isani to
inquire if he had heard from Rechid Pasha. We went accordingly, and Mr
Pisani informed him that he had just received a letter from the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, acquainting him that the Sublime Porte
would receive a deputation headed by Sir Moses Montefiore on Wednesday
evening, three hours after sunset, at the Palace of Beshik Tash. "How
great and good," exclaimed Sir Moses, "is the Almighty! At the moment
when I most despaired of success, He has granted our petition." Mr
Pisani said he had no doubt he should get the Hatti Sherif, but he
could not say when. Before we reached home it was six o'clock, and we
found by the brilliant illumination of the minarets and mosques that
the Ramazan had been declared.

_Tuesday, October 27th._--In the course of the day the Haham Bashi,
Signor M. H. Fresco, came to Sir Moses by appointment, together with
several leading members of the community and the secretary of the
congregation. Sir Moses recommended him to issue an order that every
school should have a well-qualified master, to teach the children to
read and write the Turkish language. Sir Moses offered to pay the
first expenses they would have to incur. The Haham readily consented.

An order to that effect had been drawn up in the Turkish, Spanish, and
Hebrew languages, and promulgated all over the country.

The Haham Bashi is the head of all the Jews in the Turkish Empire, and
his decrees are law. Sir Moses promised him to speak on the subject to
Rechid Pasha before leaving Constantinople.

The following is the account, as given in Sir Moses' diary, of his
audience with the Sultan:--

"_Wednesday, October 28th._--Sir David Wilkie, Mr Pisani, and George
Samuel dined with us, and at seven afterwards we set out. Our
cavalcade consisted of one carriage with four horses, and one with two
horses, six kavasses or police officers, eight men carrying large wax
torches, two horsemen with each coach, a sedan chair with each coach,
and three men to close the procession. As the carriages could not
drive up to our door I was carried in a sedan chair to the foot of the
hill, the other gentlemen walked, and I went in the first carriage
with Mr Pisani, the British Dragoman; George Samuel, Mr Wire, and Dr
Loewe in the second. I wore my full uniform. The streets were crowded;
many of the Jews had illuminated their houses. We reached the Palace
in rather less than an hour. On descending from the carriages we found
in the courtya