d us, from the midst of the
sparkling waves, rose the island of Tenedos. All conversation between
the passengers from many nations had long since ceased, and I
contemplated in silence that grim desert, which, at Eton, I had dreamed
of as full of movement and sound, and that calm sea which I had so often
figured to myself as covered with the ships of Agamemnon, of Ulysses,
and of Achilles the

"Impiger, iracundus, inexorabilis, acer."

At mid-day we entered the Dardanelles, and several hours afterwards, we
cast anchor between Sestos and Abydos, before a small white town,
containing no remarkable objects. Sestos and Abydos, which it must be
owned would not be by any means celebrated, were it not for the
enterprises which cost Leander his life and Lord Byron an ague, are two
hamlets, which, like the greater portion of Turkish villages, offer in
no shape whatever what it is the fashion to term the Oriental type. They
are composed of an assemblage of rose-coloured houses, whose large red
roofs, seen through the verdure and flowers, call to one's mind the
description of a Chinese village.

Upon its arrival, the Scamandre was immediately surrounded by a
multitude of caicks filled with bearded Turks, veiled women, and various
coloured bales. Upon deck rose a deafening Babel of voices,--the sailors
swore, the women screamed, and the porters fought, until at length quiet
was restored, and one hundred and eighty-six new Mussulman passengers
came on board the steamer. Amid the caicks ranged along the sides of the
vessel, was one much more richly freighted than the rest; the traveller
to whom it belonged was a young Arab, who, standing on a pile of bales,
domineered over his boatmen by several feet. His white garments set off
to advantage his dark complexion; and a cloak of black wool, profusely
embroidered with gold lace, drew upon him the eyes of all. I had seldom,
if ever, beheld a head more beautiful or more expressive than that of
the young man. His large black eyes were full of intelligence, and in
his bearing was a natural nobility and pride. As long as the confusion,
described above, continued, he directed his boatmen to keep at a
distance, but when all were embarked, and the Scamandre was ready to
start, he hailed the vessel, and having mounted the side-ladders, gave
his hand to six veiled women in succession, whose long white dominos
prevented the spectators from even guessing at their age or beauty. The
young man,