2$ Txarke’s travels. 
room, he practised all the tricks we had seen at the mosqiyS 
with the exception of the hot irons, for which he confessed he 
was not prepared. He affected to stab himself, in the eyes and 
cheeks, with large poiguards ; but, upon examination, we soon 
discovered that the blades of the weapons were admitted by 
springs into their handles, like those used upon the stage in 
our theatres. A trick which he practised with extraordinary 
skill and address, was that of drawing a sabre across his naked 
body, after having caused the skin of the abdomen to lapse 
over it. 
As soon as his exhibition ended, we were told by our host 
that the dervish should now bear testimony to a miracle on our 
part; and, as he had no conception of the manner in which it 
was brought about, it was probably never afterward forgotten 
by him. A large electrical apparatus stood within an adjoin¬ 
ing apartment; the conductors from which, passing into the 
room, as common bell wires, had been continued along the seat 
occupied by the dervish, reaching the whole length of the divan. 
As soon as he began to take breath, and repose himself from 
the fatigue of his tricks, a shock from the electrical machine 
was communicated, that made him leap higher than ever h6 
had done for the name of Mohammed. Seeing no person 
near, and every individual of the company affecting the ut & 
most tranquillity and unconcern, he was perfectly panic struck. 
Ashamed, however, that an inspired priest, and one of the 
guardians of the miracles of Islamism, should betray cause¬ 
less alarm, he ventured once more to resume his seat; whence, 
as he sat trembling, a second shock sent him fairly out of the 
house; nor could any persuasion of ours, accompanied by a 
promise of explaining the source of his apprehension, prevail 
upon him to return, even for the payment which was due to 
him. 
A few cursory observations will now conclude almost all 
that remains of the notes made during the author’s first resi¬ 
dence in Constantinople. 
Every thing is exaggerated that has been said of the riches 
and magnificence of this city. Its inhabitants are ages behind 
the rest of the world. The apartments in their houses are 
always small. The use of coloured glass in the windows of 
the mosques, and in some of the palaces, is of very remote date : 
it was introduced into England, with other refinements, by the 
crusaders f and perhaps we may attribute to the same people 
the style of building observed in many of our most ancient 
