Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1837-07-31

uoor u ..a-le.yln Vi psrlsiyle,
Involuntary shrank back before the blaze OF light
that burst upon me. Far the eye could reach up
wards circles Of coored fire, appearing if suspend
ed in Midday designed the form Of the stupendous
dome; while, beneath, devices of every shape andco-
lor formed by myrads of lamps Of various nues
the imperial closet situated opposite TO the Pyipis
was blaze of refulgence, and its glded latuces
flashed back tire brancy. till il looked like gigan-
tic meteor. =,
As stood few PAGES within the doorway, | could
not distinguish tbs limits of the edifice looked Tor
ward-upward-to the right hand, ana 10 the ieNL
bat could only take in a gwen space, coveIeu WIN
human beings kneelng IN regular INES, anu az GER
tain signal bowling their urbanned heads TO the earth
as if one soul and one impulse ahha'co uie "noie
congregations while the shrill chanting OF the choir
pealed through the vast pile ana ded away IN ieng'h
ened cadenccs among the tall dark pillars which SEP
MORT il. And this was ST. Sophia! To me II seemed
like creation OF enchantmen; the ringing voices
the mysterious extent, which bafcd the earnestness
of nav gaze; the ten thousand turbanned Mosems,
ali kneeng with their faces towards Mecca, and, at
intervals laying their foreheads TO the earth the
bright and various colors of the dresses and the rich
and glowing tnts of the carpets that yelled the marble
hoor-all conspred 10 form scene of such unearthly
magnifcence, that felt as though there could be no
reality in what looked on but that, at some signal
the towering columns would fail to support the vault
OF light above them, and all would become VOID.
had forgotten every thing in the mere exercise of Wis
ion; the danger of detection; the flight Of time; al
most my own ldentty-when my companion uttered
the single word, Gel, Gomez and passing forward
10 another door the opposite side of the building
Inslinctively followed him. and once more found my
self in court What long breath drew, as the cold
mir swept across my forehead felt like one who
had suddenly stepped beyond the circle of an en-
chanter and dissolved the spell of some mighty ma
gic.
Whittier shall we now bend our way = asked my
companion as we resumed our shoes. $40 Sultan
Achmet,'' / answered briefly ! could not have be-
slowed many words on my best friend at that mo-
men, the very effort at speech was painful In ten
minutes more, we stood before the mosque OF Sultan
Achmel and ascending the noble flight of steps which
lead to the principal entrance, again cast oil our
shoes, and entered the temple Infinitely less vast
than St Sophia, this mosque impressed me with
feeling of ave. much greater than that which had
experienced IN visiting Its more stately nelshbor.
Four colo sal pillars of marble five or six feet in cir
cumference, supportthe DONE and these were wreath
ed with lamps even to the summit; while the number
of lights suspended from the ceiling gave the whole
edicc the appearance ola space overhung with stars
We entered at a prOpous moment, for the faithful
We're performing their prOstrations, and had conse-
quently time to speculate on our appearance
The chanting was wilder and shrer than that which
had just heard at ST. Sophia; it sounded to me, in
fact, more likeahe delrous outcry which we suppose
to have been uttered by band of Dephc prlestesses
than the voices Of choir of uninsplred human be-
ings. We passed onward over the yielding carpets,
which returned no sound beneath footsteps; and
there was something strangely supernatural in the
spectacle Of several human beings moving along,
without creating single echo in the vast space they
traversed. We paused instant beside the marble
arched platform, on which the muezzn was perform
ing his prosiratons TO the shr cry of the choir; we
fingered another to take last look at the kneeling
thousands who were absorbed in their devolions; and
then rapidly descending into the court, my compan-
len uttered hasty congratulation on the successful
ssue Of our bold adventure, TO which responded
heartfelt amen'-and in less than an hour cast oil
my fts and nv pelisse in the harem OF Efien-
di, and exclaimed to its astonished inmates have
seen the mosques"
Knowing what now know of the Turks, weuld
not run the same risk second timc though the Pro-
phets beard were TO be my recompense. There are
some circumstances in which ignorance Of the extent
of the danger is its best antdote. But the feel
ing that remained on my mind was vague even TO
pam. had seen ST. Sophia ii is true, and seen Il IN
all the glory Of its million lamps; had beheld il at
moment when no Christian eye had ever heretofore
locked on II and when detection would have nvolv.
ed instant destruction. had lifted aside the veil
from the Holy of Holes witnessed the prostration
which 70 lowed the thrilling cry of Allah Il Allah"
and polluted, with the breath Of Giaour, the amos-
phere of the true bslevcrs; had looked upon the
Cheik- Islam, he stood with his face turned Mecca
ward his pale brow clnctured with gold, and his
stately figure draped in white cachemerc; and had
stood erect when every head was bowed, and every
knee bent AT the name OF the Prophet.
The two huge waxen candles occupying the sides
of the arched recess, mirab at the eastern end of
the building are lighted every night and last exactly
twelve months; they are the very Geg and Magog
OF wax chandlery and must be nj least eighteen inch
es in crcu inference In making the tour of the gal
lery came upon door that had been stopped
with masonry the frame into which II had originally
fitted was OF white marble, and remains quite per-
feet. There traces Of violence the bnck work.
which appears TO have been secured by some power
full that has nduraied with age, until it hasnc-
quired the sodity OF stone and has become capable
of resisting any ordinary effort to IL; and this
door is the second miracle Of ST. Sophia. The le-
gend runs that the united attempts % all the masons
Of Stamboul are poweress against the rude masonry
that blocks the entrance OF this passage by reason Of
n wondrous and most potent talisman, which human
means have as yet failed to weaken; but that it con-
ducts to an apartment in which q Greek bishop is
seated before reading desk, peruslng an open vo-
lume Of so holy nature, that no Moslem eye must
ever rest upon it. Nor does the tradition end here
for both the Turks and the Greeks have firm faith in
iheprophecies which have be made, that St Sophia
will day revert TO the Christians, which occa
sion the waledup bishop will emerge from his con-
cealment and chant solemn high mass al the great
altar.
WIrE or SEvES HusBASps-When about cou-
pie of miles from MusseorL (Hindostan,) overlook
young Paharri damsel, driving sows; my attention
caught by her graceful figure, and her highly PIC
turesquc costume. Her hair was gathered into knot
upon the crown of her head and thence fell in the ia
shon Of horses tail down her back; across her
shoulders a bright red scarf was loosely hrown and
from her waist shotsrey petticoat descended TO her
knees; below which finely rounded leg and well
turned ANGLE gave finish TO the figure ard formed
by no means its least attraction. As passed, the