94 



ASIA MINOR. 



CHAP. II. 



Hellespont. — Sigean Inscription. — Tombs of Achilles and Ajax. — Camara Sou. — Inscrip- 

 tion of the time of the Seleucidce. — Gheumbrek Sou. — Atche Keui. 



March 7.— -Before we commenced our tour of the Troad, we were 

 formally introduced by our Hebrew Consul to Hadim Oglou the go- 

 vernor of the Dardanelles j to whom it was necessary to exhibit our 

 firman or passport. He received us in great state, and assured us, 

 that he would give orders to render our excursion through his 

 territory, as comfortable as it could be made to us. Hadim Oglou 

 has not only the important command of the entrance of the Dar- 

 danelles, but is also Pasha, and hereditary feudal chieftain of the 

 whole district which we intended to explore. He is one of the 

 richest individuals in Turkey ; for he not only has vast estates in the 

 neighbourhood and the adjoining parts of Anatolia, but he receives 

 enormous bribes from the Greek merchants, who carry on the 

 commerce of these seas under the Russian flag, while the crews are 

 Ottoman subjects ; as well as from Austrian, Ragusan, and other 

 trading vessels, for conniving at their contraband exportation of 

 wheat and other prohibited commodities. He however is subject, 

 in his turn, to heavy contributions from the Capudan Pasha, who is 

 not ignorant of the illicit traffic. Lately, in his expedition to 

 Egypt, he anchored at the Dardanelles, where he not only made 

 Hadim Oglou supply the whole Turkish fleet and transports with 

 biscuit for their voyage, but levied a hundred purses on him, about 

 4000/. Indeed the Capudan Pasha, in his annual cruise to collect 

 the tribute of the isles of the Archipelago, uniformly honors 

 Hadim Oglou with a visit to receive his homage, accompanied with 

 a handsome present in sequins. But these are far from being the 

 only drains from his coffers ; complaints frequently reach the Porte 

 of his connivance at smuggling and of his monopolies ; he therefore 

 finds it his interest to have regular spies at Constantinople, to give 



