Some Remarks on the Mode of Travelling in Turkey. By Dr 

 A. BOUE'. (Communicated by the Author.) 



THERE are three kinds of passports in use in Turkey, 

 the teskere, a simple passport; the bigranti, of a somewhat 

 higher class ; and t\\ejirman, which is obtained through the 

 traveller's ambassador from the Sultan, and is called great 

 iirman. The firman gives the right to have a Tartar as tra- 

 velling companion and protector. These Tartars are employ- 

 ed to carry the letters and orders, &c. of the government ; they 

 have a particular dress, consisting of a dark, violet-coloured 

 short coat, a kind of short petticoat open before, blue Turkish 

 trousers, large boots, partly covered on the upper part with or- 

 namented woollen stockings, and the red high Turkish cap. 

 They form a particular corporation, which is much respected, 

 and they are all inscribed in a book, and distributed over the 

 whole empire, at the residence of every pacha. There they 

 live in a house set apart for themselves, called Tartar-han. 

 As they are thoroughly acquainted with European Turkey, 

 they find friends wherever they go ; and their being armed 

 with pistols, and a long hanger, always insures them respect, so 

 that the traveller may rely on them with confidence. 



They are in general a good sort of people; and though drinking 

 a good deal of brandy, are always sober when on the road, and 

 only intemperate when arrived at the end of their journey, or 

 when they have plenty of money, and are in a large town. 



Their pay is pretty high, being 10 francs a-day ; besides 

 which, the traveller has to pay for their return, and for post- 

 horses, at the rate of 1 piastre, or 5 French sous for every 

 hour ; but as a post-boy, called surudju, is required for bring- 

 ing back the horses, the traveller has in reality to pay for two 

 horses ; a third is taken gratis, in case one should die on the 

 road. The Tartar, when on duty, is always galloping, with his 

 whip in his hand, ready to strike the horse of the surudju, or 

 that person himself if lazy. 



As the Tartars are sober, and live chiefly on onions, garlic, 

 eggs, fowls, lamb, and milk, nobody, I think, before the inex- 

 perienced Quin,* was foolish enough to conclude a bargain with 

 " Quin, author of a Voyage down the Danube. 



