The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-09 00:00:00

at a conversation which took place under a tent, between
Turks of rank from Constantinople and several Beys from the
interior, and was so pleased with the spirited manner in which
it was carried on by both parties as to remain with them two
hours. The establishment of Lancasterian schools, the
im-
provement of roads, and ameliorations in agriculture and com-
merce, formed the topics of discussion. Its immediate practi-
cal results were, that the Bey from Larissa manifested the de-
termination of taking with him, on his leaving Constantinople,
a teacher acquainted with the system of mutual instruction, in
order to establish in his native town a school on that principle.
The Moussellim of Loull6 Bourgerz declared it also his in-
tention to do the same. A Bey resident at Constantinople
laid a wager with a person present, who doubted the possi-
bility of carrying the thing into execution, that before two
months he would have established a school of that kind in his
own house.

I am sorry I cannot send you a very favourable sketch of the
bride, for she is represented by those who have been able to
know something about so mysterious a matter as disfigured by
the small-pox, as having strongly-marked features, grey eyes,
and almost total deficiency of eyebrows ; her stature is below
the average ; her age is 22, which for this precocious clime is
considered as somewhat passe.e. Unfortunately for her, and
still more so for her bridegroom, she is passionate, capricious,
of a haughty, reserved, and selfish disposition—a complete
shrew, not admitting of being tamed. Yet, in spite of all these
faults, she has constantly been her father's favourite. Even
before coming out of the carriage which brought her from her
father's palace to the one destined for her residence, she gave
to her expected husband a lesson which at once effectually
taught him that predestination has doomed him to unmerciful
henpecking. As soon as the carriage stopped before the gate
of her new palace, Halil Pacha presented himself to hand her
out. In vain did he embrace her feet—in vain did he address
her in oriental metaphors, and kneel before her, use the most
impassionate language, and the tenderest and most pressing
invitations. He could not even prevail upon her to cast a look
towards him. Exposed to:the rays of a scorching sun, he remained
more than half an hour in this humble attitude, till strength
and language almost failing him, he repeatedly cried out with
a fainting voice, " Alas, my Sovereign, willst thou not take
pity on thy slave !" Even the eunuch who accompanied her
was moved to compassion : he united his intreaties to the
Pacha's tears, but equally to no purpose. It is difficult to say
how long this scene might have been prolonged had not the
Sultan arrived in person to unloose this dignus vindice nodus.
With an imperious nod she ordered Halil Pacha to rise from
the ground, where he lay prostrate, and was led by him to the
gates of the harem. He then withdrew to the selamlik, or
men's apartments, there to wait her further orders. The six
Cadinnes or wives of the Sultan, the Odalisks, and the nume-
rous female retinue of the imperial harem, the Sultan's three
sisters, and her own two brothers and sisters, who had accom-
panied her, mounted then to her apartment, and welcomed her
according to the eastern ceremony. The first Hanims, or
wives of the grandees of the empire, and those of the Pachas,
were immediately after introduced into her presence, and per-
mitted to kiss her foot. During the performance of this cere-
mony the Sultana, it was observed, not only did not address a
single word to any of these ladies, but not even conde-
scended to look at t hem, keeping her head constantly
averted to one side. It was then announced to them, that to
confer upon them an additional mark of favour, the Sultan
had graciously ordered that they, as wives of his faithful ser-
vants, should be permitted to perform obeisance before the
mother of the bride. Ushered into another apartment, they
were, according to their rank, led before a door guarded by
the chief eunuchs, at the bottom of which appeared the hem
of her robes. Kneeling on the ground they reverentially ap-
proached, raised it to their lips and forehead, and withdrew.
To such an extreme is jealousy pushed in the imperial harem,
that no mortal except their immediate attendants is ever per-
mitted to cast his profane eye on a Cadinne ! The liberty
which the Sultan granted them of accompanying his daughter
is considered by every one among the Turks as an unprece-
dented fact in the annals of the Seraglio, an instance men-
tioned by the old and fanatic as a convincing proof of the de-
pravity of modern times. My fair informant tells me that
wonderful are the alterations which the ladies' dresshas under-
gone on this occasion. " Wallahah !we are about being meta-
morphosed into Franks," said she, with that naiveté so general
among Turkish females. " Only think, we all wore silk stock-
ings and satin sleeves, gloves, pelerines, and spencers with gigot
sleeves ! On our entering the imperial harem the dress we
wore was taken from us, and we were dressed by the eunuchs
after the new fashion. Some of us went even to the length of
putting on artificial curls. Wallahah ! Islam kalmadee !
Upon my honour, Mahomedanism no longer exists !" After
welcoming his daughter to her new palace and giving her his
blessing, the Sultan withdrew to an apartment where, to their
infinite surprise, the ladies invited to the harem were ushered
in and allowed the honour of embracing his Highness's feet.
A ring and a shawl was, on their leaving the room, given to
each of them in the Sultan's name.

Shortly after the Yatzee hour for performing the evening
prayer, a loud clapping of hands re-echoed during several
minutes throughout the harem, interrupted now and then by
the shrill voices of twenty eunuchs, ordering every lady to
'withdraw to her apartment, for the bridegroom was about to
pass. The Sheik Islam and the most distinguished Ulemas
and Imauns accompanied him to the gate of the harem, and
after repeating a long prayer, to which those present said
" amen," pushed the Pacha with force into the apartment of
the ''omen, and drawing the door with violence, locked him
in. If I may judge by the manner of Halil Pacha, whom I
have repeatedly seen since, he and his wife are now on excellent
terms with each other.'