1 827.] The " Mammalinga- Foda." 31 



observe and become well acquainted with the Turks, that one of the most 

 prominent features of their national character is a peculiar susceptibility to 

 the sentiment of gratitude. A service rendered to a Turk, be it ever so 

 trifling, is not known to have been ever forgotten, though the benefactor 

 may have happened to belong to any other religion than his own. 



Fifteen years had elapsed since Hussein bade adieu to the Baccal of 

 Yassi, and his existence was probably long' since forgotten ; when, on a 

 Sunday morning, Yanacki was suddenly summoned to appear before the 

 hospodar. The baccal felt conscious of no particular cause which should 

 bring on him the unrequired arid unexpected honour of an audience from 

 the acting sovereign of the country. But it was his duty to obey ; there- 

 fore, he instantly prepared to follow the messenger to court. He appeared 

 before the presence with all the due demonstrations of humility and 

 respect, and was addressed in a tone of sternness and severity by his high- 

 ness, who made known to him the arrival of a special messenger from Con- 

 stantinople, bearer of an order from the grand vizier, by which he (the 

 hospodar) was enjoined to cause a strict search to be made at Yassy after 

 the Baccal Yanacki, who, if found alive, was to be instantly sent to 

 Tsarigrad. 



The alacrity with which the Greek functionaries, under the Turkish 

 government, attend to the least of its dictates, did riot fail to manifest itself 

 on the present occasion. Yanacki was neither suffered to provide himself 

 with any of the necessaries with which a traveller in Turkey ought to be 

 prepared, nor even allowed to return home for the purpose of making 

 known his approaching departure to his wife. His mind was seized with a 

 kind of stupor ; and he was hurried away into a post-c#r0w/<9#, attended 

 like a prisoner by some guards, and almost insensible for a time of what 

 was going on around him. Every circumstance seemed to announce that 

 his last day was at hand ; and yet, when he had fully recovered the power 

 of reflection, he could not conceive why the life of so insignificant an indi- 

 vidual as himself, if aimed at, should not at once have been taken from 

 him at the place of his residence, instead of being required to serve as an 

 example at a distant city, in which he supposed he was wholly unknown. 

 Full of these perplexing thoughts, he arrived at Constantinople, and was 

 immediately conveyed to the public residence of the grand vizier. 



The system of the Turkish ministers has ever been free from those unne- 

 cessary formalities and often insulting affectation of importance, by w r hich 

 the presence of high functionaries belonging to states which boast of civili- 

 zation, and a proper sense of the rule of true good breeding, is rendered 

 inaccessible even upon occasions of the most urgent necessity. In Turkey, 

 the gates of every man in office, and the doors of his audience-room, are 

 open to the people of all ranks from sunset to sunrise ; and, from the grand 

 vizier down to the most insignificant delegate of authority, each commands 

 the respect due to his station by the gravity of his manner, and the dignity 

 of his deportment; and, by this means alone, he entrenches himself 

 against the encroachments of familiarity.* 



When Yanacki was brought before the viceroy of the empire, his name 

 was proclaimed ; and the vizier, having cast his eyes on him, bade him 

 wait. The business to which he was at the moment attending having 

 been gone through, he ordered every one out of the room, with the only 

 exception of Yanacki, whom he desired, when they were left by them- 



* With a little aid, perhaps, superadded from the bastinado and the bowstring. ED. 



