IN THE FERDINANDO STEAMER. 273 



wards a good deal, had canvass curtains hanging 

 down upon the deck, and whilst wondering what 

 these could be intended for, I saw a black, woolly 

 head peeping out from underneath, then another, 

 then a third, till at last I began to think I must 

 have been transported in my sleep to Abyssinia 

 or Caffreland. The whole deck, as if by magic, 

 became alive with black heads. On my ap- 

 proaching to examine into the cause of this appa- 

 rently extraordinary proceeding, I found that a 

 large number of slaves had been shipped on board 

 for conveyance to Bulgaria, and that they were 

 stowed away, behind the canvass curtains, under 

 the hammock-nettings. I had scarcely satisfied 

 my curiosity on this point, when, looking round, 

 I found that our party on board consisted of as 

 motley an assemblage of persons of every coun- 

 try, religion, and language as can well be ima- 

 gined. Turks in government employ, wearing 

 military surtout coats, and bag-like trowsers, such 

 trowsers ! then Greeks in petticoat-trowsers and 

 long boots; Bulgarians in fur caps ; Armenians,- 

 Jews of every nation, yet with a community of 

 language and custom, and whose physiognomy it 

 is impossible to mistake, now conversing together 

 N 3 



