The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-22 00:00:00

of Cordova and Toledo their forefathers were great
in philosophy and medicine • that they were the
physicians of emperors and kings, and even gavl3,
many a bishop to the church which persecuted,
them. However, the descendants are poor an
miserable, earning a scanty meal by the sale °1
stationery and petty wares ; and there they stand
at the entrance of the bazaar, whispering confiden-
tially to each Englishman that passes, and offering
their services with that mysterious air of secrecy
which characterises their race.
The Turks are much pleased with political caries'
tures, and a number of Punch affords them infinite
delight. Lately a representation of the Sultan in
a bottomless sedan-chair, seemingly supported but
really hampered by the allegorical representatives
of France and England, gave great amusement to.
the population of Gallipoli. They quite understood
the force of the satire, and exclaimed, " Fek4
peki ! "—very good.
Although generally in the dark as to political
occurrences, news has sometime reached them With
a speed almost incredible. It is said that in India
the natives are often aware of the event of a battle
before a single European is acquainted with the
fact. In a similar manner intelligence runs along,
through the countries of the East, and is whispered
thousands of miles off, particularly if it be anything
calamitous to the Christian nations. At the tiro()
of our disaster in Affghanistan the news of the
great calamity was passed from mouth to mouth
from the Khyber Pass along the caravan-roads 0f
Affghanistan and Persia, and was the talk of the
bazaars of Constantinople weeks before the event
was known in England. In the present crisis theY,
are apparent apathetic, but the proverb about stn
water should prevent a too hasty judgment as to
their feelings and impulses. So far as can be judged,
they are chiefly anxious that the armies should quit
the capital and march to the frontier. The fact
that some women have accompanied the English
force has somewhat disquieted them. Surely the
Giaours must intend to remain in the country,
since they have brought their harems with thein.
They are not really sanguine as to the result of the
struggle so far as regards their faith and nation.
They make little distinction between friends and
allies. Three of the great armies of Europe are
now on Turkish soil, and a fourth may any day
advance its columns.
On Monday a dinner was given by the Sultan to
Prince Napoleon at the Imperial palace at Beyler-
bey. The diplomatic body, the Ottoman Minis-
ters, the suite of the Prince, together with General
Prim, were among the guests. After dinner the
Grand Vizier proposed the health of the Emperor
Napoleon, and the Prince that of the Sultan, it is
to be hoped in more satisfactory terms than on the
last occasion. The Prince expressed a hope " that
if the Western Powers have astonished the world
by the wars they have carried on against each
other, they will be equally strong and admirable
in their alliances. The treaty," he said, " which
they had just signed, bore witness to their disin-
terestedness ; the future would prove their
strength." He concluded by saying that since be
had seen this fine country he was more than ever
grateful to the Emperor who had permitted him
to devote himself to its cause. Redschid Pasha
than gave the health of Prince Napoleon ; the air
" Partant pour la Syrie" was played, and pipes
and coffee followed.
On the Bth the son of Abbas Pacha, Viceroy of
Egypt, arrived in the steamer Faid. Gihaad.
Ilhimi Pasha—such is the young man's name--45
to be the husband of one of the Sultan's daugh-
ters ; and he has brought a number of the most
valuable presents for the bride and her father ;
among other things, it is said that the vessel in
which he arrived, and which was built a short
time since as a yacht for the Viceroy, is to be pre-
sented to the Sultan. Ilhimi Pasha has been se'
commodated in the palace of Chemchi Pasha at
Scutari. The large number of edifices at the dis-
posal of the Porte must surprise any one who re-
flects on the paucity of such structures in England.
But in this poor and embarrassed country the
erection of such luxurious abodes is continual ; no
desire of the Sultan is restrained. At the present
moment a magnificent palace is being constructed at
the mouth of the Bosphorus for the Sultan's use, at
a cost, it is said, sufficient to make a railway from
the capital to Adrianople. As far as regards num-
ber of residences no monarch in Europe is better
provided for than this sovereign of a decaying and
insolvent State.
Last night the ball at the French Embassy in
honour of Prince Napoleon took place. It Was
the most brilliant that has been seen here for some
time, and was attended by Marshal St. Arnaud,
Lord Raglan, the Turkish Ministers, and all sorts
A persons of distinction. Prince Napoleon's re-
semblance physically to his illustrious uncle was
a matter of general observation.
Lord Raglan, it is said, holds out hopes of em-
ployment to many of the enthusiastic spirits who
are eager to signalise their valour. Corps of volun-
teers are likely to be formed and attached to each
division of the British, army. Should such a
course be adopted it will be judicious for those
anxious to see service to join such a corps, instead
of casting in their lot with the Turkish army.
After all, the Ottoman force is not one on which
reliance can be placed ; the men are brave, and
would fight well till beaten, but the army has not
the morale which would enable it to recover from
a defeat. Should any reverse befall it, the men
would probably rush into the wildest excesses, and,
in their rage, make no distinction between their
enemies and their allies.
The weather here is almost as changeable as in
Loudon. For two days past it has poured with
rain, while at present the sky is cloudless. The
grass and trees are of a brilliant green, and English
meadows have never produced finer crops of hay
than might be cut in the valleys of Constanti-
nople if the exertions of man seconded the bounty
of nature. Throughout a great part of this country
the grass is said to be very fine. The Russians
have gained in this respect a great advantage by'
seizing the Dobrudscha at such a time. Great part
of it is a rolling prairie, covered with the mot
magnificent grass, which the enemy will just be in
time to mow. Fodder for their horses will thus
be obtained at an expense trifling in comparison
with the outlay which must be made by us.
The bands of Albanians who are committing ex-
cesses in the neighbourhood of Adrianople have
excited the attention of Government. Of their
number 95 have been captured after a long resist-
ance. It is said that Omer Pasha has asked for the
power of inflicting the punishment of death ; and
that a firman will be issued giving to him the au-
thority necessary for the support of discipline and
the protection of the inhabitants.
Very general regret was felt among the English
officers at the approaching removal of Admiral
Hamelin to the Baltic. During the whole time of
his command he had cordially co-operated with the
English Admiral, and acquired the confidence of
the whole fleet. The squadrons had had some ex-
perience of the squalls and fogs of the Black Sea.
Much difficulty had attended some of the operations,
especially as English ships were sailing in company
with foreigners, whom the officers, it seems, can
only imperfectly understand.
In cruising about on various parts of the coast
the steamers have picked up some 13 or 14 prizes,
principally brigs, laden with corn, coals, salt, and
other stores. The crews were kept as prisoners on
board the different men-of-war ; and the admirals

sent in a proposition to General Osten Sacken to
exchange them for the merchant captains and other
prisoners detained at Odessa, or supposed to be so.
Osten Sacken declined, and as these unfortunates
were only eating up the provisions of the fleet, and
were much in the way, the captains sent them on
shore free. They had been put into the various
messes on board, and were most kindly treated by
the good-humoured sailors, who, however, made
them wash themselves—a process which the pri-
soners, it is said, regarded as some new and myste-
rious rite. One or two of the boys were dressed up
in correct sailor's costume, and .became great fa-
vourites. They picked up a word or two of English,
but conversed chiefly by pantomimic gestures. They
were all instructed by the sailors in the art of box-
ing. Two little children were still on board one of
the steamers. They were picked up in a boat,
together with a man and woman, all wounded, off
Kostendje. The man and woman were put onshore
at Baldschik, and the latter died. This occurred
when the Russians first advanced into the Dobrud-
scha. The town of Kostendje was pillaged by the
retiring Bashi-Bazouks and Tartars. They killed
the mother ofthe youngest child, which was about
16 months old, and then stabbed the child itself;
it, however, recovered. The other child about
three or four years old, is also wounded. The cap-
tain pleaded hard to keep them, and, indeed, it
would have been impossible to turn them loose upon
the world during all this turmoil. So the sailors
made dresses for them, and are bringing up the
baby with great tenderness. Prizes were con-
tinually coming in, though of small value and no
great gain to the captors. The fleets had ben
several times close into Sebastopol, and could make
Out from 12 to 14 large ships, as many good-sized
frigates, and about 20 small steamers. One of the
steamers ventured out on the evening of the 30th.
She was immediately chased, but easily escaped,
having a long start.
On the whole, the chief events at present are the
arrival of military or diplomatic personages. Sa-
lutes are almost incessant, and the equipages and
personal appearance of men who have achieved
greatness or had it thrust upon them are the chief
objects of curiosity. To chronicle dinners, balls,
and visits of ceremony is the not very elevated task
of a correspondent at the present moment. Let us
hope, however, that the time of action is at hand,
and that the after-dinner assurances of devotion
usi CitteXlXtilAtiOU will Do followed by doccbi which