were immediately dispatched to the spot described; with orders to bring back Mr. Browne's remains, and to make a strict search for the murderers. On their return, they reported to the government that they had failed in both these objects; but that they had fully ascertained the fact of Mr. Browne's death, and had found some portions of his clothes, which, having been made at Constantinople, were very distinguish able from those worn in Persia. They added, that they had been unable to discover any traces or remains of the body, which was believed to have been abandoned to beasts of prey. Notwithstanding this report, the search for his remains appears to have been afterwards continued; and some bones, said to be those of Mr. Browne, were brought to Tabrîz; which, having been deposited in a cedar chest, were interred, with due respect, in the neighbourhood of the town. The spot was happily chosen near the grave of Thevenot, the celebrated French traveller, who died in this part of Persia about a century and half before." "So perished a very enterprizing and altogether extraordinary man, at a period when much was to be expected from his labours, and when we may say the eyes of the three quarters of the ancient world were fixed upon his ad venturous career. "In his person he was thin, and rather above the middle size, of a dark complexion, and a grave and pensive cast of countenance. His manners to wards strangers were reserved, cold, and oriental; but he could occasional ly relax from this gravity, and his society and conversation had great charms for the few friends with whom he would thus unbend himself. "His moral character was deserving of every praise. He was friendly and sincere, distinguished for the steadiness of his attachments, and capable of acts of great kindness. Though far from being affluent, he was liberal and generous in no common degree. He was perfectly disinterested, and had high principles of honour; and (what is very important, with reference to his character as a traveller and geographical discoverer) was a man of exact and scrupulous veracity. "He had no brilliancy or quickness of parts; but he was a great lover of labour, and cultivated his favourite studies with intense and unremitting assiduity. He was a man of erudition, and may be ranked among the learned Orientalists of modern times. But that which principally distinguished him, and in which he was certainly unrivalled, was a familiar and intimate acquaintance with the manners and customs of Eastern nations, and the minute details of their domestic life, extending even to their prayers and ablutions. It was this knowledge, the result of long and patient observation, which enabled him to personate the Oriental character with an exactness and propriety which has rarely, perhaps, been equalled." "The leading principle of his character was a lofty ambition, a desire of signalizing himself by some memorable achievement. On opening his will, which was made a few days before be left England, a paper in his hand-writing was found enclosed, containing a remarkable passage from one of Pindar's odes, highly expressive of that generous ambition and contempt of danger and death, which are the true inspiring principles of great enterprizes. Probably his most intimate friends had not been fully aware, before the appearance of this paper, of the real force of his character, and of those powerful and deep feelings, which the habitual reserve and coldness of his manners effectually concealed from observation." The passage is in the first of the Olympic Songs, verse 129, and is thus translated by West "In the paths of dangerous fame Would his useless life consume, I this doubtful list will prove." The following miscellaneous extracts are taken from Mr. Browne's MS. remains on his journey across Asia Minor he thus describes a very remarkable people : "In my visits to the Turkman tents, I remarked a strong contrast between their habits and those of the Bedouin Arabs. With the latter, the rights of hospitality are inviolable; and while the host possesses a cake of bread, he feels it a duty to furnish half of it to his guest; the Turkman offers nothing spontaneously, and if he furnish a little milk or butter, it is at an exorbitant price. With him it is a matter of calculation, whether the compendious profit of a single act of plunder, or the more ignoble system of receiving presents from the caravans for their secure passage, be most advantageous. The Arab values himself on the hasb we nasb, that is, his ancient pedigree; the Turkman, on his personal prowess. With the former, civility requires that salutations be protracted to satiety; the latter scaraely replies to a Salam aleikum. "The muleteers, who had preferred this devious path to the high road, to avoid the dellis, were now alarmed at the frequent visits of the Turkmans. They described me to them as an officer of Chappan Oglou's retinue, employed to communicate with the English fleet on the coast; an explanation which appeared to satisfy them; and fortunately I was able to support that character. It is to be observed that Chappan Oglou has a large military force at his disposal, and administers justice with a rod of iron. His vengeance pursues, on eagle-wing, the slightest transgression against his authority. Our precautions at night were redoubled; and I divided the time into two watches, which I ordered my servant to share with me; but the disposition to sleep having speedily got the better of his vigilance, a pipe, although carefully placed under the carpet on which I myself slept, was stolen unperceived before morning. "The dress of the Turkmans consists of a large striped and fringed turban, fastened in a manner peculiar to themselves; or sometimes of a simple high 2W ATHENEUM VOL. 7. crowned cap of white felt. A vest, usually white, is thrown over the shirt; the Agas superadd one of cloth; and in general, and in proportion to their rank and wealth, they approximate to the dress of the capital. But the common people wear a short jacket of various colours. A cincture is indispensably required, in which are fixed an enormous yatagan, and a pistol. Many of them wear half boots, red or yellow, laced to the leg: the dress of the women is a coloured vest, and a piece of white cotton cloth on the head, covering part of the face. They are masculine and active, performing all the harder kinds of labour required by the family. Their features are good, but not pleasing. The men are generally muscular, and well-proportioned; tall, straight, and active. Their teeth are white and regular; their eyes are often extremely piercing; and there is an air of uncommon boldness in their countenances and mode of address. Their complexions are clear, but sun-burnt. In a word, they have every thing that denotes exhaustless health and vigour of body. A general resemblance is visible between them and the populace of Constantinople; but the latter appear effeminate by the comparison. Every action and every motion of the Turkmans is marked by dignity and grace. Their language is clear and sonorous, but less soft than that of the capital; expressing, as may be conceived, no abstract ideas, for which the Turkish is indebted to the Arabic alone; but fitted to paint the stronger passions, and to express, in the most forcible and laconic terms, the mandates. of authority. Their riches consist of cattle, horses, arms, and various habiliments. How lamentable to think, that with persons so interesting, and a character so energetic, they unite such confirmed habits of idleness, violence, and treachery! From the rising of the sun till his disappearance, the males are employed only in smoking, conversing, inspecting their cattle, or visiting their acquaintance. They watch at night for the purpose of plunder, which among them is honourable, in propor tion to the ingenuity of the contrivance, or the audacity of the execution. Their families are generally small, and there seems reason to believe that their numbers are not increasing." The picture of the present state of Antioch has excited peculiar interest in our minds, from so recently contemplating its ancient glory and calamitous struggles in Mills' History of the Cru sades. "Early on the following morning we proceeded to Antioch, once the opulent, the luxurious, the refined mistress of Syria; now presenting no monument of ancient grandeur, except the skeleton of its ample walls. The plain over which the road leads to Antioch, is covered with myrtles, and other flowering and odoriferous shrubs. The khans, or caravanserais, at Antioch, are not sumptuous buildings, but they are secure, and adapted to the use of the merchants. The three best are Khan el Nakir, Khan el Beiz, and Khan el Gidid. I had an interview with the Mitsellim, who has been long fixed here. He received me with great politeness. His administration was said to be distinguished by justice and severity. He was very temperate; and his pleasures were understood to be strictly confined to his harem. He had never indulged in the use of opium or strong liquors. "The Christians of the Greek ritual, now established in Antioch, are about a hundred and fifty families; the Armenians, twenty families; and there are about forty Jewish. The number of Mohammedans is not so easily ascertained. The troops of every description now in the service of the Mitsellim, do not exceed four thousand, and are probably not more than three thousand five hundred; these are known under the general name of Tuffenkjié, or "bearers of fire arms." There are ordinarily four or five hundred Yenkecheris (or Janissaries,) who are at present most of them in Egypt with the Vizir. "The staple commodity of Antioch is well known to be silk." TURKISH MARRIAGES. The following is a more detailed account of a Turkish marriage than we remember to have read eslewhere. "It is well known that the usages of the country do not admit of the intended bride being seen by the husband before marriage. The woman may, however, more easily satisfy her curiosity regarding the person of the man; though even that is not always possible. This state of restraint gives rise to several practices, tending to facilitate mutual approximation. Among them are to be enumerated the existence of professed match makers, who make the occupation profitable to themselves, in a manner not difficult to be understood. The excellent qualities of the future bride and bridegroom are repeated to the persons concerned, of course with great exaggeration. Accordingly, if the parties be credulous or inexperienced, a connection takes place, which, in many cases, is terminated by divorce in a few days afterwards. "Some account of the forms which are observed, with little variation, in matrimonial contracts, may not be wholly uninteresting. Each of the parties chooses a wakil, or procurator, and two witnesses, who are to agree before the Imâm, or priest, on the sum to be given by the man, towards furnishing at least one room of the house with cushions, carpets, and other necessary articles; and likewise on the Nikah, which is not paid immediately, but is demandable by the woman in case of a divorce. The paper, setting forth the particulars of this agreement, is drawn up and signed by the witnesses; hence the married woman is called kitabié, wife by writing. The Imâm receives a proper present; often a benish, or outer vesture: the other parties are gratified by presents of smaller value. From this time to the day of marriage, a fête is celebrated; and the house of the bridegroom is kept open to every person of the mahhâl, or parish; and even strangers are allowed to enter. Sometimes dishonest persons gain admission, and carry off such portable articles as are exposed to their depredations; they have been known to slip off the amber mouth pieces of the pipes, and escape with them. "The common expenses of a marriage, in Constantinople, costs a man, on a moderate estimate, a full year of his income, and sometimes more. Thus, to a person of middle rank, they will amount to 2000 or 2500 piastres. "When the day of marriage arrives, the bridegroom is conducted to the apartment of the bride, by the Imâm, and the rest of the company; the Imâm places his back against the door, and commences a kind of prayer, to which, when terminated, the company present reply, Amen; after which they all retire to their own houses. "The bridegroom knocks at the door three times, which is then opened by the Yeni chatûn, or bride maid, who replies to the Salam aleikum' of the bridegroom, conducts him to the bride, and puts her right hand in his. She then quits the room to bring in the suffra, or eating table, which is placed near at hand; furnished commonly with a roasted fowl and some other trifles. "While she is absent, the husband tries to uncover his wife's face, which is overspread with a long veil; to the removal of which the established rules of decorum require that she should offer some resistance. He presents to her some ornament, generally of jewellery, which she accepts after proper hesitation; and at length consents to abandon her veil. They sit down at table, and the husband divides the fowl with his bands, offering a portion to the woman, which she receives. Much time is not consumed in eating, and the suffra being removed, they wash. The Yeni chatûn then brings the bed, which she spreads on the floor. She takes out the bride to her mother and the women, who are in the next room, where she is undressed; after which the Yeni chatân brings her back to her husband, places her right hand in his, and leaves them together. "The last ceremony is that of the bride being conducted in form to the bath. This takes place at the expiration of six or seven days. THROWING THE HANDKERCHIEF. "The custom of throwing the handkerchief is frequently in the popular mouth, and supposed to be reported from undisputed fact. I have never been able to ascertain that such a practice was in use in the Harems of the Great, or among any other class of women at Constantinople, or in any of the towns of the East. In the West of Turkey, indeed, a custom prevails, which, transmitted by report through the medium of the Germans or Venetians, may possibly have given rise to the prevalent opinion on the subject. "In a part of Bosnia, young girls of the Mohammedan faith are permitted to walk about in the day-time, with their faces uncovered. Any man of the place, who is inclined to matrimony, if he happens to be pleased with any of these girls, whom he sees in passing, throws an embroidered handkerchief on her head or neck. If he have not a handkerchief, any other part of his dress answers the same purpose. The girl then retires to her home, regards herself as betrothed, and appears no more in public. I learned from a Bosniak of veracity, that this is an usual preliminary to marriage, in the place where he was born." Mr. Browne negatives the belief that temporary marriages are permitted by the Mohammedan laws. The annexed particulars are curious— POISON FINDER. "There is a kind of fine porcelain, or China-ware, much esteemed in the East, from the prevalent credulity which is common there respecting its supposed properties. It is distinguished by the name of Mir tabân, and is said to indicate poison, if any exist in the food. From this prejudice, a plate or other vessel, composed of this material, is sometimes sold for three or four hundred piastres. The absurdity of the idea is evident; but it might be curious to know how it originated." Our last examples relate to the decline of the Othman Empire, a view of which the author takes, and instances among others the following prince pal causes: Among the various causes which have contributed to the ruin of the Turkish provinces, the arbitrary and indepen dent jurisdictions conceded under the names of Mocatta and Iltizem hold a conspicuous place: to understand their nature the following remarks may be necessary. "The revenues of a certain district, perhaps ten or twelve villages, are to be disposed of. The person who wishes to farm them, after ascertaining their value with all practicable accuracy, goes to a minister, and offers what he thinks proper for the term of one, two, three, or four years. As the government is always indigent, the offer of ready money is generally accepted; and nothing more is required to enable the farmer to exercise unlimited author ity over the district in question, and to augment his revenue by every means of fraud, violence, and extortion. Thus, what was originally supposed to produce fifteen purses, he perhaps makes to yield forty. The peasantry is thereby ruined: but this does not embarrass the Mocatteji or Miltezim, who is concerned only with what the district will yield during the term for which he holds it. A more absurd system for the administration of provinces cannot possibly be imagined: it is adapted only to the possessions of a horde of rapacious banditti, who expected to be expelled in a year or two from the provinces they had overrun. "The farmer must oppress in order to reimburse himself for his enormous expenses; or he must fail. The peas ant being rated in proportion to the gross produce of the lands he cultivates, cannot possibly do more than glean a scanty subsistence, which may be obtained by slight exertions and the most wretched system of husbandry; and thus, whilst there is, on the one hand, a strong positive motive to oppress, the stimulus to production, on the part of the landholders, is the most feeble and negative that can be imagined. The practical effects of this system are seen in the depopulation of the country, and the increase of robbers and rebels, the great body of whom, it is known, are composed of peasantry and other subjects of the Porte, who have been thus stripped of their possessions. "Among the little and ineffectual expedients adopted in a falling empire, the depreciation of the current coinage is generally one. This has been rapidly progressive during the two last reigns in the Ottoman empire. It is superfluous to add, that none of the currency goes out of the territory: its value is very various, even within the limits of it." The oppressive mode of farming and collecting the revenues adds to the above evils; and our readers will be astonished to learn, that with all this dreadful system for draining the last para from so great a population of some of the finest regions on the earth, the entire revenue of the Porte is not estimated at more than 90 millions of piastres, or six millions sterling! |
