The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-10-04 00:00:00

THE GREAT FIRE IN CONSTANTINOPLE.

(FROIII TIIE CORRESPONDENT OF THE HERALD.)
CONSTANTINOPLE, Sept. 4.-1 am sorry to say that my ap-
prehensions with regard to fires have been verified to an alarm-
ing extent. One of the most fearful ever known in this so often
devoted city occurred here on Friday last. It is not vet ascer-
tained whether it came from accident or design, but it is re-
markable that it broke out in the full day in the Government
musket-factory, on the Turkish sabbath, the only day on which
the workmen were not in their places. Whether wilful or not,
Constantinople will long have occasion to remember it. I was
in the harbour, or, as it is called, the "Golden Horn," about
twelve o'clock, and then there was no appearance of mischief ;
but on my return from one of the villages of the Bosphorus in
two hours after, I was struck with horror on perceiving an im-
mense volume of smoke, which rose as if from the heart of the
city, and obscured the atmosphere all round. On proceeding to
the place I saw that the musket-factory had caught fire, and that
the flames were spreading with rapidity in consequence of a
strong westerly wind, which blew them directly up the hill side
with a velocity which was inconceivable. As no means can be
taken to stop the progress of such a calamity prior to the arrival
of the Grand Vizier, the two hours which elapsed before that
dignitary made his aearance was sufficient to involve one of
the fiuest quarters of Constantinople in destruction, and by four
o'clock the flames had complete mastery of an immense circuit
'commencing at the water's edge, extending on the right towards
the superb mosque of Sultan Mahomed, on the left to the
mosque of Sultan Soleyman, and in the rear to the great aque-
duct, in the direction where the fire of last month had stopped.
The houses being all wood, dry as tinder from the summer heat,
afforded a ready prey, and it was the most fearful sight I ever
witnessed to behold the fire rushing, as if in streams, over hun-
dreds of roofs, or darting in tongues of flame at every separate
building within its reach.- The wind coming from the harbour
directly into the city, spread the blaze with the same violence at
every side; and I could trace it driving up the hill, or spreading
on either wing in so equal a manner, that I suppose that no less
than 2,000 houses were consumed—and then the fury of the
flames became so great, that all the ordinary attempts to stop
them were of no avail. The firemen assembled in large num-
bers, each four bearing a hand-pump, the streets being too nar-
row to permit the movement of engines ; but their efforts were
thrown away, except in three cases, where some rich proprietor
offered a sum equal to £2OO or £3OO to save his mansion. This
was effected by their throwing numerous carpets on the houses
which they thought proper to save, and by keeping the carpets
constantly wet by the action of their pumps; and in so many
instances was this plan successful, that now, amid the general
desolation of an extensive quarter, are to be seen single man-
sions which have not been Injured. The alarm occasioned by
this calamity was, as you may conceive, general at Constanti-
nople. It also spread round the whole neighbourhood, and the
inhabitants of the surrounding villages could be seen rushing to
the side of the Bosphorus, to watch the progress of the destruc-
tion, each person calculating that his own particular district
would be next exposed. The people of Pei a were in the greatest
affright, and hundreds assembled in the " Fields of Death," or
grave-yards, the only open places, to contemplate a scene from
which they were only saved from being parties to by the inter-
position of the harbour.
From one of these heights it was fearfully beautiful to wit-
ness the progress of the fire as it spread on every side with
unprecedented fury; and when the sun went down, and the
flames were more distinctly seen, I believe so sublime and
awful a picture was never before exhibited. It is only at Con-
stantinople where such a terrible display can be beheld, the
position of the ground and the nature of the buildings alike
affording facilities for destruction. How often I wished for our
great artist Martin to be present, and immortalise the scene, as
his imagination. gifted as it is, can never conceive so magnifi-
cent a subject for his pencil. About seven o'clock the whole of
the houses in the valley were consumed, and the fire then
mounted the hills which rise at either side, and spread to the
rear, in the direction of the sea Of Marmora, making a circuit
of nearly two miles. There it was most curious to behold it
'varying its form every half hour, lying on the whole expanse at one
time like a sea of flame,_ or separating into burning steeples
at another, which at the distance from which I beheld them,
appeared like so many volcanoes: AbOnt nine o'clock the full
moon rose, and at the same period a.heavy storm began to
gather in the southward, and then a scene was presented to us,
to which not Ling can do any thing like justice. At one view
we saw the Seraglio, with its beautiful white towers and lofty
trees, shining tranquilly in the moonlight, the centre of the
city blazing with numberless fires, and at the other extremity
of Constantinople the atmosphere hung, with massive clouds,
or the heavens opened with repeated- flashes of lightning.
We saw the sea of Marmora like a placid lake in the distance,
the towers of the Seraglio reflected in the Bosphorus, and the
burning piles glowing in the waters of the harbour. About ten
o'clock the wind fell a little, and as the smoke was not blown
against the hill side, the progress of the flame became more
distinct from the position which I occupied at Pera. It was
then we observed the curious effects of the flames on the
mosques and minarets which lay in their course. It was
beautiful to behold an immense dome similar to that of the
Colosseum in the Regent's-park, standing in dark relief in the
middle of flame, and the slender white minarets shining like
pillars of silver in a field of fire. Each dome appeared like a
fountain of white flame, as the lead with whits it was covered
melted, strangely contrasting with the ruddy laze of the burn-
ing timber, and the tops of the minarets, from the same cause,
burned like one of those wax lights which are borne in proces-
sion in the ceremonies of the Roman Catholic church. About
thirty of the smaller mosques were destroyed, but none of those
of royal foundation, which are the pride of Constantinople,
were touched. The progress of the flames towards the two
superb buildings which I have before mentioned was watched
with intense interest; and I observed an exultation iu the
crowd when that of the Sultan Mahomed, which was a long
time obscured
.with smoke, was saved by a sudden shifting of
the wind. The sight was so irresistibly attractive that the inha-
bitants of Pera remained watching it till after midnight, and
then the greater part retired, giving up Constantinople as totally
lost, and not expecting to see a trace of it in the morning.
Happily, however, at one in the morning the wind considerably
lessened, and the fury of the fire was by degress abated. It
ceased towards the southward about three o'clock; and on the
bill to the rear it was stopped at the same hour for want of food,
as it reached exactly the ground where the late fire in the be- •
ginning of August was arrested; thus cutting the city in two,
and making a, blank from the harbour to the sea of Marmora.—
On the north, where it still lingered, it was more resolutely dealt
with by the firemen, as it climbed the hill were the palace of the
late Janizzari, now the residence of the Chief Mufti, stands, in
consequence of the Sultan's declaring,—some say in person,
others through the Grand Vizier,—that he would order every
one of these gentry to be strangled if thatpalace was not saved.
Alarmed by this threat, the firemen set to work with energy,
and, covering the mansion of the Mufti with carpets, did not
allow it even to be discoloured, and at the same time they over-
came ths flames on every side of it so rapidly that, by the break
of day, the fury of the fire was stopped as if by miracle. It is
now curious to see thak mansion untouched on the hill side over-
looking the valley, which is a mass of ruins, and to behold in the
rear of it the immense aqueduct which supplies the city with
water, and which before was scarcely noticed., in consequence of
the houses which blocked it up at all sides, now standing in high
relief, every arch being counted at some miles distance. _ Some
persons say that one-fifth of Constantinople has been destroyed;
but if I do not go that length, I am certain that a circuit of
three miles, comprising 12,00() buildings, and making houseless
50,000 persons, has been devastated. It is now three days since
the fire occurred, but the ruins are still smoking, and if 'a wind
again arise, which happily has not been the case, die safety of
the rest of Constantinople cannot be depended on.
The only way in which I can make the extent of the mischief
familiar to a London reader is to have him imagine that from
the Southwark side he sees the whole bank of the river from
Westminster-bridge to Waterloo-bridge on fire, and the flames
cutting their way to Hyde-park-corner at one side, and to Rus-
sell-square on the other, the whole space between being at the
same moment in one extended blaze. If he can imagine seve-
ral churches like the Colosseum, with an infinity of marble pil-
lars, like the Monument, in the centre of the flames, he will
have an idea of the scene, provided lie makes the v hole to rise
from the ruins to an elevation in the rear as great as that of
Hampstead-hill. This will give him a notion of the extent and
form of the injury done, but not of the value of the property
destroyed, as here the greatest part of' the houses are of little
price, and only one rich quarter having been laid bold of. The
damage has altogether fallen upon the Turks, and it is wonder-
ful to see the patience with which they brave it. A person who
was at Constantinople during the fury of the fire, assumes me
that he saw several owners of the burned houses smoking their
pipes in the neighbouring coffeehouses with the most perfect
indifference. Their conduct strangely contrasted with about
three hundred Jews, apprehensive that a quarter in which they
had property would be attacked, who screamed and tore their
garments.
As I said in the commencement of this letter, it is uncertain
whether the event arose from accident or design; but many
persons are confident that the musket-factory was maliciously
set on fire; as several placards were posted in Constantinople
and Pera, announcing some mischief of that nature as inevita-
ble. The agitation produced in the public mind is very great,
and every k rank at Pera has packed -up his most valuable goods
in case the same occurrence should take place there. But lam
astonished that those great fires do not more frequently occur, as
the houses are all of wood, and every inmate smokes a pipe of
six feet longs with the bowl so far from him uncovered. ft is
also the practice for the servants to bring lighted coals in little
pincers, to light the pipes; through every apartment, and even
in a house occupied by Englishmen, holes are every day burned
in the floors, from the awkwardness of servants in bringing the
fire, or the carelessness of masters in setting down their pipes.
The wonder is, that Constantinople exists for a week, and not
that these calamities occur. The calculation is; however, that
the city. is burned down once in every seven years, and, indeed,
so fast is it rebuilt after one of those events, that several houses
are already erected in the place where the fire ocerased the first
week I came here. _ _

With regard to other events, none in reality occurred, though
rumour has been busy in circulating reports that the Russians
bad been recalled, and that treason was about to burst on every
side. I will not needlessly alarm you; and knowing huw des-
perately people here exaggerate, I will wait for proof before I
give credit to what they say. Small fires have broken out in
some of the villages on the Bosphorus, as if Swing was at work
in this quarter of the world; but I allude to great events, and
not to those minor acts which are, at all ages, of daily occur-
rence in Constantinople. The insurrection in Albania conti-
nues ; and at Cyprus, where three ships of war have been sent,
and troops also passed over from the mainland.

SCHOOLMASTER ABROAD AT TARBEirr.—On the sign-board
of a public-house near Tarbert, is the following inscription ;

" Mrs. M'Phail,
Licensed to retail
Spirits, Porter, and Ale,
In the afternoon she has for sale
Oatmeal Bannocks, Flesh and Kai',
Which travellers, hungry and athirst,
May swallow till they're like to burst ;
And Mrs. M'Phuilbere lets them know
kler charges are all very low."

Glasgow C'ourier.

)
CC'''. -3,

EMIGRATION.
It will be recollected that about a year ago we noticed the
singularity of an emigration which had taken place from the
island of Coll, in the Hebrides, to Van Dieman's Land—a Mr•
M‘Lean having purchased a smart little vessel for his own us"
and transported in it himself and his whole family to thatdistent
part of the world,•with only a captain and one or two nautical
hands to sail the vessel. Only a few weeks have elapsed sine
news reached this country of Mr. M'Leau having safely reache.
his destination ; and on Monday last we had the pleasure et
seeing the captain engaged by Mr. M'Lean pop in upon us,
with a file of one of the Van Dieman's Land newspapers in his
pocket for our use, and with many agreeable particulars to cora-
mnuicate verbally,both as to his voyage, the state of the colon./
to which he sailed, and the settlementand prospects of the farnill
he conducted thither. The little vessel which he navigated out
was named the John Denniston, and was, we believe, one of dre
smallest in which so vast a vovage was ever performed ; add tot
which, that the captain, Mr. M‘Kay, who is well known in the:.
Clyde, though he had previously been on some parts of the coast
orßrazil, was conversant chiefly with the navigation of the
Baltic and Mediterranean, and therefore was not less adventur-
ous in depending purely upon his scientific knowledge to con-
duct him aright, than was Mr. M'Lean in trusting himself, hie
whole family and effects, to so unusually small a bark. They
made up a full cargo by shipping from this country to the Cape.
of Good Hope coals, which they there exchanged t'or wirees• to'
be delivered on consignment iu Van Dierea.n's Land. When'
arrived at the latter colony, Mr. M`Lep speedily found a put"
chaser for his vessel : and the captain, AtT, M'Kay, after re:
maining about three months there, and visiting various parts ot
the colony, returned home a passenger in the Lavinia of Liver-
pool. He reports that Mr. Mg,. had pitched on a fine spot fof
a settlement, a considerable way into thejnterior from Nobel:
Town, and had every piospect of doing remarkably well;
he tells some strange stories of discovering there, and in SYmi.
neyt various old acquaintances whom he had seen at the bar o
justice in this country, now riding fine horses, possessing fine
houses and establishments, and ranking as high in the society
that surrounded them as if they never had a blot in their scut-
cheou. We have alluded thus specially to M`Lean, his little,
vessel, and the captain, because there was an adventurous
originality about the idea of one solitaiy family launching out
in her from their native home, to traverse more than one half
of the dreary waste of waters that encircles the globe, and also
because the romance thus thrown round the adventure excited
an interest at the time which cannot yet have so far subsided as
to render any account of the fortune of the adventurers a matter
of indifference.—Glasgow paper.

JACK DOWNING'S BROTHER.

(For the New York Gazette.)

COL. JACK DOWNING, CARE OF GINERAL JACKSON, AT WASH'

INGTON—THESE.
DEAR Jecx,—l told you in my last that arter I'd got clears*
up a leetle I'd write you so'thing about Yolk; but I've only
been• tb the governor's, and the vise-president's, and Gine&
Morton's yet; and there's so much noise, and sich an, etelll4
snarl of folx, night and day, that my head's plaginly obtain-
sated. I'm here at one of the big taverns; for, you know, the
brother of Jack Downing must only go to the best. But ,
darsn't tell the name, for they say the man's rich, and the
people here are afeared of a rich man as anything, and that?
bein' what they call a dimmycrat. They daresn't say their
sours their own before a rich man. But he makes me pay the.
matter of sixteen York shillins a day, eat or no eat, when I
dine with the great folx more'n'half the time. Jack, you know'
my purse is no beggar's wallet, but still there's a bottom to it,
and two dollars a day will soon find it. So, you see, you must
get me an office, or 1 shall starve ; and I go to this pocky dear
house only to do you honour. Knowing the taverns is knowing
everything, so I'll tell you about this tavern. I goes into break-
fast as hungary as a bear. The table must be a matter of two'
rods long, and full of people from down-east ; all looked mighty
grand, though I guess some on 'em have dug 'taters afore to-
day. I goes to one cheer. That's ingaged, says they. I goes
to another—that's ingaged, and that's ingaged. Bimeby I gets
mad—l grabs a cheer—that's ingaged, says a thing they call a
dandee. And my breakfast's inguged, Mr. Nincompoop, says I;
and more too, I'm Jack Downing's brother, and if you touch me
I'm engaged. So he jist looked at me and grinned, and let me alone.
Well, I waited fur dinner till my stomach made all manner of
noises, and I felt like biting off a board nail. Bimeby I heard
the devil's tooting horn. They said it was a gong. I han't
been so scar'd for a year. You know when I was at Surinal!l
in the Two Pollies I had to take a great deal of mercury. This
farnel sound throw'd out two of my teeth, and the rest have
been ever since so on edge, that Pile bit my tongue through
and through. It would have been jist the same, at dinner, about
the cheers, but by this time they knew that I was Ike Downing*
and they let me set down where I would. Well, there were two
fellows I used to know down-east—they were lumberers then--
but now, Lord, how big they were! I never let 'em know that
I knew 'em, but only minded their catnip actions. They were
the matter of an hour eating, and picking their teeth --Bimeby
pop, crack goes a thing in bottles that they call Shampain. Says
a big man, two parsons below, Mr. Downing, shall I drink wine
with ye? Yes, I thank ye, says I, for I thort there was nothing
to pay. So he fills my glass with Shampain. I'm told, its dandee
drink, but I think its only sham-cider, for I'd rather have our
hard cider at Downincrille, any day. These men were most all
from down-east. They say they're got rich. A spil'd yankee,
now mark my word, is no better than a rotten egg. I've been
to Nibbler's, and I'll tell ye about that another time. Oh!
what squalling, and capering, and fire-eating. I paid four York
shillings, and have got my money's worth of fun. I like so to
sit in the door-way, and see the people pass; I'm so tickled,
that I don't want to go no where else. Sich a steady stream Is
jist like the Kennebeck in a freshet—there it is, black, yeller,
gray, and all colours—sich men, I'm sure God dident make 'era
so, and I'm told the tailor made 'em. But the gals are so pretty,
that they are traps for sinners, I tell ye, and there's a mile on
'em, as the Gineral said, and their sleeves are as big as a barrel,
and their petticoats strut out so afore and behind that their
pretty walkers don't come within a yard of touching 'em.
just got a picture made of one of the handsomest, and sent it
home to my wife Tabby, but I'm afeard she'd be teasing me to
get jist sich a gear. I don't want to turn the gals heads at
Downingville. So no more at present from your loving brother,
except that if you don't get me an office I'll ax Mr. Longvarn,
to read you out of meeting. IKE DOWNINCi•

LYRICS OF THE BAST.

BY MRS. GOODWIN.

BEDOL'IN LAMENT FOR A SHRIX.
Dark Azrael ! thy work is done,
Our father sinks to rest,
As dives at eve the golden sun
Deep in the desert's breast.
CHoats.—He's gone !—fling loose his camel's rein,
Let his brave steed range wide the plain.
He's gone ! our guiding star is sped,
Our father slumbers with the dead.
Ye warriors !—shrouded is that eye,
Your beacon light so long,
Silent the lip whose battle cry
So late rose clear and strong.
CHORE'S.—He's gone !—what other hand shall rear
The foeman's scourge,—his shining spear 7
He's gone ! our guiding star is sped,
Our father slumbers with the dead.
Ye hunters of an ancient race,
The glorious spirit's still
That urged the desert's noble chum
O'er rock, and stream, and hill.
Cnoaus.—He's gone'. shoot up his shafts to sail
In mournful mockery on the gale.
He's gone ! our guiding star is sped,
Our father slumbers with the dead.
Ye matrons, and ye maidens, weep,
For he who loved us well,
And led us forth onr flocks to keep,
Where peace and plenty dwell,
Cnonus.—He's gone !—unbind your braided hair--
Rouse the wild song of your despair
He's gone, our guiding star is sped.
Our father slumbers with the dead.

TRUE VALOUR.

Ask ye the warrior's falchion bright
Of the strength of his red right hand ;
Ask ye the plume on his turban white.

Jf 'tw•as vail'd to the hostile band ;
Ask ye his steed of the havoc wide--

Of the count of the foeman's slain ;
Ask of the myriads his hoof of pride,
Trampled down on the battle plain ;
Ask ye the desert that drank their blood,

And the dark earth's unfathom'd cares;
Ask ye the wild and the rolling flood
Of the dying within its waves ;
But ask not the chief of the battle-host
Of the deeds that his arm hath done,
For never yet did true valour boast
Of the fame and the glory won.
Blackwood's Magazine for Octobe►•

AN IRISHMAN'S LAMENT UPON APSLEY.IIOUS
What house is yonder, which I with wonder
See smashed with plunder and paving-stones—
Its shutters shattered, its windows battered,
AN tore and tattered, like Davy Jones?
0 ! I see it clear, 0 !—it is the hero
Who beat old Boney eo clear and dame
The great old fighter, and smart delighter,
Who with flying banners won the plain.
Thew' was Alexander, the bould commander.
And Mister Hannibal so fine ;
:J.
But if the rat-catcher was their, body-snatehar,
By all that's good 'tis he would shine!
'And, Julius Cesar, who, like Nebuchadnezzar,
Was quite uncommon in his day ;
But Pd lay you a wager that our old stager,
The hook-nosed Duke, would have his way .
Great is my sadness, and small my gladneeS,
When I perceive his shutters shut—
Smathered and battered, besieged and tattered,
By the blackguards who are now on tut.
And 0, by Japers! what sort of capers,
You grenadiers, it was yours to show,
When all the riffle-raffle of the London city
Smashed all the panes of our old beau!
Where were the guards, sir, when the blackguards, sir,
Smashed down the panes of the dear duke?
If Goll and Osgor were here to the fore,
'Tis they would never on such stuff look ;
And there's Brien Boroo, in battle lading—
Ms he'd for aid in this here fight,
And smash the villains, like damned civilians.
Over and over, from left to right.

Like hungry hawks on a March-day morning,
A-slating small birds upon a hill,
'Tis they're the covies who are adorning
That most particular place they're going to kill,There was great njoiciug, and loud-mouthed voicing.

_
Bawlin,t, away about the peace ;
And in the king's dominions it fled about with pinions,
A most plasing remonstrance in the place.
There was wondrous beaming and branch-lights flaming.
Sweet music a-shameing bagpipe and flute ;
The windows they were scented, the people were contented.
Every thing was happy—both mankind and brute.
The deafman and the cripple both together they did tipple,
And And Erin was rejoicing to the tuue of her " go bray ;
And 'tie 1 am hard in heart here, to think that you, Duke Ar
Are a smashed-windowed sort of character this blessed daT •
e.
Fraser's Nugaz_fnoll

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