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wilds of Wallachia. The next day we entered a valley which becoming narrower by degrees we soon arriyed at a Chain of monntains całled by the Turks Bałkan & of which the ancient name is Mount Haemus. The ascent was at first easy but beckme exceedingly steep & after some time we reach’d an immense height from whence we commanded the most magni-ficent view conceivable of a number of hills beautifully coyered with oak and beech. Upon descending from thence we entered a fiat and unin-teresting country which continued as far as Adrianople. This is the Recond town of conseąuence in Turkey supposed to contain about 60,000 souls. This number is however but iU proportion’d to its extent which is very considerable. Here at our Khan or inn we were receiv’d into a room open on the sides & coyered at the top, surrounded 1’ordinaire with a divan, & in the middle of which was a fountain constantly playmg. Here we saw Sułtan Selim’s Mosąue, a beautiful buiłding circular in the inside & rising to a dome. Its diameter is about 120 feet & the style of it is remar-* kably light and elegant. In the middle is a divan raised high & surrounded with 999 lamps*. Under the Divan is a fountain of excellent water which they inyited us to taste. This circumstance I mention to do away in part what is so often insisted on respecting the bigotry of the Turks who are not morę absurd in that respect than many Roman Catholic nations. Round the Mosąue are 4 minarets which are high cylindrical towers from whence the Imam or priest at stated times of the day ca lis the people to prayers for the Turks use no bells. On the day following we left Adrianople. The view of this as of most Turkish towns is at some distance beautiful owing to the intermixture of trees and Mosąues (which are the most pic-turesąue buildings imaginable with their cupolas & minarets). Upon enter-ing however your admiration soon ceases the streets being narrow dirty & ill paved, & the houses almost uniyersally built- of wood, & that but indifferently. From Adrianople to Constantinople was a joumey of 4 days through a country the most dreary & uninteresting, which was ren-dered completely uncomfortable by the excessive heats which had parch’d up the ground & eyen dried up many of the fountains [Fol. 9] At length of Friday the 25th to our great joy we arriyed at Constantinople. & went immediately to the English Pałace where Mr Liston had been expecting us for some days having heard of our intentions in a letter from my brother. The day following Morritt & Stockdale both fell ill of feyers owing to the heat & fatigue of the joumey, the former is now perfectly well & the latter is recovering.

I have been fortunate enough to escape everything of the kind & upon my arriyal here was as well as when I set out from Vienna, nor had I eyer in my life better health than at present, for there are few under-takings to which I do not feel myself eąual, however in this climate we are cautious not to overplay ourselves if we can avoid it. You have na doubt often heard of the views of Constantinople, we had also & from

’    i

♦ & surrounded with 999 lamps” has been lightly deleted in pencil and replaced by “The buiłding is said to have 999 Windows”. The latter statement is undoubtedly correct*, for the mosąue is noted lor its impression of lightness created by the many Windows pi-erced in its walls. These Windows have remarkable faience panels in floral pattems which are among the finest created by Turkish ceramists.

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