charms. Their dress is singularly picturesque, being the same costume as that of the better class of the Turkish women. It consists of loose, large trousers, falling to the ankle, and vests of velvet, bound round the waist by rich embroidered zones, confined with clasps of gold or silver. Their black tresses wave unconfined over their shoulders, or are bound round the head, intertwined with roses. The stature of the Greek women of Smyrna is rather below than above the ordinary height. Their beauty lies in the Grecian face, the coal-black eyes, that sparkle liké diamonds set in a field of vermilion, and the combined expression of classically moulded features, fresh colors, and the soft, languid air, which the climate gives to the form and countenance.

The antiquities of Smyrna are few and uninteresting. A little stream, the Meles, flows back of the town; upon its banks Homer is said to have been born. The country around Smyrna is very poorly cultivated, and large portions of it are entirely neglected. The city contains a number of delightful gardens, in which the fig and orange grow with great luxuriance.

The next point visited by the travellers was Constantinople. The steamer rounded the Seraglio Point, and sweeping into the bold expanse which the Bosphorus forms opposite the city, dropped anchor off the mouth of the Golden Horn. The first step upon the shore reminds one that he is in the East. The costume is oriental, the language has nothing in its syllables or sounds that resemble the provençal tongues, and there appears to be an air of luxurious enjoyment and repose in all around, that contrasts strikingly with the anxious air of the busy populations of the cities of Western Europe.

Almost touching the water was a café, cooled by a fountain, and the umbrageous boughs of the wide-spreading

platanus tree. Lounging on divans were a number of Turks, with white turbans and long beards, smoking the nargile, or water-pipe, and seeking nervous excitement in frequent draughts of coffee, or in the inhalation of the intoxicating fumes of hashish. Near by was a beautiful fountain, erected by some kind Turk who was seeking entrance into the Mussulman heaven by doing good to man, and a mosque from the minarets of which the muezzin was calling the faithful to prayer. "There is no god but God, and Mohammed is His prophet," was the cry that was floating on the air as the travellers landed.

EXTERIOR VIEW OF A TURKISH HOUSE.

The interior of Constantinople by no means corresponds with the expectations which one is led to entertain from the splendor of its appearance as seen from the Bosphorus. The streets are narrow, and paved with stones which appear as though they had been scattered at random, simply to cover the nakedness of the earth. The houses are of wood, and so wretchedly built, that they afford but little shelter against the elements. Fires at Constantinople, where the

buildings are of frame, are, of course, very destructive, sometimes sweeping away squares of houses at a time. There are two lofty towers which overlook the city, where the watchmen are stationed night and day to sound the alarm of fire; but a conflagration rarely breaks out which does not destroy a square of buildings. The Turks will sometimes make an effort to arrest the flames, but if overmastered, they will quietly fold their arms, and exclaiming

course.

After sunset, the city is enveloped in darkness, as there is not a single lamp in the streets to lighten the path of the wanderer with the glimmer of a friendly ray. If you do not wish to be devoured alive by the troops of savage dogs which infest the streets, you must carry a lantern; and if your light should happen to go out, you must make the best of it. A distinguished traveller says: "For myself, in a desperate battle which I had with some canine ruffians,

in passing through one of the cemeteries late at night, my light was not only extinguished, but being overpowered by fearful odds, I was obliged to take to my heels, priding myself more on my chances to escape from their fangs than upon the glory of vanquishing my foes."

Galata lies

The channel of the Golden Horn, which comes in from the Bosphorus, divides Constantinople in two parts. On the west side is Stamboul, Constantinople proper, where the Turks reside, and where the principal bazaars are. On the east side are the suburbs of Galata and Pera. at the foot of the hill, and is the port to which all Frank vessels resort. It is the residence chiefly of Greeks, while higher up the hill you pass a kind of neutral ground, occupied by the bankers and large merchants of all nations; and continuing your walk higher up, you enter the precincts of Pera, which contains the private residences of the Frank merchants, and the offices of the European ambassadors. Most of the foreign ministers, however, live on the shores of the Bosphorus, at Therapia, or in the surrounding country, only resorting to Pera a few hours during the day. The hill is occupied with buildings from the water's edge to the summit, and it is somewhat puzzling to know where Galata ends or Pera begins.

When General Grant reached Constantinople his first visit was paid to the Sultan, who immediately ordered Munir Bey, the Master of Ceremonies, to present to the General an Arab horse from the imperial stables. One was chosen and set aside for him, but, owing to some misunderstanding, the gift horse was not sent, and the Vandalia sailed without him. Afterwards, the question having been revived, the steed in question was hunted up among the 570 horses which composed the imperial stud. He was found, and, accompanied by a second horse, transferred to the care of the officers of the American Legation, by whom

they were shipped on board the Norman Monarch. They were housed between the decks, provided with canvas belts to swing in in rough weather, and in every way treated as cabin passengers, a man being detailed to care for them. They are said to have endured the long voyage without showing any signs of discomfort or fatigue, and were described by one of the prominent horsemen at Suffolk Park as being in perfect trim and models of beauty. They are in many respects unlike the blooded American horse. They are about fifteen hands in height, and of a graceful and well-rounded, though wiry and strong, figure. Both the animals are of a beautiful dapple-gray color, with a soft skin and shiny coat. Their manes and tails are of a dark color and very long. A wide difference from the average European or American animal is said to be discernible in every feature, and the eye, ear, and nostril are indicative of some particular quality, such as shrewdness, quickness, and wonderful intelligence. The neck is arched and the head is held very high.

These beautiful creatures were consigned to the care of George W. Childs, Esq., of Philadelphia, who at once caused the old shoes to be removed and new ones put on. The shoes taken from their feet were very thin plates of iron, without corks of any kind. They covered all parts of the hoof except the frog. A circular hole was pierced for that. These specimens of Turkish handicraft. were carefully preserved upon being removed, and will eventually appear on the walls of General Grant's billiard-room. They are to be brightened and decorated in fine style. One of them was given to Mr. Bishop, of the firm of horse-shoers. He refused $6 for it. It is said that $5 were offered for one of the shoe-nails. The horses' feet had to be trimmed. This as well as the subsequent shoeing was done under the supervision of a veterinary doctor.