Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-17
NATIONAL INTELLlGENCER.
W5.iuen for The National htellgencer By a Citizen
Of Washington.
RAMBLEs ABOUT ooNsTANTINoPLE.

Of Washington.
RAMBLEs ABOUT CONsTANTINoPLE
y sa that am at last in the City of the Sultan. 1t
ncds oriental and might be mistaken at home for some
thing like extensive travelling but it is nothing after all
mere shake Of the paddles in the Austrian steamer from
the Greek islands A week ago was on the Acropolis
making sketch of Athens next day wandering over the
hills of Syria days after oungng about the bazaars
OF Smyrna and have the pleasure of dropping you
these lines from the fourth story Of the Hotel de Byzance
situate in the Frank quarter called Pera overlooking
Stamboul and in full view of the Bosphorus There is
no longer the charm Of romance in Mediterranean travel
steam swallowed up every thngeyen in great part
the beautiful and flowing robes Of the Turks which
are disappearing all the travelled routes and seems
likely swallow up their preudces and boards at last
Now is whred along at such rate that he has to
keep book in one hand and map in the other to know
where he is Tourists even known and cheated ac-
cordng the color Of their books red indicating Anglo
Saxon origin full purses and abundant creduty; black
denotng cunning and all other colors the poverty and in
significance Of mongrel retions 1t is mere summer ex-
curson all over the Mediterranean. Starting from Mar
settles YOU are steamed all round Spain in few days.
if YOU like you take glance at Africa from Agiers to
Tuns or peep Italy, commencing at Nice and ending
at Naples and then you have Neapoitan lines all around
Sicily and the French lines again TO Malta and from
Malta English and French lines to Alexandria, or to Con-
stantnope touching Athens and the Greek islands,
and Austrian lines all the Levant and Russian and
Austrin lines throughout the Black Sea and up through
Eastern Europe. At is nothing now to be steamed
from New York to Vienna all the way by water, from
California into interior Of Russia Even the Nile is
done by stesm from Alexandria to Thebes and the old
temples Of Egypt reverbeate with the hunders of the
scape-p;pe while the Arabs Of the Lyban Desert look
down in wonder from their camels the thing Of life that
ploughs its way against the rushing waters And for
railways viii not undertake to say with what facility
one can become travelled gentleman in Europe, lest you
should deem guilty Of raery, at how cheap rate
man may become classical with the aid Of money and
steam, lest should be suspected of putting.
Near the Dardanellcs had fine view of the plains
Of Troy, upon which stood in ancient times the famous
city of that name, the site Of small town called
Fraos There stands in bold relief to this day the tomb Of
Achilles at Sigeum, where Homer says the hero was
buried 1t was here that of the battles between the
Greeks and Trojans fought; and this tomb Poly
scena was SACRIFICED and Alexander in after ages paid
tribute to the bravest of all the Greeksfor which
Homer Lemprere, and Murray especially the latter
who gives the particulars neatly done up in handbook
On entering the Dardaneles looked for the place
where Leaner drowned in swimming to his lady love-
and where the beautiful Hero threw herself from the tower
in despair; also the precise spot where Byron caught
cold SWIMMING Iame ana Where AerXeS Quit MS
bridge of and made fool Of himsea long time be-
fore by beating the sea because it swamped his ships
and destroyed his labors-all of which probably saw
but cannot assert it as positive fact.
We entered the sea of Marmora by sundown and be-
poetical its sleeping isles. II was such night
for romantic thoughts; the so mnutely visible
through the clear atmosphere that its and mountains
lay outspread upon it like chart of silver the sky gilt
terng with stars, the waters Of Marmora smooth
glass; and the isles softly stepped in mellow light, and
the dim outlines Of the mountains of Europe and of Asia
looming up in the mystic background Abont the decks
lie bearded Turks smoking their chbouks, and Greeks
in petcoats pale Armenians in tall urbans and long
robes slipping their coffee and talking Of the money
market and dirty Arabs, in their brown capotes doing
nothing ALL and not likely to do any thing for some
time and Jewish peders and pilgrims nodding and read
ing aloud from the Talmud praying in dark
and Mahometans of all castes spreading their mats in the
most inconvenient places, and bowling down towards
Mecca regardless Of the world and all its prejudces
Some hundreds of stupid Turkish soldiers, with heavy
faces half sea-sick gathered in huge piles the
forecase deck gamble in groups about the gangways
and abaf the beak of the quarterback is large
barred cage covered like tent filed with masked
and black-eyed, laughing romping Turkish wemen and
squaling babies belonging to the horems Of those old
graybearded Mussulmans close by smoking their chbouks
or bobbing at Mecca and and then there energies
from the cage ugly African who draws her mask
her thick lips if you look towards her, with as much
auetry as If she thought it would do let much
beauty be seen Officers without number, mus
ached gided brassbanded and buttoned 10 excess go
up stairs and down stairs and smoke cigars about the
decs and to be doing any thing but passing
the time pleasantly possible; sometimes you see
godsbanded cap with gentleman in uniform under il,
parading itself high plank amidshps and If you
watch him carefully you win him raise his right hand
hise point myseriousy either side keepits afew
moments and then drop it with graceful air. greatly
hausted by the effort That has done his duty he
has indicated TO the helmsman that it would be advisable
to port starboard little and then he down.
with proud consciousness Of knowledge which the gene
ray Of mankind does share, and resigns himself to
cigars and conversation Stewards walters are
tnuay going forward to and returning from the head
quarters Of the cuaev, where important consultations
held diet and matters prepared for the table
Grim black ooking fremen, besmeared with coal and
coal and soot up unexpectedly out Of little round
holes in the deck that the Arabs standing startled
out Of aweek's growh-if Arabs be startled. And
who walk the quarterback, specializing upon all these
things and the rise aud probable destiny Of Mahometan
ism prding ourselves upon superiority oil other
nations in pety morals and railroads. discoursng the
progress Of civilization under the mighty influence of
steam damnng Turks Arabs, and Greeks when they get
in way and apostrophzng the heavenly bodies, the
scenery and Lataka tobacco; gentlemen Of ele
giant leisure travelling for amusement and the