LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO . 1 iiat tn flit ~ BY MADAME IDA PFEIFFER. LONDON. INGRAM COOKE & Co. 1852. VISIT HOLY LAND, EGYPT, AND ITALY. BY MADAME IDA PFEIFFER, AUTHOR OF "A WOMAX'S JOUBNBY ROUX'D THB WORLD," " VISIT TO ICBLAJfD," ETC. from tlje German BY H. W. DULCKEN. WITH EIGHT TINTED ENGRAVINGS. SECOND EDITION. LONDON: INGRAM, C O O K E, AND CO. 227 STRAND. 1853. PRtSTED BY LEVEY. ROBSOH, AXD FK AH KLTH, Great New Street and Fetter Lane. PKEFACE BY THE VIENNA PUBLISHER. FOE two centuries the princes and nations of the West were accus- tomed to wander towards the land of the morning. In vain was the noblest blood poured forth in streams in the effort to wrest the country of our heavenly Teacher from the grasp of the infidel ; and though the Christian Europe of the present day forbears to renew a struggle which, considering the strength that has been gradually increasing for the last six hundred years, might prove an easy one, we cannot wonder that millions of the votaries of Christianity should cherish an earnest longing to wander in the paths the Redeemer has trod, and to view with their own eyes the traces of the Saviour's progress from the cradle to the grave. In the generality of cases, however, the hardships, dangers, and difficulties of such a journey were sufficient to overthrow the bravest resolution ; and thus the wishes of the majority remained unfulfilled. Few men were found to possess the degree of strength and endurance requisite for the carrying out of such an undertaking ; yiii PREFACE. but that a delicate lady of the higher classes, a native of Vienna, should have the heroism to do what thousands of men failed to achieve, seemed almost incredible. In her earliest youth she earnestly desired to perform this journey ; descriptions of the Holy Land were perused by her with peculiar interest, and a book of Eastern travel had more charms for her than the most glowing accounts of Paris or London. It was not, however, until our Authoress had reached a riper age, and had finished the education of her sons, that she suc- ceeded in carrying into effect the ardent aspiration of her youth. On the 2d of March, 1842, she commenced her journey alone, without companions, but fully prepared to bear every ill, to bid defiance to every danger, and to combat every difficulty. That this undertaking should have succeeded may almost be looked upon as a wonder. Far from desiring publicity, she merely kept a diary, in order to retain the recollections of her tour during her later life, and to impart to her nearest relatives the story of her fortunes. Every evening, though often greatly exhausted with heat, thirst, and the hardships of travel, she never failed to make notes in pencil of the occurrences of the day, frequently using a sand-mound or the back of a camel as a table, while the other members of the caravan lay stretched around her, completely tired out. It was in the house of my friend Halm that I first heard of this remarkable woman, at a time when she had not yet com- pleted her journey ; and every subsequent account of Madame Pfeiffer increased my desire to make her acquaintance. PREFACE. IX In manners and appearance I found her to resemble many other women who have distinguished themselves by fortitude, firmness of soul, and magnanimity ; and who are in private life the most simple and unaffected, the most modest, and conse- quently also the most agreeable of beings. My request to read our Authoress's journal was granted with some timidity ; and I am ready to assert that seldom has a book so irresistibly attracted me, or so completely fixed my attention from beginning to end, as this. The simple and unadorned relation of facts, the candour, combined with strong sound sense, which appear throughout, might put to shame the bombastic striving after originality of many a modern author. The scheme and execution of the work are complete and agreeable ; strict truth shines forth from every page, and no one can doubt but that so pure and noble a mind must see things in a right point of view. This circumstance is sufficient in itself to raise the book above many descriptions of travel to the Holy Land, whose authors, trusting to the fact that their assertions could not easily be disproved, have indulged their fancy, seeking to impart interest to their works by the relation of imaginary dangers, and by exaggeration of every kind, for the sake of gaming praise and admiration. Many such men might blush with shame on reading this journal of a simple, truth- loving woman. After much trouble I succeeded in persuading the Authoress to allow her journal to appear in print. My efforts were called forth by the desire to furnish the read- X PBEFACE. ing public, and particularly the female portion, with a very inter- esting and attractive, and at the same time a strictly authentic picture of the Holy Land, and of Madame Pfeiffer's entire journey. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Departure from Vienna Scene on board the steamer Hamburg Presburg The " Coronation-mount " Pesth Ofen The steamer Galata Mohacs The fortress Peterwardein Discomfort and bad management on board the steamer Semlin Belgrade Pancsova Austrian soldiers The rock Babakay Drenkova Falls of Danube Alt-Orsova The "Iron Gate" Cattle-breeding Cal- lafat Vexatious delay 17 CHAPTER II. Giurgewo Interior of the town Braila Sanitary precautions Galatz Scarcity of good water Ridiculous fear of the plague The steamer Ferdinand Entrance into the Black Sea Stormy wea- ther and sea-sickness Arrival at Constantinople Picturesque appearance of the city Mosques The dancing Dervishes The Sultan and his barge Pera The great and little Campo Wild dogs Dirty state of the streets Preparations in case of fire . 32 CHAPTER III. Scutari Kaiks The howling Dervishes The Achmaidon, or place of arrows The tower in Galata The bazaar at Constantinople Mosques Slave-market The old Serail The Hippodrome Coffee-houses Story-tellers Excursion to Ejub Houses, thea- tres, and carriages 48 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. PAGE Walks and drives of the townspeople The " Sweet Waters" Chalce- donia Baluklid The great and little Campo Feasts in Con- stantinople Anniversary of Mahomet's death Easter holydays of the Greeks Gladiators and wrestlers Excursion to Brussa Olive-trees Mosques at Brussa Stone bridge Wild dogs Baths and mineral springs Return to Constantinople .... 62 CHAPTER V. Contradictory reports Departure from Constantinople on board the Archduke John Scene on the steamer Galipoli The Darda- nelles Tschenekalesi and Kilidil Bahar The field of Troy Tene- dos Smyrna Halizar The date-palm Burnaba The Acropolis Female beauty Rhodes Strong fortifications Deserted ap- pearance of the town Cyprus 75 CHAPTER VI. Arrival at Beyrout Fellahs Backsheesh Uncomfortable quarters Saida Tyre St. Jean d'Acre Csesarea Excursion among the ruins Jafla An Eastern family The Indian fig-tree An Orien- tal dinner Costume of the women of Jafia Oppressive heat Gnats Ramla Syrian convents Bedouins and Arabs Kariet el Areb, or Emmaus The scheikh Arrival at Jerusalem . . 91 CHAPTER VII. Residence at Jerusalem Catholic church The "Nuova Casa" Via dolorosa Pilate's house The Mosque Omar Herod's house Church of the Holy Sepulchre Disturbances at the Greek Easter feasts Knights of the Holy Sepulchre Mount of Olives Adven- ture among the ruins Mount of Ofience Valley of Jehosaphat Siloam Mount Sion Jeremiah's Grotto Graves . 109 CHAPTER VIII. Bethlehem Rachel's grave Convent at Bethlehem Beggars Grotto of the Nativity Solomon's cisterns St. John's Franciscan church at Jerusalem Mourning women Eastern weddings Mish-mish Excursion to the Jordan and the Dead Sea Wilder- ness near Jerusalem Convent of St. Saba 123 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. PAGE Hide through the wilderness to the Dead Sea The Dead Sea The river Jordan Horde of Bedouins Arab horses The Sultan's well Bivouac in the open air Return to Jerusalem Bethany De- parture from Jerusalem Jacob's grave Nablus or Sichem Se- basta Costume of Samaritan woman Plain of Esdralon Sagun . 137 CHAPTER X. Arrival at Nazareth Franciscan convent Tabarith Mount Tabor Lake of Gennesareth Baths Mount Carmel Grotto of the pro- phet Elijah Acre The pacha's harem Oriental women Their Hstlessness and ignorance Sur or Tyre .'.'.'. . 152 CHAPTER XI. River Mishmir Saida Arnauts Desert-path Residence of Lady Hester Stanhope Beyrout The consul's Uncomfortable quarters Sickness The Bazaar Vexatious delays Departure from Bey- rout Beautiful views Syrian costumes Damascus Aspect of the city House of the consul 167 CHAPTER XII. The bazaar at Damascus The khan Grotto of St. Paul Fanaticism of the inhabitants Departure from Damascus The desert Mili- tary escort Heliopolis or Balbeck Stupendous ruins Continua- tion of our voyage through the desert The plague The Lebanon range Cedar-trees Druses and Maronites Importunate beggars Thievish propensities of the Arabs . . . . ' . 183 CHAPTER XIII. The Lebanon Druses and Maronites Illness of Herr Sattler Djebel or Byblus Rocky passes Dog's-river Return to Beyrout Sick- ness Departure for Alexandria Roguery of the captain Disa- greeables on board Limasol Alarm of pirates Cowardice of the crew Arrival at Alexandria . ... 200 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. PAGE Alexandria Keeping quarantine Want of arrangement in the quaran- tine-house Bad water Fumigating of the rooms Release Aspect of the city Departure by boat for Atfe" Mehemet All Arrival at Atfe" Excellence of the Nile water Good-nature of the Arab women The Delta of the Nile The Libyan desert The pyramids Arrival at Cairo ....... 214 CHAPTER XV. Cairo Quarrel with the captain Rapacity of the beggars The cus- tom-house The consulate Aspect of Cairo Narrow and crowded streets Costumes The mad-house Disgusting exhibition Jo- seph's well Palace of Mehemet Ali Dates Mosques at Cairo Excursion to the pyramids of Gizeh Gizeh Eggs hatched by ar- tificial heat Ascent of the pyramids The sphynx Return to Cairo 230 CHAPTER XVI. Christian churches at Cairo The Esbekie-square Theatre Howling dervishes Mashdalansher, the birthday of Mahomet Proces- sion and religious ceremony Shubra Excursion through the de- sert to Suez Hardships of the journey Scenes in the desert The camel Caravans Mirage The Red Sea Suez Bedouin Camp Quarrel with the camel-driver Departure for Alexandria 245 CHAPTER XVII. Return to Alexandria Egyptian burials Catacombs of Alexandria Viceroy's palace Departure from Alexandria The steamer Eu- rotas Candia Syra Paros and Antiparos The Morea Fire on board Malta Quarantine St. Augustine's church Clergymen Beggars Costumes Soldiers Civita Vecchia .... 260 CHAPTER XVIII. The steamer Hercules Syracuse Neapolis Ruins Catanea Convent of St. Nicholas Messina The Duke of Calabria Palermo The royal palace Church of St. Theresa St. Ignazio Catacombs of the Augustine convent Skeletons Olivuzza Royal villa " Fa- vorite " St. Rosalia Brutality of the Italian mob Luxuriant vegetation Arrival at Naples 272 CONTENTS. XV CHAPTER XIX. PAGE Sojourn at Naples Sickness Laziness of the people Royal palace Rotunda Strada Chiaga and Toledo St. Carlo Theatre Largo del Castello Medina Square Marionettes St. Jesu Nuovo St. Jesu Maggiore St. Maria di Piedigrotta Public gardens Aca- demy " degli Studii" Cathedral of St. Januarius St. Jeronimi St. Paula Maggiore St. Chiara Baths of Nero Solfatara Grotto "del Cane" Resina Ascent of Vesuvius Caserta . 289 CHAPTER XX. Caserta Costume of the peasants Rome Piazza del Popolo Dogana St. Peter's Palaces Borghese, Barberini, Colonna, &c. Churches Ancient Rome The Colliseum Departure for Flo- rence Bad weather Picturesque scenery Siena Florence Cathedral and palaces Departure from Florence Bologna Ferrara Conclusion . 308 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. JERUSALEM (FRONTISPIECE). NAZARETH (TITLE). CHURCHYARD AT SCUTARI ... .48 THE DEAD SEA ...... 1 3 8 MOUNT CARMEL ..... l6o LEBANON .... 190 BALBECK .... 194 ISTHMUS OF SUEZ 257 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, ETC. ETC. CHAPTER I. Departure from Vienna Scene on board the steamer Hamburg Pres- burg The " Coronation-mount" Pesth Ofen The steamer Galatcb Mohacs The fortress Peterwardein Discomfort and bad manage- ment on board the steamer Semlin Belgrade Pancsova Austrian soldiers The rock Babakay Drenkova Falls of the Danube Alt- Orsova The "Iron Gate" Cattle-breeding Callafat Vexatious delay. I HAD for years cherished the -wish to undertake a journey to the Holy Land; years are, indeed, required to familiarise one with the idea of so hazardous an enterprise. When, therefore, my domestic arrangements at length admitted of my absence for at least a year, my chief employment was to prepare myself for this journey. I read many works bearing on the subject, and was moreover fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of a gentleman who had travelled hi the Holy Land some years be- fore. I was thus enabled to gain much oral information and advice respecting the means of prosecuting my dangerous pil- grimage. My friends and relations attempted in vain to turn me from my purpose by painting, in the most glowing colours, all the dan- gers and difficulties which await the traveller in those regions. 18 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, " Men," they said, " were obliged gravely to consider if they had physical strength to endure the fatigues of such a journey, and strength of mind bravely to face the dangers of the plague, the climate, the attacks of insects, bad diet, &c. And to think of a woman's venturing alone, without protection of any kind, into the wide world, across sea and mountain and plain, it was quite preposterous/' This was the opinion of my friends. I had nothing to advance in opposition to all this but my firm unchanging determination. My trust in Providence gave me calmness and strength to set my house in every respect in order. I made my will, and arranged ah 1 my worldly affairs in such a manner that, in the case of my death (an event which I considered more probable than my safe return), my family should find every thing perfectly arranged. And thus, on the 22d of March 1842, I commenced my journey from Vienna. At one o'clock in the afternoon I drove to the Kaisermuhlen (Emperor's Mills), from which place the steamboats start for Pesth. I was joyfully surprised by the presence of several of my relations and friends, who wished to say farewell once more. The parting was certainly most bitter, for the thought involuntarily obtruded itself, " Should we ever meet again in this world?" Our mournful meditations were in some degree disturbed by a loud dispute on board the vessel. At the request of a gentleman present, one of the passengers was compelled, instead of flying, as he had intended, with bag and baggage to Hungary, to return to Vienna in company of the police. It appeared he owed the gentleman 1300 florins, and had wished to abscond, but was luckily overtaken before the departure of the boat. This affair was hardly concluded when the bell rang, the wheels began to revolve, and too soon, alas, my dear ones were out of sight ! I had but few fellow-passengers. The weather was indeed fine and mild ; but the season was not far enough advanced to EGYPT, AND ITALY. 19 lure travellers into the wide world, excepting men of business, and those who had cosmopolitan ideas, like myself. Most of those on board were going only to Presburg, or at farthest to Pesth. The captain having mentioned that a woman was on board who intended travelling to Constantinople, I was immediately sur- rounded by curious gazers. A gentleman who was bound to the same port stepped forward, and offered his services in case I should ever stand in need of them ; he afterwards frequently took me under his protection. The fine mild weather changed to cold and wind as we got fairly out into the great Danube. I wrapped myself in my cloak, and remained on deck, in order to see the scenery between Vienna and Presburg, which, no doubt, appears lovely enough when na- ture is clad in the garment of spring ; but now I only saw leafless trees and fallow ground a dreary picture of winter. Hamburg with its old castle on a rock, Theben with its re- markable fortress, and farther on the large free city of Presburg, have all a striking appearance. In three hours' time we reached Presburg, and landed in the neighbourhood of the Coronation-hill, an artificial mound, on which the king must stand in his royal robes, and brandish his sword towards the four quarters of the heavens, as a token that he is ready to defend his kingdom against all enemies, from whatever direction they may approach. Not far from this hill is situate the handsome inn called the " Two Green Trees," where the charges are as high, if not higher, than in Vienna. Until we have passed Pesth, passengers going down the river are not allowed to remain on board through the night. March 23d. This morning we continued our journey at six o'clock. Im- mediately below Presburg the Danube divides into two arms, forming the fertile island of Schutt, which is about forty-six miles long and twenty-eight in breadth. Till we reach Gran the scenery 20 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, is monotonous enough, but here it improves. Beautiful hills and several mountains surround the place, imparting a charm of variety to the landscape. In the evening, at about seven o'clock, we arrived at Pesth. Unfortunately it was already quite dark. The magnificent houses, or rather palaces, skirting the left bank of the Danube, and the celebrated ancient fortress and town of Ofen on the right, form a splendid spectacle, and invite the traveller to a longer sojourn. As I had passed some days at Pesth several years before, I now only stayed there for one night. As the traveller must change steamers here, it behoves him to keep a careful eye upon the luggage he has not delivered up at the office in Vienna. I put up at the " Hunting-horn," a fine hotel, but ridiculously expensive. A little back room cost me 45 kreutzers (about one shilling and eightpence) for one night. The whole day I had felt exceedingly unwell. A violent headache, accompanied by nausea and fever, made me fear the approach of a fit of illness which would interrupt my journey. These symptoms were probably a consequence of the painful ex- citement of parting with my friends, added to the change of air. With some difficulty I gained my modest chamber, and imme- diately went to bed. My good constitution was lucidly proof against the attacks of all enemies, and waking the next morn- ing, on March 24th, in tolerable health, I betook myself on board our new steam- boat the Galata, of sixty - horse power : this boat did not, however, appear to me so tidy and neat as the Marianna, in which we had proceeded from Vienna to Pesth. Our journey was a rapid one ; at ten o'clock in the morning we were already at Feldvar, a place which seems at a distance to be of some magni- tude, but which melts away like a soap-bubble on a nearer ap- EGYPT, AND ITALY. 21 preach. By two o'clock we Lad reached Paks; here, as at all other places of note, we stopped for a quarter of an hour. A boat rows off from the shore, bringing and fetching back passengers with such marvellous speed, that you have scarcely finished the sentence you are saying to your neighbour before he has van- ished. There is no time even to say farewell. At about eight o'clock in the evening we reached the market- town of Moha'cs, celebrated as the scene of two battles. The for- tress here is used as a prison for criminals. We could distinguish nothing either of the fortress or the town. It was already night when we arrived, and at two o'clock in the morning of March 25th we weighed anchor. I was assured, however, that I had lost nothing by this haste. Some hours afterwards, our ship suddenly struck with so severe a shock, that all hastened on deck to see what was the matter. Our steersman, who had most probably been more asleep than awake, had given the ship an unskilful turn, in consequence of which, one of the paddles was entangled with some trunks of trees projecting above the surface of the water. The sailors hurried into the boats, the engine was backed, and after much difficulty we were once more afloat. Stopping for a few moments at Dalina and Berkara, we passed the beautiful ruin of Count Palffy's castle at about two o'clock. The castle of Illok, situate on a hill, and belonging to Prince Odescalchi, presents a still more picturesque appearance. At about four o'clock we landed near the little free town of Neusatz, opposite the celebrated fortress of Peterwardein, the out- works of which extend over a tongue of land stretching far out into the Danube. Of the little free town of Neusatz we could not see much, hidden as it is by hills which at this point confine the bed of the river. The Danube is here crossed by a bridge of boats, and this place also forms the military boundary of Austria. 22 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, The surrounding landscape appeared sufficiently picturesque ; the little town of Karlowitz, lying at a short distance from the shore, among hills covered with vineyards, has a peculiarly good effect. Farther on, however, as far as Semlin, the scenery is rather mono- . tonous. Here the Danube already spreads itself out to a vast breadth, resembling rather a lake than a river. ^ " ." At nine o'clock at night we reached the city of Semlin, in the vicinity of which we halted. Semlin is a fortified place, situated at the junction of the Save with the Danube; it contains 13,000 inhabitants, and is the last Austrian town on the right bank of the Danube. On approaching Semlin, a few small cannons were fired off on board our boat. Unfortunately the steward did not receive notice of this event early enough to allow of his opening the win- dows, consequently one was shattered: this was a serious mis- fortune for us, as the temperature had sunk to zero, and all the landscape around was covered with snow. Before leaving Vienna, the cabin stove had been banished from its place, as the sun had sent forth its mild beams for a few days, and a continuance of the warm weather was rashly relied on. On the whole, I would not advise any traveller to take a second-class berth on board a steamer belonging to the Viennese company. A greater want of order than we find in these vessels could scarcely be met with. The traveller whose funds will not permit of his paying first-class fare will do better to content himself with a third-class, i. e. a deck-passage, particularly if he purposes journeying no far- ther than Mohacs. If the weather is fine, it is more agreeable to remain on deck, watching the panorama of the Danube as it glides past. Should the day be unfavourable, the traveller can go, without ceremony, into the second-class cabin, for no one makes a distinction between the second and third-class places. During the daytime, at any rate, it is quite as agreeable to remain on deck as to venture below. Travelling down the river from Pesth, the women are compelled to pass the night in the same cabin with the EGYPT, AND ITALY. 23 men; an arrangement as uncomfortable as it is indecorous. I afterwards had some experience of steamers belonging to the Austrian Lloyds, on whose vessels I always found a proper sepa- ration of the two sexes, and a due regard for the comfort of second-class passengers. The cold was so severe, that we would gladly have closed every window, but for the close atmosphere engendered by the number of poor people, mostly Jews, who form the larger portion of passengers on board a Hungarian steamer. When the weather is unfavourable, these men are accustomed to hasten from then' third-class places to those of the second class, where their presence renders it immediately desirable to open every outlet for purposes of ventilation. What the traveller has to endure on board these vessels would scarcely be believed. Uncushioned benches serve for seats by day and for beds by night. A separation of the two sexes is nowhere attempted, not even on board the Ferdinand, in which you enter the Black Sea, and are exposed to the mer- ciless attacks of sea- sickness. Considering the high rate of passage-money demanded on this journey, I really think the traveller might expect better accom- modation. The first-class to Constantinople costs 120 florins, a the second 85 florins, exclusive of provisions, and without reckon- ing the hotel expenses at Presburg. March 26th. Last night was not a period of rest, but of noise for us travel- lers. Not one of us could close his eyes. Semlin is a place of considerable importance as a commercial town : above 180 cwt. of goods were unloaded here from our ves- sel ; and in exchange we took on board coals, wood, and wares of various descriptions. The damaged wheel, too, had to be repaired ; and every thing was done with so much crashing and noise, that we almost imagined the whole steamer was coming to pieces. A florin is worth about 2s. Id. 24 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, Added to this, the cold wind drove in continually through the broken pane, and made the place a real purgatory to us. At length, at six o'clock in the morning, we got afloat once more. One ad- vantage, however, resulted from this fortuitous stoppage : we had a very good view of Belgrade, a town of 20,000 inhabitants, situate opposite to Semlin. It is the first Turkish fortified city in Servia. The aspect of Belgrade is exceedingly beautiful. The fortifi- cations extend upwards on a rock from the Danube in the form of steps. The city itself, with its graceful minarets, lies half a mile farther inland. Here I saw the first mosques and minarets. The mosques, as far as I could observe from the steamer, are built in a circular form, not very high, and surmounted by a cupola flanked by one or two minarets, a kind of high round pillar. The loftiest among these buildings is the palace of Prince Milosch. From this point our voyage becomes very interesting, presenting a rich and varied succession of delightful landscape- views. The river is hemmed in on either side by mountains, until it spreads itself forth free and unrestrained, in the neigh- bourhood of Pancsova, to a breadth of 800 fathoms. Pancsova, on the left bank of the Danube, in the territory of Banata, is a military station. As the stoppages are only for a few moments, h'ttle oppor- tunity is afforded of seeing the ulterior of the towns, or of visiting most of the places at which we touch. At such tunes all is hurry and confusion ; suddenly the bell rings, the planks are withdrawn, and the unlucky stranger who has loitered on board for a few moments is obliged to proceed with us to the next station. At Neusatz this happened to a servant, in consequence of his carrying his master's luggage into the cabin instead of merely throwing it down on the deck. The poor man was conveyed on to Semlin, and had to travel on foot for a day and a half to regain his home. A very pleasant journey of two hours from Pancsova brought us to the Turkish fortress Semendria, the situation of which is truly beautiful. The numerous angles of its walls and EGYPT, AND ITALY. 25 towers, built in the Moorish style, impart to this place a peculiar charm. As a rule, the Turkish fortresses are remarkable for picturesque effect. But the villages, particularly those on the Servian shore, had the same poverty-stricken look I had frequently noticed in Galicia. Wretched clay huts, thatched with straw, lay scattered around ; and far and wide not a tree or a shrub appeared to rejoice the eye of the traveller or of the sojourner in these parts, under the shade of which the poor peasant might recruit his weary frame, while it would conceal from the eye of the traveller, in some degree, the poverty and nakedness of habitations on which no feeling mind can gaze without emotions of pity. The left bank of the river belongs to Hungary, and is called the " Banat ;" it presents an appearance somewhat less desolate. Much, however, remains to be desired ; and the poverty that reigns around is here more to be wondered at, from the fact that this strip of land is so rich in the productions 'of nature as to have obtained the name of the " Garner of Hungary." On the Austrian side of the Danube sentries are posted at every two or three hundred paces an arrangement which has been imitated by the governments on the left bank, and is carried out to the point where the river empties itself into the Black Sea. It would, however, be erroneous to suppose that these sol- diers mount guard in their uniforms. They take up their positions, for a week at a time, hi their wretched tattered garments ; fre- quently they are barefoot, and their huts look like stables. I entered some of these huts to view the internal arrangements. They could scarcely have been more simple. In one corner I found a hearth ; in another, an apology for a stove, clumsily fashioned out of clay. An unsightly hole in the wall, stopped \\ith paper instead of glass, forms the window ; the furniture is comprised in a single wooden bench. Whatever the inhabitant requires in the way of provisions he must bring with him ; for this he is allowed by the government to cultivate the land. 26 "VISIT TO THE HOLY LAXD, Throughout the Russian territory the soldiers at least wear uniform. Our journey becomes more and more charming. Frequently the mighty river rushes foaming and roaring past the rocks, which seem scarcely to allow it a passage; at other times it glides serenely onwards. At every turn we behold new beauties, and carcely know on which side to turn our eager eyes. Meanwhile the ship sails swiftly on, gliding majestically through wildly romantic scenery. At one o"~clock in the afternoon we reached Pasiest. where there is nothing to be seen but a large store of coals for the steamers and a few huts. Of the town itself nothing can be distinguished. A couple of miles below Pasiest we enjoy an imposing spec- tacle. It is the solitary rock Babakay, rising from the midst of the waters. Together with the beautiful ruin Golumbacz, on the Servian shore, it forms a magnificent view. March 27th. How unfortunate it is that all advantages are so seldom found combined ! We are now travelling amid glorious scenery, which we hoped should recompense us for the manifold discomforts we have hitherto endured ; but the weather is unpropitious. The driving snow sends us all into the cabin. The Danube is so fiercely agitated by the stormy wind, that it rises into waves Hke a sea. We are suffering lamentably from cold ; unable to warm ourselves, we stand gazing ruefully at the place where the stove stood once upon a time. At four o'clock we reached Drenkova without accident, but completely benumbed: we hurried into the inn buflt by the steam- boat company, where we found capital fare, a warm room, and tolerably comfortable beds. This was the first place we had reached since leaving Pesth at which we could thoroughly warm and refresh ourselves. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 27 At Drenkova itself there is nothing to be seen but the inn just mentioned and a barrack for soldiers. We were here shewn the vessel which was wrecked, with passengers on board, in 1839, in a journey up the Danube. Eight persons who happened to be in the cabin lost their lives, and those only who were on deck were saved. March 28th. Early in the morning we embarked on board the Tiinte, a vessel furnished with a cabin. The bed of the Danube is here more and more hemmed in by mountains and rocks, so that in some places it is not above eighty fathoms broad, and glides with redoubled swiftness towards its goal, the Pontus Euxinus or Black Sea. On account of the falls which it is necessary to pass, between Drenkova and Fetislav, the steamer must be changed for a small sailing vessel. The voyage down the stream could indeed be accomplished without danger, but the return would be attended with many difficulties. The steamers, therefore, remain behind at Drenkova, and passengers are conveyed down the river in barks, and upivards (since the accident of 1839) in good com- modious carriages. To-day the cold was quite as severe as it had been yesterday ; so that but for the politeness of a fellow -passenger, who lent me his bunda (great Hungarian fur), I should have been com- pelled to remain in the little cabin, and should thus have missed the most interesting points of the Danube. As it was, however, I wrapped myself from head to foot in the fur cloak, took my seat on a bench outside the cabin, and had full leisure to store my memory with a succession of lovely scenery, presenting almost the appearance of a series of lake views, which continued equally picturesque until we had almost reached Alt-Orsova. A couple of miles below Drenkova, near Islas, the sailors sud- denly cried, " The first fall !" I looked up in a fever of expec- tation. The water was rising in small waves, the stream ran somewhat faster, and a slight rushing sound was to be heard. If 28 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, I had not been told that the Danube forms a waterfall here, I should certainly never have suspected it to be the case. Between Lenz and Krems I did not find either the rocks or the power of the stream much more formidable. We had, however, a high tide, a circumstance which diminishes both the danger of the journey and the sublimity of the view. The numerous rocky points, peering threateningly forth at low tide, among which the steersman must pick his way with great care, were all hidden from our sight. We glided safely over them, and in about twenty minutes had left the first fall behind us. The two succeeding falls are less considerable. On the Austro-Wallachian side a road extends over a distance of fourteen to sixteen miles, frequently strengthened with ma- sonry, and at some points hewn out of the solid rock. In the midst of this road, on a high wall of rock, we see the celebrated "Veteran Cave," one of the most impregnable points on the banks of the Danube. It is surrounded by redoubts, and is admirably calculated to command the passage of the river. This cave is said to be sufficiently spacious to contain 500 men. So far back as the time of the Romans it was already used as a point of defence for the Danube. Some five miles below it we notice the " Trajan's Tablet," hewn out of a protruding rock. On the Turco-Servian side the masses of rock jut out so far into the stream, that no room is left for a footway. Here the famous Trajan's Road once existed. No traces of this work remain, save that the traveller notices, for fifteen or twenty miles, holes cut here and there hi the rock. In these holes strong trunks of trees were fastened ; these supported the planks of which the road is said to have been formed. At eleven hi the forenoon we reached Alt-Orsova, the last Austrian town on the military frontier of Banata or Wallachia. We were obliged to remain here for half a day. The town has rather a pretty effect, being composed mostly of new houses. The house belonging to the steamboat company is EGYPT, AND ITALY. 29 particularly remarkable. It is not, however, devoted to the accom- modation of travellers, as at Drenkova. Here, as at Presburg and Pesth, each passenger is required to pay for his night's expenses, an arrangement which I could not help finding somewhat strange, inasmuch as every passenger is made to pay twice ; namely, for his place on the steamer and for his room in the inn. It was Sunday when we arrived, and I saw many people pro- ceeding to church. The peasants are dressed tolerably neatly and well. Both men and women wear long garments of blue cloth. The women have on their heads large handkerchiefs of white linen, which hang down their backs, and on their feet stout boots; the men wear round felt hats, and sandals made of the bark of trees. March 29th. After having completely refreshed ourselves at the good inn called the " Golden Stag," we this morning embarked on a new craft, the Saturnus, which is only covered in overhead, and is open on all sides. So soon as a traveller has stepped upon this vessel he is looked upon as unclean, and may not go on shore without keeping quarantine : an officer accompanied us as far as Galatz. Immediately below Alt-Orsova we entirely quit the Austrian territory. We are now brought nearer every moment to the most dan- gerous part of the river, the " Iron Gate," called by the Turks Demir kaju. Half an hour before we reached the spot, the rushing sound of the water announced the perilous proximity. Numerous reefs of rocks here traverse the stream, and the current runs eddy- ing among them. We passed this dangerous place in about fifteen minutes. Here, at the Iron Gate, the high tide befriended us, as it did at the former falls. I found these falls, and indeed almost every thing we passed, far below the anticipations I had formed from reading descriptions, 30 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAXD, frequently of great poetic beauty. I wish to represent every thing as I found it, as it appeared before my eyes ; without adorn- ment indeed, but truly. After passing the Iron Gate we come to a village, in the neighbourhood of which some fragments of the Trajan's Bridge can be discerned at low water. The country now becomes flatter, particularly on the left bank, where extend the immense plains of Wallachia, and the eye finds no object on which it can rest. On the right hand rise terrace- like rows of lulls and mountains, and the background is bounded by the sharply- denned lines of the Balkan range, rendered cele- brated by the passage of the Eussians hi 1829. The villages, scattered thinly along the banks, become more and more miserable ; they rather resemble stables for cattle than human dwellings. The beasts remain hi the open fields, though the climate does not appear to be much milder than with us in Austria ; for to-day, nearly at the beginning of April, the thermometer stood one de- gree below zero, and yesterday we had only five degrees of warmth (reckoning by Eeaumur). The expeditious and easy manner in which cattle are here de- clared to be free from the plague also struck me as remarkable. When the creatures are brought from an infected place to one pronounced healthy, the ship is brought to some forty or fifty paces from the shore, and each animal is thrown into the water and driven towards the bank, where people are waiting to receive it. After this simple operation the beasts are considered free from infectious matter. Cattle-rearing seems to be here carried on to a considerable extent. Everywhere I noticed large herds of horned beasts and many buffaloes. Numerous flocks of goats and sheep also appear. On the Saturnus we travelled at the most for two hours, after which we embarked, opposite the fortress of Fetislav, on board the steamer Zriny. At five o'clock in the evening we passed the fortress of Wid- EGYPT, AND ITALY. 31 din, opposite which we stopped, in the neighbourhood of the town of Callafat. It was intended merely to land goods here, and then to proceed immediately on our voyage ; but the agent was no- where to be found, and so we poor travellers were made the vic- tims of this carelessness, and compelled to remain here at anchor all night. March 30th. As the agent had not yet made his appearance, the captain had no choice but to leave the steward behind to watch over the goods. At half-past six in the morning the engines were at length set in motion, and after a very agreeable passage of six hours we reached Nicopolis. All the Turkish fortresses on the Danube are situated on the right bank, mostly amid beautiful scenery. The larger towns and villages are surrounded by gardens and trees, which give them a very pleasant appearance. The interior of these towns, however, is said not to be quite so inviting as one would suppose from a distant view, for it is asserted that dirty narrow streets, dilapi- dated houses, &c., offend the stranger's sight at every step. We did not land at any of these fortresses or towns ; for us the right . bank of the river was a forbidden paradise ; so we only saw what was beautiful, and escaped being disenchanted. Rather late in the evening we cast anchor opposite a village of no note. CHAPTER II. Giurgewo Interior of the town Braila Sanitary precautions Galatz Scarcity of good water Ridiculous fear of the plague The steamer Ferdinand Entrance into the Black Sea Stormy weather and sea- sickness Arrival at Constantinople Picturesque appearance of the city Mosques The dancing Dervishes The Sultan and his barge Pera The great and little Campo Wild dogs Dirty state of the streets Preparations in case of fire. March 31st. WE started early this morning, and at eight o'clock had already reached Giurgewo. This town is situate on the left bank of the Danube, opposite the fortress of 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 had to unload above 600 cwt. of goods and eight carriages, and to take coals on board in exchange. Thus we had time to view the interior of this Wallachian city. With what disappointed surprise did my fellow-passengers view the ugliness of this town, which from a distance promises so much ! On me it made but little impression, for I had seen towns pre- cisely similar in Galicia. The streets and squares are full of pits and holes ; the houses are built without the slightest regard to taste or symmetry, one perhaps projecting halfway across the street, while its neighbour falls quite into the background. In some pkces 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 name of " bazaars." Curiosity led us into a wine-shop and into a coffee-house. In both of these we found only wooden tables and benches ; there were hardly any guests ; and the few persons present belonged to the EGYPT, AND ITALY. 33 humblest classes. Glasses and cups are handed to the company without undergoing the ceremony of rinsing. We purchased some eggs and butter, and went into the house of one of the townspeople to prepare ourselves a dish after the German fashion. I had thus an opportunity of noticing the inter- nal 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 filled up with paper or thin bladder. For the rest, every thing was neat and simple enough. Even a good comfortable divan was not wanting. At four o'clock we quitted the town. The Danube is now only broad for short distances at a time. It is, as it were, sown with islands, and its waters are therefore more frequently parted into several streams than united into one. In the villages we already notice Greek and Turkish costumes, but the women and girls do not yet wear veils. Unfortunately it was so late when we reached the fortress of Silistria that I could see nothing of it. A little lower down we cast anchor for the night. At an early hour on April 1st we sailed past Hirsova, and at two o'clock stopped at Braila, a fortress occupied by the Russians since the year 1828. Here passengers were not allowed to land, as they were considered infected with the plague; but our officer stepped forward, and vouched for the fact that we had neither landed nor taken up any one on the right bank of the river ; thereupon the strangers were allowed to set foot on terra firma. By four o'clock we were opposite Galatz, one of the most considerable commercial towns, with 8000 inhabitants, the only harbour the Russians possess on the Danube. Here we saw the first merchant-ships and barques of all kinds coming from the Black Sea. Some sea-gulls also, heralds of the neighbouring ocean, soared above our heads. c 34 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, The scene here is one of traffic and bustle ; Galatz being the place of rendezvous for merchants and travellers from two quar- ters of the globe, Europe and Asia. It is the point of junction of three great empires Austria, Russia, and Turkey. After the officer had repeated his assurances as at Braila, we were permitted to leave the ship. I had a letter of recommenda- tion to the Austrian consul, who accidentally came on board ; after reading my letter he received me very kindly, and most obligingly procured quarters for me. The town promises much, but proves to be just such a miser- able dirty place as Giurgewo. The houses are generally built of wood or clay, thatched with straw ; those alone belonging to the consul and the rich merchants are of stone. The finest build- ings are the Christian church and the Moldavian hotel. Though Galatz lies on the Danube, water for drinking is a dear article among the inhabitants. Wells are to be found neither in the houses nor in the squares. The townspeople are com- pelled to bring ah 1 the water they require from the Danube, 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 5rf.) in the more distant quarters of the town. At every corner you meet water-carriers, and little wagons loaded with tubs of water. Attempts have frequently been made to procure this indispensable element by digging ; water has, indeed, in some instances gushed forth, but it always had a brackish taste. In Galatz we made a halt of twenty -four hours : the delay was not of the most agreeable kind, as neither the town itself nor its environs offer any thing worthy of remark. Still I always think of these days with pleasure. Herr Consul Huber is a po- lite and obliging man ; himself a traveller, he gave me many a hint and many a piece of advice for my journey. The air of quiet comfort which reigned throughout his house was also not to be despised by one who had just endured many days of privation ; at Herr Huber's I found relief both for body and mind. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 35 April 2d. The scenery round the town is so far from being inviting, that I did not feel the least inclination to explore it. I therefore re- mained in the town, and went up hill and dowa dale through the ill-paved streets. Coffee-houses appear in great abundance ; but if it were not for the people sitting in front of them drinking coffee and smoking tobacco, no one would do these dirty rooms the honour of taking them for places of entertainment. In the market and the squares we notice a great prepon- derance of the male sex over the female. The former are seen bustling about every where, and, like the Italians, perform some duties which usually fall to the lot of the softer sex. We notice a mixture of the most different nations, and among them a parti- cularly large number of Jews. The bazaar is overloaded with southern fruits of all kinds. Oranges and lemons are seen here in great numbers, like the com- monest of our fruits. The prices are of course very trifling. The cauliflowers brought from Asia Minor are particularly fine. I noticed many as large as a man's head. In the evening I was required to repair to the harbour and re-embark. It is almost impossible to form an idea of the confusion which reigns here. A wooden railing forms the barrier between the healthy people and those who come from or intend travelling to a country infected with the plague. Whoever passes this line of demarcation is not allowed to return. Soldiers, officers, go- vernment officials, and superintendents, the latter of whom axe 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 be touched until the bearers have departed. A gentleman on the " plague" side wished to give a letter to one on the other ; it was immediately snatched from his hand and handed across by means 36 of a pair of tongs. And all this time such a noise and hubbub is going on, that you can scarcely hear the sound of your own voice. " Pray hand me over my luggage !" cries one. " Keep farther away! don't come near me, and mind you don't touch me!" anxiously exclaims another. And then the superintendents keep shouting " Stand back, stand back !" &c. I was highly entertained by this spectacle; the scene was entirely new to me. But on my return, when I shall be one of the prisoners, I fear I may find it rather tedious. For this time I was not at all hindered in the prosecution of my journey. On the whole, these timid precautions seemed to me exceed- ingly uncalled for, particularly at a time when neither the plague nor any kind of contagious disease prevailed in Turkey. One of my fellow-passengers had been banished to our ship on the pre- vious day because he had had the misfortune to brush against an official on going to see after his luggage. At seven o'clock the tattoo is beaten, the grating is shut, and the farce ends. We now repaired to the fourth and last steamer, the Ferdinand. From first to last we changed vessels six times during a journey from Vienna to Constantinople ; we travelled by four steamers and twice in boats ; a circumstance which cannot be reckoned among the pleasures of a trip down the Danube. Though not a large boat, the Ferdinand is comfortable and well built. Even the second-class cabin is neatly arranged, and a pretty stove diffused a warmth which was peculiarly grateful to us all, as the thermometer shewed only six to eight degrees above zero. Unfortunately even here the men and women are not sepa- rated hi the second-class cabin ; but care is at least taken that third-class passengers do not intrude. Twelve berths are arranged round the walls, and in front of these are placed broad benches well cushioned. April 3d. At five o'clock in the morning we steamed out of the harbour of Galatz. Shortly afterwards basins and towels were handed to EGYPT, AND ITALY. 37 us ; a custom totally unknown upon former vessels. For provi- sions, which are tolerably good, we are charged 1 fl. 40 kr. per diem. Towards ten o'clock we reached Tehussa, a Bessarabian vil- lage of most miserable appearance, where we stopped for a quarter of an hour ; after which we proceeded without further delay to- wards the Black Sea. I had long rejoiced in the expectation of reaching the Black Sea, and imagined that near its mouth the Danube itself would appear like a sea. But as it generally happens in life, " great expectations, small realisations," so it was the case here also. At Galatz the Danube is very broad ; but some distance from its mouth it divides itself into so many branches that not one of them can be termed majestic. Towards three o'clock in the afternoon we at length entered the Black Sea. Here the arms of the Danube rush forward from every quar- ter, driving the sea tumultuously back, so that we can only dis- tinguish hi the far distance a stripe of green. For above an hour we glide on over the yellow, clayey, 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 sway, that the deck was completely flooded with the salt brine. We could hardly stand upon our feet, and could not manage to reach the cabin- door, where the bell was ringing for dinner, without the as- sistance of some sailors. Several of the passengers, myself among the number, did little honour to the cook's skill. We had scarcely begun to eat our soup, before we were so powerfully attacked by sea-sickness, that we were obh'ged 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 the magnificent spectacle of nature. The waves frequently ran so high as to overtop the flue of our stove, and from tune to time whole streams of water poured into the cabin. 38 YISTT TO THE HOLY LAXD, Aprfl4tk- Since yesterday the stain has increased considerably, so that we are obliged to hold fast by our cribs to avoid being thrown out This misfortune really happened to one of the passengers, who was too ffl to hold sufficiently tight. As I already felt somewhat better, I attempted to rise, lot was thrown in the same instant with such force against a table which stood opposite, flat for a long time I felt no inclination to try again. There was not the slightest chance of obtaining any sleep all night. The dreadful howling of the wind among the masts and cordage, the fearful ^Miing of the ship, which seemed as though its timbers were starting, the continual jifalfrig and rolling, the Ty*fl"g of the heavy cables above us, the cries, orders, and flhimfing of the captain and his sailors, all combined to form a din which did not allow us to enjoy a moment's rest. In the morning, 21 as I felt myself, I managed to gain the deck with the help of the steward, and sat down near the steersman to enjoy the npnrt of that grandest of nature's phenomena a storm at sea. HMRnfr tightly on, I bade defiance to the waves, which broke over the ship and wetted me all over, as though to cool my feverish heat I could now form a dear and vivid conception of a storm at sea. I saw the waves rush fa**"g on, and the ship now div- ing into an abyss, and anon rising with the speed of lightning to the peak of the highest wave. It was a thrflfing, fearful sight ; absorbed in its contemplation, I soon ceased to think of my sickness. Late at night the violence of the storm abated in some degree ; we could now run in and cast anchor in the harbour of Varna, which under ordinary circumstances we should have reached twelve hoars sooner. April 5tiu This morning I lad leisure to admire this fine fortress-town, which was besieged and taken by the Russians in 1828. We remained here several hours. The upper portion of the ship was here loaded with fowl of afl descriptions, to such a degree that the EGYPT, AND ITALY. 39 space left for us travellers was exceedingly circumscribed. This article of consumption seems to be in great demand in Constanti- nople both aniong Turks and Franks ; for our captain assured me that his vessel was laden with this kind of ware every time he quitted Varna, and that he carried it to Stamboul. April 6th. The shades of night prevented my seeing one of the finest sights in the world, hi anticipation of which I had rejoiced ever since my departure from Vienna the passage through the Bos- phorus. A few days afterwards, however, I made the excursion hi a kaik (a very small and light boat), and enjoyed to my heart's content views and scenes which it is totally beyond my descriptive power to portray. At three o'clock in the morning, when we entered the harbour of Constantinople, every one, with the exception of the sailors, lay wrapped in sleep. I stood watching on deck, and saw the sun rise in its full glory over the imperial city, so justly and universally admired. We had cast anchor in the neighbourhood of Topona; the city of cities lay spread out before my eyes, built on several hills, each bearing a separate town, and all blending into a grand and harmonious whole. The town of Constantinople, properly speaking, is separated from Galata and Pera by the so-called " Golden-Horn ;" the means of communication is by a long 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 splendid wood of magnificent cypresses. In the foreground, on the top of the mountain, lie the spacious and handsome barracks, which can contain 10,000 men. The beautiful mosques, with their graceful minarets the palaces and harems, kiosks and great barracks the gardens, shrubberies, and cypress-woods the gaily painted houses, among 40 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, which single cypresses often rear their slender heads, these, together with the immense forest of masts, combine to form an indescribably striking spectacle. When the bustle of life began, on the shore and on the sea, my eyes scarcely sufficed to take in all I saw. The " Golden Horn" became gradually covered as far as the eye could reach with a countless multitude of kaiks. The restless 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 more which I cannot describe, held me spell-bound to the deck. The hours flew past like minutes, and even the time of debarca- tion came much too early for me, though I had stood on deck and gazed from three o'clock until eight. I found myself richly repaid for all the toils of my journey, and rejoiced in the sight of these wonderful Eastern pictures ; I could only wish I were a poet, that I might fitly portray the mag- nificent gorgeousness of the sight. To land at Topona, and to be immediately surrounded by hired servants and hamaks (porters), is the fate of every traveller. The stranger is no longer master either of his will or his luggage. One man praises this km, the other that. a The porters hustle and beat each other for your effects, so that the custom-house officers frequently come forward with their sticks to restore order. The boxes are then searched, a ceremony which can, however, be considerably accelerated by a fee of from ten to twenty kreutzers. It is very advisable to fix on an hotel before leaving the boat. There are always passengers on board who are resident at Con- stantinople, or at least know the town well, and who are polite enough to give advice on the subject to strangers. By this means you rid yourself at once of the greedy servants, and need only tell a porter the name of your inn. a They receive a dollar from the landlord for every guest whom they bring to his house. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 41 The inns for the Franks (a term used in the East to designate all Europeans) are in Pera. I stayed at the hotel of Madame Balbiani, a widow lady, in whose house the guests are made com- fortable in every respect. Clean rooms, with a beautiful view to- wards the sea, healthy, well-selected, and palatable fare, and good prompt attendance, are advantages which every one values ; and all these are found at Madame Balbianf s, besides constant readi- ness 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, with- out hesitation, that had not my good fortune led me under her roof, I should have been badly off. I had several letters of intro- duction ; but not being fortunate enough to travel in great pomp or with a great name, my countrymen did not consider it worth while to trouble themselves about me. I am ashamed, for their sakes, to be obliged to make this con- fession ; but as I have resolved to narrate circumstantially not only all I saw, but all that happened to me on this 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 hearty an interest in the well-being of a lonely woman. I am truly rejoiced when an opportunity occurs of expressing my sincere gratitude for the agreeable hours I spent among them. The distance from Vienna to Constantinople is about 1000 sea miles. KESIDENCE AT CONSTANTINOPLE. THE DANCING DERVISHES. I arrived at Constantinople on a Tuesday, and immediately inquired what was worth seeing. I was advised to go and see the dancing dervishes, as this was the day on which they held their religious exercises hi Pera. As I reached the mosque an hour too soon, I betook myself in the meantime to the adjoining garden, which is set apart as the place of meeting of the Turkish women. Here several hundred 42 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, ladies reclined on the grass in varied groups, surrounded by their children and their nurses, the latter of whom are all negresses. Many 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 provided with raisins, figs, sugared nuts, cakes, &c., and ate as much as the little ones. They seemed to treat their slaves very kindly ; the black servants sat among their mistresses, and munched away bravely : the slaves are well dressed, and could scarcely be distinguished from their owners, were it not for their sable hue. During my whole journey I remarked with" pleasure that the lot of a slave hi the house of a Mussulman is not nearly so hard as we believe. The Turkish women are no great admirers of animated conversations ; still there was more talking in their societies than in the assemblies of the men, who sit silent and half asleep in the coffee-houses, languidly listening to the narrations of a story-teller. The ladies' garden resembles a churchyard. Funeral monu- ments peer forth at intervals between the cypresses, beneath which the visitors sit talking and joking cheerfully. Every now and then one would suddenly start up, spread a carpet beside her com- panions, and kneel down to perform her devotions. As no one of the male sex was allowed to be present, all were unveiled. I noticed many pretty faces among them, but not a single instance of rare or striking beauty. Fancy large brilliant eyes, pale cheeks, broad faces, and an occasional tendency to cor- pulence, and you have the ladies' portrait. Small-pox must still be rather prevalent hi these parts, for I saw marks of it on many faces. The Turkish ladies' costume is not very tasteful. When they go abroad, they are completely swathed in an upper garment, EGYPT, AND ITALY. 43 generally made of dark merino. In the harem, or in any place where men are not admitted, they doff this garment, and also the white cloth in which they wrap their heads and faces. Their cos- tume consists, properly speaking, of very 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 then: hair fells on their shoulders in a number of thin plaits. Those Turks, male and female, who are descended from Mahomet, have either a green caftan or a green turban. This colour is here held so sacred, that scarcely any one may wear it. I would even advise the Franks to avoid green in their dresses, as they may expose themselves to annoyance by using it. After I had had more than an hour's leisure to notice all these circumstances, a noise suddenly arose hi the courtyard, which pro- duced a stir among the women. I considered from these appear- ances that it was time to go to the temple, and hastened to join my party. 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 breeding on the part of the Turks which many a Frank would do well to imitate. In a Turk, moreover, this politeness is doubly praiseworthy, from the fact that he looks upon my poor sex with great disrespect ; indeed, according to his creed, we have not even a soul. I had only stood a few moments, when the Sultan appeared on horseback, surrounded by his train. He alone rode into the courtyard ; the others all dismounted 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 saddle-cloth was richly embroidered with gold, and the stirrups, of the same 44 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, precious metal, were in the form of shoes, covered with the finest chased work. The Sultan is a slender slim-looking youth of nineteen years of age, and looks pale, languid, and blase. His features are agreeable, and his eyes fine. If he had not abandoned himself at so 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 diamond clasp, decked his head. The greeting of the people, and the Sultan's mode of acknowledging it, is exactly as at Vienna, ex- cept that here the people at intervals raise a low cry of welcome. As soon as the Sultan had entered the temple, all flocked in. The men and the Franks (the latter without distinction of sex) sit or stand hi the body of the temple. The Turkish women sit in galleries, behind such close wire gratings that they are com- pletely hidden. The temple, or more properly the hall, is of in- considerable size, and the spectators are only separated from the priests by a low railing. At two o'clock the dervishes appeared, clad in long petticoats with innumerable folds, which reached to their heels. Then- heads were covered with high pointed hats of white felt. They spread out 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 perform- ance so utterly horrible. The instruments were a child's drum, a shepherd's pipe, and a miserable fiddle. Several voices set up a squeaking and whining accompaniment, with an utter disregard of time and tune. Twelve dervishes now began their dance, if indeed a turning round in a circle, while their full dresses spread round them like a large wheel, can be called by such a name. They display much address in avoiding each other, and never come in contact, though their stage is very small. I did not notice any " convulsions," of which I had read in many descriptions. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 45 The ceremony ended at three o'clock. The Sultan once more mounted his horse, and departed with Ms train and the eunuchs. In the course of the day I saw him again, as he was returning from visiting the medical faculty. It is not difficult to get a sight of the Sultan ; he generally appears in public on Tuesdays, and always on Fridays, the holiday of the Turks. The train of the young autocrat presents a more imposing ap- pearance when he goes by water to visit a mosque, which he gene- rally does on every Friday. Only two hours before he starts it is announced in which mosque he intends to appear. At twelve, at noon, the procession moves forward. For this purpose two beau- tiful barges are hi readiness, 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 the ship there are fourteen of these rowers, under whose vigorous exertions the barge flies forward over wave and billow like a dolphin. The beauti- fully regular movements of the sailors have a fine effect. The cars all dip into the water with one stroke, the rowers rise as one man, and fall back into their places in the same perfect time. A number of elegant barges and kaiks follow the procession. The flags of the Turkish fleet and merchant-ships are hoisted, and twenty-one cannons thunder forth a salutation to the Sultan. He does not stay long injthe mosque, and usually proceeds to visit a barrack or some other public building. When the monarch goes by water to the mosque, he generally returns also in his barge ; if he goes by land, he returns in the same manner. The most popular walks in Pera are " the great and little Campo," which maybe termed "burying-places in cypress-groves." It is a peculiar custom of the Turks, which we hardly find among any other nation, that all their feasts, walks, business-transactions, and even their dwellings, are in the midst of graves. Every 46 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, where, in Constantinople, Pera, Galata, &c., 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 graves with as little dread as if I were walking among the houses of the living. Seen from a distance, these numerous cypress-woods give to the town a peculiar fairy -like appearance; I can think of nothing with which I could compare it. Every where the tall trees appear, but the tombs are mostly hidden from view. It took a longer time before I could accustom myself to the multitude of ownerless dogs, which the stranger encounters at all corners, in every square and every street. They are of a pecu- liarly hideous breed, closely resembling the jackal. During the daytime they are not obnoxious, being generally contented enough if they are allowed to sleep undisturbed in the sun, and to devour their prey in peace. But at night they are not so quiet. They bark and howl incessantly at each other, as well as at the passers- by, but do not venture an attack, particularly if you are accom- panied by a servant carrying a lantern and a stick. Among them- selves 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 fell 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 follow, barking and howling incessantly. Neither distemper nor madness is to be feared from these dogs, though no one cares for their wants. They live on carrion and oflal, which is to be found in abundance in every street, as every description r>f filth is thrown out of the houses into the road. A few years ago it was considered expe- EGYPT, AND ITALY. 47 dient to banish these dogs from Constantinople. They were trans- ported to two uninhabited islands in the Sea of Marmora, the males to one and the females to another. But dirt and filth increased in the city to such a degree, that people were glad to have them back again. The town is not lighted. Every person who goes abroad at night must take a lantern with him. If he is caught wandering without a lantern by the guard, he is taken off without mercy to the nearest watch-house, where he must pass the night. The gates of the city are shut after sunset. In proportion as I was charmed with the beautiful situation of Constantinople, so I was disgusted with the dirt and the offensive atmosphere which prevail every where ; the ugly narrow streets, the continual necessity to climb up and down steep places in the badly-paved roads, soon render the stranger weary of a residence in this city. Worse than all is the continual dread of conflagration hi which we live. Large chests and baskets are kept in readiness in every house; if a fire breaks out in the neighbourhood, all valuable articles are rapidly thrown into these and conveyed away. It is customary to make a kind of contract with two or three Turks, who are pledged, in consideration of a trifling monthly stipend, to appear hi 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 appropri- ated any portion of the goods entrusted to his care are' said to be of very rare occurrence. During the first nights of my stay I was alarmed at every noise, particularly when the watchman, who paraded the streets, happened to strike with his stick upon the stones. In the event of a conflagration, he must knock at every house-door and cry, " Fire, fire !" Heaven be praised, my fears were never realised. 48 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, CHAPTER III. Scutari Kaiks The howling Dervishes The Achmaidon, or place of arrows The tower in Galata The Bazaar at Constantinople Mosques Slave-market The old Serail The Hippodrome Coffee- houses Story-tellers Excursion to Ejub Houses, theatres, and car- riages. I CHOSE a Friday for an excursion to Scutari, the celebrated burying-place of the Turks, in order that I might have an opportunity of seeing the " howling dervishes." In company with a French physician, I traversed the Bospho- rus in a kaik. a We passed by the " Leander's Tower," which stands in the sea, a few hundred paces from the Asiatic coast, and has been so frequently celebrated in song by the poets. We soon arrived at our destination. It was with a peculiar feeling of emotion that for the first time in my life I set foot on a new quarter of the globe. Now, and not till now, I seemed separated by an immeasurable distance from my home. Afterwards, when I landed on the coast of Africa, the circumstance did not produce the same impression on my mind. Now at length I was standing in the quarter of the earth which had been the cradle of the human race ; where man had risen high, and had again sunk so low that the Almighty had al- most annihilated him in his righteous anger. And here in Asia it was that the Son of God came on earth to bring the boon of re- demption to fallen man. My long and warmly- cherished wish to tread this most wonderful of the four quarters of the earth was at a Boats built very slenderly, and which have a great knack of upset- ting, a circumstance which renders it necessary for the occupant to sit like a statue ; the slightest movement of the body, or even of the head or arm, draws upon you a reproof from the boatman. BUItlAI, PI.ACK AT SCUTAIU. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 49 length fulfilled, and with God's help I might confidently hope to reach the sacred region whence the true light of the world had shone forth. Scutari is the place towards which the Mussulman looks with the hope of one day reposing beneath its shade. No disciple of any other creed is allowed to be buried here ; and here, therefore, the Mahometan feels himself at home, and worthy of his Prophet. The cemetery is the grandest in the world. One may wander for hours through this grove of cypresses, without reaching the end. On the gravestones of the men turbans are sculptured ; on those of the women fruits and flowers : the execution is in most cases very indifferent. Though neither the chief nor the tributary streets in Scutari are even, they are neither so badly paved nor quite so narrow as those at Pera. The great barracks, on a height ha the foreground, present a splendid appearance, and also afford a delicious view to- wards the Sea of Marmora and the inimitably beautiful Bosphorus. The barracks are said to contain accommodation for 10,000 men. THE HOWLING DEBVISHES. At two o'clock we entered the temple, a miserable wooden building. Every Mussulman may take part in this religious ceremony ; it is not requisite that he should have attained to the rank and dignity of a dervish. Even children of eight or nine stand up in a row outside the circle of men, to gain an early pro- ficiency hi these holy exercises. The commencement of the ceremony is the same as with the dancing dervishes; they have spread out carpets and skins of beasts, and are bowing and kissing the ground. Now they stand up and form a circle together with the laymen, when the chief begins in a yelling voice to recite prayers from the Koran ; by degrees those forming the circle join in, and scream in concert. For the first hour some degree of order is still preserved; the performers rest frequently to husband then: strength, which will D 50 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, be exerted to the utmost at the close of the ceremony. But then the sight becomes as horrible as one can well imagine any thing. They vie with one another in yelling and howling, and torture their faces, heads, and bodies into an infinite variety of fantastic attitudes. The roaring, which resembles that of wild beasts, and the dreadful spasmodic contortions of the actors' countenances, ren- der this religious ceremony a horrible and revolting spectacle. The men stamp with their feet on the ground, jerk their heads backwards and forwards, and certainly throw themselves into worse contortions than those who are described as having been in old times "vexed with a devil." During the exercise they snatch the coveiing from their heads, and gradually take off all their clothes, with the exception of shirt and trousers. The two high priests who stand within the circle receive the garments one after another, kiss them, and lay them on a heap together. The priests beat time with their hands, and after the garments have been laid aside the dance becomes faster and faster. Heavy drops of perspiration stand on every brow ; some are even foaming at the mouth. The howling and roaring at length reach such a dreadful pitch, that the spectator feels stunned and bewildered. Suddenly one of these maniacs fell lifeless to the ground. The priests and a few from the circle hurried towards him, stretched him out flat, crossed his hands and feet, and covered him with a -cloth. The doctor and I were both considerably alarmed, for we thought the poor man had been seized with apoplexy. To our surprise and joy, however, we saw him about six or eight minutes afterwards suddenly throw off the cloth, jump up, and once more take his place in the circle to howl like a maniac. At three o'clock the ceremony concluded. I would not advise any person afflicted with weak nerves to witness it, for he cer- tainly could not endure the sight. I could have fancied myself among raving lunatics and men possessed, rather than amidst rea- sonable^ beings. It was long before I could recover my compo- EGYPT, AND ITALY. 51 sure, and realise the idea that the infatuation of man could attain such a pitch. I was informed that before the ceremony they swallow opium, to increase the wildness of their excitement ! The Achmaidon (place of arrows) deserves a visit, on account of the beautiful view obtained thence ; the traveller should see it, if he be not too much pressed for time. This is the place which the Sultan sometimes honours by his presence when he wishes to practise archery. On an open space stands a kind of pulpit of masonry, from which the Sultan shoots arrows into the air without mark or aim. Where the arrow falls, a pillar or pyramid is erected to commemorate the remarkable event. The whole space is thus covered with a num- ber of these monuments, most of them broken and weather-stained, and all scattered in the greatest confusion. Not iar from this place is an imperial kiosk, with a garden. Both promise much when viewed from a distance, but realise nothing when seen from within. THE TOWER IN GALATA. Whoever wishes to appreciate in its fullest extent the charm of the views round Constantinople should ascend the tower in Oalata near Pera, or the Serasker in Constantinople. According to my notion, the former course is preferable. In this tower there is a room with twelve windows placed hi a circle, from which we see pictures such as the most vivid imagination could hardly create. Two quarters of the globe, on the shores of two seas united by the Bosphorus, lie spread before us. The glorious hills with then: towns and villages, the number of palaces, gardens, kiosks, and mosques, Chalcedon, the Prince's Islands, the Golden Horn, the continual bustle on the sea, the immense fleet, besides the numerous ships of other nations, the crowds of people in Pera, Galata, and Topana all unite to form a panorama of singular beauty. The richest fancy would fail in the attempt to portray 52 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, such a scene ; the most practised pen would be unequal to the task of adequately describing it But the gorgeous picture will be ever present to my memory, though I lack the power of present- ing it to the minds of others. Frequently, and each time with renewed pleasure, I ascended this tower, and would sit there for hours, in admiration of the works of the created and of the Creator. Exhausted and weary with gazing was I each time I returned to my home. I think I may affirm that no spot in the world can present such a view, or any thing that can be compared with it. I found how right I had been in undertaking this journey in preference to any other. Here another world lies unfolded before my view. Every thing here is new nature, art, men, manners, customs, and mode of life. He who would see something totally different from the every-day routine of European life in European towns should come here. THE BAZAAB. In the town of Constantinople we come upon a wooden bridge, large, long, and broad, stretching across the Golden Horn. The streets of the town are rather better paved than those of Pera. In the bazaars and on the sea- coast alone do we find an appearance of bustle ; the remaining streets are quiet enough. The Bazaar is of vast extent, comprehending many covered streets, which cross each other in every direction and receive light from above. Every article of merchandise has its peculiar alley. In one all the goldsmiths have their shops, in another the shoe- makers ; in this street you see nothing but silks, in another real Cashmere shawls, &c. Every dealer has a little open shop, before which he sits, and unceasingly invites the passers-by to purchase. Whoever wishes to buy or to look at any thing sits down also in front of the booth. The merchants are very good-natured and obliging ; they always willingly unfold and display their treasures, even when they no- EGYPT, AND ITALY. 53 tice that the person to whom they are shewing them does not intend to become a purchaser. I had, however, imagined the display of goods to be much more varied and magnificent than I found it ; but the reason of this apparent poverty is that the true treasures of art and nature, such as shawls, precious stones, pearls, valuable arms, gold brocades, &c., must not be sought in the bazaars ; they are kept securely under lock and key in the dwellings or warehouses of the proprietors, whither the stranger must go if he wishes to see the richest merchandise. The greatest number of streets occupied by the followers of any one trade are those inhabited by the makers of shoes and slip- pers. A degree of magnificence is displayed in their shops such as a stranger would scarcely expect to see. There are slippers which are worth 1000 piastres* a pair and more. They are embroidered with gold, and ornamented with pearls and precious stones. The Bazaar is generally so much crowded, that it is a work of no slight difficulty to get through it ; yet the space in the mid- dle is very broad, and one has rarely to step aside to allow a car- riage or a horseman to pass. But the bazaars and baths are the lounges and gossipping places of the Turkish women. Under the pretence of bathing or of wishing to purchase something, they walk about here for half a day together, amusing themselves with small-talk, love-affairs, and with looking at the wares. THE MOSQUES. Without spending a great deal of money, it is very difficult to obtain admittance into the mosques. You are compelled to take out a firmann, which costs from 1000 to 1200 piastres. A guide of an enterprising spirit is frequently sufficiently acute to inquire in the different hotels if there are any guests who wish to visit the mosques. Each person who is desirous of doing so gives four or a A piastre is worth about \ld. 54 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, five colonati b to the guide, who thereupon procures the firmann, and frequently clears forty or fifty guilders by the transaction. An opportunity of this description to visit the mosques generally offers itself several times in the course of a month. I had made up my mind that it would he impossible to quit Constantinople without first seeing the four wonder-mosques, the Aja Sofia, Sultan Achmed, Osmanije, and Soleimanije. I had the good fortune to obtain admittance on paying a very trifling sum ; I think I should regret it to this day if I had paid five colonati for such a purpose. To an architect these mosques are no doubt highly interest- ing ; to a profane person like myself they offer little attraction. Their principal beauty generally consists in the bold arches of the cupolas. The interior is always empty, with the exception of a few large chandeliers placed at intervals, and furnished with a large number of perfectly plain glass lamps. The marble] floors are covered with straw mats. In the Sofia mosque we find a few pillars which have been brought hither from Ephesus and Baalbec, and in a compartment on one side several sarcophagi are depo- sited. Before entering the mosque, you must either take off your shoes or put on slippers over them. The outer courts, which are open to all, are very spacious, paved with slabs of marble, and kept scrupulously clean. In the midst stands a fountain, at which the Mussulman washes his hands, his face, and his feet, before en- tering the mosque. An open colonnade resting on pillars usually runs round the mosques, and splendid plantains and other trees throw a delicious shade around. The mosque of Sultan Achmed, on the Hippodrome, is sur- rounded by six minarets. Most of the others have only two, and some few four. The kitchens for the poor, situated in the immediate neigh- b About one pound sterling'. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 55 bourhood of the mosques, are a very praiseworthy institution. Here the poor Mussulman is regaled on simple dishes, such as rice, beans, cucumbers, &c., at the public expense. I marvelled greatly to find no crowding at these places. Another and an equally useful measure is the erection of numerous fountains of clear good water. This is the more welcome when we remember that the Turkish religion forbids the use of all spirituous liquors. At many of these fountains servants are stationed, whose only duty is to keep ten or twelve goblets of shining brass constantly filled with this refreshing nectar, and to offer them to every passer-by, be he Turk or Frank. Beer-houses and wine-shops are not to be found here. Would to Heaven this were every where the case ! ^How many a poor wretch would never have been poor, and how many a madman would never have lost his senses ! Not far from the Osmanije mosque is the SLAVE-MARKET. I entered it with a beating heart, and already before I had even seen them, pitied the poor slaves. How glad, therefore, was I when I found them not half so forlorn and neglected as^ we Europeans are accustomed to imagine ! I saw around me friendly smiling faces, from the grimaces and contortions of which I could easily discover that their owners were making quizzical remarks on every passing stranger. The market is a great yard, surrounded by rooms, in which the slaves live. By day they may walk about in the yard,*pay one another visits, and chatter as much as they please. In a market of this kind we, of course, see every gradation of colour, from light brown to the deepest black. The white slaves, and the most beautiful of the blacks, are not however to be seen by every stranger, but are shut up in the dwellings of the ^traf- fickers in human flesh. The dress of these people is simple in the extreme. They either wear only a large linen sheet, which is wrapped round them, or some light garment. Even this they 56 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, are obliged to take off when a purchaser appears. So long as they are in the hands of the dealers, they are certainly not kept in very good style ; so they all look forward with great joy to the prospect of getting a master. When they are once purchased, their fate is generally far from hard. They always adopt the religion of their master, are not overburdened with work, are well clothed and fed, and kindly treated. Europeans also pur- chase slaves, but may not look upon them and treat them as such ; from the moment when a slave is purchased by a Frank he be- comes free. Slaves bought in this way, however, generally stay \vith their masters. THE OLD SEKAIL is, of course, an object of paramount attraction to us Europeans. I betook myself thither with my expectations at full stretch, and once more found the reality to be far below my anticipations. The effect of the whole is certainly grand ; many a little town would not cover so much ground as this place, which consists of a number of houses and buildings, kiosks, and summer-houses, sur- rounded with plantains and cypress-trees, the latter half hidden amid gardens and arbours. Everywhere there is a total want of symmetry and taste. I saw something of the garden, walked through the first and second courtyard, and even peeped into the third. In the last two yards the buildings are remarkable for the number of cupolas they exhibit. I saw a few rooms and large halls quite full of a number of European things, such as furniture, clocks, vases, &c. My expectations were sadly damped. The place where the heads of pashas who had fallen into disfavour were exhibited is in the third yard. Heaven be praised, no severed heads are now seen stuck on the palings. I was not fortunate enough to be admitted into the imperial harem ; I did not possess sufficient interest to obtain a view of it. At a later period of my journey, however, I succeeded in viewing several harems. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 57 THE HIPPODROME is the largest and finest open place in Constantinople. After those of Cairo and Padua, it is the most spacious I have seen any where. Two obelisks of red granite, covered with hieroglyphics, are the only ornaments of this place. The houses surrounding it are built, according to the general fashion, of wood, and painted with oil-colours of different tints. I here noticed a great number of pretty children's carriages, drawn by servants. Many parents assembled here to let their children be driven about. Not far from the Hippodrome are the great cisterns with the thousand and one pillars. Once on a time this gigantic fabric must have presented a magnificent appearance. Now a miserable wooden staircase, lamentably out of repair, leads you down a flight of thirty or forty steps into the depths of one of these cisterns, the roof of wliich is supported by three hundred pillars. This cistern is no longer filled with water, but serves as a workshop for silk- spinners. The place seems almost as if it had been expressly built for such a purpose, as it receives light from above, and is cool in summer, and warm during the winter. It is now impossible to penetrate into the lower stories, as they are either filled with earth or with water. The aqueducts of Justinian and Valentinian are stupendous works. They extend from Belgrade to the " Sweet Waters," a distance of about fourteen miles, and supply the whole of Con- stantinople with a sufficiency of water. COFFEE-HOUSES STORY-TELLERS. Before I bade farewell to Constantinople for the present and betook me to Pera, I requested my guide to conduct me to a few coffee-houses, that I might have a new opportunity of observing the peculiar customs and mode of life of the Turks. I had already obtained some notion of the appearance of these places in Giurgewo and Galatz ; but in this imperial town I had fancied I should find 58 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, them somewhat neater and more ornamental. But this delusion vanished as soon as I entered the first coffee-house. A wretchedly dirty room, in which Turks, Greeks, Armenians, and others sat cross-legged on divans, smoking and drinking coffee, was all I could discover. In the second house I visited I saw, with great disgust, that the coffee-room was also used as a barber's shop; on one side they were serving coffee, and on the other a Turk was having his head shaved. They say that bleeding is some- times even carried on in these booths. In a coffee-house of a rather superior class we found one of the so-called " story-tellers." The audience sit round in a half- circle, and the narrator stands in the foreground, and quietly be- gins a tale from the Thousand and One Nights ; but as he con- tinues he becomes inspired, and at length roars and gesticulates like the veriest ranter among a company of strolling players. Sherbet is not drunk in all the coffee-houses ; but every where we find stalls and booths where this cooling and delicious beverage is to be had. It is made from the juice of fruits, mixed with that of lemons and pomegranates. In Pera ice is only to be had in the coffee-houses of the Franks, or of Christian confectioners. All coffee-house keepers are obliged to buy their coffee ready burnt and ground from the government, the monopoly of this article being an imperial privilege. A building has been expressly con- structed for its preparation, where the coffee is ground to powder by machinery. The coffee is made very strong, and poured out without being strained, a custom which I could not bring myself to like. It is well worth the traveller's while to make an EXCURSION TO EJUB, the greatest suburb of Constantinople, and also the place where the richest and most noble of the Turks are buried. Ejub, the standard-bearer of Mahomet, rests here in a mag- nificent mosque, built entirely of white marble. None but a EGYPT, AND ITALY. 59 Mussulman may tread this hallowed shrine. A tolerably good view of the interior can, however, be obtained from without, as the windows are lofty and broad, and reach nearly to the ground. The sarcophagus stands in a hall ; it is covered with a richly em- broidered pall, over which are spread five or six " real" shawls. The part beneath which the head rests is surmounted by a turban, also of real shawls. The chief sarcophagus is surrounded by several smaller coffins, in which repose the wives, children, and nearest relations of Ejub. Hard by the mosque we find a beau- tiful fountain of white marble, surrounded by a railing of gilded iron, and furnished with twelve bright drinking- cups of polished brass. A Turk here is appointed expressly to hand these to the passers-by. A little crooked garden occupies the space behind the mosque. The mosques in which the dead sultans are de- posited are all built in the same manner as that of Ejub. In- stead of the turban, handsome fez-caps, with the heron's feather, lie on the coffins. Among the finest mosques is that in which repose the remains of the late emperor. In Ejub many very costly monuments are to be seen. They are generally surrounded by richly-gilt iron railings, their peaks surmounted by the shining crescent, and forming an arch above a sarcophagus, round which are planted rose-bushes and dwarf cypresses, with ivy and myrtle clinging to their stems. It would, however, be very erroneous to suppose that the rich alone lie buried here. The poor man also finds his nook; and frequently we see close by a splendid monument the modest stone which marks the resting-place of the humble Mussulman. On my return I met the funeral of a poor Turk. If my atten- tion had not been attracted to the circumstance, I should have passed by without heeding it. The corpse was rolled in a cloth, fastened at the head and at the feet, and laid on a board which a man carried on his shoulder. At the grave the dead man is once more washed, wrapped in clean linen cloths, and thus lowered into the earth. And this is as it should be. Why should the pomp 60 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, and extravagance of man accompany him to his last resting-place ? Were it not well if in this matter we abated something of our conventionality and ostentation ? I do not mean to say that in- terments need be stripped of every thing like ornament ; in all things the middle way is the safest. A simple funeral has surely in it more that awakes true religious feeling than the pomp and splendour which are too frequently made the order of the day in these proceedings. In this case are not men sometimes led away to canvass and to criticise the splendour of the show, while they should be deducing a wholesome moral lesson for themselves, or offering up a fervent prayer to the Almighty for the peace of the departed spirit ? HOUSES THEATEES CAEEIAGES. The houses in the whole of Constantinople, in which we may include Pera, Topana, &c., are very slightly and carelessly put together. No door, no window, closes and fits well ; the floorings frequently exhibit gaps an inch in breadth ; and yet rents are very high. The reason of this is to be found in the continual danger of fire to which all towns built of wood are exposed. Every pro- prietor of a house calculates that he may be burnt out in the course of five or six years, and therefore endeavours to gain back his capital with interest within this period. Thus we do not find the houses so well built or so comfortably furnished as in the generality of European towns. There is a theatre in Pera, which will hold from six to seven hundred spectators. At the time of my sojourn there, a company of Italian singers were giving four representations every week. Operas of the most celebrated masters were here to be heard ; but I attended one representation, and had quite enough. The wonder is that such an undertaking answers at all, as the Turks have no taste for music, and the Franks are too fastidious to be easily satisfied. The carriages which are, generally speaking, only used by EGYPT, AND ITALY. 61 women are of two kinds. The first is in the shape of a balloon, finely painted and gilt, and furnished with high wheels. On each side is an opening, to enter which the passenger mounts on a wooden stool, placed there by the coachman every tune he ascends or descends. The windows or openings can be closed with Venetian blinds. These carriages contain neither seats nor cushion. Every one who drives out takes carpets or bolsters with him, spreads them out inside the coach, and sits down cross-legged. A carriage of this description will hold four persons. The second species of carriage only differs from that already described in having still higher wheels, and consisting of a kind of square box, covered in at the top, but open on all sides. The passengers enter at the back, and there is generally room for eight persons. The former kind of vehicle is drawn by one horse in shafts, and sometimes by two ; the latter by one or two oxen, also harnessed in shafts, which are, however, furnished in addition with a wooden arch decorated with flowers, coloured paper, and ribbons. The coach- man walks on foot beside his cattle, to guide them with greater security through the uneven ill-paved streets, in which you are continually either ascending or descending a hill. Wagons there are none ; every thing is carried either by men, horses, or asses. This circumstance explains the fact that more porters are found here than in any other city. These men are agile and very strong ; a porter often bears a load of from one hundred to a hundred and fifty pounds through the rugged hilly streets. Wood, coals, provisions, and building-materials are carried by horses and asses. This may be one reason why every thing is so dear in Constantinople. 62 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, CHAPTER IV. Walks and drives of the townspeople The " Sweet Waters" Chalcedonia Baluklid The great and little Campo Feasts in Constantinople Anniversary of Mahomet's death Easter holidays of the Greeks Gladiators and wrestlers Excursion to Brussa Olive-trees Mosques at Brussa Stone bridge Wild dogs Baths and mineral springs .Return to Constantinople. ON Sundays and holydays the " Sweet Waters" of Europe are much frequented. One generally crosses the Golden Horn, into which the sweet water runs, in a kaik. There is, however, another way thither across the mountains. A large grass-plat, surrounded by trees, is the goal towards which the heaving multitude pours. Here are to he seen people from all quarters of the globe, and of all shades of colour, reclining in perfect harmony on carpets, mats, and pillows, and solacing themselves, pipe in mouth, with coffee and sweetmeats. Many pretty Jewesses, mostly unveiled, are to be seen among the crowd. On Friday, the holiday of the Turks, the scene in the Asiatic Sweet Waters is just as animated ; and here there is much more to interest us Europeans, as the company consists chiefly of Turks, male and female. The latter have, as usual, their faces covered : the most beautiful feature, the flaming eye, is, however, visible. The trip across the sea to the Asiatic Sweet Waters is incom- parably more beautiful and interesting than the journey to the European. We travel up the Bosphorus, in the direction of the Black Sea, past the splendid new palace of the Sultan. Though this palace is chiefly of wood, the pillars, staircases, and the EGYPT, AND ITALY. 63 ground-floor, built of marble of dazzling whiteness, are strikingly beautiful. The great gates, of gilded cast-iron, may be called masterpieces ; they were purchased in England for the sum of 8000/. The roof of the palace is in the form of a terrace, and round this terrace runs a magnificent gallery, built only of wood, but artistically carved. We also pass the two ancient castles which command the approach to Constantinople, and then turn to the right towards the Sweet Waters. The situation of this place is most lovely ; it lies in a beautiful valley surrounded by green hills. Very interesting is also an excursion to Chalcedonia, a penin- sula in the Sea of Marmora, on the Asiatic side, adjoining Scutari. We were rowed thither in a two-oared kaik in an hour and a quarter. The finest possible weather favoured our trip. A number of dolphins gambolled around our boat ; we saw these tame fishes darting to and fro in all directions, and leaping into the air. It is a peculiar circumstance with regard to these crea- tures, that they never swim separately, but always either in pairs or larger companies. The views which we enjoy during these trips are peculiarly lovely. Scutari lies close on our left ; the foreground is occupied by mountains of moderate elevation ; and above them, in the far distance, gleams the snow- clad summit of Olympus. The unin- habited Prince's Island and the two Dog Islands are not the most picturesque objects to be introduced in such a landscape. To make up for the disadvantage of their presence we have, however, a good view of the Sea of Marmora, and can also distinguish the greater portion of the city of Constantinople. On Chalcedonia itself there is nothing to be seen but a light- house. Beautiful grass-plats, with a few trees and a coffee-house, are the chief points of attraction with the townspeople. An excursion by sea to Baluklid is also to be recommended. You pass the entire Turkish fleet, which is very considerable, and see the largest ship in the world, the " Mahmud," of 140 guns, 64 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, built during the reign of the late Sultan Mahmud. Several three- deckers of 120 guns, some of them unrigged, and many men-of- war mounting from forty to sixty cannons, lie in the harbour. For an hour and a half we are riding through the Sea of Marmora, to the left of the great quay which surrounds the walls of Constanti- nople. Here, for the first time, we see the giant city in all its magnificent proportions. We also passed the " Seven Towers," of which, however, only five remain standing ; the other two, I was told, had fallen in. If these towers really answer no other purpose than that of prisons for the European ambassadors during tumults or in the event of hostilities, I think the sooner the remaining five tumble down the better ; for the European powers will certainly not brook such an insult from the Turks, now in the day of their decline. We disembarked immediately beyond the " Seven Towers,' 3 and walked for half an hour through long empty streets, then out at the town-gate, where the cypress-grove for a time con- ceals from our view a large open space on which is built a pretty Greek church. I was told that during the holidays at Easter such riotous scenes were here enacted that broken heads were far from being phenomena of rare occurrence. In the church there is a cold spring containing little fishes. A legend goes, that on the high days at Easter these poor little creatures swim about half fried and yet alive, because once upon a time, when Con- stantinople was besieged, a general said that it was no more likely that the city could be taken than that fishes could swim about half fried. Ever since that period the wonderful miracle of the fried fish is said to occur annually at Easter. On our return to our kaik, we saw near the shore an enormous cuttle-fish, more than fourteen feet in length, which had just been taken and killed. A number of fishermen were trying with ropes and poles to drag the monster ashore. The walks in the immediate neighbourhood of Pera are the great and little Campo, and somewhat farther distant the great EGYPT, AND ITALY. 65 bridge which unites Topana with Constantinople ; the latter is a most amusing walk, during which we can view the life and bustle on both shores at the same time. In the little Campo are two Frankish coffee-houses, before which we sit quite in European fashion on handsome chairs and benches, listening to pleasant music, and regaling ourselves with ices. FEASTS IN CONSTANTINOPLE. During my residence in Constantinople I had the good fortune to be present at some very entertaining festivities. The most magnificent of these took place on the 23d of April, the anniver- sary of Mahomet's death. On the eve of this feast we enjoyed a fairy-like spectacle. The tops of all the minarets were illuminated with hundreds of little lamps ; and as there are a great many of these slender spires, it can be readily imagined that this sea of light must have a beauti- ful effect. The Turkish ships in the harbour presented a similar appearance. At every loop-hole a large lamp occupied the place of the muzzle of the cannon. At nine o'clock in the evening, salvoes were, fired from the ships ; and at the moment that the can- nons were fired, the lamps vanished, flashes of light and gunpowder- smoke filled the air ; a few seconds afterwards, as if by magic, the lamps had reappeared. This salute was repeated three times. The morning of the 23d was ushered in by the booming of the cannon. All the Turkish ships had hoisted their flags, and garlands of coloured paper were twined round the masts to their very tops. At nine o'clock I proceeded in the company of several friends to Constantinople, to see the grand progress of the Sultan to the mosque. As with us, it is here the custom to post soldiers on either side of the way. The procession was headed by the officers and government officials ; but after every couple of officers or statesmen followed their servants, generally to the number of twelve or fifteen persons, in very variegated costumes, partly E 66 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAXD, Turkish, partly European, and withal somewhat military ; in feet, a perfect motley. Then came the Emperors state-horses, splendid creatures, the majority of them of the true Arabian breed, deco- rated with saddle-cloths richly embroidered with gold, pearls, and precious atones, and proudly moving their plumed heads. Then- spirited appearance and beautiful paces excited the admiration of all the learned in such matters. They were followed by a num- ber of pages on foot ; these pages are not, however, youths, as in other countries, but men of tried fidelity. In their midst rode the youthful Emperor, wrapped in his cape, and wearing in his fez-cap a fine heron's plume, buckled with the largest diamond in Europe, As the Sultan passed by, he was greeted by the accla- mations of the military, but not of the people. The soldiers closed the procession ; but their bearing is not nearly so haughty as that of the horses. The reason of this is simple enough no one dares look upon the Arabians with an evil eye, but the soldiers are entirely subject to the caprice of their ofiicers. I would certainly rather be the Sultan's horse than his soldier. The uniforms of the officers, in their profusion of gold em- broidery, resemble those of our hussars. The privates have very comfortable jackets and trousers of blue doth with red trimmings ; some have jackets entirely of a red colour. The artillerymen wear red facings. Their chaussure is pitiable in the extreme : some have boots, not unfrequently decorated with spurs ; others have shoes, trodden down at heel and terribly tattered ; and some even appear in dippers. All are without stockings, and thus naked feet peer forth every where. The position of the men with regard to each other is just as irregular ; a little dwarf may frequently be seen posted next to a giant, a boy of twelve or fourteen years near a grey-headed veteran, and a negro standing next to a white At this feast a great concourse of people was assembled, and every window was crowded with muffled female heads. We had been advised not to be present at this ceremony, as EGYPT, AND ITALY. 67 it was stated to be of a purely religious nature, and it was feared we should be exposed to annoyance from the fanaticism of the Mussulmen. I am glad to say, however, that the curiosity of my party was stronger than their apprehensions. We pushed through every where, and I had again occasion to feel assured that grievous wrong is frequently done the good Turks. Not only was there no appearance of a disposition to annoy us, but we even obtained very good places without much trouble. On their Easter days the Greeks have a feast in the great Campo. On all the three holidays, the hamaks (water-carriers and porters), after the service is over, march in large numbers to the Campo with songs and music, with noise and shouting, waving their handkerchiefs in the air. Arrived at their destination, they divide into different groups, and proceed to amuse themselves much after the manner of other nations. A number of tents are erected, where a great deal of cooking and baking is carried on. Larg companies are sitting on the ground or on the tombstones, eating and drinking in quiet enjoyment. We see a number of swings laden with men and children ; on this side we hear the squeaking of a bagpipe, on that the sound of a pipe and drum, uttering such dismal music that the hearer instinctively puts] a finger into each ear. To this music a real bear's dance is going on. Six or eight fellows stand in a half circle round the musician, and two leaders of these light-toed clodhoppers continually wave their handker- chiefs in the air as they stamp slowly and heavily round in a circle. The women are allowed to appear at this feast, but may neither take part in the swinging nor in the dancing. They there- fore keep up a brave skirmishing with the sweetmeats, coffee, and delicacies of ah" kinds. The more wealthy portion of the com- munity employ these days in riding to Baluklid, to gaze and wonder at the miracle of the half-baked and yet living fishes. As the Greeks are not so good-natured as the Turks, the latter seldom take part in their festivities. Turkish women never appear on these occasions. 68 VISIT TO THE HOLT LA>T>, On the 8th of May I saw a truly Turkish fete in the neigh- bourhood of the Achmaidon (place of arrows). In a plain surrounded on all sides by hills, men of all nations formed a large but closely-packed circle. Harasses (gens darme] were there to keep order among the people, and several officers sat among the circle to keep order among the kavasses. The spectacle began. Two wrestlers or gladiators made their appear- ance, completely undressed, with the exception of trousers of strong leather. They had rubbed themselves all over with oil, so that their joints might be soft and supple, and also that their adversary should not be able to obtain a firm hold when they grappled to- gether. They made several obeisances to the spectators, began with minor feats of wrestling, and frequently stopped for a few moments in order to husband their strength. Then the battle began afresh, and became hotter and hotter, till at length one of the combatants was hailed as victor by the shouting mob. He is declared the conqueror who succeeds in throwing his opponent in such a manner that he can sit down upon him as on a horse. A combat of this kind usually lasts a quarter of an hour. The victor walks triumphantly round the circle to collect his reward. The unfortunate vanquished conceals himself among the spectators, scarcely daring to Eft his eyes. These games last for several hours ; as one pair of gladiators retire, they are replaced by an- other. Greek, Turkish, and Armenian women may only be spectators of these games from a distance ; they therefore occupy the ad- joining heights. For the rest, the arrangements are the same as at the Greek Easter feast. People eat, drink, and dance. No .signs of beer, wine, or liqueur are to be discovered, and conse- quently there is no drunkenness. The Turkish officers were here polite enough to surrender the best places to us strangers. I had many opportunities of noticing the character of the Mussulman, and found, to my great delight, that he is much better and more honest than prejudices generally EGYPT, AND ITALY. 69 allow us to believe. Even in matters of commerce and business it is better to have to do with a Turk than with a votary of any other creed, not even excepting my own. During my stay at Constantinople (from the 5th of April until May 17th) I found the weather just as changeable as in my own country ; so much so, in fact, that the temperature frequently varied twelve or fourteen degrees within four-and-twenty hours. EXCURSION TO BRUSSA. The two brothers, Baron Charles and Frederick von Buseck, and Hen- Sattler, the talented artist, resolved to make an excur- sion to Brussa; and as 'I had expressed a similar wish, they were obliging enough to invite me to make a fourth in their party. But when it came to the point, I had almost become irresolute. I was asked by some one if I was a good rider ; " for if you are not," said my questioner, " it would be far better for you not to accompany them, as Brussa is four German miles distant from Gemlek, and the road is bad, so that the gentlemen must ride briskly if they wish to 'reach the town before sundown, starting as they would at half-past two in the afternoon, the general hour of landing at Gemlek. In the event of your being unable to keep up with the rest, you would put them to great inconvenience, or they will be compelled to leave you behind on the road." I had never mounted a horse, and felt almost inclined to con- fess the fact ; but my curiosity to see Brussa, the beautiful town at the foot of Olympus, gained the day, and I boldly declared that I had no doubt I should be able to keep pace with my companions. On the 13th of May we left Constantinople at half-past six in the morning, on board a little steamer of forty-horse power. Passing the Prince's and Dog Islands, we swept across the Sea of Marmora towards the snow-crowned Olympus, until, after a voyage of seven hours, we reached Gemlek. Gemlek, distant thirty sea miles from Constantinople, is a miserable place, but nevertheless does some trade as the harbour 70 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, of Bithynia. The agent of the Danube Navigation Company was civil enough to procure us good horses, and a genuine, stalwart, and fierce-looking Turkoman for a guide. This man wore in his girdle several pistols and a dagger ; a long crooked scimitar hung at his side ; and instead of shoes and slippers, large boots decked his feet, bordered at the top by a wide stripe of white cloth, on which were depicted blue flowers and other ornaments. His head was graced by a handsome turban. At half-past two o'clock the horses arrived. I swung myself boldly upon my Rosinante, called on my good angel to defend me, and away we started, slowly at first, over stock and stone. My joy was boundless when I found that I could sit steadily upon my horse ; but shortly afterwards, when we broke into a trot, I began to feel particularly uncomfortable, as I could not get on at ah 1 with the stirrup, which was continually slipping to my heel, while some- times my foot slid out of it altogether, and I ran the risk of losing my balance. Oh, what would I not have given to have asked advice of any one ! But unfortunately I could not do so without at once betraying my ignorance of horsemanship. I therefore took care to bring up the rear, under the pretence that my horse was shy, and would not go well unless it saw the others before it. My real reason was that I wished to hide my manoeuvres from the gentlemen, for every moment I expected to fall. Frequently I clutched the saddle with both hands, as I swayed from side to side. I looked forward in terror to the gallop, but to my surprise found that I could manage this pace better than the trot. My courage brought its reward, for I reached the goal of our journey thoroughly shaken, but without mishap. During the tune that we travelled at a foot-pace, I had found leisure to contemplate the scenery around us. For half the entire distance we ride from one valley into another ; as often as a hill is reached, there is a limited prospect before the traveller, who has, however, only to turn his head, and he enjoys a beautiful view over the Sea of Mar- mora. After a ride of two hours and a half we arrived at a little EGYPT, AND ITALY. 71 khan, a where we rested for half an hour. Proceeding thence a short distance, we reached the last hills ; and the great valley, at the end of which Brussa is seen leaning against Olympus, lay stretched before our eager eyes, while behind us we could still distinguish, far beyond hill and dale, the distant sea skirting the horizon. Yet, beautiful as this landscape undoubtedly is, I had seen it surpassed in Switzerland. The immense valley which lies spread out before Brussa is uncultivated, deserted, and unwatered ; no carpet of luxuriant verdure, no rushing river, no pretty village, gives an air of life to this magnificent and yet monotonous region ; and no giant mountains covered with eternal snow look down upon -the plain beneath. Pictures like these I had frequently found in Switzerland, in the Tyrol, and also near Salzburg. Here I saw, indeed, separate beauties, but no harmonious whole. Olym- pus is a fine majestic mountain, forming an extended barrier ; but its height can scarcely exceed 6000 feet ; b and during the present month it is totally despoiled of its surface of glittering snow. Brussa, with its innumerable minarets, is the only point of relief to which the eye continually recurs, because there is nothing be- yond to attract it. A little brook, crossed by a very high stone bridge, but so shallow already in the middle of May as hardly to cover our horses' hoofs ; and towards Brussa, a miserable village, with a few plantations of olives and mulberry-trees, are the only objects to be discovered throughout the whole wide expanse. Wherever I found the olive-tree here, near Trieste, and in Sicily, it was alike ugly. The stem is gnarled, and the leaves are nar- row and of a dingy green colour. The mulberry-tree, with its luxuriant bright green foliage, forms an agreeable contrast to the olive. The silk produced in this neighbourhood is peculiarly fine in quality, and the stuffs from Brussa are renowned far and wide. a A khan is a stone building containing a few perfectly empty rooms, to receive the traveller in the absence of inns, or shelter against the night air and against storm. Generally in these khans a Turk is found, who dis- penses coffee without milk to the visitors. b Its height is 9100 feet. ED. 72 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, We reached the town in safety before sunset. It is one of the most disagreeable circumstances that can happen to the tra- veller to arrive at an Oriental town after evening has closed in. He finds the gates locked, and may clamour for admittance in vain. In order to gain our inn, we were obliged to ride through the greater part of the town. I had here an opportunity of observing that it is just as unsightly as the interior of Constantinople. The streets are narrow, and the houses built of wood, plaster, and some even of stone ; but all wear an aspect of poverty, and at the same time of singularity; the gables projecting so much that they occupy half the width of the street, and render it completely dark, vrhile they increase its narrowness. The inn, too, at which we put up, looked far from inviting when viewed from the outside, so that we had some dark misgivings respecting the quality of the accommodation that awaited us. But in proportion as the out- side had looked unpropitious, were we agreeably surprised on entering. A neat and roomy courtyard, with a basin of pure sparkling water in the midst, surrounded by mulberry-trees, was the first thing we beheld. Hound this courtyard were two stories of clean but simply-furnished rooms. The fare was good, and we were even regaled with a bottle of excellent wine from the lower regions of Olympus. May 14th. Next morning we visited the town and its environs, under the guidance and protection of a kavasse. The town itself is of great extent, and is reported to contain above 10,000 houses, inhabited exclusively by Turks. The population of the suburbs, which comprise nearly 4000 houses, is a mixed one of Christians, Jews, Greeks, &c. The town numbers three hundred and sixty mosques ; but the greater portion of them are so insignificant and in such a dilapidated condition, that we scarcely observed them. Strangers are here permitted to enter the mosques in company of a kavasse. We visited some of the principal, among which the Ulla Drchamy may decidedly be reckoned. The cupola of EGYPT, AND ITALY. 73 this mosque is considered a masterpiece, and rests upon graceful columns. It is open at the top, thus diffusing a chastened light and a clear atmosphere throughout the building. Immediately beneath this cupola stands a large marble basin, in which small fishes swim merrily about. The mosque of Sultan Mahomed I. and of Sultan Ildirim Bojasid must also be noticed on account of their splendid archi- tecture ; the latter, too, for the fine view which is thence obtained. In the mosque of Murad I. visitors are still shewn weapons and garments which once belonged to that sultan. I saw none of the magnificent regal buildings mentioned by some writers. The im- perial kiosk is so simple in its appearance, that if we had not climbed the hill on which it stands for the sake of the view, it would not have been worth the trouble of the walk. A stone bridge, roofed throughout its entire length, crosses the bed of the river, which has very steep banks, but contains very little water. A double row of small cottages, in which silk- weavers live and ply their trade, lines this bridge, which I was surprised to see here, as its architecture seemed rather to apper- tain to my own country than to the East. During my whole journey I did not see a second bridge of this kind, either in Syria or Egypt. The streets are all very dull and deserted, a fact which is rather remarkable in a town of 100,000 inhabitants. In most of the streets more dogs than men are to be seen. Not only in Con- stantinople, but almost in every Oriental town, vast numbers of these creatures run about in a wild state. Here, as every where, some degree of bustle is to be found in the bazaars, particularly in those which are covered in. Beautiful and durable silk stuffs, the most valuable of which are kept in warehouses under lock and key, form the chief article of traffic. In the public bazaar we found nothing exposed for sale except provisions. Among these I remarked some small, very unpalat- able cherries. Asia Minor is the fatherland of this fruit, but 74, VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, I did not find it in any degree of perfection either here or at Smyrna. Brussa is peculiarly rich in cold springs, clear as crystal, which burst forth from Mount Olympus. The town is intersected in all directions by subterranean canals ; in many streets, the ripple of the waters below can be distinctly heard, and every house is pro- vided with wells and stone basins of the limpid element ; in some of the bazaars we find a similar arrangement. On a nearer approach, the appearance of Mount Olympus is not nearly so grand as when viewed from a distance. The mountain is surrounded by several small lulls, which detract from the general effect. The baths, distant about a mile from the town, are prettily and healthfully situated, and, moreover, abundantly supplied with mineral water. Many strangers resort thither to recruit their weakened frames. The finest among these baths is called Jeni Caplidche. A lofty circular hall contains a great swimming bath of marble, above which rises a splendid cupola. A number of refracting glasses (six hun- dred, they told me) diffuse a magic light around. Our journey back to Constantinople was not accomplished en- tirely without mishap. One of the gentlemen fell from his horse and broke his watch. The saddles and bridles of hired horses are here generally in such bad condition that there is every moment something to buckle or to cobble up. We were riding at a pretty round pace, when suddenly the girths burst, and the saddle and rider tumbled off together. I arrived without accident at my desti- nation, although I had frequently been in danger of falling from my horse without its being necessary that the girth should break. The gentlemen were satisfied with my performance, for I had never lagged behind, nor had they once been detained on my ac- count. It was not until we were safely on board the ship that I told them how venturesome I had been, and what terror I had undergone. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 75 CHAPTER V. Contradictory reports Departure from Constantinople on board the ArcJt- duke John Scene on the steamer Galipoli The Dardanelles Tschenekalesi and Kilidil Bahar The field of Troy Tenedos Smyrna Halizar The date-palm Burnaba The Acropolis Female beauty Rhodes Strong fortifications Deserted appearance of the town Cyprus. nnHE extremely unfavourable reports I heard from Beyrout and -L Palestine caused me to defer my departure from day to day. When I applied to my consul for a " firmann" (Turkish passport), I was strongly advised not to travel to the Holy Land. The dis- turbances on Mount Lebanon and the plague were, they assured me, enemies too powerful to be encountered except in cases of the most urgent necessity. A priest who had arrived from Beyrout about two months previously affirmed positively that, in consequence of the serious disturbances, even he, known though he was far and wide as a physician, had not dared to venture more than a mile from the town without exposing himself to the greatest danger. He advised me to stay in Constantinople until the end of September, and then to travel to Jerusalem with the Greek caravan. This, he said, was the only method to reach that city in safety. One day I met a pilgrim in a clnu'ch who came from Palestine. On my asking his advice, he not only confirmed the priest's report, but even added that one of his companions had been murdered whilst journeying homeward, and that he himself had been de- spoiled of his goods, and had only escaped death through the special interposition of Providence. I did not at all believe the asseverations of this man ; he related all his adventures with such a Baron Munchausen air, assumed probably to excite ad- 76 VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND, miration. I continued my investigations on this subject until I was at length fortunate enougli to find some one who told an entirely different tale. From this I felt assured at least of the fact, that it would be almost impossible to learn the true state of the case here in Constantinople, and at length made up my mind to avail myself of the earliest opportunity of proceeding as far as Beyrout, where there was a chance of my getting at the truth. I was advised to perform this journey in male attire ; but I did not think it advisable to do so, as my short, spare figure would have seemed to belong to a youth, and my face to an old man. Moreover, as I had no beard, my disguise would instantly have been seen through, and I should have been exposed to much an- noyance. I therefore preferred retaining the simple costume, con- sisting of a kind of blouse and wide Turkish trousers, which I then wore. The further I travelled, the more I became persuaded how rightly I had acted in not concealing my sex. Every where I was treated with respect, and kindness and consideration were frequently shewn me merely because I was a woman. On May 17th I embarked on board a steamboat belonging to the Austrian Lloyd. It was called the Archduke John. It was with a feeling of painful emotion that I stood on the deck, gazing with an air of abstraction at the preparations for the long voyage which were actively going on around me. Once more I was alone among a crowd of people, with nothing to de- pend on but my trust in Providence. No friendly sympathetic being accompanied me on board. All was strange. The people, the climate, country, language, the manners and customs all strange. But a glance upward at the unchanging stars, and the thought came into my soul, " Trust in God, and thou art not alone." And the feeling of despondency passed away, and soon I could once more contemplate with pleasure and interest all that was going on around me. EGYPT, AND ITALY. 77 Near me stood a poor mother who could not bear to part with her son. Time after time she folded him in her arms, and kissed and blessed him. Poor mother ! wilt thou see him again, or will the cold ground be a barrier between you till this life is past ? Peace be with you both ! A whole tribe of people came noisily towards us ; they were friends of the crew, who bounced about the ship from stem to stern, canvassing its merits hi comparison with French and Eng- lish vessels. Suddenly there was a great crowding on the swinging ladder, of chests, boxes, and baskets. Men were pushing and crushing backwards and forwards. Turks, Greeks, and others quarrelled and jostled each other for the best places on the upper deck, and in a few moments the whole large expanse wore the appearance of a bivouac. Mats and mattresses were every where spread forth, provisions were piled up in heaps, and culinary utensils placed hi order beside them ; and before these preparations had been half completed the Turks began washing their faces, hands, and feet, and unfolding their carpets, to perform their devotions. In one corner of the ship I even noticed that a little low tent had been erected; it was so closely locked, that for a long time I. could not discern whether human beings or merchandise lay con- cealed within. No movement of the interior was to be perceived, and it was not until some days afterwards that I was informed by a Turk what the tent really contained. A scheick from the Syrian coast had purchased two girls at Constantinople, and was endeavouring to conceal them from the gaze of the curious. I was for nine days on the same vessel with these poor creatures, and during the whole time had not an opportunity of seeing either of them. At the debarcation, too, they were so closely muffled that it was impossible to discover whether they were white or black. At six o'clock the bell was rung to warn all strangers to go ashore ; and now I could discover who were really to be the com- 78 VISIT TO THE HOLT LAXD, panions of my journey. I had flattered myself that I should find several Franks on board, who might be bound to the same desti- nation as myself ; but this hope wared fainter and Muter every moment, as one European after another left the ship, until at length I found myself alone among the strange Oriental nations. The anchor was now weighed, and we moved slowly out of the harbour. I offered up a short but fervent prayer for pro- tection on my long and dangerous voyage, and with a calmed and strengthened spirit I could once more turn my attention towards my fellow-passengers, who having concluded their devotions were sitting at their frugal meal. During the whole time they remained on the steamer these people subsisted on cold provisions, such as cheese, bread, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, olives, walnuts, a great number of onions, and dried " mishmkli/' a kind of small apricot, which instead of being boiled is soaked in water for a few hours. In a sailing vessel it is usual to bring a small stove and some wood, in order to cook pilau, beans, fowls, and to boil coffee,