A Russian government steamer, in which I had contracted for my passage, was to sail from the Bosphorus, bound to Odessa, at the hour of three o'clock in the afternoon; and circumstances having detained me in Constantinople somewhat later than I had anticipated, I reached Tophana just in time to see the only boat within hail about to start apparently for the steamer, with a single passenger. It wanted but a few minutes of the appointed hour and the Turk, who bore my carpet-bag and a small trunk, having previously learned my destination, undertook, at a sign from me, to explain to the caiquemen, who were preparing to depart, the urgency of my case. He had scarcely commenced his communication, however, when the person who sat in the stern of the boat stood up, and addressing me in French, asked me if he could assist me with a cast on board the steamer, whither he himself was bound. My answer was of course in the affirmative, and in twenty minutes more we not only stood on her deck, but had the pleasure of feeling her dash gallantly up the Bosphorus, at a rate which enabled us to gain only a bird's eye view of the many beauties both of art and nature which bound its banks, and sent us spinning and walloping past the Giant's Mountain into the turbid waters of the ever treacherous Euxine.

The accident which led to the temporary acquaintance between myself and the individual who had accommodated me, perpetuated it. He was a young Russian officer, returning from Constantinople, whither he had been on government business, and, as among the strange medley on board the steamer, he was the only person who spoke English, I was the more inclined to cling to

VOL. III. NO. XVIII.

him; he was, moreover, a very pleasant companion, full of youth, hope, and high professional enthusiasm, with the manners and information of a thoroughbred gentleman. His age might be about seven-andtwenty, three years of which he had spent in travel, during which period he had visited England, France, most of the south of Europe, and a great part of America. Having, on his return home, entered the army, he had been complimented with a mission of some delicacy and importance to the Porte, which had succeeded perfectly to his wishes. At present, with a thousand pleasant anticipations of home and of the gratification which this, his first successful effort, would afford those who awaited him there, he gave full fling to a naturally cheerful spirit, and, long before we had concluded our voyage, had become an established favourite with, I believe, every man in the boat; although in that assemblage were included almost all climes and creeds, Turk, Jew, and Christian-Greeks, Africans, Austrians, Italians, and a John Chinaman, with his son of about twelve years old, looking like one of the little squat figures on an Indian screen or tea-caddy.

After an agreeable voyage (considering that the sea we rolled on was the Euxine,) of seventy-three or four hours, we dropped our anchor at the quarantine mole, and in an hour or two more found ourselves ushered through a very handsome gate into a very charming demesne, tastefully laid out and carefully kept, up whose broad and pleasant paths we walked leisurely, surrounded by a guard, until we stopped before a line of building, into the large hall of which we were ushered. Here, after some prelimi