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WITH i I OS ASM MINOR. 39
street, till they entered the Baba Hummayoun ; and here commenced a new series of
degradations, which have been already noticed. These barbarisms, however, are now
passin0" away, and, among other ameliorat. Turkish manners, the sultan receives
the representatives of his brother sovereigns in a more becoming manner.
As the houses in the street overlook the gardens of the Seraglio, strangers, w ho dared
not enter, are led, by an idle and dangerous curi metimes to attempt to overlook
walls of the sacred enclosure, and see passing on the other side; and stories
related of persons sacrificed to the perilous effort. Som ho had no such object in
view, have fallen rietims to the jealous] of die harem. On one occasion, the friend of an
Armenian merchant, who had a house here, brought a telescope, to examine the distant
objects on the other side of the sea of Marmora: unfortunately the view extended across
the gardens, and, while he was intently ring the declivities of Mount
Olympus, the sultan passed h _ht with his eye the glitter of the glass of the
telescope. Two chaouesh hcd, who entered the house, and the
unfortunate man found himself seized behind : and, before he had time to take the
fatal instrument from his eye, a I put round hi and he was strangled
at the window, in view of the who, it . waited below to assure himself of
the execution.
But this street witnessed a stiil more terrible display of Turkish vengea lifter
the awful destruction of theJanist the Etmeidan, here hui
down like wild beasts through the city. Sometimes they were killed wherever they
were overtaken, and their bodies Buffered to remain weltering on the spot. Sometimes
they were brought to some e kept till a number was collected
together, when armed men rushed among them, and they v d in a n
Some of them were di from the neighbouring ones, as it was the
great avenue leading to the rateful offering to the
sultan. Their heads were cut oil', their trunks were drawn up at each side of the street.
and for three days, the appointed time lor executed bodies to remain so exposed, he
passed up and down 1 iental display of headless men, lining the street to
do the sovereign honour ; thus realizing, only a few years since, in a European capital,
the horrid exhibitions in which a Bajazet or a Tamerlane delighted, centuries ago.
Along the wall near the ihe favourite ilected for the suspension
of those trophies which marked the triumph of Islam r Christianity. On ever]
victory obtained during their European wars, the standards taken from Germ
Russians, Hungarians, and other powers, were di : and more recently the
captive flags of the Greek constantly seen fluttering, in an inverted posit
heaps of ears and noses which were piled below. Among them were several on which was
depicted the cross, and various representations of christian events, but particularly the
resurrection which was labelled k% Anastasis," intended to be emblematic of their pol
resurrection. But of all the standards, th. the most interesting. Afl
gallant and almost incredible defence of this little island again [\urkish fleet,
which surrounded it on all side-, ami poured in numerous troops at every point, tl |
