New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-27
FROM NETWORK TO NlNEVEH.
gMYRNA-rROM ASIA TO AFRICA.

SNYRNA-rROM ASIA TO AFhlCA'
Editorial Cores ond.ncs Of the N. Y. Tribune.
SMYRNA, Nov. 1851.
SMYRNA is sometimes called, In the
Aewery tongue OF the East the " Ornament OF
Asia" No one, who first behelds the city from
she sea. or from the slopes of Mount Phagus'
will hesitate to accord it so graceful title. The
grand and HARMONIOUS features ofthe landscape
of which it is the central point, give 1t an air oil
dignity and Importance, which neither It's streets
and public ediGces nor the indications of foreign
traffic in its harbor, would convey. 1t lies at
the head of the gulf, and at the mouth OF a
broad and beautiful valley, watered by the River
Hermes, it's southern end resting on the side OF
the mountain, as an Oriental beauty, reclining
after the bath, lifts her head on the pillows of
her divan. Its aspect is that of majestic repose'
the simple and compact array OF its tiled roofs
and white walls, broken here and there by the
light shaft OF minaret, slender cypress or the
plumy top of palm, presents no point sufficient
ly striking to call ones attention TO the details
Of the view. The city, the sparkling gulf, the
Mediterranean on the horizon. the garden-valley,
compassed on all sides by the Handicapped OIL
shoots of the Taurus range-all are blended in
one superb panorama, and colored by the blue
and violet pencils of the lonian air. Here Asia
grand though fallen Asia-has most solemnly,
most sublimey impressed the seal of her des-
tiny.
The city, after you have entered If, loses this
impressive effect, but gives you an endless va
Tiety Of bizarre and picturesque forms. As the
FIRST Oriental city have seen, of course | can
make no comparison with Cairo or CONSTANT
nople, but 1t will be long time before again
meet with an experience at once so novel and
so familiar. 1t was the Arabian Nights, and
particularly the Forty Thieves, in real life |
landed alone, within an hour after my arrival,
and selected one from the crowd Of shabby
dragomen on the quay, to be my guide through
the city. The subject of my choice turned out
to be a Spanish Jew, whom | ANONYMOUSLY
dismissed when he attempted to palm off an old
synagogue as the chief mosque of Smyrna.
The main street OF the Frank quarter, which
lies next the water, is narrow, crooked Alypaved
and very dirty. There is no house in the city
more than two stories in hight, and none OF any
pretensions TO architectural beauty, though the
Franks boast several cool court.yards with foun-
tains. The Frank signs are principally in Greek
and Italian, but the porters, donkey drivers and
boatmen who beset you on landing, are full of
English and Spanish phrases Turkish, which
for the first time hear spoken to any extent,
seems to be hearty, voiuble tongue, and have
already learned three words
Nearly every man one meets here, Is a study,
The very bostmen who came TO take us ashore.
with their red bags for pantaloons, brawny
brown arms and weather-beaten tarbooshes,
were picturesque, Then, as first touched Asian
soil, | ostled against group OF shawl-Srt
mountalneers, armed with heavy saberS. and
turning down the first street. met string of
camels, laden with water-skins. In the crowd
that followed chem recognized Arabs, Greeks,
Amenians and Egyptians, besides the different
varieties of Turks and Franks Tall Mussulnen
stood in the entrances Of the courtyardS, besides
baskets of Transparent, pink, green and purple
grapes; por,ers, with small board.yards and
brick.kiln strapped on their backs, steered their
blind way through the crooked alleys; com
pany Of Turkish women, masked and muiled in
loose robes, stared the faces of the Franks, and
the long drawn "gsard.a-a :" Qake care of
the donkeymen, sounding every instant behind
me, obliged me 10 take the wall and suspend my
The streets are so narrow that
the projecting caves Of the houses touch in many
places, and a laden donkey almost blocks the
passage
My Jewish guide set off on quick tro, and
soon brought me TO the entrance of the bazasrs.
The Smyrniote bazasrs, should here state, are
merely streets of one story shops, covered with
aioose roofing OF boards, which makes them
very cool and agreeable during the hot midday
houis' They are open thoroug hiareS, and the
cry OF : g"aTda :" is never out OF ones ears.
Some sklH is required to avoid being run over
by camel, and Knocked down by donkey,
or punched in the head by perambula,ing
board.p pile. The first bazaar entered is mostly
occupied by the Franks, who have large dis.
play OF printed cotton goods. Iwasted no time
on the redcapped Italian and Greek shopkeepers,
bu, FASTENED on to the Turkish quarter, where
the calm, impassive merchants, reclining on
their carpets, scarcely put aside the amber
mouth.pieces of their chibouks, to reply to a
customer Here the plash OF water from the
public fountains sounds cool and grateful, and