the probability of their occurrence hereafter is much diminished. In 1797, a Sclavonian captain killed a Janissary, and none of the consuls having the power or inclination to bring him to justice, a tumult was made; the Frank quarter set on fire and pillaged; property to the amount of a million of pounds sterling destroyed, and two thousand Greeks butchered. No Europeans lost their lives. The massacre of the Greeks, which took place in 1821, was attended with many circumstances of the utmost barbarism; but during the whole of that bloody scene, the Franks sustained little injury.

Since this period, as might naturally be expected, the course of education among the Greeks, has gone backward. The school which had acquired considerable celebrity under Koomas, and Stephen and Constantine Economus, had before that time been much interrupted, through the jealousy of their priests. The higher classes of the pupils are dispersed; and the first books of Homer, as edited by the learned Coray, are now to be bought for a trifle, in the shops of Frank street. At present, scarcely the shade of the school remains, though the English afford it a certain degree of protection and patronage. We have called to visit it, and were cordially received by the master. In his private room, where a dish of coffee was brought us by one of his pupils, we saw a barometer and some other philosophical apparatus, which they are not now at liberty to use. The number of pupils is between one and two hundred.* A few individuals among the

* More recently, Abraham of Cesarea, Mr. Gridley's teacher, has been appointed principal. Under his enlightened superintendence, it may be expected, if not to regain its former reputation, at least to become as extensively useful.

Franks have private teachers in their families. Some others send their sons to Europe for education. Their mutual jealousies, apprehension from plague, and their summer's residence at different places, are obstacles to the success of a high school, even among protestants. The Catholic priests have a school for the instruction of their own youth.

The European factors or merchants do business on commission, buying or selling cargoes, at the rate of two or three per cent. It is common for them to intermarry with the Greek and other Smyrniote families. They employ some of all the different classes of people, Armenians, Greeks, Jews and Turks, in the capacity of clerks, cashiers, salesmen and porters. Hence, as Friday is the sacred day with the Mahometans, Saturday with Jews, and Sunday not a day of labor with Christians, there are only four good business days in the week.

The commerce of Smyrna is more extensive than that of any other port in Turkey. Since the great establishments of English and French merchants at Aleppo have been broken up, the trade of Asia Minor and a great part of Syria, has flowed into this new channel. "The export trade of Smyrna consists in raw silks, camels' hair, the beautiful goats' hair or mohair of Angora, Turkey carpets, unwrought cotton, colored camlets, embroidered muslins, morocco skins, wool, wax, gall nuts, a considerable quantity of raisins and currants, a little muscadine wine, amber, lapis lazuli, musk, rhubarb, and various other drugs and gums, besides pearls, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other precious stones. The imports are chiefly woollen cloths, lead. tin, glass and wrought silks." By

treaties with the Porte, the different nations have fixed the rate of duties. In addition to this small per centage, the Turks have exacted of late a much larger sum for all merchandise which enters or leaves the city on the land side. They also tax the Franks indirectly, by taxing their different agents. A traveller's baggage undergoes examination, for which the inferior officers claim certain variable fees.

*

The following sketch of our own commercial relations with Turkey, was published after my return to America.

Our trade with Turkey was begun under the auspices of English merchants at Smyrna, and has hitherto been almost wholly confined to that city. For several years past an American gentleman, David Offley, Esq. has been our resident commercial agent there. The acting Consul is a native of Smyrna. By him, and, (if I mistake not,) without a knowledge of the Consul, a Vice Consul was appointed at Mycone, an island of the Archipelago. There is also an agent at Milo, where vessels bound to Smyrna, usually stop for pilots. Possibly in others of the Greek islands, similar agents may have been appointed by our naval commanders on that station.

Mr. Offley, though he does not raise the American flag as he has been invited by the Pasha of Smyrna, and as I believe the Captain Pasha once proposed to Commodore Rodgers, enjoys, notwithstanding, most of the advantages of a foreign Consul. By a private arrangement with the Governor of Smyrna, our trade with that port has been placed on substantially the same footing with that of the English. Occasionally

our vessels have gone under the American flag to Salonica, and under foreign colors have entered the Black sea. About the beginning of the present century an American frigate was permited to pass the Dardanelles, bearing the tribute of one of the Barbary States to Constantinople. Without some such errand, no armed vessels are allowed to pass either the Dardanelles or Bosphorus. During the last year, access of our merchantmen to Constantinople, bearing their own flag, was granted for the first time, on the same conditions probably as at Smyrna. The son of the Consul was passenger in the first vessel which went up, since which time a number of vessels have been plying between the two cities.*

There are three or four American commercial houses established at Smyrna. Considerable business is also done through Messrs. Lee and Van Lennep. The latter gentleman is Dutch Consul, and the former, the English merchant who introduced our countrymen into that trade. Hitherto it has been carried on from Boston, New York, Salem, and Baltimore and chiefly from the former city. Dearborne's work on the commerce of Turkey, the Black sea, &c. contains much information valuable to mercantile men. commerce with Turkey is becoming increasingly important. Most of the opium which is intended for China passes through American hands. Our coffee and sugar are exchanged for the fruits, wool, &c. of the country. At Constantinople I have heard the cry

Our

*The consul himself also visited Constantinople with a view as it has been said, of negociating a commercial treaty. In this he is reported to have been unsuccessful.

of Americano, from Jewish hawkers who were carrying around the coarse American cottons, and I am informed that they have found their way into the heart of Asia. I have also been assured by judicious merchants of Smyrna, that our trade with Greece might be of the same general character, and of very considerable importance.

To this it may be added, that our exports to Turkey in the year 1822, amounted to more than four hundred thousand dollars of which all but a few thousands were of foreign produce. The amount of imports was about three hundred and sixty thousand dollars. Since that time, both exports and imports, have greatly increased. The recent appointment by the President of a consul to Odessa, evinces a disposition on the part of our government not to lose sight of the interest of our trade in that quarter.

Jan. 21.--Smyrna with all its commerce and wealth, is not likely to afford me the golden fleece, so I propose to follow on towards Colchis in the route of the Argonauts; in plainer English, I have just concluded to go up to Constantinople. My reasons for taking this step so early, by the urgent advice of my friends, are briefly these; to learn on the spot, more definitely the nature of the late excitement among the Jews of that city; and to seek helps in acquiring their spoken language which the shyness of the poor Israelite here, is not likely to afford.

My associate, Mr. Gridley, I leave in the family of Mr. Mengous, a respectable Greek gentleman, who has Frank protection. The situation is exceedingly favorable, for acquiring Modern Greek, or Italian, to Vol. I.

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