Star.
London, England, 1829-07-14 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

We give the followinginteresting description of the
Seat if War from FRAN LA X D'S Travels to Constanti-
nople : COLBURS, 1829.
• We passed through several ruined towns and villages, bearing
the appearance of having been destroyed by the hand of war
Towards norm we had a fine view of the great ridge of Mount
Humus, or, as the Turks call it, the Balkan. All the loftier moult.
table were covered with snow, bet the lower ranges presented a
kind of line of isolated, round mountainets, very blue, and beau-
tiful to look at. We passed through some fine woods, and °beet veil
great quantities of wild anemones, ranunculuses, Virgin maty's
cowslip, eyelets's% a great variety of the vernal crocus, violets,
mad forget.me-not, and several other flowers to me unknown, who
•
am but a poor botanist.
• We breakfasted at a little village called Lunn, in a clean Bul.
prian cottage. Nothing can exceed the cleanliness and comfort of
the interior of these bumble dwellings, which, although their ex-
terior does not present an inviting appearance, are whitewashed
neatly in the inside, the clay floor nicely swept, a clean mat always
ready for the stranger, near the bluing wood fire, every article of
their little domestic weave cleanly scoured, and hung around the
room. The poor people themselves, humble and obliging, give
you readily all they have; suck as milk, eggs, and fresh brown
bread, or rather cake, which they make before your eyes, upon 'an
iron griddle. 1 key are ail Christians of the Greek contomaitun.
"Their women are extremely beautiful, having, it is true, a skin
as dark as the mulatto's; but such faces, hands, feet, and arms, as
would serve for modelsmodelsto the statuary. They are food of trinkets,
and. all wear Madame sold or silver armlets or bracelets. much
resembling in shape the Turkish or Persian bracelet, so much the
fashion in Germany. Their costume resembles that of the WA!.
lachian women—a kind of half turban in the matrons, and their
own long hair ornanaented with gold coins In the maidens, ear-rings
of gold or silver, rasp of silver on the Angers; a jacket with the. t
wide sleeves, open at the throat and bosom a little embreidered ;
and a petticoat, having the skirt of various colours, which is very
becoming. Their feet are always bare, and beautiful
1, The men are in general robust, but not remarkably
vowed; they are all alike in features, and I have frequeiitly
thought that I have seen the same individual in every cottage
Their dress casks of a sheepskin cap, a large loose jacket of coarse
brown cloth, a sash of worsted or silk round the waist, a capacious
pair of breeches, and their legs encased la sheepskins or cuafs*
woollen hose, their feet in sandals of bide.
"They seem to be the most bumble slaves of the Turks (whom.
however, I have detected them eyeing with contempt and (fetes-
tubs, when they have thought themselves unperceived). They are
all diseased, and are the rayas or slaves of their Turkith 'nesters.
whom it is easy to discern among them by their turbans, their air
of superiority, and their pistols in their girdle ; tor every 'Pure,
down to the meanest Maisel or port er, carries these weapons. aril
sometimes a ringsn or a sabre. Had* Minuet always styled
the woman of the house s bobs.' He was generally kind and
caressing in his manner to the sex as far as I saw of him he always
paid generously for what little we bad received ; and if we chose
to make a present to the poor bobs or her children, the must ail:-
bounded gratitude was expressed by their smiles and eyes.
" We reached Shumla, or Chunik, at about two o'clock, Mehl
crossed a very high and steep ridge of sandy but well-wooded hills.
in which we were caught by a violent storm of snow and raiu.
" Monier, or Quads, is called the Thermopylae of Bulgaria ; and
Weed the pass over the mountains which separate it from the
Danube is a very Micah one, but the town itself is commanded
by the heights which surround it en three of its sides, in the shape
of a crescent. These heights seem nearly impregnable, and tuna
the chief autos* of the fortress, or rather vast entrenched clamp.
" We saw here many faders and brasiers at work, which gave
the town an appearanceof activity and commerce. Timmer, like-
wise many vines upon the sides of the sandy kills which nearly sur-
round Skamia, which therefore I infer manufactures wine. The
Russians have twice advanced as far as Shemla, In 1774 and laic,
bet have never yet taken it. I should topsider the fortress un-
tenable in the bands of European troops.
• Dr. Clarke iodises to think that Almada is the ancient Maria-
septa, the capital of Melia Inferior. It Is a large straggiii g
tows, having a wall round it, baked at intervals by brick towers,
in many parts broken down and decayed. It bas a considerable
asmreerce in brasiery and clothing. The country round about it
might he even beautiful at a mute advanced leases of the year.—
Here we took cake at the khan with the Turks, changed horse,.
and proceeded on towards a village called Dragolea, oburviag uu
our kit Mod spas the berthas Ave very high and remarkable
borrows.

On Husks illumals. we pawed os our right band a large en-
onnipmem dglpiM, with their Carts and dogs ranged na bettalta
renndlbinh. This aremsd to have been the site of an entrench-
ments peobsitwadaring some former wen. Seem el the woolen
came maming to se. begging fsr.cbarity is rather an Wiper.
MM. Caere; 'bee we went mum tread from them by the inter.
harm at our Tartar whom whip. like the red -Se the mmiciaa.
we MOW waved la vale. The Huteekee eel the Oriel Tam'
gemilL It is remarkable, that in Hungary they are caned Cygasaia,
se
world. Cshigarris. They are apperendy the IMO "bogie is ah parts of
the