IBRAHIM PASHA. Marriot remained a day with Ibrahim, taking the bath and dining with him. He is a fine fellow by his account; he said he would have been in Stamboul, in spite of the Russians, if the French and English had not interposed, and prevented him by their threats; adding, that they would, ere long, back him, and wish they had not interfered. If the allies would furnish him with 50,000 muskets, he declared himself ready to begin the war again, with certain hopes of success, provided they took no part in the contest; for he could raise 150,000 Syrians, besides the assistance of 45,000 Persians, who were offered to him. He says, the day must arrive, when he shall be in Stamboul, with the full approbation of both English and French, who will find their truest policy is, to establish him on the throne of Constantinople; and thus erect an effectual barrier against the encroaching ambition of the Northern powers.
Marriot and his friend went up to Olympus, and remained encamped there two days, for the purpose of bear-hunting; but meeting with no success, they returned, and, taking boat, arrived at Constantinople by night.
RUSSIAN INSOLENCE. As they were quietly ascending the hill towards Pera, the guard seized upon them, and, notwithstanding their remonstrances, took them to the common prison, where they were thrust in among a crowd of wretches who had been pining there for several days. Indignant at this outrage, they sent a messenger for the consul, and for Giuseppino, at break of day; and in the course of the morning, after a tremendous row with the colonel of the guard-house, they were set at liberty. The consul is exasperated, but they will get no redress, so long as the present system of English diplomacy exists. Be it in Pera or in Madrid, Petersburg or Naples, poor John Bull must always be kicked and cuffed, ill used, and treated contrary to the law of the land in which he happens to be sojourning. Is it to be supposed that any minister would give himself the trouble to mix himself up in such affairs? He might address a note to the authorities, when the facts would in all probability be denied, or some paltry excuse made: the minister declares himself satisfied, and the Perotes have the laugh against us and our boasted powerful and energetic government. Now, had it been a Frenchman, a Russian, or even a Prussian, who had been served in this scandalous manner, how different would have been the result! The colonel would have been dismissed, if not imprisoned; an apology from the government, with the corporal punishment of the insolent soldiers, and every satisfaction that could have washed away such foul treatment, would have assuredly followed. For, though the law allows the arrest of persons going through the streets at night without a light; yet, the officer, seeing they were gentlemen, and just arrived by sea, had full discretionary power to send them home with a guard; or, if it was thought requisite to detain them, he had a good chamber in which they might have been placed. But, insolent and obstinate, he turned a deaf ear to every remonstrance, and ended by placing them in the same room with filthy beggars and malefactors.
ANECDOTE. As an illustration of what has been just stated, I will present the reader with a similar and somewhat more ludicrous anecdote. A few weeks since, Costingen had gone on horseback to Buyukdere, where, in passing the Sultan's kiosk at Dolma Batché, it is always necessary to dismount. Woe betide the unlucky wight who, failing to comply with this custom, happens to ride through the precincts of the palace. Our Turk, however, forgot all this, and was instantly arrested and insulted by the officer of the guard and the soldiers, who dragged him into the guard-house, preparatory to his being sent off to prison. Having discovered that he was mistaken for an Englishman, and finding matters were assuming a rather serious aspect, he luckily bethought of saying he was a Russian, "Rusky effendi ben! Rusky, Rusky!" roared he. Consternation immediately spread itself over the sleepy countenances of the Turks at this announcement. The captain, in the utmost alarm, begged his pardon, and pipes, coffee, ices, &c. were offered him by the soldiers, who declared themselves ready to fulfil his slightest commands. The captain of the guard, as well as he could explain himself, enquired why did he not say at once that he was a Russian? "Mashallah! it was an unlucky mistake. Am I not blind, not to see that you were no Englishman?" Further to propitiate the newly created Muscovite colonel's wrath, a guard of five men, a guard of honour,—hear it, ye Englishmen!—was sent to conduct him safe home, and to protect him from further insult; and with this guard of honour, Costingen the Turk actually marched through the streets of Pera, and came to Tongo's house!
RUSSIANS AND TURKS. Such is the respect paid to the subjects of an energetic government. Yet it must not be supposed that the Russian finds any real sympathy in the breasts of the people: no! the Turks hate them as they do Satan, and declare in private that they would "spit upon their beards, and burn their fathers;" an oriental expression, indicative of extreme hatred and contempt.
It was very late when I started from Tophana[13] to return to Terapia. The evening was calm and beautiful, and as the caique glided slowly up the stream, following all the sinuosities of the shore, the jasmine and orange flower, and the sweet roses which are now blooming in myriads, filled the air with their perfumed odours.
TURKISH PUNCHINELLO. As we passed the house of the Moslem, all was gloomy silence; but on nearing a Greek village, the enlivening sound of the song, the guitar, and followed by bursts of merriment, broke upon the ear; and the frequent clapping of hands, and the strain of the romaika, or the Italian waltz, which came floating over the water, told of the merry joyous inmates, who are ever seen to prefer the dance and song, to the pipe and coffee-cup; the twinkling feet, and sparkling smile, to the grave nod and solemn demeanour of their former tyrants. A little below Jené Keni, near one of the Turkish batteries, the Turkish Punchinello was exhibiting his grotesque antics. It is long since this merry devil has been allowed to stroll about, and amuse the lower orders; but he does sometimes make his appearance. A transparent skreen, illuminated from behind, concealed him from the spectators, so that his shadow was the sole actor of all his tricks and adventures, which appeared to resemble very closely those of his English and Neapolitan namesake. His conversation must have been exceedingly humorous, from the bursts of laughter which it extorted from the soldiers and boatmen; for I lay to some time, in order to give them a view of master Punch, who appeared to have his hands fully occupied with the contests of his white and black slaves. On one occasion, his four wives, jealous of his favourite black sultana, attacked him together; but he eventually got the upper hand, by thrashing them all. Of course he breaks the head of a pasha; sets the bowstring at defiance; decapitates the eunuch sent to perform that merciful office on himself; and at last provokes the attack of the Shaitanculy, or devil's assistant. Just, however, as the prince of darkness had made his appearance, an alarm was given, away scampered the crowd, out went the lights, Punch disappeared, and before my men had the caique well on her way again, all was quiet and solitary, as if nothing forbidden had been there.
BEAUTIFUL NIGHT SCENE. How lovely Terapia appears as I approach it; not a breath of wind ruffles the surface of the water, while the blaze of innumerable lights, which flash and glitter through the leafy skreen of the casement-covered hill, reminds me of the fabled splendours of Aladdin's cave. An almost perfect silence prevails, interrupted only at intervals by the faint splash of some distant oar, or the notes of thousands of nightingales, which swarm in every rose-garden and orange grove, pouring forth "their amorous descant through the livelong night."
The only persons I met, were the soldiers composing the Turkish guard, which perambulates the streets every hour. Their leader carries a staff armed with a large iron ferrule, which he strikes against the pavement, to give notice that he is on duty.
THE MUEZZIN. Friday, 7th.—This was the first morning that I heard the Ezan, or cry of the muezzin from the minaret, calling the faithful to prayer. I believe the invocation he makes, is something like the following:—"Come to prayer; come to the temple of salvation. Great God! there is no God but God.