CONSTANTINOPLE. 1 1 
Under these impressions, we eagerly sought chap. 
an opportunity to examine the interior of the \ • 
Seraglio: and, difficult as the undertakins: 
may seem, we soon found the means of iti-j 
accomplishment. The harmony existing be- 
tween England and the Porte, at that critical 
juncture when Egypt was to be restored to the 
Turks by the valour of our troops, greatly faci- 
litated the enterprise. We felt convinced, that, 
within the walls of the Seraglio, many interesting 
antiquities were concealed from observation; 
and we were not disappointed. 
The first place, to which our observations imperial 
Armoury. 
were directed, was the Imperial Armoury : and 
here, to our high gratification, we beheld the 
weapons, the shields, and the military engines 
of the Greek emperors, exactly corresponding 
with those represented on antient medals and 
bas-reliefs, suspended as trophies of the capture 
of the city by the Turks. It is true, our stay 
was not of sufficient duration to enable us to 
bring away any other than this brief notice of 
what we saw : a Bostanghy soon put a stop to 
the gratification of our curiosity, and we were 
compelled to retreat; but even the transient 
view, thus obtained, was sufficient to excite a 
belief, that other interesting remains of the 
Palace of the C^sars might also be similarly 
