anks, every man giving him a sharp cut as he passed, while the
officers and sergeants stood by to see that the blows were sufficiently
severe; and in case of any neglect, the delinquents are punished
themselves. The man roared like a bull, and seemed to suffer immensely.

[Sidenote: SULTAN'S VALLEY.] Under the pleasant shade of some remarkably
fine plane trees growing near to each other, close to the borders of a
stream, thousands of Turkish and Armenian, as well as Greek parties,
formerly came to spend the day during the summer months. This is all
over now: the presence of the Russians prevents a single pic-nic, and
the lovely valley is deserted. Crossing over to the European side, I
walked along the shore towards Buyukdere, and at the point of Kerridge
Bournu enjoyed a fine view of the entrance to the Black Sea, and the old
Venetian castles which rise so romantically on the opposite coast, a
little beyond the Giant's Mountain. The view in the Sultan's Valley is
very grand, and the undulating hills approach each other in a
picturesque manner, forming a wooded vista, terminated in the distance
by the arched aqueduct which carries the water across several deep
valleys from the bents near Belgrade to Constantinople. These bents are
large reservoirs, resembling artificial lakes, bordered by thick woods,
groves, and pasture land, and converting their immediate vicinity into a
beautiful and luxuriant landscape, while all around is barren and
exhausted.

[Sidenote: RUSSIANS AND TURKS.] _Monday, 20th._--I strolled about in the
Sultan's Valley till dinner-time; and on returning again in the evening
to play at cricket with the officers of the Actaeon, I found all the
Russian cavalry horses had been turned out to graze. They are sorry
steeds, supplied for the Cossacks by the Sultan; they seemed, however,
to enjoy this liberty very much. Just before dusk, some Russian soldiers
came down to catch them, and we amused ourselves with observing their
motions. In vain they drove them from one side to the other, and into
all the corners of this extensive pasture-ground; it was of no use, they
would not be caught either by stratagem, or the temptation of corn. An
old white stallion seemed to be the prime devil of the lot; for the
moment the men got near, away he gallopped, kicking and flinging, with
all the others at his heels. The Turkish commmandant of the army
encamped near the Russians now came and sat down, and took a pipe. He
laugh