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TRADE IN THE BLACK SEA.

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almost shut to our trade. Mr. Brant conceived the plan of drawing trade to Trebizond, and, laying his ideas before Lord Palmerston, procured the appointment of consul there. One schooner then ran monthly; now seven steamers a month find occupation enough, viz., one English twice every month, one Austrian, and two Turkish twice; the one belongs to a company, of which the Valide Sultana is one of the great proprietors. The others are war-steamers, with their swords turned to ploughshares. They are huge vessels, and carry large cargoes. Another small steamer runs from Trebizond to Batum. This is also Turkish; and during the summer the Austrians also run there. The English steamer belongs to the Peninsular and Oriental Company.

If civilisation increases, and the reforms of Turkey continue, no doubt a vast trade will yet be opened, developing the resources of the magnificent country on the southern shore. The steamers of the Porte now commence to burn their own coal, and will probably do so in time at a proper expense. At present the mines are

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INCREASE OF TRADE IN THE EAST.

mismanaged, and they are too jealous to let them out to foreigners, who have offered for them a considerable yearly revenue, and coals for their steamers free of expense.

APOSTROPHE TO CONSTANTINOPLE.

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CHAPTER XII.

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Apostrophe to Constantinople-Proposal of the Slave Dealer-No Room at Misseri's Hotel-Hôtel de Pera-Valuable Hint to Travellers respecting Servants-Dinners at Misseri's Hotel-Various GuestsWalks about the City-Make an Acquaintance—Origin of Constantinople-What Gibbon says of that City-Sight-seeing - How managed-Mosque of St. Sophia-Its Magnificence-What it may one day become - Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent-Visit the Seraglio-Tomb of Barbarossa-Dancing Dervishes-Howling Dervishes, and other Sects-Accidental blowing up of a Turkish Line of Battle Ship-Visit to the Emir Beshir-My ReceptionLong Conversation with that Personage.

ALL hail! City of the seven names, seven hills, seven towers; taken from the Seventh Palæologe by the seventh Sultan of the Ottoman line. All hail! Byzantium, Antonina, Roma Nova, Constantinople, Jarruk (in Arabic, "Earth Divider"), Istamboul (the Fulness of Faith), Ammeddunige (the Mother of the World).

Crushed furiously by the crowd, I got at last down the gangway, and stepping actively over caïques, floundered into one of those outside. Before I had recovered my balance, a push in the

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PROPOSAL OF THE SLAVE-DEALER.

back showed me I had a companion, and seating myself, I found the Circassian slave-dealer by my side. "Hosh gelding," he exclaimed, and we commenced a conversation in Turkish and Circassianfrom him mixed Turkish, and Arabic from me.

He said: "Sahib, why do you not buy one of these girls?" "I am not permitted." "Bosh, you struck the Turk among Turks when you were alone; what do you care for law? Come, now, I like you for that; you shall have the Gul for two thousand piastres. She plays, sings, talks, and would make a fine slave for your lordship. I love her myself; her eyes are almonds; I give her to you, and you will love her, do not fear; she would make a cow love her in a month." I, however, resisted his offers, and when we landed she of the almond eyes was still unsold.

I had weary work of it, for all the morning was consumed in walking from hotel to hotel. Misseri was full. Make me up a place." "Alas, Sir! for four others I have done so, till there is no place left." So at last, I was fain to put up at, and worse to put up with, the Hôtel de Pera. The

A HINT TO TRAVELLERS.

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room was the only tolerable part of it, and commanded a gay prospect of a side of a house built to join on to the side of another house yet unbuilt. My servants, as native servants do, both by custom and choice, slept about the landing outside the door, and fed themselves from the bazaar.

This is a good hint to travellers at the hotels in the Levant, they charge from five to seven shillings a day for a servant. I never bargain with mine, as the moment I suspect his honesty, he is discharged: but after they have two or three days' experience in a place, ask them what they require as board wages. The answer averages from 1d. to 4d. a day, according as the place is cheap or dear, and they sleep at one's door or anywhere.

My housefellows consisted of German bagmen, so my meals were eaten at Misseri's excellent table. Oh, what a matchless feast it was, after the table of the road! It seemed impossible that such luxury could be real and last. His company was better; a soi-disant philosopher, who had been two years writing a book, whose system he

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