vert this prison into a complete paradise. For half-an-hour I
listened to the discussion, and when I went on my way no decision had
been arrived at. I asked a kind of _valet de place_ who accompanied me,
why the _gavas_ lost his time in attempting to convince the negress,
instead of forcibly conveying her to her destination. 'A woman!' was his
answer, completely scandalized by my question, and I began to suspect
that the Turks were not such brutes as they are popularly supposed to be
in Europe."

* * * * *

"The following anecdote also relates to my residence at Constantinople.
A woman, a Marseillaise by birth but married to a Mussulman, was
engaged in a law-suit on some matter which I have forgotten; but I know
that her adversaries grounded their hopes and pretensions on a document
which they had placed in the judge's hands. Informed of this
circumstance, the Marseillaise repaired to the Cadi, and begged him to
acquaint her with its contents. Nothing could be more reasonable. The
Cadi took the paper, and prepared to read it to her; but he had scarcely
perched his glasses on his nose when the lady leaped forward, sprang at
his throat, seized the paper, put it in her pocket, made her obeisance,
and calmly passed out through the vestibule, which was filled with
slaves and servants. The Marseillaise defied her opponents to produce
any written document in their favour, and she won her cause. When this
story was told to me, I remarked that the judge must have been bribed by
the Marseillaise, since nothing could have been easier for him than, if
he wished it, to have her arrested by his guards, and deprived of the
paper which she had carried off with so much audacity. Again I received
the answer: 'But she was a woman!'"

* * * * *

Among female travellers the Princess of Belgiojoso must hold an
honourable place, in virtue of the accuracy of her observation and the
clearness of her judgment. Moreover, she is always impartial: she has no
preconceived theories to support, and consequently she is at liberty
neither to extenuate nor set down aught in malice. In picturesqueness of
description she has been excelled by many, in soberness and correctness
of statement by none; and, after all, it is more important that our
travellers should tell us what they have really seen, than what they
would have wished to see; should trust to their intelligence as
observers rather t