smiled most
graciously, and said, 'Present your friends to me.' I first presented
George Samuels, my relative, then Mr Wire of the City of London, and
Dr Loewe. When Mr Pisani repeated the last name and the Doctor made a
bow, Mr Pisani informed the Sultan that the Doctor had presented to
the late Sultan a translation of the hieroglyphical inscription on the
Obelisk in the Hippodrome. The Sultan spoke with Rechid Pasha to
explain it, and then said he remembered seeing it, and seemed much
pleased, and said the Doctor must be a learned man.

"The Sultan could not have given us a more flattering reception; it
was at the same time most dignified. The room in which he received us
was well proportioned, and neatly furnished in European style. The
curtains were of rich yellow satin and embroidered damask and velvet,
most probably of French manufacture; the carpet was English; there
were two large wax torches standing in elegantly carved candelabras.
We descended a flight of marble stairs, and were shown into a large
and handsome room, splendidly furnished, and more brilliantly
illuminated than the other room. We chatted with Rechid and Riza
Pashas, expressed our thanks to them for their great kindness in
procuring for us at so unusual a time an audience with His Imperial
Majesty, and our gratitude to His Majesty for his gracious reception
and reply. I asked Rechid Pasha when I might hope to receive the
firman which the Sultan had promised me, as I was most desirous of
returning to England the moment I got it. He replied that he supposed
I should not go before the next steamer left (on the 7th of November),
and that I should have it by that time; but as it was the Ramazan,
there was some difficulty in preparing it. We returned in state as we
came, the guard of honour saluting us as we passed them in the court
of the palace. We were again served, after the audience, in the lower
room of the palace with sherbet in elegant glasses, and we had
splendidly embroidered table napkins. A military band played during
the greater part of the time we were at the Palace. We found the
streets still more crowded than when we went; not a window in the
whole street through which we passed but was filled with female faces.
As we approached the Jewish street we experienced even more difficulty
in passing. At the end of the same street Signor Commundo, with the
ecclesiastical chief of Galata and about twenty of our acquaintances,
insisted on walki