bility of the sultan towards the French ambassador, Sebastiani, the Turks regarded with indiguation, and almost with horror. There were 5,000 Janizaries stationed at Bajukdere, and the forts on the Black Sea, and the canal of Constantinople. After the depar. ture of the grand army for the Danube, the sultan Selim sent Mahomed Effendi, who had been ambassador from the Porte to London, and was a zealous friend to the English*, to those garrisons with uniforms in the European style, and money, to invite and allurethem rather than to give orders for joining the regular regiments of the Nizammi Geddid. While he was employed in reading the instruc. tions with which he was charged by the grand seiguior, the Janizaries be gan to murmur dissatisfaction and rage, and one of their officers cut him down on the spot with a sabre; saying, "In the name of God I slay not the Mussulman, but the English Mahomed,” On being in formed of this event, the weak and irresolute Selim dispatched to the rebellious Janizaries the Bostangi Baschi to appease them with money, and to say that they had done well in killing Mahomed Effendi, who had imposed on them, and not faithfully delivered the orders that had been sent, but devised others merely out of his own invention, and for his own private purposes. The perfidious and covetous Bostangi delivered the message with which he had been entrusted, but put the money into his own pocket. The Janizaries were not appeased; and only regarded the sultan with the greater contempt. The dow. ager sultana, the mother of Selim, had been for some time dead. Her lover and confidential friend, Joseph Aga Chia Jassi, who was a man of talents and vigour, had retired from court, and the unfortunate Selim had fallen under the direction of counsellors, it would appear, both weak and treacherous. The infamous Bostangi, on his return, persuaded his soft and easy master, that all was quiet.But the Janizaries in the garrisons, having joined their brethren in Constanti nople, the whole, to the amount of 15,000, seized the batteries of the seraglio, and compelled the three regiments on duty there, to join them. From the seraglio, they repaired to the suburb of Tophana, where the cannon-foundery is established, placing as usual their standards and seething pots in the midst of the assemblage. In the mean time, they issued assurances to the inhabitants of Constantinople, that nothing was intended that ought to occasion the least apprehension or alarm. They elected for their commander, a brazier of Constantinople, and took an oath by stepping across a naked sword laid on the ground, that they would neither invade the property, nor make any attack or attempt on the lives of either Turks or Christiaus, nor come to any resolution without the consent of the Mufti, and Ulemas. After this, they proceeded in profound silence to the place of Elmeidan. In the march, one of their fraternity was detected in stealing a basket of cherries, and another in openly robbing a man of a pair of shoes. As a proof and earnest of their determination to respect both the lives and properties of all the people, they put those * He was commonly called at Constantinople Inglis Mahomed Effendi. Janizaries, give an overt and decisive proof of friendship and confidence in France, by breaking off all peaceable intercourse with Russia, and Britain, her ally. He then, assuming a very lofty tone, presented a note to the Turkish government, stating in the most positive terms, that if the Turkish seas, and particularly the passage of the Dardanelles, and the canal of Constantinople, should be left free and open to the enemies of France, the grand signior must be considered as the friend and ally of Russia and England. In vain the Turkish ministers urged treaties of peace and commerce. Even a strict regard to neutrality required, according to Sebastiani, not only that the Dardanelles and Bosphorus should be shut against the fleets of Russia and England, but also against their trading ships, carrying for the use of enemies of France, arms, clothes, ammunition, and provisions. But if, after all, the suhlime Porte should insist on the observance of those commercial trea. ties, then France, on the other band, would assert her right to march by land, to contend with the Russians on the banks of the Neister. Mr. Arbuthnot, the English minister at the Porte, who had observed, that ever since the great victories obtained by the French over the Prussians, the influence of the French at Constantinople had increased, and that of Russia and England been proportionably diminished, did not fail to write home to our government the state of affairs there, and at the same time, transmitted the note of Sebas tiani. Intelligence, to the same effect, was communicated to the British government by the Russian ministers at Petersburgh, accompa nied with a recommendation to send a British fleet, with a large military force, which might defeat the ascendancy of the French counsels at the Porte, and cause powerful diversion of the force of France in favour of Russia. A negotiation for peace with the Porte, was commenced by the Russian in conjunction with the English government. To give weight to this, a fleet under the command of sir Thomas Duckworth, was sent to force the passage of the Dardanelles, and, if certain terms should not be acceded to by the Turkish government, to bombard Constantinople. The fleet consisted of seven ships of the line, besides frigates and bomb-ships. Two of the ships of the line were three-deckers, three carried 84 guns, and two 74. This naval force cast anchor at the isle of Tenedos, about the middle of February, where it was joined by the frigate on board of which Mr. Abuthnot had made his escape from the personal violence of which he had been in apprehension at Constantinople.* Our fleet passed the Dardanelles on the morning of the 19th. A Turkish squadron, consisting of a 64-gun ship, four frigates, and several corvettes, had been for some time at anchor within the inner castles. Orders were given to com. modore sir Sydney Smith, who was well acquainted with those seas, having been stationed there with a naval force under his, command, • Mr. Arbuthnot carried along with him all the English residing at Constanti aople. From the Endymion he sent a letter to the Reis Effendi, committing the protection of British property to the Turkish government. 02 in 1799, to bear up with three ships of the line, and destroy them, if any opposition should be made to their passage. This division was follow. ed closely by the other ships. At a quarter before nine o'clock, the whole of the squadron had passed the outer castles, without having returned a shot to the Turkish fire, which did our ships but little injury. This forbearance was intended to express the pacific disposition and amity of our sovereign and government, towards the sublime Porte. But in passing the narrow strait, between Sestos and Abydos, our squadron sustained a very heavy fire from both castles. A tremen. dous fire was therefore opened by our ships of war on the castles, with such effect, that the firing of the Turks was in a great measure slackened, when they were passed by the sternmost vessels of the squadron. The small Turkish squa. dron within the inner castles, was attacked by sir Sydney Smith, driven on shore, and burnt and the guns of a formidable battery, to the number of more than thirty, on a point of land which our squadron had yet to pass, called Point Pesquiez, were spiked by a detachment of marines. On the 20th of February, in the evening, the English squadron came to anchor near the Isles of Prin. ces, at the distance of eight miles from Constantinople. A strange and almost ridiculous process now took place, on the part of the English minister and admiral: a kind of menacing courtship. A flag of truce was immediately sent to the seraglio, with a letter from Mr. Arbuthnot to the Turkish govern. ment, recapitulating the efforts that he had made, by an amicable nego. tiation, to preserve the relations of peace and friendly intercourse, be. tween the sublime Porte and Great Britain, and various considerations of interest, and former habits of mutual good-will and confidence, that were calculated to restore the same good understanding between the two powers, that had been unfortunately interrupted through the intrigues of a party, inimical to both. Great Britain had always entertained a particular predilection for the Ottoman empire. The armies of the Porte, and of England," had fought together like brethren, against the perfidious enemy of the Ottoman empire, with glorious suc. cess. Even the distinguished, the misapplied bravery, with which the Turks had opposed, though in vain, the progress of the British fleet, were with every Englishman, an addi. tional cause of regret, if there should be any obstacle to the renewal of an amicable negotiation, of which it was the object of the present note to make an offer. If it were necessary or possible to give clearer or more satisfactory proofs of the pacific disposition of his Britannic majesty, and his ministers, towards the Ottomans, it might be mentioned that the admiral had not immedi ately proceeded to the execution of his orders, though the wind was fair for that purpose, but had agreed to keep his fleet at a distance from the capital, for as long a time as might be necessary for receiving an answer to this letter. If that answer should be received by Mr. Arbuthnot, before the setting of tomorrow's (21st February) sun, with satisfactory assurances that his Britannic majesty's just and moderate demands were agreed to, then all hostile demonstrations on the part part of his majesty should immedi. beyond the Dardanelles. He al- in 1799, to bear up with three ships of the line, and destroy them, if any opposition should be made to their passage. This division was followed closely by the other ships. At a quarter before nine o'clock, the whole of the squadron had passed the outer castles, without having returned a shot to the Turkish fire, which did our ships but little injury. This forbearance was intended to express the pacific disposition and amity of our sovereign and govern. ment, towards the sublime Porte. But in passing the narrow strait, between Sestos and Abydos, our squadron sustained a very heavy fire from both castles. A tremen. dous fire was therefore opened by our ships of war on the castles, with such effect, that the firing of the Turks was in a great measure slackened, when they were passed by the sternmost vessels of the squadron. The small Turkish squa. dron within the inner castles, was attacked by sir Sydney Smith, driven on shore, and burnt and the guns of a formidable battery, to the number of more than thirty, on a point of land which our squadron had yet to pass, called Point Pesquiez, were spiked by a detachment of marines. On the 20th of February, in the evening, the English squadron came. to anchor near the Isles of Prin. ces, at the distance of eight miles from Constantinople. A strange and almost ridiculous process now took place, on the part of the English minister and admiral: a kind of menacing courtship. A flag of truce was immediately sent to the seraglio, with a letter from Mr. Arbuthnot to the Turkish govera. ment, recapitulating the efforts that he had made, by an amicable nego. tiation, to preserve the relations of peace and friendly intercourse, between the sublime Porte and Great Britain, and various considerations of interest, and former habits of mutual good-will and confidence, that were calculated to restore the same good understanding between the two powers, that had been unfortunately interrupted through the intrigues of a party, inimical to both. Great Britain had always entertained a particular predilection for the Ottoman empire. The ar mies of the Porte, and of England, had fought together like brethren, against the perfidious enemy of the Ottoman empire, with glorious suc. cess. Even the distinguished, the misapplied bravery, with which the Turks had opposed, though in vain, the progress of the British fleet, were with every Englishman, an addi. tional cause of regret, if there should be any obstacle to the renewal of an amicable negotiation, of which it was the object of the present note to make an offer. If it were necessary or possible to give clearer or more satisfactory proofs of the pacific disposition of his Britannic majesty, and his ministers, towards the Ottomans, it might be mentioned that the admiral had not immediately proceeded to the execution of his orders, though the wind was fair for that purpose, but had agreed to keep his fleet at a distance from the capital, for as long a time as might be necessary for receiving an answer to this letter. If that answer should be received by Mr. Arbuthnot, before the setting of tomorrow's (21st February) sun, with satisfactory assurances that his Britannic majesty's just and moderate demands were agreed to, then all hostile demonstrations on the part |