'Every office under government in Turkey, is sold to the highest bidder, and the person who obtains them, extorts from the people in a ratio fully equal to the amount they pay.' This little sentence alone contains a charge of venality, extortion, and what, in Christian land, would be called dishonesty. The following narration also savours somewhat of treachery and ingratitude. 'A few months previous to our arrival, the Turkish fleet from Constantinople entered the port of Smyrna, commanded by the captain Pacha, who observed to the governor, on being visited, that understanding he was a good sportsman, he had brought him an elegant fowling-piece, and requested he would call again on the following morning, and accompany him on shore. 'Blinded by the present of a gun, and not dreaming of treachery, he obeyed the order; but instead of being received with kindness, he was conveyed on board a frigate, which immediately got under weigh; and on anchoring below the castle, his head was struck off, and sent by an express to adorn the gate of the Seraglio at Constantinople. 'Thus ended the life of Ciatip Oglou, after having held the government of Smyrna upwards of twenty years against the will of the Grand Seignor, who had tried many methods to displace him. Governors were appointed without effect, as they dared not face his Janissaries; and when a greater man than himself arrived at Smyrna, he had been in the habit of retiring to one of his country seats, and leaving the town residence to him superior in power. But in this instance he was deceived: for having shown the Captain Pacha much kindness on one occasion, he thought he might depend on his friendship.' And we learn from the subsequent paragraph, what it is our author refers to when he states that 'justice of some kind may always be obtained.' "He [Ciatip Oglou] was charged with being excessively cruel to the subjects of the empire-this is true-for whenever he took a fancy to the wife, sister, or daughter of a poor Greek, or Armenian, he would order her without any `ceremony to his Harem; and if the relatives complained, they were almost sure of receiving the bastinado.' Probably the bastinadoed relations,' would have preferred our kind of justice, notwithstanding all its inconveniences. ART. VIII.-Explanation of the Plates. THE coloured engraving representing a view near Bordenton, is executed from a painting by Birch, the sketch for which was made by that artist on the spot, possesses the fidelity that is so remarkably the attribute of his pencil. The point of view selected is from one of the windows of the magnificent mansion of the Count de Survilliers, looking down the river. The fore-ground consists in a part of the ornamented garden immediately round the house, and the eye passes directly from the edge of the bank, to the waters of the Delaware. On the left are seen a few houses of the village of Bordenton, with the wharf at which the steam boat lands her passengers. To the right of the centre an island is partly seen, and a sloop is at anchor in the inner channel. No single view can however convey any thing like a complete idea of the beauties of the place, nor of the improvements made by the present owner. Two other views, together with the one from which this plate is taken, display nearly all the prominent beauties in the scenery. But the splendid dwelling house has been recently consumed by fire, and almost all the valuable collection of paintings and statuary has been lost. The house, it is said, is about to be rebuilt, but the pictures cannot be replaced, and are the more to be regretted as the collection was unique and unrivalled in this country, and the liberal hospitality and kindness of the possessor rendered frequent access to it easy for all that possessed taste to enjoy the beauties of art. It may not perhaps be thought ill-placed here to record the following letter, which was written immediately after the conflagration, and bears such honourable testimony in favour of the inhabitants of Bordenton. (From the Union Gazette.) Translation of a letter from the Count de Survilliers (Foseph Bonaparte,) on the subject of the loss of his house by fire. 'POINT BREEZE, Jan. 8th, 1820. 'William Snowden, Esq. "Judge and Justice of the Peace, Bordenton. 'SIR,-You have shown so much interest for me since I have been in this country, and especially since the event of the 4th instant, that I cannot doubt it will afford you pleasure to make known to your fellow citizens, how much I feel all they have done for me on that occasion. Absent myself from my house, they collected by a spontaneous movement on the first appearance of the fire, which they combatted with united courage and perseverance, and, when they found it was impossible to extinguish it, exerted themselves to save all the flames had not devoured before their arrival and mine. All the furniture, statues, pictures, money, plate, gold, jewels, linen, books, and in short every thing that was not consumed, has been most scrupulously delivered into the hands of the people of my house. In the night of the fire, and during the next day, there were brought to me, by labouring men, drawers in which I have found the proper quantity of pieces of money and medals of gold, and valua ble jewels, which might have been taken with impunity. This event has proved to me how much the inhabitants of Bordenton appreciate the interest I have always felt for them; and shows that men in general, are good, when they have not been perverted in their youth, by a bad education; when they maintain their dignity as men, and feel that true greatness is in the soul and depends upon ourselves. |