The Morning herald., 1877-11-15
SMYRNA.


plains Of AngQrs, 70 evidence suaacient !,
show that the Ottoman Empire had in /
elements 81 vitality far superior to that gen
orally shown BY The numerous dy1nastie,
land empires of the East. The son of Bay
aid, Mohammed l., resumed the scepter,
and captured Smyrna, and with It the neigh
boring portions Of Asia Minor, after a long
siege sustained by the heroic Knights of st.
John. Thus fell the queen city Of the
Levant, famed for its earthquakes, ita
bazaars, it's figs, it's carpets, its otto of roses,
and it's melons and grapes, the finest in the
world, and still showing to us the cave where
Homer is said to have composed the Mad,
and the grand old citadel crumbling on the
brow of the Acropolis, commanding one Of
the LOWEST landscapes Of the world, and the
amphitheatre where Polycarp suffered mar
tyrdom ages ago. He who has once seen
Smyrna, and enjoyed it's hospitalities and
attractions, is never content till he has seen
it again. It is city of $50, 900 inhabitants,
at the bottom of a beautiful bay skirted by
ragged mountains. It is almost European
city; ST large is the number of foreigners
and Christians, and is called by the Mos
lems inAdel Smyrna Its CONNECTIONS are
noted throughout the Levant; and as for
It's figs, who has not eaten theml There Is
short railway running to Adm ,by way oil
Ephssus, which brings some Of tn. figs to
Smyrna in August, but the larger quantity
are still brought across the famous OAsnYan
Bridge by solemn trains of camels, led by a |
driver mounted on diminutive donkey,
and marching to the dolefdl tom-tom of
rude bell attached to the saddle: Of the lead
ing camel. The figs, green Or purple, when
ripe and pear-shaped, and containing scar
let pulp within illumined by a centre Of |
golden seeds, are brought. in baskets and
emptied on mats In the courts where the
foreign merchants have their magizines |
and Offices. Peasant women then squeeze
the figs into the shape they have when
dried. They are then dipped in brine, and
after few days of drying, are packed in
lrums. Few things are more delicious
than Smyrna fig when just picked in the
sarly morning while glistening with dew.
The so-called Smyrna carpets are chieAyI
otought thither for exportation from DaAak, l.
where they are woven or wrought by hand
he, women who do the work being left
arsely to their own artistic instincts in
working out the pattern. Regularity or
'recision Of design is not sought after, as in
ur carpets, SO much as certain breadth
+ effect and harmony of flat tints. 4 Ia
God Ushak carpet should last 85 to 40
ears in. constant use, and the colors should I
My disappear with the texture into which '
hey are woven. But the introduction Of /
Milne dyes, and the partially successful
ttempts to manufacture them by other
roce esses, in England, have, il is to be
,ared, made the Turkey carpet, like japan
80 bronzes and potteries, a thing of tho
ast. The famous Smyrna porters all come !,
ON Ushak; when lad of the lower class -
born there, it is said by the friends, II :,
May he become good Smyrna porter" " =.
immense strength is induced in the young ~ u
pirant by systematic training, and when IL
, is Of age, he leaves for: Smyrna. The .:
,ck alone which these men carry weighs ~ -
,avily, and the loads they sustain exceed VI
lything Of the sort performed by the ''
,rtefs in any other city. Five, six, seven "a
md led pounds are not uncommon loads
r them to carry, and have known one
40 bore over 900 pounds once. Smyrna nj
8 fqr the last 80 years been notorious for ei,
brigands, who have sometimes been 80 fix
Id that they have carried even Consuls an
10 the mountains, and levied . heavy ran II
m on them; and by being in league with fre
nfederates among the residents, have, art
fears of secret assassination, forced con- VII
buttons from the strong-boxes Of some Of ca,
J leading Christians of Smyrna. .--Harpsr's off
1oGsins ma
. ser
q '..." wit
The Chinese Ambassador to England at
=