Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-01-06

kindly permitted to copy from a letter to the
writer's parents in this village ED. FREEMAN.
U. S. STEAM FRIGATE WABASH, I
At Sea, Oct. Oath, 1858
| intended to have written you at CONSTANT
nople, but was so busy with sightseeing and
duty-doing that found, when did get time,
that it was too late. will write now. and SO
have letter ready to send at the first opportu-
nifty, though when that will be am unable to
say.
| wrote you last, believe, at Smyrna, and
told you all that was worth seeing in that city
of Figs, so will take up the " thread Of my
narrative 2 from that place.
We left Smyrna on the 9th inst, in company
with Turkish Steam Frigate, bound also for
Constantinople, with whom we had long and
hard race, and finally reached the Sublime Porte
ten minutes qfter he did However, we led him
all the way until we got within thirty miles of
the city, when, night coming on, we were
obliged to slow our engines down till daylight,
and the Turk, taking advantage of this, pushed
on, and when day broke we saw him about
three miles ahead, steaming for dear life. We
gave him hard race, and if the city had been
ten miles farther, we could have beaten him.
The run through the Dardanelles, and Sea of
Marmora was truly delightful. Aside from all
the associations, the scenery was grand. Pass
ing the Island of Patmos, where st. John wrote
his Revelations, we entered the Dardanelles.-
There were hundreds of ships all awaiting a
fair wind, to stand up the Straits, as it is i'm
possible to beat up against this current.
Next we passed the two Castles of Europe
and Asia-two OF the strongest fortresses in the
East-built on the European and Asiatic sides.
Near here is the hill on which Xerxes is suppos-
ed to have stood when he wept on the " unccr-
tainty of human things" Then wepassed the
scene of the exploits of Leander and Byron ;
and so on through places of which we have
heard from childhood until, as Isaid before,
we saw the Turkish Steamer and the Ancient
Byzantium in the distance. We stood in,
passing Seraglio Point on our left, and let &c
the best bower in the Golden Horn between the
Seraglio and Pera.
The view from the sea, as we entered, was
nagnfcent--diferent from anything | have
ever seen. First, our attention was attracted
to the domes of the Mosques, with their nina
rets. The domes are all like that of our State
House. Near these mosques ore gravc-yards
their situation being pointed out by the clusters
of cypress trees that always surround an East
era burial plaoe.) Each mosque has t%o four
or six minarets reaching far above the highest
houses.
The effect of all this is indeed pleasing, wher
taken as coup d'qil, but when you begin tc
particularize, the charm vaniShcs. Then moth
ing is seen but dirty Turks, Greeks, and prowl
ing Jews, and dogs without number; all ol
whom are enabled to tell an lnfdel at a glance
and to act accordingly. On one occasion. as
was going from the Consuls-Mr. John Porter
Brownie the landing counted sixty-thret
dogs in the streets, though the distance was moi
more than half mile. Every one of the sixty
three barked at me- but none attempted to bite
By-the-way while we were lying at Constan
tinople, the English Embassy became jealous o
the attention the Frigate attracted, and took i
into his wise head that she was larger than tn
Treaty would allow to come up. So he protest
ed, and, of course, the Others " followed suit.
This led to a correspondence between our Minis
ter Mr. Willsams-and the Grandfather, ant
it ended by his adrising us to leave This wa
on Thursday, 50 we made preparations to leave
and we intended to sail on Saturday. On Fri
day morning the Admiral (who was in Americ
, last winter, and who, by-the-by, has shown u
every attention. not letting day pass withou
doing something for us) came on board an
invited the Flag Officer to take pull over tn
4 Bosphorus, and see the Sultan at his devotions
Ina short time the American Minister an
b. Mr.. Brown, with thei? families, came on board
e so we made up party to go over. As nearl
all OF the Officers were out of the ship to Sc
1 the same thing. there were none but the Flag
Officer, one Of the Lleotenats and myself,
4 accept the invitation We pulled we'll out
% tbe stream and lay on our oars till the Sulta
isi1 bis palace. Ibe moment he entered b
IS grand "i4o' they comm need hnug from u
f"tsi and us 4e passed .Ie ships each 700
n ug gtm ahuaad manned tae yards Hepaa
N.NH o"f our snip, WH." She yn'd up
he u'r.a aAmea t1e yards. nod fired salute
twu.roua suns-ta' Finest chat l had ev
heard. 10 oa -or', dozen iorts' and a5o
Tine same number of s3lp'i We're OH firing
, .onct, aot each gunot Che Wabash could be d
y .tiugaished from the Others as it rang far obo
Ie them. This pleased him. We were lit