present himself before him on such an errand? George, however, the
fearless pilot of the Actaeon, would have belled the Sultan himself in
his divan; so he was unanimously chosen to represent the company of
English nobles, and pushed into the presence forthwith.

He found the Seraskier seated smoking upon his divan, and he politely
inquired the purport of his visit. George, who was in his plain sailor's
clothes, addressed his Excellency by all his titles, and replied, that
he was a British officer, one of several others, who were waiting
outside, because they felt unwilling to intrude on his Seraskiership;
that the party could remain in Stamboul but a few days, and having heard
much talk of the magnificent mosque of St. Sophia, they were most
anxious to be admitted within its sacred precincts; for which favour
they should be ever grateful, and devoutly pray, &c.

To this the Seraskier replied, that he highly applauded the laudable
curiosity of the spokesmen and his friends: that truly, the mosque was
an object worthy of their inspection, and did the order for admission
depend on him, he would grant it _instanter_. It was, however,
entirely foreign to his department, and he could only refer them to
the Scheik Islam, or to the Reis Effendi, either of whom, on his
recommendation,--and he desired George to convey to them his humble
respects,--would grant the object of their petition. He prayed to God
they might succeed, for God was great.

So saying, he bowed George out of the audience chamber into the court,
where we stood, bursting with laughter at the ridiculousness of the
scene, and well aware, that the permission was never granted, except as
an especial favour, and always by a firman regularly signed and sealed
by the Sultan, and delivered through the various officers about the
court, on the payment of heavy fees.

[Sidenote: FOREIGN VISITORS.] To console ourselves for this
disappointment we bowled away to a cabob shop, and having made a good
luncheon, repaired to Mustapha's, to assist our digestion with a pipe,
and make ready for the consul's dinner, to which we were invited. The
shop was full of English, French, Germans, and Russians, all passengers
in the Francesco; indeed, there was hardly a bazaar where some one of
them was not to be found. The Jew interpreters were making a rare
harvest, and the price of every article had nearly been doubled.
Mustapha pawned off Attar Gul, as well as every other scent,
manufa