A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy

d-Entrance into the Black Sea-Stormy weather and sea-sickness-Arrival at Constantinople-Picturesque appearance of the city-Mosques-The dan

ch

Rustschuk. It contains 16,000 inhabitants, and is one of the chief trading towns of Wallachia. We were detained here until four o'clock in the afternoon; for we

egard to taste or symmetry, one perhaps projecting halfway across the street, while its neighbour falls quite into the background. In some places wooden booths were erected along each side of the street for the sale of the commonest necessaries of life and articles of food, and these places were dignified by the

icing the internal arrangements of a house of this description. The floor of the room was not boarded, and the window was only half glazed, the remaining portion being fil

s, as it were, sown with islands, and its waters are therefore m

eek and Turkish costumes, but the wo

of Silistria that I could see nothing of it. A little lo

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re not allowed to land, as they were considered infected with the plague; but our officer stepped forward, and vouched for the fact that

-the only harbour the Russians possess on the Danube. Here we saw the first merchant-ships and barques of all

us for merchants and travellers from two quarters of the globe, Europe and Asia

p. I had a letter of recommendation to the Austrian consul, who accidentally came on board; af

re generally built of wood or clay, thatched with straw; those alone belonging to the consul and the

ube, which is a great hardship for the poor people, and a considerable expense for the rich; in winter a small tub of water costs from 10 to 12 kreutzers (about 4d. or 5d.) in the more distant quarters of the town. At every corner you m

ys think of these days with pleasure. Herr Consul Huber is a polite and obliging man; himself a traveller, he gave me many a hint and many a piece of advice for my journey. The air of

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wn, and went up hill and down dale through the ill-paved streets. Coffee-houses appear in great abundance; but if it were not for the people sitt

en bustling about every where, and, like the Italians, perform some duties which usually fall to the lot of the

great numbers, like the commonest of our fruits. The prices are of course very trifling. The cau

quired to repair to the

officials, and superintendents, the latter of whom are armed with sticks and pairs of tongs, stand at the entrance to drive those forcibly back who will not be content with fair words. Provisions and other articles are either thrown over the barrier or left in front of it. In the latter case, however, they may not b

me near me, and mind you don't touch me!" anxiously exclaims another. A

on my return, when I shall be one of the prisoners, I fear I may find it rather

lague nor any kind of contagious disease prevailed in Turkey. One of my fellow-passengers had been banished to our shi

r, the Ferdinand. From first to last we changed vessels six times during a journey from Vienna to Constantinople; we travelle

y grateful to us all, as the thermometer showed only six to eight degrees above zero. Unfortunately even here the men and women are not separated in the second-class cabin; b

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rwards basins and towels were handed to us; a custom totally unknown upon former ves

t miserable appearance, where we stopped for a quarter of an hour; a

a sea. But as it generally happens in life, "great expectations, small realisations," so it was the case here also. At Galatz the Dan

the afternoon we at len

strongly agitated fresh water, until at length the boundary is passed, and we are careering over the salt waves of the sea. Unfortunately for us, equinoctial gales and heavy weather still so powerfully maintained their swa

sea-sickness, that we were obliged to quit the table precipitately. I laid myself down at once, feeling unable to move about, or even to drag myself on deck to admire th

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to hold fast by our cribs to avoid being thrown out. This misfortune really h

dful howling of the wind among the masts and cordage, the fearful straining of the ship, which seemed as though its timbers were starting, the continual pitching and rolling, the rattling of the heavy cables above us, the cries, orders, and shouting of the captain and his sailor

m a clear and vivid conception of a storm at sea. I saw the waves rush foaming on, and the ship now diving into an abyss, and anon rising with the spee

ould now run in and cast anchor in the harbour of Varna, which unde

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re loaded with fowl of all descriptions, to such a degree that the space left for us travellers was exceedingly circumscribed. This article of consumption seems to be in great demand i

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y departure from Vienna-the passage through the Bosphorus. A few days afterwards, however, I made the excursion in a kaik (a very s

with the exception of the sailors, lay wrapped in sleep. I stood watching on deck, and sa

s lay spread out before my eyes, built on several hills, each bearin

g and broad wooden bridge. Scutari and Bulgurlu rise in the form of terraces on the Asiatic shore. Scutari is surrounded, within and without, by a sple

ns, shrubberies, and cypress-woods-the gaily painted houses, among which single cypresses often rear their slen

stless turmoil of life on shore, the passing to and fro of men of all nations and colours, from the pale inhabitant of Europe to the blackest Ethiopian, the combination of varied and characteristic costumes, this, and much m

in the sight of these wonderful Eastern pictures; I could only wish I were

ll or his luggage. One man praises this inn, the other that. {40} The porters hustle and beat each other for your effects, so that the custom-house officers frequently come

t at Constantinople, or at least know the town well, and who are polite enough to give advice on the subject to stran

and palatable fare, and good prompt attendance, are advantages which every one values; and all these are found at Madame Balbiani's, besides constant readiness to oblige on the part of the hostess and her family. The good lady took quite a warm interest in me; and I can say, without h

journey, I must note down this circumstance with the rest. I felt the more deeply the kindness of these strangers, who, without recommendation or the tie of country, took so hea

na to Constantinople i

TANTINOPLE.-THE D

was worth seeing. I was advised to go and see the dancing dervishes, a

of these Turkish women were smoking pipes of tobacco with an appearance of extreme enjoyment, and drinking small cups of coffee without milk. Two or three friends often made use of the same pipe, which was passed round from mouth to mouth. These ladies seemed also to be partial to dainties: most of them were well provi

ieve. The Turkish women are no great admirers of animated conversations; still there was more talking in their societies than in the

presses, beneath which the visitors sit talking and joking cheerfully. Every now and then one would

nstance of rare or striking beauty. Fancy large brilliant eyes, pale cheeks, broad faces, and an occasional tendency to corpulence

ery wide trousers drawn together below the ancle, a petticoat with large wide sleeves, and a broad sash round the waist. Over this sash some wear a caftan, others only a spencer, generally of silk. On their feet they wear delicate boots, and over these slippers of yellow morocco; on their heads a small fez-cap, from beneath which their hair fall

arty. A great crowd was waiting in the courtyard, for the Sultan was expected. I was glad to have the good fortune to behold him on the very day of my arrival. As a stranger, I was allowed, without opposition, a place in the front ranks,-a trait of good bree

nted at the gate, and entered on foot. The horse on which the Sultan rode was of rare beauty, and, as they told me, of the true Arabian breed; the sadd

early an age to all the pleasures of the senses, he would, no doubt, have grown up a stalwart man. He wore a long cape of dark-blue cloth; and a high fez-cap, with a heron's plume and a diam

and in the body of the temple. The Turkish women sit in galleries, behind such close wire gratings that they are completely hidden. Th

carpets and skins of beasts, and began their ceremonies with a great bowing and kissing of the ground. At length the music struck up; but I do not remember ever to have heard a performance so utte

m like a large wheel, can be called by such a name. They display much address in avoiding each other, and never come in

. In the course of the day I saw him again, as he was returning from visiting the medical faculty. It is not difficult t

, painted white, and covered with gilded carvings. Each barge is surmounted by a splendid canopy of dark-red velvet, richly bordered with gold fringe and tassels. The floor is spread with beautiful carpets. The rowers are strong handsome youths, clad in short trousers and jacket of white silk, with fez-caps on their heads. On each side of

s thunder forth a salutation to the Sultan. He does not stay long in the mosque, and usually proceeds to visit a barrack or some other public bu

very where, in Constantinople, Pera, Galata, etc., one can scarcely walk a few paces without passing several graves surrounded by cypresses. We wander continually between the living and the dead; but within four and twenty hours I was quite reconciled to the circumstance. During the night-time I could pass the

ng a lantern and a stick. Among themselves they frequently have quarrels and fights, in which they sometimes lose their lives. They are extremely jealous if a strange dog approaches their territory, namely the street or square of which they have possession. On such an intruder they all fall tooth and nail, and worry him until he either seeks safety in flight or remains dead on the spot. It is therefore a rare circumstance for any person to have a house-dog with him in the streets. It would be necessary to carry the creature continually, and even then a number of these unbidden guests would foll

f he is caught wandering without a lantern by the guard, he is taken off without mercy to the

and the offensive atmosphere which prevail every where; the ugly narrow streets, the continual necessity to clim

tion of a trifling monthly stipend, to appear in the hour of danger, for the purpose of carrying the boxes and lending a helping hand wherever they can. It is safer by far to reckon on the honesty of the Turks than on that of the Christians and Greeks. Instances in which a Turk has appropriated any portion of the goods entrusted to his care are