women out of doors, their black faces being covered up to the tip of the nose in white napkins. Further on we saw several white fair women, past the prime of life.

As my companions were descending the gallery, I caught sight of a youthful looking figure in an inner room. I made a halt at the door, the girl turned, her veil was hanging back upon her shoulders, and one of the loveliest faces I ever saw was suddenly presented to my view. She appeared about eighteen, was tall and slight, had a fair complexion, and melting black eyes, which looked out from under her white veil in a most melancholy manner. I was rooted to the spot; she made no attempt to move, or cover her face, till an old Turk suddenly appeared from the inside, and seeing me at the door, let out a volley of unintelligible words. Our dragoman came up and hurried me away, telling me that I ought never to quit the party, or get out of his sight. He said the girl was a Georgian, and that her master would not sell her at any price to an Infidel. The girl, from what I could see, appeared very handsomely dressed, and quite above the common herd. The dragoman said it was unusual to see so choice a one at the market, and thought she must have been brought out by express appointment with

a purchaser, as the handsomest are kept at home, and sold there.

The Jews are the chief dealers in slaves, and teach them to dance, sing, play on instruments, and every thing that can create admiration or inspire passion. It is said that the Russians deal a good deal in this horrible slave traffick in the Black Sea, from the countries bordering on which the choicest women are brought. The Georgian princes seize them, and sell them to the slave merchants who frequent Trebizond and the ports of Mingrelia. Two or three Russian travellers with whom I met had slaves with them; one was a Russian colonel, in whose company I travelled for three days. He had two Abyssinians, bought in Egypt, a black boy, and a black girl about thirteen years old, the latter of whom was rather pretty. What should we think of an Englishman travelling in this way? A sale by auction of a negress had just been concluded as we left the market, and with a white bundle under her arm, she was walked off by her new purchaser, apparently grieved at leaving her companions in misfortune. Between twelve and one, the different slaves were taken home by their proprietors, and the market left empty.

We descended the narrow dingy streets of Con

PIPE BAZAAR.-PERA.

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stantinople to the pipe bazaar, of considerable length, and containing superb specimens of the goods from which its name is derived. There were straight cherry-sticks of four, five, six, and seven feet long, some made to serve as walkingsticks, others covered with green silk (wetted in hot weather to keep the smoke cool); superb amber mouth-pieces of immense price, and tubes of jasmin and mahogany. We were much pleased with a small bazaar occupied by workmen manufacturing beautiful silver baskets, and silver stands for flowers.

The

June 1st. With our Armenian host we proceeded to look at the Frank quarter and the promenade. Pera, he says, is the best and most esteemed quarter, and certainly the principal street is far superior to any in Constantinople. houses, although of wood, are well built, plastered, and painted. Many of them possess very good rooms, and are generally tolerably clean and comfortable. Following the long street through Pera, we came into the open country, passing the great barracks erected by the Sultan for his soldiers since the destruction of the Janissaries,-the finest edifice we had seen. In fact the barracks, of which several have lately been built by the Sul

tan, are the most imposing edifices after the mosques in Constantinople. Further on is a large cemetery, a favourite promenade both for Greeks and Turks, who may be seen smoking under the trees. The country is here broken into undulating hills.

From and along an eminence in a westerly direction, is a superb view of Constantinople, the blue waters of the Golden Horn, and the mosques and minarets overtopping the cypresses of the great Turkish cemetery. In the miserable quarter immediately below, reside women of bad character, who are vigilantly watched by the Turkish police. On the right of the road is a row of green trees and a fountain, the resort of Turkish women and windmill-sellers; of the former, several groups wrapped up in white veils were seated upon the banks; they do not seem much confined to the houses, as numbers of them are to be met with everywhere. Whilst we were rambling about, a party of six drove up in their carriage, called Arabat, a "turn out" that would indeed astonish the good folks in England. It was drawn by two sleek, fat, cream-coloured oxen, adorned with silk tassels, red leather, and beads; the carriage was without springs, and in shape somewhat re