Arrival at Constantinople.

159

the morning some three miles from Constantinople -a few small and dirty-looking steamers, filled with not very distinguished-looking Europeans, coming out to look at us. They all cheered lustily, while some wretched bands played "God save the Queen." We were now transferred in the barge to the Sultan's yacht, Pertif Piati, which took us past the entrance to the Golden Horn, as far as the Saleh-Bazar Palace, which has been given by the Sultan as a residence to the Prince of Wales during his stay here. We anchored about 100 yards from the quay, and landed in the Sultan's caïques, which were sent to meet us, with the Grand Vizier, Ali Pasha, Khamil Bey, master of the ceremonies, etc. The ships in the harbor saluted as we left the yacht, and there was a guard of honor drawn up on the shore, where the Sultan received us on landing, and took the Princess up to her rooms, every one following. As soon as he left their Royal Highnesses we took possession of our apartments, which are certainly magnificent: not quite so gorgeous, perhaps, as those we had at Cairo, but fitted up with the most perfect taste in the French style. There was a large salle, or hall, on each side of which there was a beautiful drawing-room-one hung with black Gobelin tapestry, on which figures and flowers were represented; the furniture covered with black

satin, embroidered also with flowers, with a carpet to correspond, and all most beautiful. The other drawing-room was white, and fitted up and decorated in the Pompadour style. My sitting-room was also fitted up à la Pompadour-the furniture being rosewood and blue satin, and most comfortably arranged. The view from my windows over the Bosphorus was splendid. But my first impression of Constantinople was not very enthusiastic. In fact, one ought only to see Constantinople from the Bosphorus, without going into the town; for, though the situation is certainly beautiful beyond description, and even grand, the houses seem to me small, ugly, and irregular, and I saw nothing fine in the way of buildings except the mosques and two or three palaces. Nor was the reception such as to give one any real impression of grandeur. I could not fancy myself in Europe, yet there was none of that perfect Oriental look, with all the charm of imagination, which we admired so much in Egypt. No! Egypt is still my beau idéal of the East, and the impression it made upon me can never be effaced. I asked myself, however, if this want of appreciation of Constantinople and our reception here might not be my own fault; whether I was not already blasée; but I do not think this is the case; though, probably, the difference in the weather, which was

1

Drive through Pera.

161

any thing but fine to-day, may have had much to do with it.

The Prince went soon afterward to pay the Sultan a visit at his palace of Dolma-Batchi. Raouf Pasha (whom I knew a little in England), Mustapha Bey, equerries, and Spiridion Bey and Jalib Bey, officiers d'ordonnance, are the officers attached to the Prince during his stay here.

After luncheon we all drove out, going round Pera, and called at the British Embassy. On our way back we had to go down a most fearfully steep hill, which was, indeed, almost precipitous, and wound round in sharp turns. Hearing that the postilions and all our present "equipages" had only been got up within the last two months on purpose for us, I did not feel at all confident that we should escape with all our lives and limbs, especially as the streets are so narrow that in some of them there was hardly standing-room on each side of the carriages. There was certainly nothing Oriental or pretty about the part of the town we saw to-day.

We dined at seven o'clock, the Sultan's band playing during dinner in the big hall. It is a splendid one of 100 musicians; Guatelli Pasha, an Italian, leading it.

April 2. At 11.30 we went to the Palace of "Be

shik-Tash," and saw from there the procession of the Sultan going in state to mosque. It was a very fine, and even grand sight: the Sultan himself riding a beautiful flea-bitten gray horse, and all the generals and principal ministers attending on horseback in full uniform: 5000 soldiers were out in honor of the occasion, and lined the streets. But the most interesting sight of all to me was the opposite high bank, which was, so to say, covered with the native ladies in their white yashmaks (or Eastern veils) and brightcolored dresses. It really produced the effect of a beautiful bright flower-garden. The Sultan's eldest son, Prince Izzedin, ten years old, commanded his regiment, and saluted his father going by, and afterward came up to pay his respects to the Prince and Princess!

Returned to our palace at one o'clock, when the Prince received a deputation from the English residents here. After luncheon we went in state caïques up the Golden Horn, to the Sweet Waters of Europe, where there was a great gathering of people, especially of women, in their bright costumes, which are of every color of the rainbow, mostly blue, red, and yellow, but with some of beautiful brown and gray tints, which softened down the effects of the others, andproduced a perfect harmony of coloring.

Theatre.-Sight-seeing.

163

After remaining some time at the Sultan's palace here, when pipes and coffee were offered as usual, we returned by land, and had a really lovely drive back to Constantinople, past three palaces belonging to the Sultan, and through the Garden of Tcherazan, with splendid views of the Bosphorus from the high ground over which the road led.

After dinner we went to the theatre at Pera. The Prophète was given, but very badly.

April 3. At ten o'clock the Prince received the Embassadors, Mustapha Faazid Pasha (brother of the Viceroy of Egypt), etc. At twelve o'clock we all went in the Sultan's caïques to the Seraglio Point, and the site of the Byzantine Palace, burnt in 1864. We here visited the Treasury, and saw a curious collection of aigrettes, swords, etc., which had belonged to former sultans. We then went to the Beyrout Kiosk, the most beautiful specimen of Oriental architecture which I have seen, built by Sultan Mahmoud in commemoration of the taking of Beyrout. We here found landaus, with four horses each, waiting for us, in which we were driven to the great mosque of St. Sophia. The mosque is very fine indeed; and the streets and houses in this part of the town are very much better than in any part we had hitherto seen. From St. Sophia we drove on to the Seraskieriat,