The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-30 00:00:00

CONSTANTINOPLE.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER DATED coxstraormoreg, Ar 0.27.
We have the plague still committing its frightful ravages in this
ill-need city, and three d :ys ago I was informed, by • Captain 01
a vessel, that it was discovered to have broken out in some of the
islands. Business is quite at a stand ; our trade is worse than I
ever recollect it to be, and money is extremely scarce. Not much
news from the 3lorea : when the accounts from that quarter are
unfavourable, they are seldom promulgated by the Porte. How
the Samian expedition has succeeded I cannot tell; the report
i.cre is, (that the Capitan Pacha has been obliged to land a
;treat portion of his troops on board the transports, to prevent
infeeticus diseases spreading amongst them; for you must know.
the Turkish soldiers are as dirty as pigs. and as sick as cats, on
ship board. The aluseulmans here are in great consternation about
the intended steam squadron, under Lord Cochrane, of which they
entertain the moat exaggerated opinions. 1 verily believe that
many imagine nothingtas to ensue, from his so-much-dreaded sill.
epee with the Greeks, than that he will sail up the Bosphorus and
blow Constantinople into the Black Sea ; and I have heard many
affirm, that they shall not be surprised at die retreat of the Capitan
Pacha to Constantinople, should he actually attack them. The Sul-
tan Alablitoud, like the head of all despotic governments, seems to
be more !eared than liked ; he is a fitte.looking man, though his
countenance does not express that determination which seems to be
his peculiar characteristic. It required considerable nerve, even
with all his potency, to have undertaken that bold system of reform
—the extenninition of the Janissaries, which he did. No people
are more addicted to prejudices than the Turks, and to root out old
stariding ones from their minds was no trifling effort. The new
troops enrolled, 1 have heard, amount to about 20,000: those that
are at present armed, clothed, and trained, are about half
that number. The regiments in the capital lock very well in
their pm-green uniforms ; they are exercised twice a week in
some fine plains, a abort distance south of the city. The Sultan,
car rather, calling hint by his new title (which he took on the 10111),
the Seraskier, in person superintends their evolutions. Salim
Pacha is the officer in command immediately under him. The
cavalry seem infinitely superior to the infantry, as fur as regards
soldier-like appearance. Several combined circumstances lead
us to imagine that some event of moment is at hand. 3lah-
mood is a warlike prince, and the universal activity through-
out his dominions, also his own personal endeavours in
organising and raising large bodies of troops, added to
the differences existing between the Ottoman Porte and the
Coon of St. Petersburgh, encourage the idea that something
wii ensue. We have wi;hin this day or two had various re-
ports here of an aggression by the Persians into Georgia. According
to the policy laid down by the Empress Catherine, the Russians
have always k: pt • large military force in that province, since its
cession to the Czar by toe Persian Alonarch, in the year 1800;
thinking no doubt that the Schah, natmally enough, would
have a hankering to regain_ so fine a dueled; but indo-
knee and inactivity, and, perhaps, more than all, a deficiency
in the sinews of war, has kept that 3lonarch quiet, and con-
sequently the Russian Governors hare not had an opportunity of
exercising their hordes against the followers of Ali. Prince
Abbas blirza. it is rumoured, Is, however, of a very different
temperament to his tither; and having a strung faction to support
hint at Court, spolte with a degree of heat, and in such • manner,
declaratory of his hostile intentions to the Russian Ambassador,
5 could not be misunderstood; in addition to which, some of
his adherents, in the command of some of the border towns, inter.
celeed, and detained, the Russian couriers. A general rising of
the several border tribes, and ineumions into Georgia, was the con.
sequence of this hasty, and, as the general opinion is, intemperate
movement.

If this report be true, the Persians have been the aggressors
without cause; but a counter-runiour is afloat, which would lead
ore to imagine that the Russians mired and fomented the attack,
by their It:lnning and unlicenvd conduct. General VennaloT,
counnantling the Russian troops in Georgia and the Caucasian pro.
vinces, is a goctl general, but a proud and fierce character; qua-
lities which his subordinate officers and soldiers partake of in a great
degree. I cannot imagine much moderation from 20,000 and upwards
of semi-barbarians, living, as they hare done, in a state of peace—to
them,itllene,s and i needy st y—when the exercise of their em ploy meet,
arms, excites their hopes, and exhibits the means of aggrandizing
themselves, by Tilling the rich territory of their Persian neighbours.
No manner by what means obtained, warfare is the only acceptable
state of existence tor them to live in ; and the choler of the Persians
was easily roused by acts of brutality and excess, which it is reported
they have for some time lust been pursuing. 11—, who has
seen Abbas says he is a fine soldier-like character, and ex-
cellent horseman ; partial to European CUMOTs, and quite an adept
at tl:e English rarebit exercise, particularly the lance, which he
has introduced with effect into a corps of his own at Ispahan.
You may expect to hear again from me soon.

Accounts hare been rrceived from Captain Clipperton,
up to the 4th March, 1826, dated liyo, flio, or hatungo,
at which date it appe•trs that he was quite well, although
he had had a serious attack of illness.

Dr. Morrison asserts that the ignorance of the Europeans
concerning the true elements and spirit of the Chinese lan-
guage, is owing chiefly to the widely-spread belief of its
difficulty. Instead of 80,000 letters being indispensable
for understanding Chinese, he says' ,000 are sufficient, and
that by means of these a European may express himself
intelligibly to the Chinese, either at Canton or l'ekin, upon
almost every subject. To facilitate the learner in the ac-
quirrition of Chinese letters, Dr. Morrison's Chinese
Miscellany gives a collection of the oid emblems, from
which the new roots Ire derived, and he remarks that the
written language of the Chinese lice more meanings than
sounds. These emblems, which are, as it were, an etymo-
logy of the language, were never before printed in Europe.
Or the primitive words (216) the pronunciation and sig.
nifleations are also given, and several examples of the dif-
ferent styles of prole and poetical composition. Besides
these, Dr. Morrison gives a catalogue of 1,411 syllables, of
which the language of the Mandarins is li/tined, by means
of a different intonation and accent.