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Over each of the town-gates appears the Russian eagle with his wings extended in sculpture, and having underneath different inscriptions, of which I shall content myself with giving the following specimen: This is the road that leads to Byzantium.

All the environs of Cherson are extremely sandy, and absolutely barren, for a league in every direction; consequently, the inhabi tants are obliged to procure all articles [for] food from Poland, and from the Ukraine; but in the [more interior] parts of the country the greatest fertility and most smiling abundance are conspicuous. On every side, nothing meets the eye but fields and gardens in the highest state of cultivation; 'delicious vineyards, and an infinite number of pretty country houses, in which the wealthy inhabitants of Cherson pass the summer months. However, the quantity of sand in the environs of this town, and the violence of the winds that prevail here in all seasons of the year, render the air extremely unwholesome, and frequently produce epidemical and dangerous maladies.'

The passage of the Dnieper on the ice was not effected without inconvenience and hazard; and the travellers, notwithstanding their furs, experienced intense cold as they advanced from Perecop to Sympheropol.

From the last mentioned place, the journalist, penetrated with the kind attentions of General Tchigulin, the governor, bent his steps in various directions over the Crimea; a peninsula gladdened by delightful prospects, the music of thousands of nightingales, and sweet and invigorating wines :-but the kind and hospitable Tartars submit with reluctance to the Russian yoke; and population, freedom, and industry, are wanting to complete the picture of national felicity.

I was unwilling to have it said that I had neglected taking a near survey of the Tsherderdak, one of the highest mountains of the Crimea. I therefore set out one day, at about eight in the evening, that I might arrive early at the foot of this steep mountain, and avoid the heat of the sun, which began to be very ardent. My Russian guide, not being perfectly acquainted with the roads, contented himself with following the banks of the Salgir. Being extremely dissatisfied with his uncertainty as to the way we were to proceed in, and equally embarrassed how to direct him myself, I determined to go to the first large village near us. When we reached it, I went directly to the mursa, and requested him to furnish me with a guide better acquainted with the roads and the country. He readily complied with my request, and I reached Fabel, situated at the foot of the mountain, and at fifteen werstes from Sympheropol, by one o'clock in the morning. The chief of this village, which makes a part of the numerous domains of general Popow, received me with very great civility, in consequence of a letter of recommendation I presented to him from the governor; and when I had rested myself some hours at his house, I proceeded towards the mountain, in spite of all the remonstrances I received in regard to the danger of

travelling

travelling on that road, together with assurances that many persons had experienced the truth of them at their cost. To secure myself from the attacks of robbers, with whom I was informed that all the woods and passages of the mountains were infested, I gratefully accepted of three men, whom the mursa had the goodness to provide for my escort. The first aspect of this enormous mountain is as striking as it is extraordinary: its form is exactly similar to that of a tent, on which account it is named in the Russian language Palatka, and in that of Tartary Tsherderdak: it is half as high again as all the other mountains of the Crimea, which are themselves very elevated: at the foot of it is a considerable extent of thick woods, which con, tain a multitude of wild boars. As you ascend the mountain, the road becomes more difficult and steep, with here and there, however, a spot flat enough to serve for a resting place. We were three whole hours reaching the summit; but the enchanting prospect it afforded amply recompensed the fatigue of the journey. I had the pleasure of beholding underneath me the beautiful peninsula in all its extent, its mountains, its valleys, its woods, its towns, and its villages. 1 continued eight whole days in this place, without being able to exhaust the vast picture that on all sides excited my admiration and astonishment. Towards the north, I discerned distinctly the little town of Perecop; towards the west and the south, the Black Sea, which waters the coasts of the peninsula; towards the east, the Sea of Asoph, which however, on account of its distance, was not so easily distinguished.

Í had scarcely enjoyed this majestic and enchanting scenery half an hour, when the sky became covered with black clouds, which very soon descended half way down the mountain, substituting for the spectacle I had been enjoying, another, which, though less agreeable, afforded me however, on account of its novelty, very high pleasure. A most violent storm took place beneath my feet, and filled my soul with I know not what sentiment of joy and terror, which, in the state of astonishment and stupor into which this striking oc currence had thrown me, it was impossible to develop. The cold with which I was seized on the summit of the mountain obliged me to think very soon of departing. The clouds however had removed; and I had the pleasure of beholding the picture I had so ardently enjoyed by degrees re-animated, and presenting me, in the midst of different objects becoming insensibly visible to the eye, with attractions that drew all my attention. I discovered a great number of the grottoes, cavities, and abysses of the rocks. The snows, with which these last are filled, and which exist eternally, give birth to the Salgir, and sustain besides an infinity of smaller streams, which flow in an irregular course on every side. This great quantity of water, produced by the melting of the snow, as it escapes from the gulfs and profound excavations which it seems to have assisted in forming, encounters in its passage to the foot of the mountain different rocks, which convert it into a number of cascades, the noise of which is loud enough to be heard at a considerable distance. The water is extremely cold, and so limpid, that notwithstanding a depth of seventy fathoms, the sound of a piece of money being thrown in, and

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reaching

reaching the bottom, would be distinctly heard. I discovered in different parts of the mountain many loud and distinct echoes, which return several reverberations.

The day now verging to its decline, and feeling the necessity of a little repose after an excursion of ten hours, I began to think of returning to the mursa who had given me so hearty a welcome; and I had every reason to be satisfied with the excellent supper and bed he afforded me. At break of day on the following morning I took leave of him, to return to Sympheropol.'

Taking leave of this town, the author journeyed to Petersburg, through Leopold, Dubassar, and Moscow; without consigning to his notes much that can attract the attention of his readers. We therefore proceed to follow his movements, or rather those of a numerous embassy, from Elizabethgorod, the place of rendezvous, to Constantinople.

We now composed a little army advancing gaily, and easily, and abundantly provided with every thing that could contribute to its accommodation and pleasure. Our purveyors always went before us; and, wherever the embassy stopped, we found the tables already spread and served with equal care and magnificence. The most distinguished persons in the suite were in handsome carriages followed by a long file of vehicles filled with servants and luggage. The march was closed by a detachment of well-disciplined Russian troops. All the roads were lined with spectators, who assembled from all sides to gratify their curiosity with the sight of so numerous a cavalcade.

We had left Elizabethgorod on Sunday the th of May, about nine in the evening, in the order I have just described; and arrived towards midnight at Gruska, which was our first station. As I was already acquainted with this country, having passed through it in my excursions to and from the Crimea, I experienced double pleasure in this opportunity of seeing it again. Invited by the beauty of the season, and accompanied by several of my colleagues, who were equally fond of travelling on foot, I seldom waited for the departure of the caravan to set out. I preceded it; and it more than once happened to me to have completed on foot the two stages which in general was the allotted distance for a day's journey. We always found ourselves amply compensated for the slight fatigue we underwent, by the enchanting points of view which presented themselves, and which we enjoyed at our ease. From this method we acquired also increased appetite, and were doubly sensible of the pleasures of repose, when the hour for abandoning ourselves to it arrived.'

At Dubassar, the Prussian and Turkish embassies met, and performed the exchange of ceremonials amid loud and reiteterated demonstrations of joy. The author says; 'It was still our custom to travel between three and four leagues every day, and the third day we regularly devoted to repose. At sun-rising, the drum gave the signal for departure, and a

few

few hours after we arrived at the place destined for our next station. A part of the retinue, as in former instances, was disposed of in the houses of the inhabitants, and the remainder under tents. Towards noon we all assembled to dinner in the great tent of the ambassador, and the rest of the day was devoted to the pleasures of society. We passed our time nearly in this manner during the whole journey.'-This route, estimated at 222 leagues, was directed by Kalarasch, Jassy, Burlat, Bucharest, Rasgrad, Adrianople, and Seliwrey.

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Without dwelling on every observation and incident, it may suffice to remark that fine landscapes, cleanliness, and hospitality, accompanied the caravan through Moldavia; a province highly favoured by nature, but oppressed by its hospodars, and, at that time, only recovering from the ravages of war. The vast plains of Walachia are thinly peopled by a less generous and less accommodating race of men. On the present occasion, however, our humane secretary becomes in some measure their apologist. In all the places,' he says, through which we passed, we found ready prepared the magnificent breakfasts which had been ordered for us. These accommodations, and the obligation to lodge us in their houses, and to remove our baggage at their own cost, were extremely oppressive to those poor inhabitants, who had recently been so ill treated in the last war; and as all these charges were so many levies for which they received no recompence from the government, it would be unjust to feel too much displeasure against them on account of their disinclination to receive us.'

Of Bulgaria, it is observed, in general, that it is a very mountainous but highly cultivated country; affording to the happy peasant a sure and abundant harvest, as the reward of his labours.

Adrianople is the subject of several entertaining pages; and we would particularly recommend to our medical readers the sensible remarks on its hospitals.

The remaining portions of this work possess not much interest, Constantinople is discussed with a brevity very disproportioned to its size and consequence: but the author very justly observes that it is needless to repeat the details of his predecessors. The ceremonies of audience are thus described:

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A grand audience was given to the embassy by the grand-visir on the October, and on the November by the grand-signior, in each of which the most rigid punctilios were observed. The Turks are so strongly attached to every thing that relates to the ancient customs established among them, that they did not omit the most trivial circumstance. Some days before we made this ostentatious visit to the grand-visir, we sent him the usual presents. They con

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sisted

sisted of different vases of gold and silver, of valuable furs, and watches richly ornamented with diamonds. All these presents had been exposed to the view of the public in the hotel of the ambassador, some days before they were sent. On the day of audience we assembled at his residence by eight o'clock in the morning, in full dress. We had not been there long, when the capigi pacha, who, as I have already said, had accompanied us in our journey, made his appearance. He was followed by one of the principal officers of the guard of the seraglio; who, as well as himself was decorated with a white turban, and came to annonnce to the ambassador that the grand-visir was ready to give him audience.

We received these two deputies after the Turkish manner, offering them coffee and refreshments. Towards eleven o'clock, we placed ourselves in lines according to our rank, and proceeded on foot to Pera and Galata, in our way to the quay, where several handsome sloops waited for us; that for the ambassador being fitted up with blue silk.

'As soon as we entered Stamboul *, properly so called, we assembled at a place near to the quay, and, mounting the horses that had been prepared for us, advanced towards the palace of the grandvisir, where we were received with loud acclamations on the part of the Turks. The number of persons in the front courts and in the apartments was so considerable, that we had the greatest difficulty ta force our way through them. Our ambassador had no sooner put his foot on the threshold of the door of the audience-chamber, than the grand visir entered by an opposite door; and, after reciprocally saluting each other in profound silence, they advanced together to their respective places. After this the ambassador presented his credentials to the visir, who received them standing, and put them on the seat next him; then one of the secretaries to the embassy delivered to his mechtupschi, or secretary, the diploma of his excellency count Iwan Andreitsch Osterman. The mechtupschi gave it to the reis-effendit, who placed it on a cushion behind the visir. This presentation of credentials over, the visir and the ambassador again seated themselves at the same moment, the visir on a sofa, and the ambassador in an elbow-chair directly opposite to him. The confidential secretary M. Chwastow seated himself on a stool a little behind the ambassador; the kiaja bey, or deputy of the grand-visir, was to the right of M. Kotusow, and the reis-effendi on his left, at some distance from the visir.

After the compliments and congratulations customary among Turks, the ambassador declared the motive of his embassy; and in a

This city, built in 326, on the spot where stood the ancient Byzantium, by Constantine, from whom the word Constantinoplę was derived, is called Stamboul by the Turks. This name is a corruption of the Greek εις την πολιν, to go towards the town. The Turks have employed this expression for the name of the town itself.'

An officer of justice belonging to the court of the grand-signior. He is chancellor and first secretary of the Ottoman empire, and, besides, minister for foreign affairs.'

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