the individual in question had just come, to make some inquiry of his master; which being settled, the conversation once more turned upon his travels, and the comparative merits of Cairo and Constantinople. "It is true," he observed, "that the Cairenes call their city the mother of the world,' and it is a large place, its bazaars are fine, and its mosks are very numerous; but we, who are not Egyptians, and who have seen Stamboul, must agree that Musr is not to be compared to the Turkish capital; and then, the Bosphorus, the country about it, and, above all, the people, the Osmanlis; O Mālem! it is imperial, the abode of the Sultan, and the seat of the dominion of the whole world."

This led to a discussion, on the respective merits of European discipline, and the old Turkish system; and I should have been surprised to find a man so tenacious of the obsolete notion of Osmanli power, had I not met with others, even in Egypt, of the same opinion; for he concluded by declaring, that the Turks were the conquerors of mankind, that all the kings of Frangistan received their appointment to their various thrones from the Sultan, that the English sovereigns were perhaps the most faithful servants the Grand Signors ever had, and that nothing was done without the permission of the Shereef.* The French were allowed to take Algeria, and hold it for the Turks, because the Bey had been rebel

*The title of the Sultan; whence Hot e' Shereef, "the Sultan's hand-writing," or imperial document.

lious to the Sublime Porte; and the victories of Mohammed Ali over the Vizir's troops were treated as a mere fable. "The Osmanlis!" he exclaimed, "there is no other nation under the protection of Allah, and if the European powers were to dare to rebel against them, and all their forces were collected together, they would not be able to stand up, or face the Turks, for one moment."

Following the good Moslem precept, derived from the Koran, "Dispute not with the ignorant," I left him in the full enjoyment of his delusion: "This is," thought I, "a worthy representative of the Bosnians of Sultan Selim;" and his gaunt figure putting me in mind of one of their descendants I had met at Asouan, I availed myself of the opportunity to turn the conversation, by observing, that I had seen the posterity of the Bosnian soldiers of the Sultan, in the Valley of the Nile, left by him to defend the Egyptian frontier, and the capital of Nubia. The novelty of this piece of history, at first, seemed to stagger his belief; but finding I was in earnest, he manifested great symptoms of delight, at the renown of his countrymen, whose glorious deeds were known even to a Frank, and observed that the "Bosnaks" had always been a valorous people; " and though," he added, "Herzegóvina is now under a separate Vizir, we are all of the same 'gens;' and my family were originally from the Bosnian capital." Being now fully satisfied with having proclaimed the importance of his

race, he proceeded to show how he had profited by his sojourn at Cairo, by indulging in some Arab songs, varied occasionally by a return to our previous conversation; until, finding that he wished to overtake his caravan, I left him to continue his route with his goods, and rejoined my companion.

About an hour after leaving Bielotich, we arrived at the brow of the table land, and descended to the plain of Mostar, which is about six miles long, and two and a half in breadth. The Narenta runs nearly through the centre of it, coming from Mostar on the left, where the mountains, approaching each other, seem to leave little more than room enough for its passage; and, on the right, it enters the narrow glen below Boona, on its way to Pógitel and Chaplina.

Above the hills, at the opposite side of the plain, the lofty range of Mount Velleg* stretches its level unbroken length; and on the hills below it, nearly in front of the descent, are the town and castle of Blagai; which, now in ruins, were once remarkable in the history of Herzegóvina; but Mostar itself is concealed behind the projecting point of hills, that terminate the plain on the north.

Immediately below runs the small river Yasenitza, a tributary of the Narenta; which, with other streams and springs, might be used to advantage for irrigating the plain, and increasing the natural productiveness of its excellent soil.

* Vellezs, or Vellex, pronounced as Vellege in French.

But it is almost all uncultivated; and no one can look on this fertile spot, without regretting the indolence of the Turk. What is worse, his tyrannical conduct prevents his Christian ráyahs cultivating it; for no sooner would they bring it into a good state, than some pretext would be made for dispossessing them of it; and few have sufficient wealth, to undertake agricultural speculations. Here, too, the wants both of Christians and Turks are few, and easily satisfied; and no one cares to call forth the resources of his country, or introduce improvements, which might subject him to oppression.

I could not, however, agree with my companion, in his regrets, that so fine a plain should not belong to Christian Austria; and he was obliged to confess, that agricultural improvement was quite as much neglected, in the lower part of the Narenta; and that far more was done in Herzegóvina, to dam up the rivers, and profit by their streams, than in Dalmatia.

On reaching the northern extremity of the plain, we found a Turk had taken possession of a piece of land, and was superintending the labours of the peasants. Though there were miles of the same quality of soil, to satisfy his agricultural taste, he had fixed upon the very spot, traversed by all the roads to the capital; which he had stopped by fences, and was ploughing up, as if for the mere satisfaction of showing his power over the passers-by, the majority of whom were Christians. The plough was large, with wheels, drawn by a team of six

oxen, and similar to that used in Dalmatia, about Imoschi.

At the corner of the hills we passed some Christian tombstones, large slabs laid on the ground, having the cross, and a zigzag moulding; and, on rounding this point, we perceived the city of Mostar, with its fine bridge spanning the Narenta, and its numerous graceful minarets.

For external beauty, Turkish towns are far superior to those of Europe; the minarets, and domes, the cypresses, and gardens interspersed with the houses, the projecting roofs, the wooden latticework, the coloured walls, and the variety of outlines, are most pictorial; and it is certain that no European city, built on the Golden Horn, would, for one instant, bear a comparison with Constantinople.

The houses of the rich Osmanlis frequently look, as if they had been brought from a distance, ready made, and placed in juxtaposition with their strange neighbours; they might, with equal propriety, belong to a village, or the capital of a province; and they are often as distinct from each other as tents, from which they have evidently derived their form. No one can look at the Sibeels, Kiosks, and various buildings at Constantinople, or other Turkish towns, without being convinced of this; and the house of the Selikdar at Mostar is so like a tent, that the same outlines in a drawing might serve to represent the one, or the other. During the long period the Turks have existed as a nation,