108 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



substance of the mass. Two cities invited us, Aidin 

 and Magnesia, both of which are, as nearly as pos- 

 sible, free from foreigners ; for the Rayahs, though 

 they be Christians, are not of course to be considered 

 foreign to that soil, in which they have been im- 

 planted since before its occupation by the Turks. 

 In Magnesia, so far as we could discover, there 

 dwelt but a single Frank, who was consular agent 

 for England, as he was, probably, for half-a-dozen 

 other European Powers an office little likely to be 

 useful or needful in the case of personal protection 

 to distressed wanderers, but no doubt not without 

 value as a commercial relationship. Magnesia also 

 is interesting, because it is the seat of the great 

 Carasman, Oglu Pascha, a name to which are at- 

 tached little less than royal honours. He is one of 

 the great hereditary dignitaries of the kingdom, who 

 from olden time, and till but a few years ago, used 

 to be almost kings within their territory. At the 

 command of the sultan, these men used to bring 

 into the field enormous bodies of cavalry, raised by 

 themselves, forming the staple of the Ottoman armies ; 

 and Mr Slade, in his book on Turkey, places the 

 alterations of Mahmoud with respect to these Beys 

 among the prominent causes of the decay of the 

 Ottoman empire. 



The vote passed in favour of Magnesia, partly 

 because we expected in that place to find, through 

 the good offices of the consular agent, decent quarters 



