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tated bodies were exhibited in the streets of the capital yesterday. They were said to have been incendiaries; but others assert that they were poor wretches, already condemned for other crimes, and now executed for stage effect, and to strike terror among those who still harbour incendiary designs. Whatever may have been their real crime, they are exposed with a bundle of matches in one hand and a bottle of some inflammable material in the other.

Returning home this evening at a late hour, I observed many persons asleep on mats, in the open air, before their respective shops, which were lit up, and apparently ready to receive customers. This affords a pleasing evidence of the good faith and honesty of the people. I have noticed a similar circumstance in the bazars and shops of the metropolis. In these places, during the day, if the shopman wishes to step out, or to indulge himself in a nap, he ties a string across the door, or throws a cloth over a few articles near the street, and this signifies that the shop is shut, a hint which is universally understood and respected. If you purchase an article, the seller of course endeavours to obtain the highest price; but the Turkish dealer shows much more conscience than his Jewish or Christian neighbours. When a piece of money is put into his hands to change, he returns the whole amount, and leaves it to the purchaser to deduct the price of the article. When it is recollected that the money of this empire is counterfeited to a great extent, the honesty of this procedure is apparent; he not only confides in your good faith, but exhibits his own in no small degree.

Great quantities of this counterfeit money are manufactured at Birmingham, in England, which, according to an English writer,* furnishes counterfeit coin for the whole world. There are branch-banks for the issue of this base

* Southey's" Espriella's Letters."

coin at Syra and Hydra, and the agents carry on their business openly and above-board. They defend their proceedings upon the ground of its being "a lawful business transaction." They aver that it is meritorious to injure "a natural enemy" in any and every possible manner; and although they are no longer at war, yet a Turk is an infidel, and of course is everybody's enemy. Besides, if the English government authorized or connived at the distribution of forged assignats during the French revolution, why should not the Greeks do the same towards the Turkish government. These counterfeiters also maintain that the money which they fabricate actually contains more gold than that issued from the royal mint, consequently they commit no crime, and certainly less fraud than the sultan exercises upon his own subjects. We leave it to casuists to settle the relative quantum of morality in either instance. This business of passing counterfeit coin upon the unsuspecting Turk is of very ancient date. From 1656, the French drove a brisk trade in five-sous pieces, which they sold to the Turk for ten sous. After a gainful prosecution of this business for ten years, they began to alloy the five-sous pieces, and continued this until they were finally detected. Heavy impositions were put upon them, and they were treated no better than counterfeiters. Sir John Chardin, from whom I derive this anecdote, says, "No people in the world have been more frequently cheated than the Turks; being naturally very dull and thickskulled, and apt to believe any fair story, which is the reason why the Christians have imposed upon them a thousand coney-catching tricks. But though ye may deceive them once or twice, yet, when their eyes are open, they strike home and pay ye once for all. And those sort of impositions in that nature are called avanies, which are not always unjust impositions neither; they being like the confiscations so frequent in custom-houses."

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CHAPTER XV.

Turkish College--Origin-Ees Hawk Effendi-Libraries-Discipline-Turkish Language and Literature-Grammars-Anecdote-Proposition to use Roman Letters-Armeno-Turkish.

ACCOMPANIED by my esteemed friend the Reverend Mr. Goodel, I visited a Turkish academy or college, one of the fruits of the important changes which have taken place in this country during the last four years. It is established in the quarter called Hass Keui, some distance up the Golden Horn. The building is spacious, and its interior distribution appears well calculated for the purposes to which it is dedicated. It was originally founded by the wise but unfortunate Selim, and after his death shared the fate of all the benevolent and sagacious measures of his reign. Since the accession of the present monarch it has been restored, and, if I am rightly informed, has been liberally endowed, and sends forth annually a number of young men competent to engage in the active duties of life. The whole course of studies requisite to be completed, embraces a period of three years. It is under the direction of Ees Hawk (Isaac) Effendi, or gentleman Isaac, as we would translate it, a worthy Hebrew who has renounced the faith of his forefathers. This change from Judaism to Islamism is effected with small violence to their previous opinions, for both sects reverence the one true God, and their ceremonials have a striking similarity.

Upon asking for the principal, we were directed to a door through which (after stumbling over a huge pile of slippers) we were ushered into a spacious matted chamber, answering to one of our college recitation-rooms. His highness

Ees Hawk was lolling luxuriously upon an ample divan, smoking at intervals from a huge amber-headed pipe, and reading in a slow measured tone sentence by sentence from a large manuscript before him. Although he was an acquaintance of my companion, his reception of us was any thing but flattering, and he even forgot to offer the customary pipe and coffee, which the poorest Turk never fails to present to his visiter. We had come too far, however, to be daunted by trifles, and accordingly took possession of the only two chairs in the room, upon a very slight invitation from the instructer. Ees Hawk is a man of much consideration among the Turks, and held for many years the post of drogoman to the Porte, a situation now filled by his son-in-law. We were unable to divine the cause of Ees Hawk's pointed incivility, but my companion suggested that our having neglected to apprize him of our intended. visit was the most probable reason. Trifling as this incident may seem to our readers, it is mentioned for its singularity, for it was the only instance which occurred during our whole residence in Turkey of any incivility or disrespect.

The scene around us was of an interesting character. There were some fifty or sixty young men in the room, some of whom were apparently from twenty to twentyfive, while others were mere lads of fifteen. Many, from their uniforms, were recognised as officers in different corps of the army. They were all seated in various positions on the floor, and had their papers before them, copying literally after the dictation of the lecturer. The oriental manner of writing differs so materially from ours, that a short notice of it may not be unacceptable. The paper is very stout, and is highly glazed, at least on one side. The pupil holds his paper (which, if a large sheet, is doubled) partly in the palm of his left hand, and this occasionally rests on the left knee. The pens are made of a species of reed, and are cut with a broad nib. The oriental mode

of writing it is well known is from right to left, and of course the reverse of our own. Notwithstanding the apparently awkward position of the writer, and the rude writing materials, the characters were evenly and distinctly traced by the pupils, and some of their notes might have been exhibited as fair specimens of calligraphy. An inkstand of singular shape is attached to their belt, and contains such pens as are not in use. In several of their manuscripts I remarked that the lines, although parallel with each other, were not horizontal, but ascended in a slanting direction towards the left corner of the page. This I take to be a mere fancy, although I have noticed the same oblique direction of the characters on some of their tombstones.

The principal was occupied when we entered in holding forth to his pupils upon the arrangement and dispositions of companies and battalions. He would occasionally single out an inattentive student, call upon him to repeat the last sentence given out, and scolded vehemently if the luckless wight was not able to answer in the most satisfactory manner. Occasionally he would accompany his reproof with a significant gesture as if he were about to spit in his face. This is the vilest expression of contempt in use among the Turks, and I took it for granted that the juvenile geniuses to whom it was addressed merited a correction of a more severe nature. The scholars in general were remarkably attentive and orderly, although the reproofs and threats of the teacher were received with as much hilarity as if he had retailed a stale college jest. He exhibited to us a work in four octavo volumes, written by himself, which had but just issued from the press at Constantinople. I afterward understood that it was a clever compilation from the French, embracing elementary introductions to the sciences; a sort of Turkish Encyclopedia, which served as a text-book to the students. During our stay in the school, two elderly Turkish officers entered the room. They were received with the most deferential respect by the teacher, and were piped

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