HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
@ered to advayce towards the Da. 
nube to support them; and an 
“army was assembled in Asia, at the 
head of which it was announced 
that the Grand Vizier would take 
the field in spring, bearing the 
sacred standard of the empire. ‘The 
naval armaments of the Ottomans, 
as far as their means would allow, 
‘corresponded to their military pre- 
parations. ‘Their fleet was got in 
readiness and manned with the best 
sailors they could procure; and to 
prevent any hostile designs upen 
their capital, orders were given to 
put the castles of the Dardanelles in 
the best possible state of defence. 
The ambition and injustice of the 
Russians seemed to have infused 
life and activity into the worn-out 
‘and exhausted carcase of the Ot. 
toman power, which once the 
terror, had long been the scorn of 
Christendom. 
In the mean time the Russians 
‘ander Michelson, after having com- 
pleted the conquest of Moldavia, 
‘entered Wallachia, and having de- 
feated a body of troops, which the 
ayan of Ruschuk had sent to oppese 
them, they took possession without 
resistance of Bucharest,* the capital 
of that province, and from thence 
sent detachments in all directions. 
At the close of the year they were 
masters of the three provinces of 
Moldavia, Bessarabia, and Wal- 
Jachia; and threatened to cross the 
Danube, and join the revolted Ser- 
vians under Czerni George; whe 
after gaining repeated victories over 
the Turks, and nearly driving them 
from Servia, were at this time em- 
‘ployed in the siege ot Belgrade. 
Never had there been a period 
when the Turkish empire seemed in 
* Dec. 27. 
2h 
greater danger of immediate destruc. 
tion than the present; Egypt in a 
state of anarchy ; Mecca and Me. 
dina in the hands of the Wachabees ; 
Bagdad independant; the Servians 
flushed with victory, and masters of 
néarly the whole of their fruitful 
province ; the janizaries discon- 
tented with the European tactics 
introduced into the army; the 
councils of the Divan distracted by 
the epposite factions of France and 
England ; a Russian army on the 
banks of the Danube; a French 
force collected in Dalmatia; an 
English fleet cruizing before the 
Dardanelles, and a ship of war at 
anchor within sight of the seraglio; 
all professing friendship and attach. 
ment-te the Porte, but all denoune 
cing enmity against it, unless its 
counsels were submitted exclusively 
to their direction. By what accidents 
the Ottemans have obtained a respite 
from the dangers that encompassed 
them, by what mismanagement they 
were thrown into the arms of 
Franee, and how they afterwards 
escaped from the resentment of the 
English, forms part of the history 
of the succeeding year, which it is 
not our business at present to anti- 
-cipate. 
_ Towards the end of November an ‘ 
English fleet of three ships of the 
line and four frigates, commanded 
by admiral Louis, made its appear- 
ance off Tenedos, and iwo vessels, 
the Canopus of 74 guns, and the 
Endymion of 44, passed through 
the Dardanelles without opposition, 
and cast anchor before Constanti- 
nople. ‘The Canopus was after- 
wards employed in carrying away 
from that city Italinski, the Rus- 
sian ambassador. The Endymion 
Pe kept 
