The New York Herald Newspaper, August 14, 1870, Page 5

Two Representative Interior Cities--- Diarbekir and Aleppo. Oriental Government and Oriental Manners and Customs. The Coming Era of Progress and Civilization. HBHOrS FOR £URZEY. DianseKiR, May 1, 1871 Perhaps Lhad better begin unis Ictter by defining My posiuen, Where aim t? or rather, whore is Diar- bekir? Well, Diarbekir 18 situated at the northern extremity of that famed Plain of Shinar, upon whose teeless downs so much of the earlier history of the nan raee Was enacted, and li stands upon the western bank of the river Tigris, Which even at this pomt, though it has only just emerged fom the Invuntans, 18 a mighty river. It ts one of tie oldest ties in the world, dating back fay peyond tie com- mencement of the Christian era, a fact which may, perbaps, somewhat expiain the present stilln as corporate life and the adificuity experier making ita contre of industrial activity. Oue might easily 4 volumes in recounting its history, Per. fans, Romanus, Lurks, Armenians have in turn been As iemporary masters; and it has enjoyed the ais- Unction of being plundered by Zenghis Khan, Tam- eriane and each of the various other minor “scourges of God? who have overrun Western and Central Asia. No wonder that the old ci having lived gut #o eventfnl a life and having passed through so many Viciseitades, should feel inclined to siumber way the remainder of tts days in peaceful repose, A MAGNIFICENT SCENE. 1 have come here at the close of the winter, and would advise all travellers in Asiatic Tur- key to choose the same season of the year for their journey. For few scenes in the wide world can eom- pare in grandeur with the first view one gets of the Doble old city as It stands surrounded on three, one might almost say on four, sides by the mountains, draped down to their base in winter vestments of spotiess snow. Coming from the south, erawiing along atasnail’s pace on horseback, the only means of travelling in the country, I had been for days in view of these same mountains. f ny steadily forward in the teeih of biting north winds—at sunrise, at noon, at sunset, our facts had been con- stantly turned to their shining summits, which every hour seemed to rise higher and higher above the hort- zon. And at length, one gloomy, cloudy afternoon, when we had already crept up so ciose to the of the plain that on our right and lett front, our view was bounded by snow- ’ Me city itself came withm our ken—still far aff and Indstinet, standing on a eweill of the river bank, environed by stately wails of a deep retdish-brown hue, with bastions and occasional tow Here and there we could dimly discern a minaret er the enpola of a mosque springing into the air above the levél of the walls, And apparently on every side the moun- tains, solemnly still, ghostly whit ed silently round the city, forming a rampart of defence that mocked the pigmy efforts of its inhabitants to secure it from aggression, Just as the city came within our view, too, a fortunate break in the sky lit up the scene with a few rays of sunshine, which Mashed upon the snow-clad peaks and then glanced back upon the plain, sill brilliant and smiling, but chilled and untender. Such 1s Diarbekir in winter or early spring, Would tt not make a grand picture in the hands of a Bierstadt or a Churen? GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE CITY, Inside, the city is not very picturesque or pleasing. ‘The streets are narrow, dirty, uneven, crooked and slippery, and, with the exception of the bazaars, have avery dreary aspect. This is, however, the case in all Moslem elties. A Mussulman in strictest fact desires his house to be his castle, guarded not only from the lawless feet of thieves and guliants, but even from their prying eyes. He therefore con- tents himself with a street fagade of a plain, un- adorned brick or stone wall, pierced by a few square hoies, carefully barred, but unglazed, which serve for windows. To walk between these blank walls, as may be supposed, 1s not very cheering. Butit has occasionally happened to me, as it has perhaps also to other travellers, to be rewarded for a prome- nade with a smile from the unveiled face of some fair Moslem matron, evidently oniy un- happy in the thought that she was unable to commit a greater imprudence. The bazars, how- ever, are sufficiently lively, though one looks in Vain for the rich stuffs and handsome weapons and costly jewelry which are displayed for sale in Bag: dad or Aleppo or Damascus. The people of Dia bekir are evidently too poor to indulge in expensive vanities. Kibob shops and coffee houses seem the Most common forms of business. Then come stores for the sale of bread, barley, cheap dry goods, tobacco and cooking utensils, and there are, per- haps, half a dozentdrug stores; most of these latter, by the way, wonderful to relate, with glass window fronts. It ts easy to believe, as I have been told, that there is no trade at Diarbekir worth speaking of. There are no European merchants here now, as the last one left about three years ago, and the na- tive merchants have neither the activity nor the capital to do anything. [ have been told by an Armenian gentlemany who intimately knows this art of the country, that there is no merchant in Piarbenir who has a capital exceeding $10,000, THE PEOPLE. The people of Diabekir strike one very forctbly by the contrast they display to the peopie lower down the plain. Most of them are Koora: true, so there 1s no avowed distinction of rac the Koords of Diarbekir, it is evid mingled their blood with the darks or Chaldean, for med and ruddy-cl first descended from their original mountain home, Nxt to the Koords In numbers are the Armenians, who are, of course, as unmistakably white as the C; Lane So thai withthe exception of a sprinkling of Turks ican finds himeelf here agai amoug people of his own color. The general cress of the people of Diarbekir is very picturesque —a short jue jacket, trimmed with some differently cotored braid, loose pantaloons and low shoes—iie usual dress or fur of the Asiatic mountaineer. Many of the Armenians, however, have long cloaks, which at the present season are lined with lambs woo! or fur. The general appearance of a Diari crowd reminds one irresistibly of the supe numerary Polish and Russian peasants that figure occasionally on the American stage, so simular are the costumes. Walking through the streets you may imagine @ dozen times that the enraged baron is just about to step out from some gloomy mansion and horrity the crowd by announcing that Mazeppa shal be tied down upon the back of the wild horse of the Ukraine and abandoned to the attentions of the vultures. And just outside the city, too, there are numbers of this variety of car- mon birds to heighten the illusion. THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WALLS, Strange to say, there are no public buildings at Diarbekir, eventful as has been its history, which are specially associated with past events, Nor are there even any buildings at all of apy special architectural importance. The Serai 1s a tolerably fine building; but so dilapidated that the Pacha has just erected another outside the the city wails. ‘The graud mosque ts also worthy of @ visit, but is simpiy a copy of (he usual Moslem model, and has no special fea- tures meriting notice. Some of the arabesque orna- mentation over the door ts exquisitely beauuful; but there is much finer work of the same description at Aleppo. The walls of Diarbekir are, in fact, the only. remains of antiquity which deserve careful invesii- gation, How old they are cannot be exactly deter- mined, but they were probably erected ander the Romans, They are about a couple of miles in cir- cumference and forty feet high. It is possible to ‘Walk all round the top of them, and the promenade ‘wiil give one a good idea of the labor aud expense involved in their construction. Bastions break the monotony of the walis at regular intervals, and there 1s a large tower at each corner of the four with occasional smaller ones. The material ed 18 stone, hewn into square blocks of about a couple of cubic leet in size. ‘The color of the stone, as I nave before stated, 18 a dark brownish red. MALADMINISTRATION, With a population of Torty thousand inhabitants, situated upon a fertile plain, with abundant water power, and great mineral riches in the mountains bear by, it seems strange at the first blush that Inarbekir should be in so miserabi. . state of de- cadence, Every year it becomes poorer and poorer; every year its trade grows more and more feeble. No one seems prosperous, and the complaint of “hard times,’’ with which one 1s invariably greeted in every cily of the world, seers here to have some wis , but ,» have never inned Arab real foundation. But @ not very long pay will speedily oring to light the cause of this sad con- dition of affairs. The Turks are nowhere model governors, but most of the other provinces are Tuled every now and then by @ pacha who has learned someting of statesmansmip and has the good sense to know that a litte Hiverality towards his subiects will imereage, diminish, public revenue of 5 But Diarbekty, aimost from time Stimembeial hes been tionally bad governed by except pachas—men who have procured their pans ie. indeed, even the comparatively virtuous and enlightened pachas do also), by ® handsome bribe, and who have had but ‘one principle to guide their adminisiration—the de- tire to repay themselves with manitold interest for the outiay. Justice has been, and 18 now, openly sold, The taxes are terribly high and the imposts ou both exports and imports (for in Turkey there 1s @ system of octrot duties) are in the last degree dls- astrous to commerce of every description. Of late Years, itis true, a feeble attempt has been made _ construct a good road throngh the pashatic. But instead of hiring competent engincers at a fair remuneration, th and manage- ment of the work has been eutrusted to some Poltsh velugees, veteran place hunters, who knew nothing of the business they voluutered to superintend, but whom the Pacha found were willing to accept a salary of three handred Turkish pounds ($1,200) per annum. ‘The result has been that large sums have been expended im labor—more than an Engbsi American contractor would have asked for the con- struction of the road—but the road has vet to be it, Here and there a patch of level country has be smoothed into a tolerable vhoroughfa bordered With lines of stones, but the worst place where greding is most n sary, have not been touched, It 18 certainiy not too much to say that there are not six consecutive miles.of road in we pastaile over which a wheeled carriage contd be drawn, And yet road making nas been a large charge upon the revenue tor four or five years. That is the Way things are cone tn the mtertor of Joughtto add that the P: work until he was foreed to do su by his superiors, and that the money expended has be ance du deducted ut Xcepuonaily Wealthy, as the uted by a large Income from a iwenby mites from the city. 1 copper This copper 4 round sum annually, in spite of bad ais This metal bas here a speciai valine, ot hat all cooking utensils are made it, tin being aimost unknown, A PACHA OF VME OLD SCHOOL. nt Pacha is a good example of the cha of the old regime. He 1s aman of possible extraction, Raving been, at one time a private soldier, Desti- tate of capacity of apy description, unable to read his own teskerens or sitn ms own neme, et seems ut first dificuls to understaud how he bas yisen. But having found favor in oid tunes ti the of a former Pacha, he got some iofice, Once on the oiticial ladder he stole wh to buy w higher post, aud then scole more and ,ought a further promotion; and thus, by regu- lar stages of peculation and corruption, has at last reached the supreme authority of the pashaiic. ‘That 1s his history. It is not wonderful that under sucha Governor the province shoula decline m prosperity and that revoits should be frequent. Pertiaps T have been wrong in saying that he i bsolutely Lo capacity. He has, indeed, two go ental viriues In the largest possible measure— eruclty and treachery, HORRIBLE ATROCITIE: I will give two in: s resent exploits in this dire @ ch, locredible as they may appear, are per About two years ago there was au extensive revolt in bis province, For some Weeks tue insurgent towns held their ground, but at last the Pacha got hold of the ringleader and hung him. Upon this a large town, Which had been regularly invested by the govern: ment Woops, proposed to capluuaie, [ts “nota bles,” six 1b number, conducted ihe negouation of surrende stipulated only “that they should not be treated as the recently executed leader nad been;” implying, of course, that they should not be puttodeath, Thetown ohce in the pos the Pacha he ordered the six notables and she “But,” sald 2) No,” said the at You suall nod _b as that He was tung. You shatl be shot.” And the execution took place. Soon after, tke Pacha gave a yet more horrible ilastration of ie Jendisix cruelty'ot his character. Another prominent revel Was captured. ‘Tue Pacha ordered horse shoes to be uated upon the bare feet of his victim, and tuen, giving hin few yards start, told him to run for his life, as the soldiers’ would iire at him after half a minate’s grace. The poor wretch ende.vored to run away, and as aiter the voliey he sull continued to ran, and as ls body could not be found, 1t was thought that he had contrived to escape; but his remains were subsequently dis- cov tin some earth hole, where he hat dragged himself to die, Can such things be in this mne- teenth century, and in the tace of the noble sen- uments of cat and progress pertocically pro- u the At is sata, only promise other rebel wa claimed to the ¢: ed World irom Stumboul’ Yes, most certainty, la the interior of Asiatic Trrkey. can only repeat that these stories have been givon me on the best possible authority. ‘Phis Pacha hus, indeed, obtained so contirmed a reputation for crueliy that, by @ pun upon his name, even his s own ofc! have found a means’ to ind- cate his characte: He is a Koord by birth, and ‘Koort? = in Turkisi means # wolf, Instead of saying thereiore, “Jsmail, the Koord,” by a silgat softening of the last word ‘peo- pie manage to say, “‘Ismatl, the Wolf.” ‘There 1s another joke amoug the Europeans upon his ignor- ance, which, perhaps, 1s not very well founded, but Which shows Ue general estimate formed of his ca- baci When the English Consul went home the Pacha, it is satd, usked him to send him through the mail a steamboat for the navigation of the ‘Tigris. ‘The Pacha thought the steamboat was like any other invention of Satan and could expand or contract 11s dimensions iccordimg to the necessities of the casé, "here is a story, thongh, about the chief Cadi, which is strictly true, and which illustrates the ig: horance of the highest officials here. When the tel- egraph line was opened fiom Bagdad to Stamboul every city where it’ rested sent &@ congratulatory message, signed by all its principal men, to the Sultan. The de- spatch irom Diarbekw was presented to the Cadi for his signature, but he resolutely refused, alleging seriously as is son that he would have nothing to do with a work of magic, such intercourse with evil spirits being expt ly forbidden vy the Koran, THE AMERICAN MISSION. The American mission in this part of ‘Turkey has got into sad trouble, ‘There was atone time a suc- cessful branch of it at Diarbekir, laboring among the Armenian Christians only; in fact, the success achieved was so great that the native Protestant chureh was allowed to declare its independence, This church still exists and 1s in a very flourishing condition, in spite of the poverty of the people, hav- ing two congregations and several large + But, unfortu ly, this church, though pr American origi and deeply grateful to American benevolence, which established it, has entered into a sad quarrel with the American inissionaries who are living in neighboring cities. The chief complaint against the missionartes seems to be the tusulting air of superiority they assume towards the people. ‘The Armenians ieel that they belong to an ancient teilectual race, entitled, at any rate among is 10 perfect social equality. In- stead of this, however, the missionaries treat them as if they were a subordinate race. * It ls charged, also, that the missionaries are very unwilling to in- struct the young Armenians beyond aceriain point— that, in particuiar, they are unWillmg to teach them the English language, which is felt to be the classic tongue of Protestant Christianity. The few Ar- mentans who spexk English state that the reason for this is very plain. The reports given by the mussionaries of progress in the extreme east of Turkey are highly colored, even to the pit absolute falsehood, and the translations of these ports, pubiished in Armeman by the missionaries themselves, are gros+ly garbled. If English, there. fore, were a common acquisition, this “pious fraud” of the missionaries would be exposed. There are ny other grounds of complaint, which I have not space to specify, It was Roped that the Mission Board would have sent a committee to investi these troubles, but it seems the leading member of the committee appoinied to do so got sick and was unable to come, The Armenians, poor as they are, have made up thelr minds to send a delegate to the Evangelical Alliance, which meets next fall in New Yori There will, therefore, probably be at vely quarrel at that pious gathering. Aleppo as It Is, ALEPPO, May 28, 1870. Aleppo enjoys the reputation of being, after Da- mascus, the handsomest city in Astatic Turkey, and its reputation is well deserved. Lying in a shallow basin, formed by low, rounded hills, bare of vegeta- tion, the city presents the appearance of a compact mass of g1 one buildidgs, square built and gene- rally in @ good state of preservation, surrounded by a brilliant ring of verdant gardens, through which flows a small brook, never dry, even in the most thirsty of seasons, Almost in the centre of the city rises a huge artificial hill, 200 feet in height, crowned with all that remains of the famed Citadel of Aleppo, which once sustained the most obsti- nate siege in Asiatic history, The wall running around the summit of the bill is still fortunately com- plete, together with the gateway, one of the most celebrated triumphs of Saracente art; but the earth- quake of 1821 shook down the rest of the castie, I wish I could give in detail the minor features of the picture; but I should certainly fail of success, and, after all, I have already described all its most essential aud salicnt lineaments, f leave tne rest to the reader's Imagtnation, suggesting only that he should relieve the monotony of the city itself by putting im here and there @ slender minaret, Springing from little nests of cupolas; and should dot the suburbs witn an occasional band of Arab horsemen, with gay kiflyehs and long striped abbas, mounted on restless blood steeds; or with compa- nies of maidens loitering about the wells and gar- dens, clad after the Aleppo fashion from head to foot in ghostly robes of white; or with a cara- van of two or three hundred camels, crawling patiently along the white road, and leaving behind them a cioud of fine dust. Every outline in this picturesque scene, thanks to the dryness of the atmosphere, stands out with almost unnatural dis- tinctness, while overhead the sun shines with @ painful intensity of spiendor. I cannot tell exactly what there 1s in this striking picture Uhat impresses itself so indelibly’ gpon the im- agination of the spectator, but f am none the Jees sure that there is something distingwishing | pupils of the Catiolle College. Two pieces, “biAvare,) by Moli@re, and “Athalie,” by Racine, announced on the programme. The om Was fitted up the usual theatrical appurienances, the scenes hav- | ing been painted by of the monks, Aleppo in a marked apd decided manner from all other cities the wide world over, and to which It owes the uniqueness of the effect it produces upon the mind, No words can convey an Idea of the “tone” which seems to pervade the scene and wo endow it with a peculiar significance. ORIENTAL MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, There 1s, perhaps, no place in the East where one can study to better advantage Asiatic manners and customs. It is true that Aleppo has at various times had @ great deal of intercourse with tie Frank, and, indeed, a good percentage of her pre- sent population are Christians; but she has in some way contrived to remain comparatively undemoral- jzed, She is still as thoroughly Asiatic mm oher habits as Bagdad or Damascus, while she is probably richer than either, s0 that her inhabitants are able to induige in the more expensive Mussuiman tastes, Nowhere mm the whole Turkish empire, perhaps, except at Stamboul, are the houses so luxuriously furnished; nowhere are the murriage and funeral sétes con- ducted in & manner so totally regardless of expense. Tn previous leiters I have described both these cere- monies, but yesterday I participated in a social rite which Was as novel as it was striking | and impressive, and which carried me back to the times of the patriarchs, Do you re- member, gentie reader, how Esau came out to mevt his brother Jacob on his return irom the land of Haran? Well, exactly the sume custom pre- vaily at this prevent day all over the ast, but at Aleppo itis perhaps more commonly practised than elsewhere, Yesterday a jarge party went out some half a dozen miles on the Alexan- dretta road to welcome back a gentleman who had been away more than six months at Stamboul. He had telegraphed almost the hour of his return, and lis wile issued invitations to all his friends to ac- company her in going oat to meet lim. There were some twenty or thirty of usin all who responded, We carried with us a tent and an abundance of pro- Visions and hargheclahs and servants. We took up our position by (he side of an ancient well, and speedily settled down to pipes and conversation, After weittng a couple of hours the expected caravan was announced in sight, and there was @ rush for horses and mules and doukeys, preparatory.to a race for the first ewbrace of the man we had come out to honor. Straggiing along the roaa for half a mile we burried on, and in turn, after the Scriptural reading, “fell on his neck aud kissed him.” Yes, kissed hit, Just as Frenchmen or Greeks kiss each other—on the cheek, Then came a feast, and much merriment, and perhaps more laughter than jokes. And, at last, we entered the city e masse, a8 jovial @ cavalcade as ever passed over those ancient Syrian rouds A CHALDEAN BisHoP, Thad aimost \orgoiten to say that a fellow travel- levof “our friend,” who cordially mvyned him to share our festivity, Was a Chaldean bishop, who had just returned from Rome, having quitted the Council in disgust at the mtrigues of the Jesuits m behalf of vhe Infalltbuity dogina. Tis bishop was one of the droliest of men, He was dressed in long black robes reaching to his feet and lastened at the girdle With a belt, secured by a buckle of solid - silver upon, which was carved some Scriptural subject—( think the Ascension, A large cuatn of gold, with massive Mnks, was fiung round his’ neck, and for headdress he’ had the — black hat, swelling gradually peeliar to Chrisis siastical dignitaries in the . His featu e honest, bué very homely, and certainly the reverse of intelligent. He spoke only Arabic and # few w ian, Which he had picked up at Rome, able to qmiz him in French beiore his face, greatly to our amusement. Poor man, he had o} curio weakness for a bishop—a fond) for the an Perhaps he n have been overcome by his emotion at finding bunself present at a /é/e so peculiar to Ms own country; but it must be confessed that a dozen Or 80 small giasses of spirits “seemed” to make him out towards the crown, quite—wetl, drunk—for tvat 18 the only word that expres: the t. That 1s Eastern Christianity as the Moslems see it—getting drunk. MAKING KAIF. There is a Tarkish cus.om which | have found flourishing here more in any have yet vieite: Perhaps 1 have, Wrong “in saying that there are no ments in this count ‘There is one, which is called “making katt’? What is that? Well, it is a modified torm of a picnic, Every now and then @ party of Turks or Arabs arrange to go and spend a day in some convenient garden. Tuey take with them provisions to eat, and carpets to sit down upon, and pipes to smoxe, and all their coffees ing apparatus. Arrived at the scene of the di: Pleasure, they sit down and placilly stare at th trees, and the birds and the water. Now and then there is a feeble attempt at chat, but there are tew ‘Turks, indeed, who have ldcas enough to last out a Whole day's conversation. ‘There are, of course, no women and no dancing. That is “making kaif,” an amusement which look upon as the highest form of earthly ple: , excepting only one or two others, what insipid. , however, Aleppo is making some few steps towards European civiliza- tion, For five years a project has been on toot to make a carriagé road to Scauderoon, and already some eight or ten miles have been constructed at the Aleppo end, £neouraged by the prospect, some Europeans here have brought wheeled carriages from the coasi ou the back of some excepuonaily strong camels, and these now lumber along the newly made thoroughfares. The new Pacha him- self has just got one also. ‘The people stare at tus Innovation With astontsyment, and do not think it much of an improvement ater all; for, as they say, it is much more pleasant to ride on the back of @ fine horse than to sit behind him in a carriage. When the road ts completed, which, at the present rate of progress, will be about the end of the century, 1 will no doubt be clear that the cost of transporiation by means of wheeled conveyances is infinitely less than by Means of pack saddies, and then the people will Wax a little more appreciative of tus Frank ldea. So ignorant are they at present of an like a road tlrat they call the new thoroughh: iron road,” and believe that it 1s the sume tr used in Frangistan for the iron horse. Ihave been able to see few things, however, except this r that speak of progress. Kerosene has bee duced and is acknowledged a “big thing. emptied cans ire used as pails, Hiinerto been tie only means employed to carry water, Arabs do not know how to mal Two years ago, also, an acotton-giuning mac not paid and soon us the wooden buckets. nterprising Jew Introdheed ine, but the speculation has wil be abandoned, — Aud here 1) may as weil give another simiiar tiem of news, A couple of years ago an Kngitsh capitalist invested forty thousand pounds in erecting # cotton inill ut Anoch, The mill has only just been comple Indeed, the machinery 13 not yet im ordinary working order, nt I have just heard that the whole affair will be closed up ina Jew days, as the capitalist has spent all nis own money and more besides, und 1s unable to get a oan to carry forward the undertaking. He is a rutned man. THE MAIN HOPE FOR TURKEY. ‘There is only one good ground of hope for Asiatic Turkey—the Kuropean schools which are here aud there opened by ihe various missions, At Aleppo there are several of these mstitutions, among tne rest one by the American n , Which 18 doing very weil.” The other eveni went vo an enter- tallment given on the lust day of Carnival by the The room was packed full of people, ailof whom wore the Turaisa fez, though most were Armenians and Greeks ana Cm jan Arabs. ‘The periormance Was extremely creditable, the boys making the points weil with reat stage spirit upon the score or so of persons present who understood what was being recited. These gave the cue for applause, whereupon the rest of the audience clappea and Shouted, Frank fashion, im so civilized a manuer that one niight have taken them for Bowery boys. This entertainment 1s a good indication of 1) thoroughness of the education being inparted, To an Arab, the acquisition of @ Frank language is very dificult, aud is therefore, perhaps. the best pos- sibie form o! mental discipline, TUF SIGHTS OF ALEPPO. Is there anything to see at Aleppo except the usual everyduy draina of Oriental Ie’ Well, nut much, tt must be coufessed. In its general feavures it 1s Bagdad, Cairo, Damascus over again. The bazaars ure 700 years oid, and are, pertiaps, finer than one will find in either of those three cities, being adorned with som juisitely beautiful ara- besque carving over the arches. But the contents of the stores, the shopkeepers, the passing crowds, are exactly the same. he great sight of Aleppo 1s, of course, the citadel, to which 1 have before referred. ‘The gateway to this wonderful structure surpasses all attempts at description. It 13 massive, and yet elegant; It lmpresses one by the grandeur of its proportions, and, at ihe same moment, one is dumb with admiration at the race, the exquisite delicacy of its ornamentation. @ Saracenic pointed arch, fanked with and approached by a long flight of steps. Once through the portal oue continues to ascend the gitadel, passing Uirough dark, lofty cor- ridors. Almost at the entrance is shown a spot where a couple of arrow-heads are buried in the stone. ‘These are a rejic of a siege sustained by the castle in the time of Bultan Suleiman. a littie further on one encounters, over an archway, @ huge lion’s head, which certainly dates back to Christian times, as no Mussulman ever makes either picture or sculpture. At last the summit of the citadel ts Teached, and one stands agnast at the completeness of the ruin proauced by the great earthquake. The citadel is some three hundred yards in diameter, and this space was formerly crowded with the bar. Tacks, the houses of the Pacha and the principal men, @ mosque, @ human, or public bath, and as many other dwellings as could be packed there. All these buildings are now, with the exception of the minaret of the mosque, a heap of stones and débris, and even the minaret is marked here and there with a wide rift. In this earthquake 15,000 pe sons perished. A great many Europeans cven no live Outside the city. ina suburb, which jas acuulred the curious name of the Kitab, or book, so that in the event of a second reese thar may be at jeast able to run away—an operation quite impossible in Aleppo, when there is even a small crowd, so nar- row are the strects. Besides seeing the citadel one can ride outside the city some couple of miles and pay a visit to @ couple of Old monasteries, filed wi ‘Turkish celibate-dervishes, You can visit the exterior of the monasteries—that is, their inner precincts have never yet been profaned by Christian feet. ‘These dervishes are a branch of the brated “now! dervishes” at Stamboul. The great re- source of the traveller forced to stay in Aleppo is, however, to wander among the tom! which ex- tend all round the city, forming an aimost unbroken ring of gravestones. They are unprotected by feace or wall, and many of them have nevessarily been much mutilated ; ‘but there are hundreds still re- maining Whose carving will repay close and careful study. THE NEW PACHA, Aleppo is ylorying in the acquisition of a new Pacha, who is Suid to belong to the progressive party, and who is going to do something for the cly. The last Pacha was by no means a brilliant governor, though, fortunately, he reigned too short # time to do much mischief, He bought his appomtment for the sum of £5,000 sterling, which was paid down in hard cash to the outgoing Pacha (who was the agent of the “great man” at Stamboul) in sight of some score of soldiers, He had reigned only a tew months when he got into trouble with the Freuch Consul. The latter wished to be present at some court of jus- tee before which a F hk subject nad been ar- raigned, and the Pacha refused him tbe privilege, stating that only the “dragomans” or “interpreters”? of the Consulate had the right to be pre: 4 Frenchman, upon Uns, called the F Unent ass,” a phrase Which produced a rupture of relations. ‘The jmatter was referred to Stamboul, and the Pacha has been removed for his stupidity. ‘The Consul, it ud, will also be recalled by his government for his intemperate language. TRADR, No one would imagine from the present commer- cial condition of Aleppo that as tar back as 1599 an English tactory was established here, with mer- chants, chaplain, physicun and a consul. Ont: consul remains here now, the last English hoi having left twe years ago, though their name sul inserted in ain Aan bankers. ‘There 1s a Swiss bh tive Jews, who do all the an trade of Aleppo. This trade, however, is de Uoul ten years ago the road via Alepp was a8 good or better than any other: steamship communication trom Bombay to Bagdad, and the splendid roads, constructed by the Russians from the Caspian all the way to Bokhara, have ve- ome almost the sole channels of that vast aud in- creasing commerce, The trade of Aleppo is now hearly exclusively local. AUSTRALASIA. ry aerican eircular notes as here, And some Na at now the Mail Communication With Europe Via San Franciseco—Chamber of Commerce—Imperial Government—F Sypney, June 29, 1870, Since my last report the most important com- mercial item which attracted the attention of this and the neighboring colonics was the establishing of the California, New Zealand and Australia mail line of steam packets, for a monthly com- munication with the United States and Europe via Auckland and Honolulu, The line is management of Mr. H. H. Hall; Unit Consul here, and, j under the 1 States diging trom the success which has so far attended him, 1 have no doubtot his anticipations being fully realized. Three mails have lett here since its eatablish- ment, and on each occasion the steamers have’ had a full complement ofp: The benetits to be derived already making themselves i that it has opeaed a new marke of Honolulu and placed the Austr closer communication with the t line is subsidized by the New Zealand government and asures are about to be brought before the Parliament of this colony asking for the subsidy promised on the opening. The Honolulu govern- ment also intends subsidizing it to the amount of $25,000, and it is expected that the claims ot the projector will be brought before the American Congress. The steamers from here are met at Honolulu by the steamer Ajax, owned by Messrs. Holladay, Brenham & Co., of San Francise The Chainber of Commerce have under eration the selling of grain by the cental. The imperial Parliament still ntinnes with- drawing the troops from the colonies. A steady immigration is going on at Fejee, the imunigrants taking up large tracts of land for cot- ton plantations. MUSICAL AND FHZATR assengers. from this line are ifest from the fact for the produce ed States. Tl Niblo’s opens for the fall season on Monday with the “Duke’s Motto.”? ‘The following 1s the cast: — Captain Heurt de Lagadere, Mr. L. P. Barrett; Prince de Gonzagues, Bangs; Carrickiergus, W. R. Floyd; Hector H. A. Rendle; Duke de Nevers, Esop, E. B. Holmes: Regent of Orleans, G. D. Chapiin; Lemuel, . Wilkin: corne, HM, A. K. Collie: verny, ; Bannerman, E. B, Demsun; mK. Ty Trumpeter, Miss A. “Athertou he de Ne iss Louisa Moot Duchess « 4, Mine, Ponisi; Zillah (with songs), Mrs. . Servant, Miss Strickland. Carlotta Patti gave her first concert at Rio Janerio on July 4 with good sucvess, and she appears greatly liked, still the Brazilians like best to have operas, considering concerts tame. The newspaper critics fre in raptures over the diva and give ‘great prais: to her assistants, The prices of admission have been greatly reduced, strange to say, on account of the great demand for places | Mr. J. Grau has received a cable despaten an- nouncing that Mme. Marie Seebach and her com- piete dramatic company will saul from Europe on the 20th inst. Mme. Matilda Heron is working night and day at plays for the Fifth Avenue theatre. ‘The fali season at Wood's Museum will be opened on ‘the first week in September by the exquisite actress Mrs. Scott-Siddo: who will produce Tom lor’s lutest London ess, “TWIXt Axe and wn.” Her engagement ts necessarily limited, but she will be closely followed by the Lydia Thom: son troupe. In consequence of Miss clally enguged at the Theatre Royal, London, to Mrs. Seabright im the “Overland Route” her return to New York will be delayed until September, Here is something worse than Haguenan for the Gal hind. It turns out that “La Marseiliatse’? is an old German chapel song, to which Rouget de Visie only adapied the well Known words. “Der Fiigende Hollander” (Flying Dutchman), or, as it is called in ttalian, “Ollandese Dannato'?. (Damned Dutchman), has met with success in Lon- don, notwithstanding the violent prejudice against the composer, Richara Wagner, ‘The report of the marriage between Miss Isabella McCulloch, the distinguished American prima douna, and Siguor Lrignoil, which originated from an evenlug paper of this city, was premature. When the “event” takes plaice, Which will be at an early date, Signor Brignoll will have it solemuized In che most brilliant manner, The lady is of one of the best families in the South, and’ has in afew years won a foremost place on’ tie operatic stage, Her numerous admirers will leara with regret ciat alter her marriage she will leave the siage, Siguor Brignoll, it is said, is In negotiation wiih Mr. ptra- kosch to assist Mile. Christine Niisson next season, “AVAL INTELLIGENCE, AMairs ai the Boston Navy Yard—The Double- ‘Purreted Monitor Miantonomah and Other Vessels dergoing Kepairs—The Shenane doah Keady for sea, Boston, August 12, 1870, The Navy Yard-over in Charlestown, in common with all the other United States naval stations, is now tie scene of unusual activity, The number of workmen in all the departments has been Jargely within ew weeks, and the various war belug rapidly pu in trim for possible future service. ‘he doubie-turreted monitor Minan- tonomah, of which,noching has been heard since the ith Challis being ape- | part it took in escorting the remains of the late George Peabody, was put into the dry dock this’ afternoon,’ and to-morrow workmen will bein a 4norough overhauling of the novel and formidadie craft. The work will probably occupy some weeks, and when finished she will probavly return to the European squadron, from which she was detailed by the government to form a pact of the Peabody funeral feet. The Shenandoah is ready for sea and wilt go into commission to-morrow at one o'clock and Itave at noon for -the European squadron inthe Mediterranean, Captain Clark H. Wells wili go out as her commander and W. W. Woodhuil as paymaster, The Ticonderoga and Wor- cester are undergoing rapid repairs and will be ready for sea in a lew weeks, The old Sabine went out of commission yesterday and her men are on a ten days’ furlough, with orders to report at New York at the expiration of that time. There are only about one hundred ana fifty avaliable men on board the recelving ship Olu The Pacific Fleet—Naval Orders. WASHINGTON, August 13, 1870, The Saranac, flagship of Rear-Admiral Turner, of the Pacific feet, was at Callao July 22, preparing to sallfor San Francisco 4 t. ‘Phe Admiral ex- pected to reach San Francisco fret week in September, where he 1s to be relieved by Ri Admiral Winslow. The Kearsage had just been despatehed from Callao for San Fraucisco via the Sandwich Islands. Rear-Admiral ‘Turner reports the Nyack on the way to Callao by advices froin Panama. i ‘The destination of the United Stat the fishing grounds, Lieutenant Hunter has been detached from the command of the Nina and placed on waiting orders. rgeon Matthews has beea ericred to wie paval TeNdeZvOUs Bb Bosleide ship Guard ts THE FASHIONS. Jockey Club and Yachtmen Off to the War—A Military Skip Step in Placo of the “Grecian Bond’’—War News and Toilet Neglige—What the Bongpartcs and Murats Wear at the Oper:.-—Seenes at the Sing- Ing of the *)_arseillaise*— “‘Bismarcks”® Gone Ont— Fall Hats, Trimmings and Style Generally, Panis, July 27, 1870. Iwas standing at the middle window of the French Jockey Club (by the way, fifty-three members of the Jockey and Yacht Clubs have en- listed), aud Thad just seen the last of a regiment of infantry leaving for the Strasbourg station in a fit of delirious joy. They had gone down the Boule- vards with that fantastic French march step which is so offensive to his Bismarckian majesty, and is & compromise between the hop, skip and plunge. Women and children had broken the lines, the latter marching on unhurt, the former carrying either the soldier’s sack or gun for the sake of re- lieving the son, cousin or brother just # little way ; and there were shakos and kepis on the top of sticks, branches waving above, and flowers showering down. ‘The ‘‘Marseitlaise’? mingled with the “Chant du Depart,’ and as the dense, turbulent hive proceeded, ever increasing as it went along, I wondered how many of the depart- ing numbers would return, As Lam opposed by nature to sad_ perspectives Tshould, as usual, have shaken them off with a merry ham, but my favorite snatch from Herve was arrested by the sound of voic& from behind me, and the following was exchanged while I drew on my lavender gloves. “Whoever can he be?’ I knew by instinct that I was the subject of this inquiry. “Oh, he is whe New York Herarn's Paris writer. He is to be seen everywhere ; people say he never goes to bed.” “Dear me! What a queer profession for # man to take to, and - is he technical? I mean does he know the difference between plaitings, raches, ruffing, gaffering and so on? Between and breastpieces, &¢ 2? “suppose #0; he has acquired a certain reputa- tion in that Jine.’? “Lshould say that man is a curiosity, bat, poor fellow, what is he going to do now? His letters will, a3 long as war lasts, be the last people can care for.”? One word here, readers. I felt, I will not say what, but pray do all of you request each other to “put yourself in his place.” When you have each asked of your friends to do this all will realize what I felt. Fortunately one of the servants of the club (a gentleman who owns property in Paris and wears a black coat with white necktie) brought me a huge parcel. My own man had brought my letters from my rooms and had at that same moment sent them in. And what a budget ! | ‘Despatches,’ said one of the gentlemen be- d. tunies legrams too,’’ commented the other. “T dare say all about trimmings.” “Well, Iuever !” put in the first speaker, “if that doesn’t beat everything! 1 wish 1 could see the man’s face.”” I thought there was no necessity for hiding the physiognomy with which nature has trusted me, peculiar though it be, and I looked straight at theirs as I walked by to the reading and writing room. I cannot tell what impression I made; [ only know one of the speakers started up all of one piece like the Prussian landwehr and I only heard, “Well, he is a curiosity !"? As I laid my letters out one on the top of the other according to date—and there were letters from all sorts of places in France—I could not help hearing all over again in my own mind the assur- ance that my letters would be the last read in your paper. Down came my clinched fists on the pile of epistles before me, which action effectually tlat- tened them and stung my energies. It is useless to repeat the solemn terms I employed while I made a pledge unto myself; the long and short of which was that all through the war your readers should look at my ietters the first thing on every Sunday morning. ‘The letter which happened to be on the top was from Eliane, Vespetro’s wife. It was written on tinted paper. The contents of this sweet woman's letter informed me that Vespetro had left for the Garde Mobile, with nothing but his uniform on his back ; a uniform mach like that of the sailors’—blue and red. It was all over with chateau life; no more picnics nor garden parties, for the men had nearly all gone. The postman of the localities round about had become the erere , y. He alone was ex pected and looked for through opera glasses, and when he appeared at the end of the shady avenue he was met, and had his hands shaken, ‘and ¥ dragged to the house, where the best wine v before put him, until answers, quick an- swers, were given unto him in reply to the communications he had brought. The day was spent over subscriptions to the wounded soldiers’ and sailors’ fund, the evening over patriotic songs, accompanied by the clergy. The mayors, and mayors’ wives and daughters drove off from morn to night to meet the traina, and with their own hands to pour out wine or dis. tribute food to the men, who were not allowed to get down from the cars. As to toilet, it was ali neglige—who were the ladies to dress for? last bon mot of Vespetro’s first born and only son was recorded. The little urchin had heard his mother read the Emperor's umation aloud, ending with the phrase, ‘God will bless our army.” “How many men are there in oyr army? inquired. “About 600,000," was the reply, to which the boy made no observation; but wien it was bed- jane told him to say his prayers, he answered, “1 think the Almighty will not listen to me, Mamma ; with blessing all the army he has got too much to do.” “Krou#rou’s letter from Paris was mneh more comforting. She supposed 1 was. still in Touraine, and had directed to my rooms, with the injunction “to be forwarded.” ter paper was of the palest green, and, strange to say, but true, slightly speckled with brown. This paper was all the rage before the war, and was wittily meant t imply a canard’s egg. No lover would v written a ‘declaration upon it I hope, though bailet girls could have used it to swear they would remain faithful. ‘Frou-frou” has no particular she uses all promiscnously, but on the note Tallude to there was a foot of the vine, and the the tendrils said:—‘I fear the heat; but cold does hurt me.”’ Frou-fron had been to the opera to see the “‘Muette de Parti Tt was to be a gula night, and Mile. Sas« was to sing th seillaise’? between the third and fourth a he She knew who had taken boxes, and managed to get one in front of the Duchess de Mouchy’s, in order to tell me what the descendant of the Murat’s had worn. The house was very full, and among the cele- rities were the two Bonaparte princesses, Mme. Maurice Richard in a lovely lilac gauze robe, Comtesse Primoli, as white as marble, wreathed with grenade blossoms; Princess Poniatowska, the Duchess de Montmorency in white lace and diamonds; Mme. Lehon, &c. ‘The Duchess de Mouchy was attired in the colors of the tricolore—a white toilet, with scar. let fower on her bosom and a wreath of biue wheat flowers in her hair. The enthusiasm and excitement in the boxes had been extreme from the beginning of the piece, but when Mile. Sass appeared on the stage, attired to represent France, ina white peplum, a wreath of luurel on ber temples and a purple court mantle strewn with the imperial bee flow- ing around her perfect figure, a current of inde scribable emotion thrilled the audieuce. “Up, up to your feet,” exclaimed a veice. lt was M. de mater © sore ad each verse, ‘She had gone also to the on the following Friday, when Faure was called upon to odie it Fante was not prepared forthe "Mar i was veallaise” and, while behind curtain debatin, with hig advisers whether should erfect row distur’ e A tr “Faure! Faure!’ ‘The Marseillaise 1”? drowned the coarse abuse of some men up ia alleries, who shouted out that Faure wasn’t a Brenchmen if he couldn’t sing the ‘‘Marseillaise ;’% others threw coppers on the stage in pieces aper, calling him a wandering musician—a Bo» Toni Jew”—and other such amenities. lasted for about ten minutes, when the curtain a& length drew up, and Faure, in the Neapolitan cos< — tume he had worn in the Italian revolt a few moy ments before, and upturned shirt sleeves, slvanced to the footlights. His first notes proved he coul sing the ‘‘Marseillaise’’ with a vengeance. Whi he came to the verse “Liberty, oh, cherish liberty!’ he fell on his knees im loring, ended, “Liberty, ben with thy (ko gl A storm of applause again shook the 0) re house, and one lady, attired a la Charlotte Cort day, in pink and white, dashed a bouquet acroa@ the theatre and it fell at the great actor's feet, then draped in the folds of the tricolor. ; “Proukou™ was much moved, and quite over; foxea to think the great ladies’ tailor—Worth—+ had broken up bis partnership with Bobergh, @ Dane, much suspected of being a Prussian. As to Biswarcks, they were out of style forever more, The Empress had gone to Cherbourg in half mourning for the death of that relative whom she acknowledged in the Bonaparte family, who wi an American, and had lately died in Americas She was to deliver a speech from the Emperor to wish the fleet goodby, and be Regent of France, in the absence of Napoleon and her son. “Linen committees” were being held in the Paris salons, aud the object of these meetings waa to cutup linen sheets for bands and other purs poses designated by surgeons in the military. ‘rou-frou had sent in all her last year’s cam! handkerchiefs, and Duchess Feruandina, the had had 600 quarts of orange flower water forwarded to the Turcos. [t was hoped . that they would know what to do with it. Ina third epistie | was‘told by a friend that Theresa, the popular singer, was called on for the 4 every evening at the Gaite and ay R, red dressed in the style of females during Reign of Terror. Her way of rendering the revo~ lutionary song was a great contrast with Mile, Sass; but Theresa was the muse of the populace, and sang aga fervent republican would, on a tures being those of a noble but not classic leader on to victory. Her way was to show her fists ta the Prussians, not to point her hand upwards. Her cry “ane cirmes” was & hoarse, irresistible shout; her waving of the flag was short, and sh@ stuck it in the ground defiantly, A telegram from Porougherty informed me hd had gone to offer his services and join the volunteors. Just like him, poor fellow ! From Mile. Dominique there was a very depress sing letter. The Loire was more and more dried up, and the fish therein half boiled before it waa caught for dinner, The dragoons were on the start; they were held ready for instantaneous com- bustion all day long; had already practised the! getting in and ‘out of railway cars in a second; tha placing of the ho in luggage vans, &c.3 she was anxions to leave for the froutiers among, all this jeunesse do attired inthe dark blue gown, white cap and apron of the hospital nurses, Angelique wroto io say she wanted to follow the army and be allowed to pick up the dead ! A letter all about next fall bonnets was among the number. Th e to be tied on with wide velvet and suliane strings, the shape still main- tained iu the upturned tlower-pot styles; the t mings would b plumes and bitds; the fw ite color grays; heads of birds and aquatics, with eyes shining out, would be the opening fashions “Yhe Inst communication 1 will give your read- ers out of the immense number is a tele Mile. Imperia—‘:Please see Marquis of it rt goons go through Paris on Saturday; wish him God speed." Indeed I would; so, as it was Satur- day, 1 thrust my correspondence in my pocket and hastened to the Eastern station. Here I wi informed that the dragoons would arrive an bour later at the Torg station. At the station of Torg I was told the First.dragoons would stop ten minutes at Vilette; consequently | went to Vil- lette, fully expecting to be sent to some other Un« known place. On reaching Villette I was‘told that great secrecy had had to be observed about the cavalry; the men had too many friends, and as they were not to get out of the cars it was use< less for them to be harrowed by the sight of rela- tives they could not embrace. However, frienda had come and were standing about among the Ta {am not fond of waiting for arrivals upon the rails of any line, especially a French one; but f liked what I had seen of the Marquis, and, to tell the truth, I had bought him a_ revolver on my way to the station, That was the best “God speed’? L could put faith im. it none of our readers have ever waited on the rails when trains full of soldiers going to the frontiers are steaming off, right and left, bebind, in front, horizontally and ob! they have no idea of what sensational w rq is. Down puffs an engine upon one. “Of, off,” cries the guard, and off one instinctively gets to some rails behind. Opposite comes another engine. “O8, off,” again. It is darting backwards, forwards and onwards all the time, and tripping up over the unevenness under foot is a common occurrence. Whiz, fiz and whistle are nothing, nor shrieking, nor the letting off of steain aroundl one’s hot cinders under one’s soles ¢ the worst is the ‘Marseillaise” from the men as they fly by, with thefr arms all bristling out and their dusty faces full of fun beaming on one sa unconscious of death and danger, ‘There were about fifty people, ladies and gen= tlemen, performing tue sume athletic sports aw inyself over th Is, nothing like a pier being near. A report soon enlivened us that the first column of dvagoons was signalled, and that they were coming in three divisions, the colonel and Beatie the last of all, somewhere about mid- night. {hoped the Marquis would be in the first, but he was uot. About twenty relatives were left for, the secoud column prossed the Villette lines: ; fnd stopped for ten minutes at eleven o’clecks There were some heartrending scones among tho! distressed parents when this division had steamed aagain. For third column only three ited—s mother and her daughter witli myself, They had brought provisions for the expecte traveller, packages that looked like bottles o wine, cold meat and bread, neatly tied in a whiter table napkin. The mother was not yet middle ayed and in black silk. A kind of pensive sadness was in the look she involuntarily cast on me as we, crossed each other ou a narrow walk between two: lines. The daughter was in a looped costume, of black and white percale. She held in hei | hand a chain and medal, ready to throw bye! the neck of the dragoon whom both mother and child expected. As the night drew round us I could only distinguish their figures; to and fro they e went till midnight, and some snatches of (heir converse reached me} at intervals, It was all about their b loved drayoon, and the daughter comforted her. mother, for the boy wasa fresh volunteer. “So delicate, so noble and firm a heart, so good a boy,’ was all ihe mother could say. The two! women had come all the way from England, where they resided, to see the new soldier pass by at Villette. Their waiting and mine lasted until Sunday morning, and wien the day of rest dawned I saw, the two faithful tigures leaning one on the other; patiently. One stil held the medal in hand, they other stood by the parcel. At three o’ciock the: long expected train arrived and 1 hailed the Marquis. Out came his head above thirty other: ; heads, all peering out of their high lockup like oxen over fences. I am not a young man, but still L was soon up on the ladder which they let! down and gave Mile. Imperia’s protege a warm hug. “I can’t feel now what it is not to have a father,” said the good lad as he accepted my God speed, and down 1 scrambled, for his fair blue eyes were swimming under his manly eyebrows. There stood the mother, in black. She had got, somehow, permission for her son to leap down, and “Is it a dream?” ‘aid, “you here, oh, best of mothers? I think it is my dream of last night going on’ “No, no; we are here,” said the sister, all the time passing up the provision basket to ready: hands, who took it in. We want to say how happy We are you are going to this rightful war; so happy, 80 happy !”” “Yes, so very happy,” chimed in the mother, swallowing down the holy falsehood. “And here’s our father’s portrait,” continued’ the slender girl, clasping her brother to her breast. “He died on the battle tleld; itis glorious sou- venir.”” a5 “Glorions!? echoed the mother. ‘Up, up !!* cried the other privates; and when the widow looked for he: son again ‘he was dividing among his comrades the refreshments she had brought’ for one. Weary, weary were they; but when the final whistle’ rent the air ‘Vive la France !” responded both to the cry of the departing men. “A Ie France !" do l exclaim now ; wishing fot peace is “Ala brance !"' cried the Emperor last: shed the “Maree! Girardin’s, and Mme. de Monchy was the first to rise respectfully. Mile. Sass then commenced, “Allous, enfants dela patric,” and it was to Frou- 1” replied the impress. preesing the young Prince to her bosom.