The following passages, as being upon the subject of the foregoing
Lectures, are extracted from the lively narrative of an Expedition to
the Jordan and Dead Sea by Commander Lynch, of the United States Navy.
1. He was presented to Sultan Abdoul Medjid in February, 1848. He
says: “On the left hung a gorgeous crimson velvet curtain, embroidered
and fringed with gold” [the ancient Tartar one was of felt], “and
towards it the secretary led the way. His countenance and his manner
exhibited more awe than I had ever seen depicted in the human
countenance. He seemed to hold his breath; and his step was so soft and
stealthy, that once or twice I stopped, under the impression that I had
left him behind, but found him ever beside me. There were three of us
in close proximity, and the stairway was lined with officers and
attendants; but such was the death-like stillness that I could
distinctly hear my own foot-fall. If it had been a wild beast
slumbering in his lair that we were about to visit, there could not
have been a silence more deeply hushed.”
2. “I presented him, in the name of the President of the United
States, with some biographies and prints, illustrative of the character
and habits of our North American Indians, the work of American artists.
He looked at some of them ... and said that he considered them as
evidences of the advancement of the United States in civilization, and would treasure them as a souvenir of the good feeling of its
Government towards him. At the word 'civilization,' pronounced in
French, I started, for it seemed singular, coming from the lips of a
Turk, and applied to our country.” The author accounts for it by
observing that the Sultan is but a beginner in French, and probably
meant by “civilization” arts and sciences.
3. He saw the old Tartar throne, which puts one in mind of Attila's
queen, Zingis's lieutenant, and Timour. “The old divan, upon which the
Sultans formerly reclined when they gave audience, looks like an
overgrown four-poster, covered with carbuncles, turquoise, amethysts,
topaz, emeralds, ruby, and diamond: the couch was covered with Damascus
silk and Cashmere shawls.”
4. “Anchored in the Bay of Scio. In the afternoon, the weather
partially moderating, visited the shore. From the ship we had enjoyed a
view of rich orchards and green fields; but on landing we found
ourselves amid a scene of desolation.... We rode into the country....
What a contrast between the luxuriant vegetation, the bounty of nature,
and the devastation of man! Nearly every house was unroofed and in
ruins, not one in ten inhabited, although surrounded with thick groves
of orange-trees loaded with the weight of their golden fruit.”
“While weather-bound, we availed ourselves of the opportunity to
visit the ruins [of Ephesus]. There are no trees and but very few
bushes on the face of this old country, but the mountain-slopes and the
valleys are enamelled with thousands of beautiful flowers.... Winding
round the precipitous crest of a mountain, we saw the river Cayster ...
flowing through the alluvial plain to the sea, and on its banks the
black tents of herdsmen, with their flocks of goats around them.” As
Chandler had seen them there ninety years ago.
5. “The tomb of Mahmood is a sarcophagus about eight feet high and
as many long, covered with purple cloth embroidered in gold, and many
votive shawls of the richest cashmere thrown over it.... At the head is
the crimson tarbouch which the monarch wore in life, with a lofty
plume, secured by a large and lustrous aigrette of diamonds. The
following words are inscribed in letters of gold on the face of the
tomb:—'This is the tomb of the layer of the basis of the civilization
of his empire; of the monarch of exalted place, the Sultan victorious
and just, Mahmood Khan, son of the victorious Abd' al Hamid Khan. May
the Almighty make his abode in the gardens of Paradise! Born,' etc.”
“From the eager employment of Franks, the introduction of foreign
machinery, and the adoption of improved modes of cultivating the land,
the present Sultan gives the strongest assurance of his anxiety to
promote the welfare of his people.”
San Stefano “possesses two things in its near vicinity, of peculiar
interest to an American—a model farm and an agricultural school. The
farm consists of about 2,000 acres of land, especially appropriated to
the culture of the cotton-plant. Both farm and school are under the
superintendence of Dr. Davis of South Carolina.... Besides the
principal culture, he is sedulously engaged in the introduction of
seeds, plants, domestic animals, and agricultural instruments. The
school is held in one of the kiosks of the Sultan, which overlooks the
sea.”
At Jaffa, Dr. Kayat, H.B.M. Consul, “has encouraged the culture of
the vine; has introduced that of the mulberry and of the Irish potato;
and by word and example is endeavouring to prevail on the people in the
adjacent plain to cultivate the sweet potato.... In the court-yard we
observed an English plough of improved construction.”
He speaks in several places of the remains of the terrace
cultivation (vid. above, p. 128) of Palestine.
6. “We visited the barracks, where a large number of Turkish
soldiers, shaved and dressed like Europeans except the moustache and
the tarbouch, received us with the Asiatic salute.... The whole caserne
was scrupulously clean, the bread dark coloured, but well baked and
sweet. The colonel, who politely accompanied us, said that the
bastinado had been discontinued, on account of its injuring the
culprit's eyes.”
... “Here,” in the Palace, “we saw the last of the White Eunuchs;
the present enlightened Sultan having pensioned off those on hand, and
discontinued their attendance for ever.”
“In an extensive, but nearly vacant building, was an abortive
attempt at a museum.”
“It is said, but untruly, that the slave market of Constantinople
has been abolished. An edict, it is true, was some years since
promulgated, which declared the purchase and sale of slaves to be
unlawful; the prohibition, however, is only operative against the
Franks, under which term the Greeks are included.”
7. “Every coloured person, employed by the Government, receives
monthly wages; and, if a slave, is emancipated at the expiration of
seven years, when he becomes eligible to any office beneath the
sovereignty. Many of the high dignitaries of the empire were originally
slaves; the present Governor of the Dardanelles is a black, and was, a
short time since, freed from servitude.”
“The secretary had the most prepossessing countenance of any Turk I
had yet seen, and in conversation evinced a spirit of inquiry and an
amount of intelligence that far surpassed my expectations.... His
history is a pleasing one. He was a poor boy, a charity scholar in one
of the public schools. The late Sultan Mahmood requiring a page to fill
a vacancy in his suite, directed the appointment to be given to the
most intelligent pupil. The present secretary was the fortunate one;
and by his abilities, his suavity and discretion, has risen to the
highest office near the person of majesty.”
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES.
[The dates, as will be seen, are fixed on no scientific principal,
but are taken as they severally occur in approved authors.]
OUTLINES OF TURKISH CHRONOLOGY.
A.D.
I. Tartar Empire of the Turks in the north and centre of
Asia 500-700
II. Their subjection, education, and silent growth, under the
Saracens 700-1000
III. Their Gaznevide Empire in Hindostan 1000-1200
IV. Their Seljukian Empire in Persia and Asia Minor 1048-1100
V. Decline of the Seljukians, yet continuous descent of their
kindred tribes to the West 1100-1300
VI. Their Ottoman Empire in Asia, Africa, and Europe,
growing for 270 years 1300-1571
VII. Their Ottoman Empire declining for 270 years 1571-1841
CHRONOLOGICAL EVENTS INTRODUCED INTO THE FOREGOING LECTURES.
B.C.
Semiramis lost in the Scythian desert p. 13 —
The Scythians celebrated by Homer pp. 29, 39 900
The Scythians occupy for twenty-eight years the Median kingdom
in the time of Cyaxares pp. 15, 22 (Prideaux) 633
Cyrus loses his life in an expedition against the Scythian
Massagetæ
p. 14 (Clinton) 529
Darius invades Scythia north of the Danube, p. 16 (Clinton
) 508
Zoroaster p. 66 (Prideaux) 492
Alexander's campaign in Sogdiana p. 18 (Clinton) 329
A.D.
Ancient Empire of the Huns in further Asia ends; their consequent
emigration westward p. 26 (Gibbon) 100
The White Huns of Sogdiana pp. 26, 34, 52, 60, 67 after 100
Main body of the Huns invade the Goths on the north of the
Danube p. 22 (L'Art de vérifier les dates) 376
Attila and his Huns ravage the Roman Empire pp. 27, 28 441-452
Mission of St. Leo to Attila pp. 29, 31 453
Tartar Empire of the Turks pp. 49-52 (L'Art, etc.,
Gibbon),
about 500-700
Chosroes the Second captures the Holy Cross p. 53
(L'Art, etc.) 614
Mahomet assumes the royal dignity. The Hegira p. 69 (L'Art
) 622
The Turks from the Wolga settled by the Emperor Heraclius
in Georgia against the Persians p. 53 (Gibbon) 626
The Turks invade Sogdiana p. 68 (Gibbon) 626
Heraclius recovers the Holy Cross p. 53 (L'Art, etc.) 628
Death of Mahomet p. 69 (L'Art) 632
Yezdegerde, last King of Persia, flying from the Saracens, is
received and murdered by the Turks in Sogdiana p. 69 (
Universal
History) 654
The Saracens reduce the Turks in Sogdiana p. 70 (L'Art,
and
Univ. Hist.) 705-716
The Caliphate transferred from Damascus to Bagdad p. 76
(L'Art) 762
Harun al Raschid p. 77 (L'Art) 786
The Turks taken into the pay of the Caliphs p. 77 (L'Art)
833, etc.
The Turks tyrannize over the Caliphs p. 79 (L'Art) 862-870
The Caliphs lose Sogdiana p. 80 (L'Art) 873
The Turkish dynasty of the Gaznevides in Khorasan and Sogdiana
p. 80 (Dow) 977
Mahmood the Gaznevide pp. 80-84 (Dow) 997
Seljuk the Turk pp. 84-89 (Univ. Hist.) 985
The Seljukian Turks wrest Sogdiana and Khorasan from the
Gaznevides p. 89 (Dow) 1041
Togrul Beg, the Seljukian, turns to the West pp. 89, 92
(Baronius) 1048
Sufferings of Christians on pilgrimage to Jerusalem pp. 98-101
(Baronius) 1064
Alp Arslan's victory over the Emperor Diogenes p. 93
(Baronius) 1071
St. Gregory the Seventh's letter against the Turks p. 98 (
Sharon
Turner) 1074
Jerusalem in possession of the Turks p. 98 (L'Art) 1076
Soliman, the Seljukian Sultan of Roum, establishes himself at
Nicæa p. 131 (L'Art) 1082
The Council of Placentia under Urban the Second pp. 109, 137
(L'Art) 1095
The first Crusade p. 109 (L'Art) 1097
Conquests of Zingis Khan and the Moguls pp. 32-34
(L'Art) 1176-1259
Richard Coeur de Lion in Palestine p. 140 (L'Art) 1190
Institution of Mamlooks p. 217 about 1200
Constantinople taken by the Latins p. 139 (L'Art) 1203
Greek Empire of Nicæa p. 121 (L'Art) 1206
The Greek Emperor Vataces encourages agriculture in Asia
Minor p. 121 (L'Art) 1222-1255
The Moguls subjugate Russia p. 225 (L'Art) 1236
Mission of St. Louis to the Moguls pp. 35-41 (L'Art) 1253
The Turks attack the north and west coast of Asia Minor
p. 93 (Univ. Hist.) 1266-1296
Marco Polo p. 37 1270
End of the Seljukian kingdom of Roum p. 132 (L'Art) 1294
Othman p. 132 1301
The Popes retire to Avignon for seventy years p. 143 (L'Art
) 1305
Orchan, successor to Othman, originates the institution of
Janizaries p. 134 (L'Art) 1326-1360
Battle of Cressy p. 140 1346
Battle of Poitiers, p. 140 1356
Wicliffe, p. 139 1360
Amurath institutes the Janizaries pp. 113, 215, 218 (Gibbon
) 1370
Conquests of Timour p. 32 (L'Art) 1370, etc.
Schismatical Pontiffs for thirty-eight years p. 143
(L'Art) 1378-1417
Battle of Nicopolis p. 146 (L'Art) 1393
Timour defeats and captures Bajazet p. 144 (L'Art) 1402
Timour at Samarcand pp. 38, 45 (L'Art) 1404
Timour dies on his Chinese expedition p. 46 1405
Henry the Fourth of England dies, p. 141 1413
Battle of Agincourt pp. 140, 145 1415
Huss p. 140 1415
Henry the Fifth of England dies p. 142 1422
Maid of Orleans p. 141 1428
Battle of Varna p. 147 (L'Art) 1442
Constantinople taken by the Ottomans p. 147 1453
John Basilowich rescues Russia from the Moguls p. 47
(L'Art) about 1480
Luther p. 140 1517
Soliman the Great pp. 148, 192 1520
St. Pius the Fifth p. 153 1568
Battle of Lepanto pp. 156, 189 1571