ngues, Yorkshire bacon, Scotch
whisky, French cogniac, Scotch ale, London porter, English cheese, and
Havannah segars may be obtained for "a consideration." In fact, no shop
can be supplied with a greater variety of articles, nor in any city upon
the surface of the globe are luxuries, whether foreign or domestic, to
be obtained more plentifully than in Stamboul. Returning to Guiseppino,
we dined at the Europa, a good inn--at least, we had a good dinner; and
as evening advanced, proceeded to Tophana, and after a two hours' pull
up the Bosphorus, we arrived at the ship. The current runs so strong,
that the boats are obliged to keep in close to the shore, and at three
points are towed by old men and boys, who are stationed there for the
purpose, and receive a few paras for their labour.

_Friday, 3d._--To-day it poured with rain without cessation, and in
consequence, the ambassador could not go on shore. In the evening I
went to the palace for a few minutes, but it felt so cold and
comfortless that I had no wish to remain. This is by no means a fit
residence for our ambassador. I returned to the ship loaded with
newspapers, the appearance of which on the gun-room table was hailed
with satisfaction, nearly a month having elapsed since any one on board
had heard of the state of home and Europe.

[Sidenote: RUSSIAN MILITARY FUNERAL.] _Saturday, 4th._--This morning a
Russian soldier was buried, and we observed the ceremony from the
quarter deck. He was borne in an open wooden coffin; a priest in black,
and with a long beard, headed the procession, and a company of soldiers
brought up the rear. On arriving at the grave, the priest put on an
additional garment, having a yellow cross upon it, and then read the
service, sprinkling the body at intervals with holy water (as we
supposed), for the distance was too considerable to enable us to see
distinctly. After each person present had repeated this portion of the
ceremony as he walked round the corpse, the priest resumed his duties,
scattering more water upon the body, and the lid being put on the
coffin, a blessing was pronounced while it was lowered into the grave,
and with the casting in of the earth, the ceremony ended. The soldiers
then filed up the hill; while the priest, disencumbering himself of his
robes, proceeded to saunter about the shore.

[Sidenote: LANDING OF THE AMBASSADOR.] At two o'clock the ambassador
landed in state: the yards were manned, and the salute fired