one’s breath away. The wondrous and dazzling confusion of minarets, domes, towers, ships, trees, ruins, kiosks, and warehouses, with the sparkling water below, more intensely blue than the sky above, is beyond description. The ever-changing kaleidoscope, however, that the bridge affords, may be better dealt with. One has only to lean against the rails for five minutes, and he will see some specimen of every known Oriental race pass by him. Take your place, with your back to the arsenal, near where the good- tempered little cripple has permission to sit and ask for alms,, (as the blind girl iu the large straw hat, and the man with the ragged vulture, used to do on the Pont des Arts at Paris,) and make all use of your eyes. First, observe how the poor mannikin at your feet has chosen his place carefully. He knows that some paras will come in change from the toll, and he waits for them, near the gate, before you put them in your pocket. At the other end of the bridge he would have no chance of this small money. And now watch the folks before you, and lot me be the showman.

First of all comes a person high in command, upon horseback. He has adopted, in common with his Sultan, the European dress — the red fez alone distinguishes him from any other foreigner you might chance to meet. His servant, in Turkish costume, runs by his side, and can keep up with him for any distance. The trappings of the horse are magnilicently embroidered with tinsel and gold, and they carry your mind back to the days when you saw the combat between Kerim and Sanballat, in Timour the Tartar.

The old Turk with the mighty Turban, who meets him, dislikes the European dress and the simple fez; lie foresees, in the change from the lumbering costume of himself and fathers, the spirit of advancing civilization which must shake the most time-honored observances of the Eastern world, in another age ; and he knows, with sorrow to himself, that every paddle-wheel which churns the waters of the Bosphorus, produces, by its revolutions, others almost imperceptible, bnt no less certain, in his social and political state. He clings, however, to bis religion and his Koran; that will always endure, for the wily impostor who drew up the Mahom- medan code, so flattered the passions of his followers, that their allegiance was certain as long as human nature remained unchang ing.

There is loud musical female laughter now heard, and an odd vehicle crosses the bridge, drawn by a jaded horse. We have no conveyance like it in England ; nor possibly is there its fellow out ot Turkey. It has no seats; bunt on fenthions, in its interior, those dark-eyed beauties are siring. — pah1 Ciieassian girls, and inmates of the liareem of some great man. Tin* carriage halts in front of you to allow a train of mules, carrying planks, to pass on their way to Bern, and you can see the inmates plainly. One of them stares fixedly at you; you look again, and she is not angry — a few years ago, you would have been sent away. She only draws back, hut she still keeps her eyes on you — wondrous large- pupiled eyes, in whose depths your own vision appears to lose itself. Then she speaks to her companions, and, just as the vehicle moves on, they all three join in another burst of ringing laughter, and leave you to debate whether an uncompanionable beauty — to say nothing of three — can be regarded as a jewel or a bore, in a man’s household jeep safari bulgaria.

All this time the tide of foot passengers has been flowing on. Here are some Turkish soldiers; untidy-looking fellows, in blue eats and white trousers, still with the red fez. A cavass, or policeman is with them. lie wears a surtout, pistols are in his belt, a sabre is at his side, and his breast is ornamented with rows of cartridges; they are all going to take up some unfortunate wight. He is followed by a dervish—one of those who dance, on certain days, at Pera: he also keeps a shop, in Stamboul. The other way comes a group of keen Armenian merchants, each swinging a chaplet of beads about, or counting them, restlessly, and half unconsciously, with his finger.

Individual benefit

The water-side rows of bail lings were seen through forests of ships, the lines of which were agreeably broken by the slanting spars of the felucca-rigged vessels, which formed the greater portion of those at anchor. In the middle of tin stream were tjeep safari bulgaria. good-tempered, intelligent misseri eotlien’s collected his intended inmates into large caique hotel d’angleterre; young destuniano (whose father formerly best dragoman Constantinople, now keeps d’lurope) followed. i latter, anxious break party we formed putting off old scamandre, gilded barge approached us, which sitting two imposing turks, officers customs. proper duty examine our luggage but bribe three piastres sixpence satisfied scruples. gravely received this; then, proud, saluted party, away another boat. must my ears tingled when reflected share pecuniary offering these noble gorgeous gentlemen been under penny. need delicacy 4 upon matter.

Appears perfectly understood customs constantinople are established individual benefit; thus dollar any kind finds its way the sultan’s treasury. landed tophane stairs, found enough occupy attention. first all, five six turkish women got out boat just before veiled eyes, looking like nuns incantation hubert devil, throw dresses; only black skirts. then great many sellers fruit cakes former consisting grapes, honestly literally plovers’ eggs, latter species pancake. appearance, tables, what pea-and-thimble used carry races, novel amusing. directly, came string mules laden rubbish buildings pera; unloaded themselves going haunches, reached landing, allowing panniers end slide off. next, sturdy porters, itamals, seized luggage. fellows, who past prime life, wore knots half backs, capable carrying immense weights. preceded them, set off, jostled crowds variety striking costume, picking half-wild dogs, lay streets scores, did get one.

We caught our first sight of Constantinople

At half past seven the next morning, the first of September, we caught our first sight of Constantinople, with its white buildings and minarets glittering in the sun, at the extremity of the Sea of Marmora. I was not sorry to find the end of my journey approaching; and there was something very refreshing in the anticipation of an Eastern bath and regular bed-room, after the contracted arrangements for washing, and the crowded berth-cabin of the Sccimandre. The Turks and Greeks bundled up their luggage into bales; the other passengers got anxious about their effects, and kept hoering round the hold; and the French girls came forth in their smartest toilettes. Everybody was anxious to land.

I must confess that the first view of Stamboul, as we neared that part of the city, certainly disappointed me. I had heard and read such extraordinary accounts of the beauty of the coxtp-d’ ceil, and my expectations had been raised to such an absurd height, that, although I knew I was staring hard at the Mosque of St. Sophia, and that the dark cypress grove coming down to the blue water before us surrounded the Sultan’s hareem, and that this blue water was the Bosphorus, my first exclamation to myself was, “And is this all!” But when we rounded the Seraglio Point and slowly glided into the Golden Horn, where the whole gorgeous panorama opened upon me in its unequalled loveliness, the feeling of wonder and admiration became absolutely oppressive. I had never been so strangely moved before, but once — when I looked down upon London, by night, from a balloon.

Border the Bosphorus

To speak of the magnificent domes and lofty minarets that detached themselves from the amphitheatres of buildings as we proceeded, and stood in clear white relief against the bright blue sky; or of the quaint houses, and intermingled foliage, and graceful cypress groves that climbed to the very summits of the hills, and stretched far away in the distance —of the thousand ships that the noble harbor brought alongside the very streets — the fairy palaces commencing to border the Bosphorus — the light gilded wherries that darted by in all directions, amidst the tame sea-birds who rode upon the clear rippling water — the gaily-colored crowds upon the bridge — the vivid sunlight — the exhilarating atmos-phere— above all, perhaps, the sudden change from the entuw of a sea-voyage — is only to repeat what everybody has said who has ever visited Constantinople — to anticipate what everybody will say on future arrivals jeep safari bulgaria. And yet, perfectly aware of this, I cannot stay my pen in an attempt to convey some rude notion — to produce some coarse rough sketch of the enchanted scene that surrounded me.

The buildings on either side of the Bolden Horn — for so is the harbor termed, which runs up between the Turkish and Frank divisions of Constantinople — these quaint, toy-box houses came to the very water’s edge; so closely, indeed, that the lowest seemed to float on it. There was a light unsubstantiality almut them — a tottering, half tumble-down look, that harmonized admirably with the architecture of the mosques and pinnacles. One regular, Thames-side, eight-storied warehouse, would have spoiled the whole picture. Behind us. at Scutari, on the Asiatic side, the eve still fell on minarets, domes, and palaces ; cypress groves, and leafy terraces, with a background of blue bills, and the picturesque little steeple, known as I,candor’s or the Maiden’s Tower, rising from the bright sea in front.

Most wonderful waiter at this hotel

There was the most wonderful waiter at this hotel that I ever saw — a tall, thin, lath-built fellow, from Venice, who sprang and darted about the mile-a-immure in such an extraordinary manner — changing the dih of meat into that of digs, with such strange rapidity; waiting upon twenty people at once ; banging out at one door, and directly afterwards in at another quite opposite, and wearing such an odd, tight dress, that we christened him Arleehino. lie poured out tea for everybody, drew a docn corks, shot into the kitchen, came back and said he had thrashed the cook, who was a Greek, frightened two or three guests of nervous fiber so, by his activity, that they were afraid to ask for anything — in fact, did so much that I don’t suppose anybody would have been astonished to have seen him take a leap, and disappear through the dial of the clock, or the centre of a picture, or any other of those strango points which harlequins generally select for their sudden departures.

Breakfast over, by this accomplished fellow’s assistance, I prepared to go forth with the impatience of feeling that the world of Constantinople was all before me. I found a ready dragoman in the hall, — another Demetri, and a Greek also, as may be supposed,— and with him I started down another steep hill towards Galata. This thoroughfare was just as narrow and dirty as the former one; but it was bordered with shops kept by Italians, Greeks and Frenchmen. There were many English articles for sale, — stockings, cotton prints, cutlery and blacking. In one window was a number of Punch, with one of Mr. Leech’s clever cuts, attracting the puzzled gaze of some Levantines; at a corner was a sign-board, with “Furnished Apartments to Let,” painted on it; and on the wall of a small burying-ground a Turk sat with a tray of Birmingham steel pens on cards.

Yellow Wellington boots

The number of veiled women, straggling and shuffling about, in their large, awkward, yellow Wellington boots, — for I can describe them in no better fashion, — first engaged my observation. The greater portion of them were clad in a cumbersome wrapper, or fcriyee, of what appeared to be coarse brown serge, entirely concealing the figure. When it was drawn up a little, one could see the naked skin of the leg just appearing above the foot; for socks and stockings arc unknown to the inmates of the ha- reems. They thrust these odious boo^ into slipshod slippers without heels when they go abroad; and the difficulty of keeping them on produces a most ungainly, shuffling, in-toed gait jeep safari bulgaria. The veil, or yashmack, is of one or two pieces, arranged as shown in the illustration. It is now made of such fine material, — a simple layer of tarlatan in most instances, — that the features are perfectly discernible through it; and the more coquettish beauties allow something more than their eyes to be seen, where it divides.

These last features arc wonderfully fine — dark, heavy-lashed, and almond-shaped; and they derive a strange force of expression from their contrast with the veil. Their brilliancy is aided by a dark’ powder, introduced under the lid, which blackens its edges. The women wear no gloves, but stain the ends of their fingers, and palms of their hands, (as well as, I believe, the soles of their feet,) with a dye called Henna. This tinges them a deep tawny red, and the effect is most unseemly, making them anything but the “ rosy-fingered” beauties which some writers have labored to pass them off as. Their complexions are pallid and unhealthy-looking, which may, in some measure, result from want of legitimate exercise; and they become prematurely aged. There is not, I imagine, a more perfect representation of a witch to be found, than an old Turkish woman affords, when seen hobbling, with a long staff, along the dingy alleys of Constantinople.

Stambonl may be termed Constantinople

Stambonl may be termed Constantinople proper, inhabited by the Turks, and containing the seraglio, chief mosques, great public offices, bazaars, and places of government and general business. It is the most ancient and most important part, j)ar excellence. Galata is tho Wapping of the city : here we find dirty shops for ships’ stores, merchants’ counting-houses, ami tipsy sailors. Tophant is so called from the large gun-factory close at hand. Both these suburbs are situated at the base of a very steep hill; the upper part of which is Pera, the district allotted to the Franks, or foreigners, and containing the palaces of the ambassadors, the hotels, the European shops, and the most motley population under the sun. Scutari is to Stamboul, as Birkenhead to Liverpool ; and is in Asia. It is important in its way, as being the starting-place of all the caravans going inland. There are some other districts of less interest to the average tourist.

As soon as we left the landing-place, and entered the steep lane that leads up to Pera, all the enchantment vanished. In an instant, I felt that I had been taken behind the scenes of a great “ effect.” The Constantinople of Yaushall Gardens, a few years ago, did not differ more, when viewed, in front from the gallery, and behind from the dirty little alleys bordering the river. The miserable, narrow, ill-paved thoroughfare did not present one redeeming feature, — not even picturesque dreariness. The roadway was paved with all sorts of ragged stones, jammed down together without any regard to level surface ; and encumbered with dead rats, melon-rinds, dogs, rags, brickbats, and rub- bi.’h, that had fallen througli the mules’ baskets, as they toiled along it. The houses were of wood — old and rotten ; and bearing traces of having been onee painted red. There had been evidently never any attempt made to clean them, or their windows or doorways. Here and there, where a building had been burnt, or had tumbled down, all the ruins remained as they had fallen. Even the better class of houses had an uncared-for, mouldy, plague- imbued, decaying look about them ; and with their grimy lattices, instead of windows, on the upper stories, and dilapidated sh’utters and doors on the ground floors, it was difficult to imagine that they were inhabited by people who had such notions, according to report, of home and cleanliness, that they never sought for society apart from their own divans, or harems, and never were fit for prayers until they had, moro or less effectively, washed them* selves jeep safari bulgaria.

We found our hotel possessed the double advantage of being a stone building, and completely insulated — a great comfort in so combustible a district as Pera. I got a good bedroom, that overlooked the Sosphorus, part of the Golden Horn, and a few of the Mosques; came to an understanding about expenses,—which is always advisable; had the inexpressible comfort of washing and dressing in a large well-appointed room, after the confined closet of the Scamandre; and then we all sat down to breakfast, learning that everything was to be had in Constantinople but fresh butter. Some white bitter compound, perfectly uneatable, was produced once or twice during my stay; but it was so unpalatable, that we usually preferred “ Irish ;” and at last came to cat, with a relish, what many of our Kngli.>h servants would have turned up their noses at. The tea was excellent, and so were the cutlets; but there was some wine on the table,— a native production, I believe, — like very bad siill champagne, sickened with coarse moist sugar, to which I preferred the grapes in their natural state.

Castle on Mount Pagas

From the Slave Market we were taken a long, hot, up-hill walk, to the ruins of the castle on Mount Pagas, from which the view, fine as it was, hardly compensated for the trouble. Thence descending, and passing some cemeteries and public fountains, wecame to the outskirts of the city, which consist chiefly of gardens, producing olives, oranges, raisins, and figs, irrigated by creaking water- wheels, worked by donkeys. At one of these T saw a droll eon- t-ilvaite. The donkey, who went round and round, was blinded, and in front of him was a  and the other slightly drawn toward-* hi- lead-gear, and there tied ; so that, from the spring, he al\va\s thought somebody was pulling him on. The guide told me that idle fellows would

contrive some rude mechanism, so that a stick should fall upon the hind-quarters of the animal at every round, and so keep him to his work, whilst they went to sleep under the trees.

We returned to the port through the Armenian quarter of the town, where the houses are European in their style, and well built. At the Hotel des Deux Augustes private tours bulgaria varna, we sat down to a capital dinner ; and afterwards, in the cool evening, walked. about the Frank quarter of the town, and were well repaid by the sight of scores of beautiful Greek girls, sitting at their doors and peeping from their windows, in all the streets. An intelligent Hungarian, whom we met at the table-d’hote, accompanied us. lie was evidently very popular with the fair Sinyrniotes; for nothing but bright smiles and laughing eyes greeted him in every direction. Yet he knew his value ; for he told me that, on a fair average, there were fourteen girls to [every eligible young man, in Smyrna; which was a sad prospect, indeed!

At length the time came for us to reembark. “With the solemn chant of the Muezzims, calling the faithful to prayers from the minarets, sounding over the city, we Bade good-night to Smyrna. And then, as crept down to our old cabin in the Scamuixlre, and that venerable boat once more got into action, as her joints wanned up, all the events of the day appeared like some bright dream.

But the recollection of the dream is still vivid; nor is it likely soon to pass away.

TIIE FIKST DAY AT CON ST A N TIXO lLE

I found, next morning, we had taken in some more passengers at Smyrna. Going up upon deck, I nearly tumbled over two old Turks, who had spread their carpets towards Mecca, and were going through all those curious performances which compose the prayers of a Mussulman. The most difficult of these — which they achieved with wonderful agility for two such old gentlemen — consisted in falling suddenly on their faces, and then getting up again, solely by the agency of their feet — a,s we sec boys do, when their arms are put bade over a stick to play at cock-fighting, which this certainly beat. Then they repeated it, and recovered themselves in a similar manner, always going through the feat twice, and preluding it by bending down their heads with their hands on their knees, as if going to “make a back.” Nothing put them out. The sailors were hauling ropes about and arranging baggage; and now and then stumbling against them, but they went through the entire programme as composedly as if they had been quite by themselves.

This day we entered the Dardanelles, about noon, and passed a great many ships, of all countries — more, indeed, than I have seen at the entrance to the Thames — beating up towards the Sea of Marmora. In two hours, we anchored for a while between the two castles of Europe and Asia, to land the mails and transact other business, at a dreary little town close to the former fort, known as Chanak-Kalcssi to the Turks, and as the Dardanelles to

us. The people put of in§boats, and brought rude pottery for sale, made here to a great extent. The traffic was principally in tall, and not ungraceful water-jugs, ornamented with gold leaf; but I bought a bottle, made like a stag, as a present for a friend — certainly, the ugliest thing I ever saw in my life.

Hero and Leandor

“Wo had a discussion, whilst waiting here, about the story of Hero and Leandor private tours bulgaria varna, but no one knew where to look for Scstos and A by d os; nor is the course the young lover took at all decided upon. Lord Byron crossed where we were now lying, lie camo over diagonally with the current, which made the distance about four English miles from starting to landing, although the Hellespont here is not much more than a mile across; and the distance was accomplished in an hour and ten minutes. Had we waited longer, 1 should have tried it myself, with the American ; for there did not appear any remarkable difficulty about it — certainly nothing to make its accomplishment a matter of record.

On starting again, we were accompanied by a shoal of very large fish, with sharp noses and fins ; they kept up with tho steamer for a great distance, leaping about in a curious fashion, and racing, as it were, in pairs, until they all disappeared together with a white gleam, and left us once more to our own devices.

Tho ships continued all along the Hardanollos, and there was very little else to engage our attention, the low hills that form tho coast on either side being very bare and monotonous. Indeed, if a little scandal had not been started about Yirginie’s prolonged disappearance after dinner, and subsequent discovery in the com- missaire’s cabin, I do not know how we should have got through the evening. Yet we all sat on deck until a late hour that evening, for it was the last of our voyage, and the cool wind coining down from the Euxine made it very pleasant.

Solitary animal

The next scene of interest we arrived at was a large enclosure, with a fountain in the center, which appeared to be the rendezvous of all the caravan camels. They were there by hundreds — not brothers to the broken-spirited, mangy, solitary animal, who whilom went about our English villages with a monkey and a dancing bear ; nor relations to that consumptive, dull-eyed, ragged beast, whom I remember to have seen in every procession at Astley’s, of every locality where a camel could not have been supposed, by any outlay of the treasures he carried on his back, or facility of land or water communication, to have possibly arrived — I would not swear that he was not introduced into the Hattie of Waterloo, and Mazeppa— but rugged, noisy, muscular brutes, not moving out of the way for anybody, and sufficiently independent and obstinate, when they chose, to knock over all sympathy with their popularly-acknowledged patient and enduring character. For your camel is a great obtainer of pity, under false pretenses.

He can be as self-willed and vicious as you please; and his bite is particularly severe. “When once his powerful teeth have fastened, it is with the greatest difficulty that he is forced to relinquish his hold. The pitiful noise, too, which he makes on being over-laden, is all sham, as small natural historians remark. It proceeds from sheer idleness, rather than a sense of oppression. With many camels, if you make pretence to put a small object on their backs — a tile, or a stone, for instance — whilst they are kneeling down, they begin mechanically to bellow, and blink their eyes, and assume such a dismal appearance of suffering and anguish, that it is perfectly painful for susceptible natures to regard them. And yet, when their load is well distributed and packed, they can move along under seven hundred weight.

Of the camels we saw in this square, some were being unpacked, others had just arrived from the interior, and others were kneeling down to have their new burthens adjusted, moaning most grievously the whole time. The loads were built up very high, and fastened to their backs with a contrivance like an enormous elutes-peg. This rude harness was, for the most part, adorned with shells, worsted tufts, and other finery — the object of this being to divert the glance of the Evil Eye— and each carried an ill-toned bell. Their riders either vaulted across their backs as they knelt down, or sprang up by putting the left foot in the bend of their powerful necks, and so climbing on to the hump, as they were going on. When there, they twisted their legs round a species of pummel, rising from what cannot be termed a saddle, and then went on their way, guiding the animal by hitting him with a stick on the side of the head opposite to that direction which they wished him to take.

Mahommedan prejudices

Our guide did not have much of a sinecure this day. From the camelry we went on to a mosque — a small edition of St. Sophia, to be spoken of hereafter. As firman was requisite to enter. A few piastres dispelled all Mahommedan prejudices, and allowed the feet of the Giaour to press the sacred matting: but we were obliged to take off our shoes, and leave them at the door. This edifice was not very striking. The chief decorations, consisting of common glass lamps, ostrich eggs, and liorse-luiir swishes, were of a trumpery character. One old gentleman, in a huge white turban, was droning out some verses of the Koran, on a raised platform, and an idiot was curled up in a corner; these, with our party, comprised the congregation. Wo next went on to the Slave Market, which was held in a hot court-yard, with a tree* in the centre private tours bulgaria varna.

Two black men, a black woman with a baby, and a little boy were its only occupants; and they had squatted down together in the fierce sun, until their brains must almost have dried up and rattled, like nuts, in their skulls. The men grinned at us and held out their hands for money; the woman look no notice, but continued unconcernedly nursing her baby ; and the ‘boy nestled in the dust, and played with it. There was nothing to excite compassion; in fact, the Slave Market was pronounced a failure. One of our companions tried to got up a little virtuous indignation, and began to talk about the degraded condition of human beings, with other Kxeter-IIall conventionalities; but be could not excite the sympathies of the party, and the American having made a daring observation to the effect that if he saw one of these slaves and an elephant, side by side, lie should think the latter the more intelligent of the two, wc all hurried out to stop the argument which was evidently impending.

Merchants on the alert

The appearance of our guide put all the merchants on the alert

One handsome, merry-faced fellow accosted me in excellent English, as follows : —

“Ilow d’ye do, sir: very well? that’s right. Look here, sir; beautiful musk purse; very line smell. Ten piastres.”

(A piastre is worth two pence and a fraction.)

“ How did you learn to speak English so well V ” I asked.

“All English gentlemen come to me, sir,” he said, “and I learn it from the ships, and from the Americans. Shake hands, sir: that’s right. Buy the purse, sir.”

“ How much is it ? ” asked one of our party.

“ Six piastres,” replied the brother of the merchant, who als^ spoke English, but had not heard the first price.

“ And you asked me ten ! ” I said to the other.

English gentleman

“ So I did, sir,” he replied, with a laugh ; “ then if I get the other four, that’s my profit. But what’s four piastres to an English gentleman V — nothing. It \s too little for him to know about. Come — buy the purse. What will you give? ”

“ Five piastres,” I answered.

“ It is yours,” he answered, directly, throwing it to me.

“ What a merry fellow you are ! ” I observed.

“ Yes, sir ; I laugh always : very good to laugh. English gentlemen like to laugh, I know : laugh very well. Look at his turban — laugh at that! ”

He directed our attention to an old Turk, who was going by, with a most ludicrous and towering head-dress. It was diverting to find him making fun of his compatriot.

“ (lood-by, sir,” he said; “come and see me when you come back, and buy some figs for London. Good figs, sir. Hr. Mille knows me at the hotel, and 3Ir. Hanson knows me: everybody knows me. Good voyage, sir.”

As we left the bazaar, one of our companions had a letter to deliver to a merchant; and, whilst waiting for him in the court of the house private tours bulgaria varna, I saw nearly two hundred people packing figs in drums, for the English market. This court was at the end of a long alley of acacia and fig trees, under the shade of which the packers took their seats. They first carried them from the warehouses, on the floor of which I saw hundreds of bushels, brought in on camels, from the country. They were then pulled into shape — this task being confided to females; and, after that, sent on to the men who packed them.

They gathered six or seven, one after the other, in their hand; and then wedged them into the drum, putting a few superior ones on the top, as we have seen done with strawberries. Each packer had a basin of, I believe, sea water at his side, with some leaves floating in it. When the drum was full, three or four of these leaves were placed on the top, and a little boy took it away to be fastened up. A man gave me some of the figs to eat: they were between ripe and dry, and had none of the saccharine efflorescence about them that we see on our dessert figs, in England. The people at work were Greeks; and the girls were mostly very handsome.

The distant Smyrna

It was very pleasant to hear this — to he told that the land I saw close to us was Asia, and that the distant slender spires that rose from the thickly clustered houses were minarets — that I should have twelve hours to go on shore, and see real camels, fig- trees, schciks, and veiled women! And yet I could scarcely persuade myself that such was the case: that the distant Smyrna — of which I had only heard, in the Levant mail, as a remote place, burnt down once a year, where figs came from — was actually within a good stone’s throw of the steamer. When the engines stopped, the boat was surrounded with light caiques, containing now all Turks, who clustered round the ladder in the usual fashion ; but they were more quiet and grave than the intruders of the Pineus. Some were custom-house officials, others brought off fresh fruits, others meat, and some of the boats only held solemn old gentlemen of the real rhubarb-selling race, whose object was merely curiosity, and a more perfect enjoyment of their pipes.

At Boulogne Fair

After breakfast, at which we had one of the most delicious melons I ever tasted, with a very thin, smooth, green rind, and white inside, bought from the boats, a valet de place was selected, and we went on shore; entering the city from the port, along which the flags of the different consuls were hoisted, by an arched way. Of course the bazaars were the first attraction; as a matter of course, our dragoman led us to them. And very novel and striking was the introduction to them. The shops, which were all open, were built of wood, on stone or brick basements, like the barraques one may see nearer home, at Boulogne Fair. They could be shut in by one enormous shutter, folding down from above, which, when folded up, formed a sort of pent-house; so that, as the thoroughfare was very narrow, there was not a space of above three or four feet between one of these and its opposite fellow. This was covered in by very light, thin boards, almost like hurdles, and occasionally large pieces of canvas, or, what was very picturesque, a thick-leaved vine, to keep out the sun. The floors of these shops were raised between two and three feet from the ground. On this a carpet was spread—usually one of the Turkish hearth-rugs we are familiar with in England ; and here the master sat with his pipe, surrounded by his wares.

Apart from the party-colored and changing crowd which filled the thoroughfare, I was most struck with the wares exposed for sale — calling up the renewed indefinable feeling of pleasure at seeing things laid out to be bought at ordinary common-place prices, which we only knew at home as the products of long mysterious voyages from other quarters of the globe. Here, were huge morsels of the “best Turkey sponge,” redolent of ocean depths, and heavy with the sea-sand that still filled then* pores: there, were baskets of yellow rhubarb, cakes of aromatic opium, and bags of fresh clammy dates, ready to burst with their very sweetness.

Then we came to a perfumer’s, where the otto of roses scented the air all round, even from its little thick gilded bottles, with their small reservoir of essence ; where the musk purses and tablets also contributed then- odor, and the rosaries hung about had their beads turned from dark and fragrant alocs-wood. Anon were beautiful arms from Damascus—-aruhesqued and glittering blades, with jeweled bandies and velvet-colored sheaths, — curious and elaborately mounted pistols, and strangely-picturesque fire-arms, amongst which might haply be seen, as the greates curiosity of all, to the vender, a double-barreled percussion gun, from Birmingham] Then came rich carpets, and quilted coats of silk, scarlet caps, and costly pipes of every shape and fabric; and then a seller of sherbet — real Eastern sherbet—at something more than a half-penny a cup; or a dresser of kebobs, and pillaff, plying his trade in the very center of the above-named rarities.

In themselves, the shops most striking at first sight, were those for selling glass lamps, such as were hung in the mosques and Greek churches; and slippers, of every bright color, worked with thread of gold and silver. I have spoken of the gay crowds who jostled one another through the bazaars private tours bulgaria varna. Every jiassenger appeared to wear a fresh costume. Turks, Albanians, Persians, Egyptians, and Circassians, — merchants, seheiks, dervishes, slaves, and water-sellers, — with every variety of head-dress, from the simple scarlet fez, to the tall black sheejnskin cap, or the huge white or green turban, that looked several stories high, and might have served for the owner’s store-room, — were jumbled up together in a strange kaleidoscope, as bewildering as it was attractive.

One wanted several eves to watch all that was goin” on at once : and when a jangling train of fourteen or fifteen camels came blundering along the passage, the two sides of which they almost swept with their packages, the delight of all our party was complete. Everything was so bright, so noted ; everything so much more than realized our expectations, — not a very common occurrence with travellers, — that I do not believe, throughout the future journey, any impressions were conveyed more vivid than those wo experienced during our first half hour in the bazaars of the sunny, bustling, beauty-teeming Smyrna.