ght have been about fifty feet square, bleak,
unfurnished, and comfortless, with an uncovered mud floor. It was so
feebly lighted by a few windows almost hid by Venetian blinds, that we
could only discover that the roof had been left bare and unfinished.
After sitting for about ten minutes, the sultan rose and led the way
to another apartment apparently of still larger dimensions, but
literally so dark, that, had it not been for the light entering by the
door we had left, and the one ahead of us, we could not have moved
along without breaking our shins over the stones, sticks, and other
rubbish lying in the way. We had next to make rather a difficult
transit along a precarious kind of bridge, formed of a single plank
laid across an ominous-looking pool or puddle of mud, which divided
these two branches of the palace from each other.

All at once we were ushered into a splendid room, seventy or eighty
feet square, brilliantly lighted, and not ill furnished, but strongly
contrasted with the darkness and dirtiness of the suite we had passed
through. This total want of keeping, it may be mentioned, is quite in
Oriental taste. They know tolerably well how to be magnificent on
occasions; but they never learn how to be uniformly decent. The
Asiatics, and even some other nations which might be named nearer
home, can seldom afford to be taken by surprise. Indeed, I am not sure
if more than one country can be alluded to, in which the people are at
all hours ready to receive strangers, and have no occasion to make a
fuss, or to change anything when a rap comes to the door.

In the centre of this gorgeous room, on a dais, or a part of the floor
raised to about a foot and a-half above the level of the rest, and
laid with a rich Turkey carpet, stood a long table, at the top of
which the sultan placed the Admiral, and then made the signal for
tea. First entered an attendant, bearing a large tray, on which were
ranged several dozens of exceedingly small cups. This he placed on the
carpet, and then squatted himself down, cross-legged, beside it.
Another attendant soon followed, bearing the tea-pot, and he likewise
popped himself down. After a conjuration of some minutes, the cups
were brought round, containing weak black tea, exquisite in flavour,
but marvellously small in quantity. There appeared no milk, but plenty
of sugar-candy. Some sweet sherbet was next handed round, very
slightly acid, but so deliciously cool, that we appealed