POPULATION, &C., OF SALONICA. 229 



can be imagined, a horrible marsh, of immense 

 extent, being close to it on the N. W. and north ; 

 indeed the consul told me that, since he had been 

 there, neither himself nor any of his family had, 

 during either winter or summer, enjoyed a day^s 

 health. In the neighbourhood, I am told, there 

 are both grey and red-legged partridges in abun- 

 dance. 



Salonica contains fifty-nine thousand inhabi- 

 tants. Of these, thirteen thousand are Greeks, 

 or, as they are called, Rayahs, and twenty-five 

 thousand Jews, leaving a remainder of twenty- 

 one thousand Turks, of which there are a very 

 considerable number who are Jews by blood, but 

 who, about a century ago, were forced to turn 

 Turks. They are unfortunate fellows, being de- 

 spised by all, whether Jews, Greeks, or Turks. 

 It is said that the thirteen thousand Rayahs pay 

 the same amount of contribution to the necessi- 

 ties of the state as the twenty-five thousand Jews, 

 besides which, the Rayahs have to contend against 

 the horrible villany of their own communities, 

 the extent of which is believed to be beyond con- 

 ception. 



The imports at Salonica from England amounted 



