After rambling across the country, and losing ourselves among groves of olive trees, we were obliged to take a guide at last. We were several times stopped by the deep ravines which the torrents have cut in the face of the country. There were an immense number of aloes in the hedges, many in flower.
The night was as fine and clear as could be desired; and the moon shone with an intensity of light. On arriving at the Temple of Hercules, nothing met our eyes but one solitary column rising from a mass of prostrate ruins, and over-topping the cluster of Indian fig-trees that grew around it. Pointing towards the heavens, it seemed to whisper,—"Mortals, there must you look for eternity: here all is crumbling to decay!"
REFLECTIONS. We passed on through groves of the above-mentioned trees, and alongside walls and turrets excavated from the solid rock, until the whole of the Temple of Concord, and, immediately afterwards, that of Juno, burst upon our sight. In this still hour, as we stood upon their ruins, and extended our view over the boundless prospect of sea and land,—the one calm and tranquil as a sleeping child; the other, like an old but vigorous man, marked and furrowed by the devastating hand of time,—how impressive was the scene! Can I ever lose the recollection of that moment? No. Girgenti,—
Often have I lingered within the Coliseum when its majestic ruins were silvered o'er by the light of the same lovely orb, which now threw its lustre on these prostrate relics of departed greatness: I have wandered alone among the temples of Pæstum; I have stood on the Parthenon while the sun threw his latest, brightest ray over that hallowed spot: but never did I feel as among the ruins of Girgenti. On all these former scenes, the combination of nature and art has fixed the impress of mere beauty; here their union is sublime.
The Eastern sky is brightening with the beams of the morning sun, and its reflection tints each mouldering column with a purple light. The moon slowly resigns her influence over the scene, and a splendid prospect of earth and sea bursts upon the eye, as the sun springs upwards from behind the ruins, like the presiding deity of the spot.
We next proceeded to the Temple of Giants; and, judging from the fragments which lie scattered, over a vast area, how colossal must have been the proportions of this once magnificent edifice! The caryatide, or giant, which lies prostrate there, the last of his race, is 27 feet long; and the remains of the columns, capitals, ovaca, tryglyphi, &c., are all on the same enormous scale, and tend to impress the gazer's mind with the idea that its erection was in reality the work of supernatural agency.
The space between the temple and the town affords a beautiful prospect, varied with undulating hills, green valleys, wooded slopes, and sharp-pointed rocks, and interspersed with gardens in the richest cultivation.
GALLEY SLAVES.There is a great number of galley-slaves at Girgenti; and they must be a happy race, if laughing and merriment be any criterion to judge by.
In the evening, Prince Butera having joined us from Alicata, we started for Palermo. Poor Marquis St. Isodore has lost all his curiosities which he landed here; his property being close to Girgenti. The servant who was in charge of his baggage easily passed it through the custom-house by means of a bribe; and, having loaded a cart, instead of going off at once to the country, he placed it under a shed, and went to drink with some of his companions. In the mean time, one of those on board, who had an enmity against either the Marquis, or his man, laid an information, that there were many contraband articles; and the officer went to the shed and seized every thing.
MARSALA. Saturday, 3d.—The sea has become very boisterous, and most of the passengers are sick. We passed Marsala and Mazzara, where an increasing people enjoy comparative abundance, and are happy in consequence. All this benefit arises from the attention paid to the cultivation of the grape for Marsala wine, set on foot by an enterprising Englishman.
At two o'clock the steamer was off Trapani, and many of our passengers landed to visit Selinuntum; more, I believe, with the desire of escaping the horrors of sea-sickness, than for the purpose of searching after ruined temples.
Our course now lay along the shore, which presented a succession of bold mountainous scenery, interspersed with rich and smiling valleys. It was evening when we approached Palermo, and the setting sun shed a flood of golden light over each mountain summit, dark grey rock, and wooded glen: it was a beautiful scene, and reminded me of one of those landscapes which so often employed the immortal pencil of Claude Lorraine.
An unfortunate delay of half an hour in rounding Point Pellegrino, prevented us from getting pratique that night; and we had to endure the mortification of hearing the hum of enjoyment arising from every part of this gay city, without the possibility of being partakers in the amusement going forward. The marina was well illuminated, and the distant sound of music, which ever and anon came softened over the waves, communicated an air of enchantment to the scene.
PALERMO. Sunday, 4th.—We landed in Palermo at daylight; and I established myself in the same hotel where, two years before, I had spent a pleasant fortnight. Here it is that an Italian summer may be truly enjoyed; for pleasure would seem to be the presiding deity of the place. The inhabitants spend the whole night in driving about, eating delicious ices, listening to music, or in wandering among the orange and lemon groves situated in and about the town.
DUCHESS DE BERRI. After visiting every object of curiosity in Palermo, I surrendered myself to that pleasing indolence in which every one appears more or less to indulge. Nevertheless, I could not resist the temptation of making an excursion to Prince Butera's villa, in order to catch a glimpse of her who had soared so high and sunk so low.22 She came to the window while we were in the garden; and a Carlist, who formed one of our party, seemed to gaze at her as though she had been a deity. A dispute having arisen about some trivial circumstance, she stormed with rage, and her gesticulations were perfectly furious. She is a perfect Neapolitan.
As this illustrious lady had expressed a desire to go to Naples, we were requested to agree to a delay of a few days. Who could resist the temptations of a longer sojourn in the city of the syren pleasure? and it was readily agreed to. It was not, therefore, until the morning of—
SCENE ON BOARD. Friday, 9th—that we bade adieu to Sicily. The Duchess came on board with her husband and suite, Count Menars, and the Prince and Princess——. Her face is by no means a handsome one; and she is very short, thin, and vulgar-looking. Nothing in her personal appearance marks her out for a heroine, or is calculated to inspire her followers with the awe and respect with which they seem to worship her. She soon sat down to whist with her husband, Butera, and the old Princess St. Theodore; but the game received many unpleasant interruptions from the pitching and rolling of the boat. Each time the fit came on, she sprang upon the bench on which she had been sitting, and, after bending her head sans cérémonie over the vessel's side, quietly sat down again to resume her cards. This rather unroyal and unlady-like exhibition occurred repeatedly; and we were impressed with the idea that her manners altogether were very unfitting her rank and station. As it was publicly known that we had the Duchess de Berri on board, she attracted considerable attention; otherwise her carriage would never have distinguished her from the most ordinary passenger. Our Carlist friend appeared on the quarter deck, wearing the colours of his party: at first, she took no notice of him; but at length it occurred to her that he might be a spy in disguise, and she haughtily demanded who he was. His loyalty and devotion were not proof against this affront: in an instant he retreated below, and, having disencumbered himself of the once-cherished badge, reappeared on deck with a countenance glowing with indignation; and, if I am not much deceived, "Louis-Philip" gained a convert from that moment.
We had a great increase of passengers, besides the Duchess and her suite; most of whom, being unaccustomed to sailing, were quickly on their beam ends. The weather, which, at starting, had threatened to be stormy, now cleared up; and, though the evening was calm and beautiful, a heavy swell still continued to render the motion of the vessel disagreeable. The heroine of La Vendée is sleeping in her arm-chair: the faithful Menars reposes at her feet; and her husband, whom she hardly seems to notice, is sitting on a bench beside her.
CAPRI. Saturday, 10th.—All hail to thee, Capri! Four months have glided away on the stream of time since I last beheld the sun casting thy shadow far over the surface of the azure waters, and then leave thee in darkness. Now his morning beams paint with gold the summits of thy lofty indented cliffs, that resemble the battlements of some magnificent cathedral: they will soon envelope thee in brightness. During the long interval between that setting and this rising, many beautiful pictures, painted by Nature's hand, have been spread out before me, but none more perfect than that which now unfolds itself, as, passing thy rocky isle, I enter the bay, where—
CONCLUSION.Once more in port, my task is finished; and, gentle reader, I must now e'en bid thee adieu!
ADDENDA.
List of the Turkish Fleet in the Bosphorus.
| Frigates | 8 | |
| Line of Battle | 5 | |
| Three Deckers | 2 | |
| Corvettes | 3 | |
| Sloops | 5 | |
| Cutters | 5 | |
| At Lamsacké | Frigates | 4 |
| Sloops | 2 | |
| Cutters | 1 | |
| At St. Stefano. | Frigates | 3 |
| —— | ||
| Total | 38 | |
| ==== |
Mohammed Ali's Navy.23
| GUNS | GUNS | ||
| 1. Masr | 138 | 13. Mufti Gehat | 22 |
| 2. Acre | 138 | 14. Tantah | 24 |
| 3. Mahellet-el-Kebir | 100 | 15. Pelenga Gehat | 22 |
| 4. Mansourah | 100 | 16. Psyche | 22 |
| 5. Alexandria | 96 | 17. Fouah | 20 |
| 6. Aboukir | 90 | 18. Genah Baharia | 20 |
| 7. Jaffaria | 62 | 19. Cervelli | 20 |
| 8. Bahirah | 60 | 20. Satalia | 20 |
| 9. Rashid | 58 | 21. Washington | 18 |
| 10. Kafr-el-Sheïkh | 58 | 22. Semuda Gehat | 18 |
| 11. Sheergehat | 54 | 23. Timsah | 13 |
| 12. Damietta | 50 |
| LOWEST AT NIGHT. | A. M. | ||
| May 6. | 46° | 8 | 56° |
| 7. | 42° | — | — |
| 8. | 45° | — | 60° |
| 9. | 47° | — | 56° |
| 10. | 47° | — | — |
| 11. | — | — | 57° |
| 12. | 44° | — | 55° |
| 13. | — | — | — |
| 14. | 49° | — | 56° |
| 15. | 51° | — | 55° |
| 16. | 47° | 7 | 52° |
| 17. | — | — | 55° |
| 18. | 52° | 8 | 58° |
| 22. | 59° | — | 69° |
| 23. | 52° | — | 55° |
| 24. | — | — | 57° |
| 25. | 42° | — | 51° |
| 26. | 49° | — | 60° |
| 27. | 58° | — | 62° |
| 28. | 59° | — | 69° |
| 29. | 56° | — | 60° |
| 30. | 55° | — | 65° |
| 31. | 55° | — | 64° |
| June 1. | 56° | — | 58° |
| 2. | 52° | — | 80° |
| 3. | 55° | — | 59° |
| Here it ceased to be an object of remark. | |||
Note to Page 24.
This practice of insulting the religion of such as profess a faith different from their own has ever been a characteristic of the Oriental nations, and is illustrative of a passage in the New Testament, which I have not seen explained by any of the commentators: I mean the expression of our Saviour, where he denounces the votaries of avarice, by declaring that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
For a long time previous to Christ's appearance, it had been usual for the "Sons of Ishmael," or pagan Arabs of Asia Minor, to make hostile incursions into the provincial towns of Judea, and riding their dromedaries into the synagogues, to desecrate the altar in the manner here ascribed to the Turks. In order to put a stop to these enormities, the Jews hit upon the expedient of constructing the doors of their churches so low, that an ordinary-sized man could only enter by stooping; and thus they completely foiled their persecutors, for the disinclination of the Arabs to dismount, even on the most pressing occasions, is well known to such as have travelled among these sons of the Desert. In the hyperbolical phraseology of the East, these diminished apertures were compared to the eye of a needle; and the impossibility of a camel making his way through them, became at length a proverbial expression for any impracticable undertaking.
THE END.
1 As we sailed through the strait formed by it and the mainland,—and a very beautiful scene it affords,—I was informed by those on board, that a shoal is marked down upon the ship's chart as being in the centre. Having never before heard the slightest allusion to this fact, I intend to ascertain its accuracy, by actual inspection, at some more favourable opportunity.
2 "The ridge of the Somma forms a semicircle, the curve of which lies north-east, its two extremities stretching out south-east. The front, which faces the south-west and the cone of Vesuvius, is almost perpendicular; but the side towards the north is a sloping plain, cut lengthwise by deep ravines, and covered with vineyards, except a few hundred feet near the summit, which are clothed with small chestnut and oak trees."—Sketches of Vesuvius, p. 2.
3 Wingless Victory.
4 "About 170 yards distant from the warm springs of the Scamander, towards the west, the cold sources are found, throwing out a considerable quantity of water from many openings in the rock. It has been discovered, by the help of a thermometer, which was thrust into a fissure as far as the arm would permit it to go, that this spring is equally warm with the former. The pool, however, which contains the water being of so considerable a size as to suffer it immediately to acquire the temperature of the atmosphere, it must undoubtedly have appeared cold before the invention of an instrument for ascertaining the real degree of heat. It would, therefore, have been thought cold in the days of Homer; and the poet is not incorrect who describes places and things as they appear to the generality of mankind. Several other sources contribute to swell this division of the stream of the Scamander before its junction with the rivulets which proceeds from the warm springs."—Sir W. Gell's Topography of Troy, p. 76.
5 "The women of Bounarbashi yet frequent the spring, as their predecessors, the Trojan virgins, did before the invasion by the Greeks. The convenience afforded by the blocks of marble and granite to the women of the country, who always beat their linen on stones or boards during the time they are washing, added to the sensible warmth of the water, has, in all probability, continued the practice of resorting to this spring in preference to any other. The Count de Choiseul Gouffier was informed by the Aga of Bounarbashi, that the water threw up a very perceptible steam in the winter; and later experiments, made with the thermometer, prove beyond doubt that this is a warm source."—Ibid.
7 Celebrated in history as being the place where the crusaders, under Godfrey of Bulloigne, were encamped.
8 These pretty diminutive coins are called dust by the common people; a name not at all inapplicable, as in size they resemble the following mark ◯, and are thin as a gum wafer. A handful of them scarcely equals a shilling in value.
9 Balouk, a fish in Turkish.
10 Infidel.
11 All Saints.
12 Similar changes have been produced in other parts of the East. "An extraordinary revolution," says Mr. St. John, "has been effected since the year 1817, when the Christian, according to a former traveller, was turned away with insult from the Castle (the Pharos); for now a Christian, having examined at his leisure the military portion of the structure, entered into the mosque in his boots, under the guidance of a Turkish officer."—Egypt and Mohammed Ali, vol. ii. p. 386.
13 Cannon foundry: from top, the Turkish word for a cannon, and hana, a manufactory.
14 In Turkish, the Prophet is styled Peigshamber: the French, whose vanity induces them to alter and vilify every proper name not derived from their own language, persist in spelling it Pegchamber: this, however, seems so ludicrous, when we consider the exalted rank of the individual to whom it is applied, that the reader will exclaim involuntarily with Hamlet,—"To what vile uses may we not come, Horatio!"
15 Since the above was written, he has returned to London as ambassador from the Porte.
16 This mode of executing criminals seems peculiar to the East, and is partly explained by the word itself. The Turkish bowstring, which is amazingly strong, is formed of untwisted silk, generally white, bound together at intervals by threads of a different colour. At either end is a large loop attached to the centre portion of the cord, by a very curious and intricate knot: the executioners slip their hands through this, and having passed the string once round the victim's neck, who was placed on his knees, they drew it in opposite directions with all their force, and thus produced death by strangulation. Since the gradual decline of archery among the Turks, the bowstring has also been falling into disuse; for the original cause of its being adopted as an instrument of criminal punishment was the readiness with which it could be procured, when every man carried at his shoulder the weapon of which it formed a part.
17 At, a horse; and Meidan, a course.
18 I cannot bid adieu to Lord Ponsonby and his amiable family, without acknowledging how much the pleasure derived from my voyage and visit to Constantinople was enhanced by their unceasing kindness. Indeed, from the first moment I became acquainted with his Lordship in Naples, he has uniformly treated me with a degree of affability as flattering to me as it was kind in him; besides honouring me, up to the present moment, with a confidence which, in general, is the result only of long tried and intimate friendship. This is the more gratifying, because he has always been surrounded by young men in every respect as worthy of the same distinction as myself.
19 I ought to have mentioned before, that Terapia is a village some miles distant from Constantinople.
20 Foreign Quarterly Review.
21 Vignette in title-page.
22 Duchess of Berri.
23 St. John's Egypt.
| SPELLINGS OF THE TURKISH WORDS | |
IN THE BOOK |
IN MODERN TURKISH |
| Altintash | Altıntaş |
| Balouk | Balık |
| Bounarbashi | Pınarbaşı |
| Buyukdere | Büyükdere |
| caique | kayık |
| caimac | kaymak |
| erraba | araba |
| Dolma Batché | Dolmabahçe |
| ferridgè | ferace |
| gashmak | yaşmak |
| hummum | hamam |
| Jeddi Calé | Yedi Kule |
| Keathane | Kağıthane |
| Kutahieh | Kütahya |
| mahalabé | mahallebi |
| narghilé | nargile |
| SOLIMANIE | SÜLEYMANİYE |
| Seraskier | Serasker |
| Sultanée | Sultani |
| Tchernberlé Tash | Çemberli Taş |
| Tophana | Tophane |
| Validè | Valide |
London:
Printed by A. Spottiswoode,
New-Street-Square.