A lady's authority. 213 



to the public as a promenade, from whence 

 there is an excellent view of the city and 

 suburbs. Externally, the walls are surrounded by 

 a wet and a dry ditch ; by the side of the former 

 we were told, might be seen several inscriptions. 

 Hoping to find among these, verbal evidences 

 of the site, we made several efforts to get ad- 

 mission to them, but without success, till almost 

 the moment of our departure, when we gained 

 our wishes through an unexpected aid. Having 

 sent our baggage out of the town, as a last 

 chance, we sought for the chief gunner of the 

 fortifications. An artillery-man conducted us 

 through a small saluting battery of four brass 

 guns, commanding the port, to his office or guard- 

 room. The officer, however, was absent in at- 

 tendance on the Pacha. We were returning 

 disappointed to our khan, when our guide was 

 recalled by a voice demanding our errand from a 

 latticed window in the harem of the house of 

 the military governor, overlooking the battery. 

 It was the lady of the governor who spoke, and, 

 by her orders, our wish, which the Pacha had hesi- 

 tated to grant during two days' supplication, was 

 gratified in a moment. The conjugal sceptre is 

 wielded by its rightful holder in Turkey, as well 



