The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-30 00:00:00

LETTER FROM CONSTANTINOPLE.

" Constantinople, Sept. 3, 1529.
"My dear S.—l wrote to when about to
land at the Dardanelles, about the 21st of last month,
and as I cannot find time now, pray say lam safely
arrived, and comfortably fixed in the Turkish capital.
" My ill luck pursued me as to contrary winds,
and I was six days and nights coming from the Dar-
danelles in an open boat, touching at almost every
town on the way, by which means I had an excellent
opportunity of seeing the real state of the war.
Throughout the whole distance, of about IGO miles,
the roads, the paths, and the boats, were covered
with 'I urks, chiefly Asiatics, flying from the seat of
war, and selling their arms, horses, gre. ; the pea-
sants also were flying with their effects into Asia,
wherever they could find the means, and we were
often obliged to start speedily from watering or
landing places, to prevent our boat being taken
forcible possession of, which, thanks to a double-
barrel gun and pistol, remained in my service.
"-I was surprised to see such a general defection
amongst the Turks, at a moment too, when the
sacred standard is hoisted; but the war is most un-
popular to the Turks in general, on account of the
destruction of the Janissaries, and the attempt at
European discipline; besides which, the Greek
population leans to Russia; nor is the Sultan any
great favourite, on account of the late heavy taxes;
and the Russians, who know the real state of things
(from the Greeks), have increased the discontent by
not making prisoners latterly, telling the Turks they
were at war with the Sultan, and not with the
people, and to retire to their homes; which injunc-
t►on they were obeying faithfully as I came along,
for I was not only amongst them, but had frequent
conversations with the retiring combatants, who
were too numerous to feel ashamed; nor were they
badly received in the towns on the European side
when embarking, because the people of these
places had already played the same trick.
" Under these circumstances, it was no surprise
to me to find, on arriving at the capital on the 30th,
that there remained with the Sultan and the sacred
standard scarcely 8,000 men, encamped opposite
my window, close to the town, with the Russians
in possession of Adrianople, their ancient capital.—
The force that took possession of that place was
only at first nine thousand men, and General Die-
bitsch thought it prudent to detain a messenger sent
to him from Baron Merlin,' two days, lest his weak-
ness might be known. lie has now between 30
and 40,000 troops, nearly all that crossed the
Balkan—an operation which must have proved
ruinous, with Shumla in his rear, if there had been
any real resistance to be expected in his front—
whereas, all was apathy ; and the whole number
killed, by the Russian accounts, in the last month,
did not exceed 300 Turks.

" The Sultan did not, evidently, expect to be
thus forsaken, or he would have accepted the terms
proposed by Baron Muffling, before the enemy
crossed the Balkan. Lie was now sent almost to
request the Russians to name their own terms,
which they can do without any other restriction
than that of not giving umbrage to the other Euro-
pean Powers.

" It is now understood that the preliminaries are
actually signed by Barvn Muffling, under the sanc-
tion, in some way, of England, and that hostilities
have ceased; whether they will prove moderate or
not we must soon hear, and so will you, most likely
by the time this reaches you. That they will prove
a hard pill for Turkey to swallow is to be expected,
unless, indeed, some decided friend has recently
sprung up, who will not allow Turkey to be so
crippled as to make her fall an easy prey next time
she is attacked. Her treasury is said to be more
than low, and provinces likely to be the indemnity
instead of cash.

" It is a thousand pities that the war was forced
on the Sultan in the very infancy of his reforms; he
was attacked when only beginning to form regular
troops, who did wonders last year; but they are
exhausted now, and the other Turks will not sup-
port this order of things. The Janissaries are still
remembered, and only last week they made an at-
tempt at revolution, which was regularly put down
in good style; so that the capital is deemed safe,
although executions take place almost every day.
" There was a serious fire iri this part of the town
a few days before I arrived, and done on purpose to
facilitate some revengeful object ; but every thing is
again tranquil, and peace restored. The great mea-
sure settled will confirm its repose, if not too disho-
' nourable to Turkey. Should it be altogether de,
grading, a ferment, with excess, is to be feared,
sooner or later ; but this, I think, is quite out of the
question, for since England has a share in the mat-
ter, Turkey will not be lost as an European power.
" I have not yet lionized very much in this capi-
tal, which is all that I had fancied. In a day or two
I mean to go the camp, and farther, as things will be
tranquil enough for a foreigner. I have seen the
Dardanelles, which alone was a reward for my trouble
in coining out, independent of seeing so much of the
Barbary shore and Greek islands, as we beat along
with a foul wind all the way from Cape de Gatte.
" We only want a shower to attack the quails,
which are in great abundance here. There are se-
veral travellers like myself here just now, and I am
meeting much kind attention from many to wham I
have been made known."

MORNING DRESS.--A dress of elegantly printed
muslin, the ground a pale tourterelle; with pencil
stripes of delicate foliage, in black. A trimming of
a very novel kind surrounds the border of the skirt,
consisting of very broad striped muslin, white and
pink; the stripes parted by a Greek pattern, in
pencil ; the flounce is finished next the feet in points
which take a bias direction towards the left foot;
these points are also edged by a Greek pattern, and
above them is seen a most delicate pattern of flowers
pencillA in outline. The head of the flounce is
finished d/a Grceque. The sleeves are a/a Manic-
lace, and are confined at the wrists by broad brace-
lets of gold, studded and fastened by turquoise-
stones. A beautiful canezon pelerine, of fine India
muslin, conceals the body of the chess, and has two
short ends brought under the sash, which is of
totirterclle-coloured ribbon, brocaded with black in
a Greek pattern. The cannon is trimmed round
with a double trimming of muslin edged with fine
narrow lace, and headed by a broad, fluted, trim-
ming, formed of the same materials; a triple ruff or
lace encircles the throat. The bonnet is of tour-
terelle-coloured gees de i)7(ples, trimmed under the
brim with points of ribbon, half pink, half white;
the white painted with light green foliage ; other
trimmings adorn the crown of the bonnet, of
the same material as the bonnet itself, inter-
spersed by puffs of ribbon, the same, as the points
under the brim; strings of which libbon tie the
bonnet down under the chin on the right side.
The shoes are of tourterelle-kid, tied en sandales.
DINNER DRESS.—A dress of very superior kind
of rarsnet, named Cindy de Perse. A broad hem
surrounds the border, headed by foliage ornaments
of the same colour and material, which represent
-large leaves lying in bias over each other, and each
edged round with fringe ; a rich cordon of silk sur-
mounts these ornaments. 'lite body is made plain,
and fitting tightlo the shape, with sleevesd Audis ;
the gauntlet cuff coming nearly as high as to the
eNow. At the wrists are antique points of white
satin, edged with narrow blond. From the back
depends a double pelerine, the same as the dress,
both bordered by fringe : it is left quite open in
front, and the ends which arc short, are past through
a belt of white watered tibbou, fastened in front
with a rich gold buckle. The colour of this unique
and novel dress is a bright Aurora. The dress hat
worn with it is of fine white chip, ornamented both
beneath and above the brim, with branches of vine
leaves and white flowers ; strings of white ribbon,
the half painted in spots of different colours, float
over the shoulders. The shoes are of pea-green
satin, and the stockings of silk, the same colour.
A WALKING DRESS.—A dress of buff-coloured
muslin, with a narrow flounce of white muslin next
the feet, over this is a broad flounce ornament cut
in deep square notches, the inside of which notches
are jagged en sue. This is also of white muslin, and
it is bound round, and surmounted by green satin
roiliest' binding. The corsage is made high, up to
the throat, and down each side of the burst is a triple
ornament of white muslin, fluted, which forms a
kind of
.flelen robing down each side, while it grace-
fully marks out the contours; the waist is encircled
by a belt of the same colour and material as the
dress, fastened on eine side with a lozenge-shaped
buckle of gold. A triple ruff of lace encircles the
throat ; the sleeves are d l'imbecille, and are confined
at the wrists by narrow bracelets of white and gold
enamel; the hat is of white gees de Naples, orna-
mented with palings of the same, and white Gueldre
roses. Under the brim are points of ribbon, termi-
nated by small rosettes, consisting of one loop and
one end. The hat ties under the chin with a men•
tonniere of blond, and strings of broad white ribbon,
brocaded, float over the shoulders. The half-boots
worn with this dress are Nankeen.
EVENING DRESS.—A dress of primrose coloured
taffety, with a broad flounce of blond, of a very rich
pattern round the border ; this is headed by a much
narrower flounce, which is surmounted by a cordon
of primrose silk ; the body is d fery'clnt, with a nar-
row cape of white satin, pointed in front; this is
trimmed with narrow blond. The sleeves are short
and en beret. A dress hat of white chip has a bow
under the brim, on the right side of the lilac and
white ribbon sewn together, strings of which float
over the shoulders ; an elegant wreath of flowers falls
over the edge of the brim on the right side, which
is elevated, and this wreath consists of vine-leaves
and their tendrils, with a few small bunches of the
purple grape, relieved by yellow roses; on the left
side, above the brim, is a bouquet formed of a yel-
low rose, a bunch of purple grapes, and a few vine
leaves.