ne; has introduced that of the mulberry and of the Irish potato; and
by word and example is endeavouring to prevail on the people in the
adjacent plain to cultivate the sweet potato.... In the court-yard we
observed an English plough of improved construction."

He speaks in several places of the remains of the terrace cultivation
(vid. above, p. 128) of Palestine.

6. "We visited the barracks, where a large number of Turkish soldiers,
shaved and dressed like Europeans except the moustache and the tarbouch,
received us with the Asiatic salute.... The whole caserne was
scrupulously clean, the bread dark coloured, but well baked and sweet.
The colonel, who politely accompanied us, said that the bastinado had
been discontinued, on account of its injuring the culprit's eyes."

... "Here," in the Palace, "we saw the last of the White Eunuchs; the
present enlightened Sultan having pensioned off those on hand, and
discontinued their attendance for ever."

"In an extensive, but nearly vacant building, was an abortive attempt at
a museum."

"It is said, but untruly, that the slave market of Constantinople has
been abolished. An edict, it is true, was some years since promulgated,
which declared the purchase and sale of slaves to be unlawful; the
prohibition, however, is only operative against the Franks, under which
term the Greeks are included."

7. "Every coloured person, employed by the Government, receives monthly
wages; and, if a slave, is emancipated at the expiration of seven years,
when he becomes eligible to any office beneath the sovereignty. Many of
the high dignitaries of the empire were originally slaves; the present
Governor of the Dardanelles is a black, and was, a short time since,
freed from servitude."

"The secretary had the most prepossessing countenance of any Turk I had
yet seen, and in conversation evinced a spirit of inquiry and an amount
of intelligence that far surpassed my expectations.... His history is a
pleasing one. He was a poor boy, a charity scholar in one of the public
schools. The late Sultan Mahmood requiring a page to fill a vacancy in
his suite, directed the appointment to be given to the most intelligent
pupil. The present secretary was the fortunate one; and by his
abilities, his suavity and discretion, has risen to the highest office
near the person of majesty."

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES.

[The dates, as will be seen, are fixed on no scientific principal, but
are taken as the