either deserted by his country, or that his country had not lost the
power to assist him.

And thus it was that Mr ---- wrote to his chief at Smyrna a description
of the ticklish state of circumstances, and explained that unless
English commercial interests at Adalia were to be suffered to go
altogether to the wall, some strong preservative must be sent thither in
the shape of a stout ship, with a goodly array of long thirty-twos. And
so was it that word came to the good ship Falcon, which thereupon spread
forth her wings, or, in plain language, hoisted her topsails, and set
forth on her conciliatory expedition. Besides that we were delighted to
get away in any direction from the stagnation of Smyrna--a stagnation
affecting air, sea, and society,--it was a recommendation of the cruise
in this particular direction that none of us had ever been there before.
There is little reason why in a general way it should be visited from
one year's end to another,--I mean in the way of business, at least the
business of those who have to distribute their attention throughout
these seas for the interests of general pacification. The place, as we
afterwards found, is not without commerce; but there are no merchants of
our nation except the vice-consul. The advantages of this place as a
trading station, more especially as being a station where he would find
no competitors, had induced him to settle here. And the _prestige_ lent
by the consular name, afforded sufficient inducement for the undertaking
of an office, which, if it be not very lucrative, at any rate involves
the responsibility of no very serious duties. Though now and then a man
in office may forget himself, yet in the long run a consul is sure to be
treated with deference, and to reap considerable commercial advantages
from his position. Be it understood, that here there are other
merchants,--but the indigenous, chiefly Turco-Greek. Besides a single
gentleman who acted as assistant to the vice-consul in his various
duties, we did not find a Frank resident. We heard, indeed, that there
was also an Austrian, but we did not see him, so I suppose that he could
hardly have been of much consequence.

The weather at first beguiled us with symptoms of a change for the
cooler, and lent to our sails some pleasant breezes as we passed out of
the Gulf of Smyrna. As we sped onward, things became even better, and
especially delighted us with their aspect off Rhodes. It is a singular
fac