Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-05-10

are IN q Wretcneu cOnuition, anu cOmpeueu 10
sell their arms to procure the necessaries of
life. They have not been paid for nearly six
teen months, and are deserving in large num-
beers. Tariff Pasha, their new commander, who
superseded Ahmet Pasha, has reached his post,
and has been well received. Ahmet is on his
way to Constantinople, to undergo trial before
the council. But this is everthe way here. An
officer scarcely reaches his destination before
he is supplanted by another. The campaign
in Asia will not open for some time yet. The
weather is intensely cold there, and the whole
country is-coyered with snow.
The news from Greece still confirms the ac-
counts Of the undated enthusiasm of the PEG,
pc. Volunteers are daily enlisting under the
command of the Kings officers. The women
are busily engaged in making clothing for the
soldiers, and many have accompanied the army
to administer to the wants of the sick and the
wounded Lani is the headquarters OF the
Greeks, to which fresh recruits are daily hook
ing, and it is expected that q severe engage
ment will shortly take place there. The en-
gapements That have been fought lately show
the vindictiye spirit which actuates the COM
batauts. After the battle of Fanari, both the
Greeks and the Turks impaled the heads of the
slain. The number who have taken up arms
in Epirus against the power of the Sultan has
swelled to twenty thousand. No doubt many
of those whom the harsh measures of the Porte
have driven from the Ottoman empire will join
that army. Rendered desperate from want,
and thirsting too, for revenge, they will prove
terrible enemies to the Turks.
Fifteen thousand Egyptian troops have ar
rived here within a few days past. / saw many
of them disembark, and more miserable col
lection of human beings could scarcely have
been brought together They resembled more
the outpourings Of hospital than anything
else, and appeared filter subjects for the skill
of surgeon than a sergeant. They looked as
if they needed pills to preserve their own con-
situations, rather than powder to defend the
territories of the Sultan. Such troops cannot
benefit any army and if many more are sent
from Egypt they will only prove destructive as
its locusts were of yore, In consuming the pro.
visions of the country.
Breadstuffs are at an enormous price, and
the government have issued an order not only
prohibiting its exportation but preventing any
vessel loaded with grain, and stopping at Con-
stantinople, from leaving without discharglng
its cargo.
1t is said the capital will soon be declared in
state Of siege. The Sultan has already issued
q firman, prohibiting any one to be in the
streets atnight without lantern. After eleven
o'clock, no person is allowed to leave his house
unless accompanied by military guard, to
be sent for from one Of the police stations.
The carrying Of firearms is also strictly forbid
den-a custom almost universal here. Should
any one be found guilty Of breaking these
rules, the police have received strict orders to
arrest them Immediately and confine them in
the guard-house
Wishing to visit the Princes islands, we re-
paired the other day to the Galata bridge across
the Golden Horn, the principal steamboat
wharf Of Constantinope. Thinking that the
Turkish steamers, like most others, would start
at the appointed time, wewere punctual in being
there at the precise moment After finding the
boat that runs regularly to the islands, (which,
by the way, is the old Bangor, from Maine, and
has been out here some twenty years we were
told that she was to sail for Gallipol with mats
for the army, and that another had been sub
stituted. Fearing now that we would certain
" be too late we fastened on board the right
one, and were told by the captain she would
start in few moments. He certainly made
use of oriental hyperbole, and his moments were
as many hours; for we did not get away for two
hours after the time advertised.
l had an opportunity to examine the boat,
and was particularly struck, not only with the
beauty of the model, but the splendor with
which she had been originally fitted up, though
the service in which she had been for some
years engaged had somewhat furnished it.
learned that>she had been built as a pleasure
yacht for the Sultan, and that no expense had
been spared upon it; that upon coming on
board, he dropped from his foot one of his slip
pers, when he Immediately turned back, consider
ing it a bad omen, and never would use it. My
patience was nearly exhausted. began to
despair Of going at all when perceived great
4Lo1 md cr n a
cause, was told that it was the hereditary prince
of Wallachia, for whom it seems we had been
waiting. When the Russians invaded his coun-
try, he fed to Constantinople, and has been
made by the Sultan pasta with three tails.
1t took some time to accommodate him, his
wife, his cavasses and his chibougjees; but
after that we started of, gliding swiftly past
the seraglio towards Scutari. We passed LIE
ander's tower on our left-a small square build
ing erected in the sea. Quite a romantic story
is connected with it.
It seems that one Of the early Sultans was
informed by an astrologer that his fayorite
wife would have q daughter, who, in the Ian
guage of the east would be pearl of beauty
that she would grow up beloved by her father,
and the charm Of his harem; but that, when
she became Of age, she would die from the bite
of serpent.
Everything happened as had been predicted.
The daughter was born, she was lovely, and the
idol of the seraglio. The Sultan, distressed at
the thought of losing his child whom he SO
dearly loved, determined if possible to shield
her against fate so melancholy. To accom-
plish this, he resolved to build this tower in the
midst Of the waves as the place of her abode.
1t was erected and fitted up in all the oriental
splendor. He provided everything that could
conduce to the comfort and pleasure of the
young sultana. For three years she lived in
this lonely habitation. The ilfated day wass
rapidly approaching, without bringing with it
any apprehension Of the verifcation of the as.
trologers prediction. 1t came at last. All
Constantinople reoiced that the young and
lovely Ateya 1.-THE pure,) the favorite daughter
Of their Padisah was about to leave the tower,
which had so long robbed the harem Of the light
of her charms. The fatcs however, decreed
otherwise. Accepting upon her birthday, as a
present, basket Of figs, she was stung by an
adder, which was concealed beneath their leaves,
and in few moments afterwards expired. Her
body was buried near the foundation of the