НАГРАДЪ ГРАФА УВАРОВА. 
405 
meet on ту way towards the Capital, to rcceive me with the greatest civility 
and to report with exactness, what ever might happen to escape from 
me on any political question. If this be true, the necessity, to which I was 
reduced of travelling hither from the Dardanelles by land, must be allowed 
to hâve given the Melimendar, who accompanied me, a fair opportunity of 
doing justice to the instructions of bis Court. I do not, however, bear in 
mind a single instance, in which he seemed to hâve a thought unappropriated 
to the vexations of the journey; and the abstinence, which he exercised with 
respect to ail political subjects, lias since been religiously observed by the 
Ministers, wliom he served, with respect to the visit, which I received from 
prince Maurocordato off Hydra and as to which I had been prepared for a 
most rigid inquisition on the part of the Reis-Efendi, notwithstanding the 
means, which I had previously furnished of bringing the occurence within, 
its natural dimensions and relating the exagérations, with which it had 
been represented to the Porte by one of the foreign missions. 
I had the honour of stating to you in a former dispatch, that the opinions 
of the Turkish Ministers take their colour entirely from the Seraglio. The 
Sultan, since the deatli of his favourite Halet Efendi lias adopted a System, 
which, if it lias the merit of keeping intriguers at a distance, is also at- 
tended with the inconvenience of narrowing the Sovereign’s views and pre- 
venting the approach of knowledge and enlightened opinions to his throne. 
Не' still has a confidant among the ofticers of the Palace The Selictar-Aga, 
or Imperial Sword bearer, who was formerly His Highness head-barber, at 
present enjoys that precarious distinction, though it does not appear, that 
his vicinity to the source of power has yet inspired him with the boldness 
to aim at more, tlian being the depository of His Master’s cares and com- 
panion of his amusements. The Reis-Efendi is the appointed and the only 
channel, through which the Sultan receives communications from foreign 
powers. No other individual within or without the cabinet except the 
Grand-Vizier, who is identified with the Sultan, would at present undertake 
the perdons charge of conveying the suggestions of any foreign Minister 
to the Seraglio. Of the persons, wliom lord Strangford employed on critical 
occasions, to support indirectly the measures, which he was engaged, in 
pressing on the acceptance of the Divan, some few are still existing and 
in office but the bare idea of being supposed to listen to any political com- 
munication alarms them and there is not one of them, who would not rather 
sliut bis door against every European, tlian incur the suscipion of takiug 
part in a diplomatie intrigue. The very minister, whose long and interesting 
conversation with the first Interpreter of the Embassy I reported to you by 
the last Messenger, has since exhibited a most extraordinary degree of ner- 
