A Residence in Greece and Turkey; with notes of the journey through Bulgaria, Servia, Hungary, and the Balkan

Front matter

A RESIDENCE IN GREECE AND TURKEY. F.Hervi del1 J w - -•■ ' ,,,.<-. ■ ■< freAfaria-Zam fe> Litkxtg* 70,S?Mare&iJ La>i* A RESIDENCE IK GREECE AND TURKEY; WITH notes of the journey through BULGARIA, SERVIA, HUNGARY, AND THE BALKAN. BY FRANCIS HERVE, Esq. ILLUSTRATED BY TINTED LITHOGRAPHIC ENGRAVINGS, FROM DRAWINGS BV THE AUTHOR, IN TAVO VOLUMES. VOL. I. WHITTAKER & Co. AVE MARIA LANE. 1837. LONDON : printed bv gilbi.kt and rivington, st. joun's square. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL LONGFORD. My Lord, Although the zealous attachment which your Lordship has ever evinced for your own country, has hitherto confined your observations and travels to its shores, yet I flatter myself that you may find more interest in the following pages, than those, who (yielding to the prevailing mania now raging with our countrymen) wander over foreign realms before they are acquainted with the beauties and charms of their own.

But after having acquired a knowledge of that which is most estimable in our native land, the more extended the range of our journey through life, the more enlarged becomes our share of information, and the more enhanced DEDICATION. VI is our value for our earliest home ; I may, there fore, presume that the period will arrive when your Lordship may be tempted to explore more distant scenes ; and as the subjoined chapters record the observations gleaned in the traverse of many countries, proud should I be, could I dare hope that aught which I have stated could induce you ever to visit the nations I have at tempted to describe ; and sliould the result of my researches and remarks now offered to your Lordship and the public, afford you any informa tion or amusement for a leisure hour, I shall not regret the time and labour which have been expended in the work which is humbly inscribed to your Lordship, By your very grateful and sincere friend, And obedient servant, F. HERVE. Brook's Grove Cottage, Halstead, Kent September, 1837. CONTENTS OI THE FIRST VOLUME.

Chapter I

Page The Author's Bad Habits — Want of Order — Proneness to err — Departure from Marseilles by an Austrian Vessel — Deceived by the Captain — Compensated by the Passengers — Bad Accommodations in Merchant Ships — A Sea Cook — A Cabin Boy — Inhabited Berth — Arrival at Malta — Its Costumes — Extreme Heat — Beverly Hotel — Re-embark — Slow Progress — Arrival at Napoli — Its Inhabitants 1

Chapter II

Court of King Otho — Of whom composed — Greek Old Ladies — His Majesty — His Manners and Appearance, &c. — Bavarians — Their Demeanour — The President — His Consistency — Policy of the Allies — Countess D'Armansperg — A Troublesome Ambassadress — Receives a Lesson — Her Husband — Revenge — Mavrocordato — His Intimacy with Byron — Anecdotes concerning him — M. Maurer at Athens— Discord at its Acme — Bavaria interferes — A Diplomatist — An Awkward Dinner — Discomfited Party — Intriguers Dismissed ... CONTENTS.

Chapter III

Page Young Ladies at the Court of Otho — Servile Devotion to His Majesty — Tremendous Accident and Bloodshed — Fancy Ball — A General Rejected — Bavarian Beauty — Greek ditto — Menagerie Royale — Animated Individual — His Valour — A Vaunting Prussian Baron — His Manœuvres and Retreat — His Audacity — A Game of Chess — The Baron's Eloquence — A Drawn Battle — A Greek Prince — His Conduct, and that of His Son — Prince Ipsilanti, his Capture and Death . . . . 50

Chapter IV

Poverty of the Bavarians — Their Economy, and Great Appetites — Their Talent for Music — Total Deficiency of the Greeks — Educated Greeks — Capo DTstrias — His Assassin — And his Execution — Petro Bey — The Mainotes — Vindictive Customs — Never entirely conquered — Awkward Attempt by the Bavarians — Their total Defeat — Their Materiel saved by the Greeks — Newspaper Misrepresentations — Miaulis, the Greek Admiral — Canaris, the Brulotier — His Extraordinary Courage — Greek Navy — Fabvier — His Devotion to the Greek Cause — General Gordon — His Zeal and Perseverance — Colatti — His Stern Exterior — Greek Warriors — Their Courage — Greek Diplomatist — His Forecast and Calculating Powers ... 72

Chapter V

Travelling in Greece — Appearance of the Country — Bad Roads — Epidaurus — Comfortless Quarters — The Rats — Wet Muddy Floor — A Pig — An Egg — Greek Rascality — Picturesque Ruins — Scarcity of Provisions— Fortunate Supply Rough Sea — Egina — The Town aud Environs — Greek Captain — His Noble Exterior, and Gallant Conduct — Greek Hospitality — Admiration of Byron — Ignorance of Greek Females — Put to Sea again — Tedious Progress — Land Travelling advised 10l CONTENTS. IX Page

Chapter VI

Athens — Its Imposing Appearance — Different Styles of Architecture — Ruins of Various Epochs — Numerous interesting Objects — Midshipman's Freak— Conservator of Antiquities — His Mistakes — Ancient Costume — Rapid Visit of some Englishmen — Russian Consul — His unbounded Hospitality — Society at Athens — Claimants of the Government Lands in Greece — Encouragement not given to Settlers — Dearth of Trees in Greece — Extravagance of the Government — Changing the National Costume — Greeks hard to govern — Their Indolent Habits — Quarrel between an Italian and Greek — Produce of the Country 128

Chapter VII

A Ball at Napoli di Romania — The Characters there assembled — Immense Heat and Crowd — GreekEconomy — Curious looking Set of Persons — An Irishman's Mistake — Prince Saxe Altemberg — The President's Daughters — Elaborate Education — Sonata on the Pianoforte — A Greek Beauty — The Modern Helen — A Slit Ear — A Chief in his Lair — His Attendants — His Mistake and Ostentation — Diplomatist's Receptions — Unjust Assertions in Newspapers — Their Misrepresentations — An Editor feasted everywhere — His Gratitude and Revenge — A Formidable Captain — His Overflowing Candour — Conscious Weakness of the Bavarian Government — Attack on a Lady's Reputation 150

Chapter VIII

A Greek Wedding — Treatment of Servants — A String of Beads recommended — Superstition — Street Scenes — Coup de Soleil — Hardships endured by Philhellenists — Unfortunate Enthusiast — His amiable Qualities — Gallant Conduct — His Death — Greek Servants — French Troops attacked by the X CONTENTS. Page Greeks — Repulsed and Punished— Audacious Theft — The Robber killed — Greek Peasants' Ideas on Thieving— Their Love of Plunder, and Cruelty— A Greek at his Toilet—Re luctance to pay their Debts — Mode of doing so — Greek Friendship — Their Aptness in Cheating— Generals Church and Pisa — Their Relative Positions . . 181

Chapter IX

Scenes at Court — Its Frequenters — Philosophy — Court Conversations — Diplomatists — A Poking Gentleman — Lessons on Listening — Russian Diplomacy — English Attaches — Their Accomplishments and Information — Extraordinary Appointment — Diplomatic Institutions — Russian Aggrandisement — Guarded Policy — Antipathy to Opponents of Capo DTstrias — Swedish Charge d' Affaires — His Talents and Career — Tyrins — Its extreme Antiquity — Argos — Its Singular Cathedral — Tomb of Agamemnon — Gates of Mycenæ — Pausanias — Immense Waste of Unproductive Land — Snakes — Scorpions — Bedsteads — Dogs, Encounters with them — How to drive them off — Nocturnal Rambles — Closed Gates of Napoli — Greek Customers — Buying English Articles — Ideas of Painting — Extraordinary Miniature — Greek Costumes — Modern Greeks, a mixed Race — Their Personal Appearance — Turkish Admiral — Physical Strength of the Greeks — Heat of the Climate — Horses for Hire — Greeks good Horsemen — Prisoner's Escape 211

Chapter X

Antiquity of Napoli — Its Unhealthy Position — Hints for Colonists — Prices of Provisions, and Land — Mode of Purchasing it — Indecision of Government — Its Propensity to blunder Mortality amongst the Bavarians — Disaffection ofthe Greeks — Colocotroni — His Trial — Bavarian Equity — Their Agitating Freak— Their appointing an Ambassador, and their dis- CONTENTS. XI Page appointing an Ambassador — Promenade at Napoli — Bava rian Band — Greeks fond of Dress — The Ladies have re course to Art — Their Bad Taste — Religious Feelings — Their abominable Names — The Author nearly steals a Hat — De parture from Napoli — Modern Greek Language — Proceed ings at Syra — Fraudulent Practices of Consuls — Difficulty of convicting them — Intentions to that Effect — An Exiled Count — His Contempt for Mediocre Beings — A Mistake of the Sardinian Consul — The Count's Indignation — Glasses of Water for Sale — Jackass for Dinner— A Gormandiser — His wonderful Gastronomic Execution — His Prudent Precau tions — Different Opinions on the Greeks — Remarks upon them by flying Travellers, and their sapient Conclusions — Horrible Outrage — Tragic Termination — Murderer taken, tried, and executed 268

Chapter XI

Smyrna— Argu&'s — Population of the City — Bournabat — Its Delightful Residences — Its Beautiful Gardens — Its Gay Parties — Turkish and Armenian Quarter — Antique Remains — Pleasing Associations — Aorja — An Arabian Camp — Asses of Smyrna — Flooring an Englishman — Strange Distinctions — Untaught Ladies — Characters of the Levanters — The Casin — Troublesome Midshipmen — Their Comical Pranks — Disturbed Old Gentleman — An Awful Personage — Enforces his Authority — A Hoax — Casin Balls — One given by French Officers — Difficulty to keep Order — Threatened Duel — Devotion to Play — Greek Casin — Illiberal Exclusion from Society — Trade of Card Playing — An Elopement — The Parties Concerned 309

Chapter XII

Society at Smyrna — Flattery of Strangers — Their Admiration expected — Churlishness of the Author — Smyrniot Gentry CONTENTS. XII Page 346 compared to some classes in London, but something worse — Females most numerous— Ever panting for Husbands — A Disappointment — An ImaginaryConquest — The Supposed Victim — A Lady's Annoying Powers — A Merchant Routed — An Elderly Maiden — Her Embellishing— Arrival Extraordi nary at the Custom-House — An Accident — A Fellow Boarder — His Colloquial Powers — Hoaxes the Smyrniots — His Con tempt for them — That which constitutes the Charms of Society — Anecdote — Disagreeable Intruders — Sharing with one's Neighbour — Successful Manœuvre — An Offensive Odour— How to get rid of it — Persevering Audacity — Ul timately Triumphant — An Able Arguer — Consummate Address — An Artful Design— Its Villany developed — Its Object frustrated — Mehemet Ali — Turkish Women—Tur kish Porters— Personal Chastisement — Greek Passiveness — Singular Costume — Armenian Lady — Her Costume — Gam ing Parties — Mysterious Means of Getting Rich — Young Ladies' Indispositions — A Prodigy — Hopeless Attachment — Fatal Result — An Upright Merchant ; ILLUSTRATIONS.

VOL. I. PAGE Title Otho, King of Greece (Frontispiece J . . Mavrocordato 42 Prince Mavromichali, Petro Bey, Prince of the Mainotes 78 Canaris 90 Argos 234 Colocotroni A RESIDENCE IN GREECE AND TURKEY.

Chapter I. The Author's Bad Habits Want Of Order

— PRONENESS TO ERR DEPARTURE FROM MARSEILLES BY AN AUSTRIAN VESSEL DECEIVED BY THE CAPTAIN COMPENSATED BY THE PASSENGERS BAD ACCOMMODATIONS IN MERCHANT SHIPS A SEA COOK A CABIN BOY INHABITED BERTH ARRIVAL AT MALTA ITS COSTUMES EXTREME HEAT BEVERLY HOTEL RE-EMBARK SLOW PROGRESS ARRIVAL AT NAPOLI — ITS INHABITANTS. It is the usual practice for authors to prefix some description of preface or introduction to their works, and it is as usual for readers never to peruse them, therefore, being particularly anxious that my prefatory remarks should fix the attention of the public, I have thus endeavoured to engraft my preliminary information on the body of my VOL. I. B THE AUTHOR'S BAD HABITS. work, hoping thereby to cajole my readers into perusing that which they would otherwise pass over ; but however I may have thus deceived the public, it has been with the most honest intention, wishing in some degree to apprize my readers of what the following pages will consist, that they may not risk losing their time and patience in the perusal of a collection of chapters which can neither afford them instruction nor entertainment, if their taste be such as can never accord with the very loose and desultory manner in which the following unconnected reminiscences are written.

I there fore entreat those readers who are attached to any thing in the shape of order, or system, at once to shut the book, as I never could in any transactions through life arrive at that most desirable of all talents, arrangement. I may almost state that I was born an artist, beginning to wield a pencil even before I had quitted my female attire ; but know not why I could never acquire any other ar tistlike quality than that of a total want of ortler, which has characterised the whole of my progress. I must also crave pardon for a sort of restlessness, which will occasion me now and then suddenly to traverse the continent, perhaps from DEPARTURE FROM MARSEILLES. Constantinople to Calais, or leap from the Archi pelago to the other extremity of the Mediterra nean, from thence cross the English or Irish channel, as caprice may dictate, with a rapidity infinitely surpassing any travelling yet performed by steam boats, steam carriages, or even balloons ; and above all, I must beg of the reader never to expect that because I set out for any given place, that I sliould probably arrive at the stated destination; for such has ever been my uncalculating want of foresight, that even by that most straight forward mode of travelling, the stage coach, with a genius peculiar to myself, for erring and straying from the right path, I have contrived to enter or mount the wrong vehicle, and after having pro ceeded some miles on a false tack, have at length discovered that I was at fault, by the conversation of the passengers, or some other circumstance, which has happily occurred to enlighten me in my devious course ; and in embarking on board a vessel bound for a certain port, however the ship may arrive at its wished-for harbour, it by no means follows that I should arrive with it.

On the 6th of August I started from Marseilles' on board an Austrian brig, which cleared out for b2 DECEIVED BY THE CAPTAIN. Constantinople; my passport was regularly made out for that city, my passage paid, my baggage and myself safely shipped, and each assigned their respective quarters, and in fact every thing was arranged according to the right regular order of things, without any confusion, or any thing left behind, very contrary to my usual practice ; but my errant star still prevailed. Having understood that an English family had taken their passage by the same vessel, I repeatedly asked the captain if I could have access at pleasure to the cabin, suspecting that it might have been exclusively engaged by the other passengers ; to which he replied that I was at full liberty to enter it whenever I thought proper.

Thus assured, I went on board in full confidence, and it being night time, and a good orderly retiring hour, betook myself to my bed, which was contained in a hole commonly called a berth, and was for a long time kept awake by the gnawing of the rats and mice, whom I had strong reasons to suspect had made an invasion on my sea stores ; but very early in the morning I was awakened by sounds of another nature, that of the above mentioned English family cominoon board, and who on entering the cabin very soon DECEIVED BY THE CAPTAIN. 5 began to display certain alarming symptoms of exclusive possession, not only by their words, but by their deeds, such as nailing up curtains, forming partitions, &c. I had not lain very easy prior to this event, and at this discovery was still more uneasy than before ; but being of opinion that it is better to face a perplexity, than to remain long in suspense, I arose, and on the deck found General G , who, with his lady, Mr. Robertson (his secretary), and servants, composed the family des tined to be my fellow passengers.

I immediately presented myself to the General, and entered forth with on the subject which most interested me; and he very candidly informed me that he had made an engagement, specifically giving him a right to the cabin, to the exclusion of any other passenger, offering at the same time to shew me his agreement in writing confirming his assertion ; but I needed no farther evidence, to convince me that I had been out-generaled, although I had applied long before the captain had heard of any prospect of having other passengers ; but this de claration of the general's was accompanied by the most polite invitation, not only to enter the cabin at discretion, but also to join their little circle en COMPENSATED BY THE PASSENGERS. famille, which proved to me so agreeable, that I soon ceased to regret that I had been out-manœuvred, and to feel more pleasure in my defeat, than others have sometimes experienced in a victory.

Thus circumstances hitherto combined to sof ten the disagreeables inseparably associated in my ideas with a voyage in an indifferent Austrian merchant vessel. Our captain and crew were Ulyrian ; and as to our ship, it appeared to be built in every possible manner so as to give permission to every other to pass it; nor were appearances in this instance deceiving, for every sail we descried astern, we very soon had to look for a-head, and very soon after to lose sight of altogether. In fact, the first time I went on board her, it appeared to me that I was a quarter of an hour getting round her stern; and on gazing at her I often thought that the architect by whom she was constructed, must certainly have been all the time thinking of* a tub, which she resembled in her proportions more than any vessel I ever saw before, or since ; indeed, she had for me but one recommendation, that of being the only ship bound for Constantinople.

Perhaps it is my bad taste, but there is always something disagreeable to me in the odour of BAD ACCOMMODATIONS IN MERCHANT SHIPS. a merchant vessel ; but this in which I was doomed to become an inmate, appeared to me pre-eminent in that respect ; to such a degree did it surpass all others in that offensive quality, that before I could get to sleep I was obliged to bathe my pillow with most plentiful ablutions of laven der water ; but this was not always efficacious, for the aperture containing my couch was most un fortunately situated, being next to a cupboard, the contents of which I shall not attempt to analyse ; all I know is, that generally about midnight there came the cook, who, like an evil spirit, only ap peared at that dark hour, and then to awaken me by unlocking this fatal closet, which emitted so powerful an effluvia, that I could only compare it to the opening of Pandora's box.

I have always made it a rule when on a voyage to avoid, if pos sible, ever seeing the cook, lest his appearance should have a baneful influence on my appetite, nor did I now feel inclined to depart from my usual practice ; but in this instance his presence was forced upon me, and his personal endowments made too permanent an impression on my mind for their ever being effaced from my memory, or indeed to deny him a place in these pages. He A SEA-COOK. had obtained the cognomen of Apollo from my fellow passengers, why I know not, except for his being possessed of every quality the reverse of the deity's, after whom he was named ; certainly it must be admitted that I saw him to every disadvantage, awakening me as he did in the middle of the night, bearing a half extinguished taper, whilst performing his nocturnal vigils at the offensive cupboard.

His hands, probably from a long abstinence from water, were the colour of mahogany ; his hair, which appeared as if had been cemented together by some unctuous substance, hung down, long, straight, and stiff upon his greasy jacket ; but still there was something that shed a sort of lustre upon his features, and that I believe to have arisen from his washing his face with oil, which remained constantly unwiped thereupon, his skin shining to that degree, as to reflect the gloomy rays of his melancholy lamp, thereby adding to his luminary a double and a doubtful light. Thanks to the Fates, I had not to partake of aught which had passed through his corrupted fingers, the General's own servant preparing whatever was produced at our repasts. Our cabin boy was also named by the same parties, and doubtless with as A CABIN-BOY. much reason as the former, being designated Cupid, which appellation so pleased the crew, that, though I am convinced they had not the least idea of its meaning, they never addressed him by any other during the passage, and I have no doubt but that it will accompany him, and rest with him on his return to Illyria.

The exclusive letting of the cabin was not the only instance in which the captain deceived me, having assured me that he should proceed as speedily as possible to Constantinople, merely touching en passant at Malta, where he should make no delay whatever; instead of which, he had made an agreement with the General to convey him to Napoli de Romania: and I shall presume that my reader is too good a geogra pher to render it necessary for me to explain how far distant that town lies from my intended course. At length I began to listen to the very eloquent persuasion of the General and his family, to relinquish my intentions of pursuing my voyage to Turkey, in favour of a visit to the still more classic territory of Greece ; and indeed listening was soon followed by consenting, renouncing for the time being, the long cherished wish of ex- UNCOMFORTABLE QUARTERS. ploring the Ottoman realms.

It was affirmed, on our leaving Marseilles, that we should in four or five days arrive at Malta ; but, alas ! the sixth had appeared, and we were still slowly dragging our weary, tedious way, no land in sight, and with the prospect before us of the same insipidity for seve ral days to come ; still the murmurs of Mrs. G and myself met with little sympathy, being always answered by Mr. Robertson that we ought to think ourselves most extravagantly lucky : whilst the General undertook the office of counsel for the old tub (for such we designated our lumbering vessel), stating that those scents of which I so bitterly complained, were nothing more than must always arise from the quantity of different pro visions ever necessary for the ship's crew, of which a certain portion might become stale, and produce an unpleasant odour, but that this would be the case in most merchant vessels, and that in fact we were not worse off than we might have anticipated.

However rational this defence might be, it afforded but little consolation to my olfactory nerves ; and another evil arose, which tended to weaken the cause he advocated, and much to augment the disgust which I hail already felt INHABITED BERTH. for the abominable brig, to which fate had con signed me. Discontented as I might have been with the den appropriated as my dormitory, it met with the thorough approbation of others, being unfortunately for me most numerously in habited by a species of ruby coloured insect, which delicacy to my readers forbids me to mention too explicitly ; and yet why should I not, when ladies wear pelisses, ribbons, kc, of the colour named after these little forbidden beings ? only forsooth with affected modesty they must substitute the French term, as giving a somewhat less shock to fastidious ears.

But be it farther known, that there are two descriptions of these offensive reptiles, the one of a volatile, light, lively disposition, whilst the other, on the contrary, is of a slow, sluggish, heavy temperament ; and it is to the latter that I more particularly allude, which assailed me with such unrelenting fury, that at length, unwilling to devote more of my precious blood in so ignoble a warfare, I decided on a pre cipitate retreat, and accordingly left them com plete masters of the field. Yet before I could thus wholly give up the comfort of a bed, I could not resist casting " one longing, lingering, look ARRIVAL AT MALTA — ITS COSTUMES. behind;" but there beheld nought that could quicken my regret, seeing, as I did, the little red wretches, some crawling, and others skipping about the sheets like lambs in a meadow.

I therefore ordered the bed clothes to be taken and well shaken, and spread on the deck, where I afterwards slept, having no other canopy than that of the heavens. We moved slowly on for five days without seeing land, and without any re markable event occurring, except one morning that Mrs. G. screamed out to me that one of my claret tinted enemies had been found in my bag of biscuits, and on another occasion that a mouse had got into the decanter, and there found a watery grave. At length after eleven days from our quitting Marseilles, we arrived at Malta. It is not my intention to fatigue my readers with local descriptions, which are often more tiresome than amusing, but I cannot pass over a spot so interesting without adverting to the deep impression which it made on my mind. Hitherto, in my wanderings through the British dominions, and France, I had seen little variety of costume, beino still within the regions of coats and waistcoats ; but here all was foreign to me, the dress of the BUILDINGS, kc AT MALTA. 13 men being a singular melange of the Italian and Spanish, the black cap pending half way down the back, the little striped cloak or scarf slung care lessly over one shoulder, the trim jacket, bedecked with innumerable ornamental buttons, altogether formed a picturesque figure quite new to me.

The women were no less remarkable, enveloped as they were wholly in black silk, hooded over the head and brought round in front, mantilla fashion ; the houses, with their curious trelissed balconies, from behind which many a dark eye is seen peeping from beneath raven black hair, giving an in teresting mystery, to which the imagination lends a beauty, though a closer inspection would be reave the charm, as here " 'tis distance lends enchantment to the view." The streets have a very interesting appearance, so many of the palaces of the former knights remaining, though now appropriated to various purposes, but still lending their pristine grandeur to dignify the city. The interior of the church of St. John is magnifi cent, most rich and beautiful Mosaic pavements re presenting the arms of the most celebrated heroes who had signalised themselves in upholding that chivalric institution, which has now no other EXTREME HEAT. vestige left than the records of its deeds.

There are many other objects well worth the observing traveller's notice ; but as there are so many works giving the most accurate accounts of all that is here either beautiful, or remarkable, I shall attempt no farther description, which, if correct, could only be a repetition of that which has been already stated by other authors ; I shall therefore terminate by observing one circumstance which much surprised me : walking out at night with Mr. Robertson, I was astonished to find so great a proportion of the population sleeping on the ground in the streets on mattrasses, counterpanes, rugs, &c, so that some caution was necessary to thread one's course without treading on the sleepers who lined either side of the street ; this was on account of the excessive heat, which, judging from myself, I should indeed say, rendered it impossible to sleep except in the open air.

But notwithstanding the extreme sultriness, such was the enterprising spirit of Mrs. G., that she would see every thing of interest that the city contained, whilst the General being already familiar with every object worth notice, prudently preferred repose : it therefore devolved on me to EXTREME HEAT. 2 accompany this heroine in viewing the lions of the place, and I was ashamed to acknowledge how much I was overcome by the heated atmos phere, whilst a female supported it without a murmur; indeed I had supposed that I had been formed of iron, having been less affected by ex cesses of weather than persons in general, but I now found that the most solid flesh will melt, and was not sorry when informed there was nothing more of any interest to be seen, so that we could return to the inn to rest and inactivity.

Fortunately for me, the country possessed appa rently very few objects that were at all inviting; indeed I could only compare what I saw to a stone mason's yard, therefore was I spared the fatigue of rural excursions ; the white rocky soil being totally unvaried by any green spot, the traveller looked around in vain for the slightest shelter. After having passed two days at Malta we departed, and I was absolutely glad to see the old tub again, not only on account of the inconvenience from the oppression of the intense heat, but also from the quarters where we were stationed being much too expensive for my economi cal habits. The Beverly Hotel where we sojourned THE BEVERLY HOTEL. — RE-EMBARK. is certainly worthy of the attention of those travellers whose purses are as elastic as the occasion may demand, as their accommodations are of the best order ; and I must do them the justice to observe, that what I found excessively dear, the General found excessively cheap, leaving tbe reader to account for the difference of opinion on this sub ject, between the man of thousands a year, and he that has something less than nothing a year.