would be most welcome indeed, for I have one of each, and I'd like to have a change.

Occasionally soldiers' wives would be leaving with the invalids. There were,

however, very few of these women at Koulali; the greater number of them were at Scutari, where they received much kindness and assistance from Lady Alicia Blackwood when they left for England, if they were deserving cases. They also received clothes for the voyage. She commissioned Sister Anne to undertake the business for her at Koulali. They were often in great distress for clothes, both for themselves and children, and clothes were far more valuable to them than money, owing to the great difficulty of procuring and high price to be given for them in Pera. Lady Napier was also very kind in sending clothes to Sister Anne to distribute among them.

One poor woman, who washed for the offi

60

UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT.

cers, had fallen asleep late one night in the wash-house, and her clothes caught fire. She was frightfully burnt, and was carried to a room over one of the wards where doctors and nurses attended to her. For eight or nine months she lay there unable to move, her husband also in the hospital.

They

were both invalided home, but she was not able to undertake the voyage, and when we left Koulali she was still there.

CHAPTER V.

Pretty walks around Koulali―The Turkish cemetery -Legend relating to Koulali-The Sultan's kiosk -Candilee-Exquisite beauty of the views from Candilee-Europe and Asia at one glance-The village of Bebek-French Catholic and Protestant Armenian colleges-Visit to the former-The Maison de Saint Joseph-The amalgamation of different nations-Visit to the Protestant Armenian collegeA pleasant evening at Bebek-Moonlight on the Bosphorus-A visit to Therapia-The British Convalescent Naval Hospital-A walk through the Embassy gardens-The sweet waters of Asia-Historical associations-The castle of Asia-The Heavenly waterRendezvous of the Turkish ladies on their Sabbath— A beautiful woman-The currents of the Bosphorus -A fearful accident-The lovely gardens of BebekAn Autumn visit to them-The Sultan's palace— Turkish superstition respecting house buildingDolmabaghdshah-Description of its interior-Fresco paintings on the walls of the Sultan's apartments— The Imperial hareém-The Sultan's bath.

THERE are several pretty walks around Koulali, but we did not often take them as

62

THE TURKISH CEMETERY.

we were afraid to be far out of call of the sentries; our usual walks were to the Turkish cemetery, or the Sultan's kiosk. The cemetery was on a hill a little beyond the General Hospital; it is a grove of cypresses interspersed with white marble tombstones. The immense extent of these cemeteries arose from the custom of planting a cypress at each grave. This custom is not now so general, the Turks never place more than one body in a grave.

The Turkish name for Koulali is Kulleh Baghdshessi, or the garden of the tower. There is a legend attached to it. Sultan Selim the 1st was so enraged against his son Suleikam that he commanded his vizier to have him strangled. The vizier, however, risked his own life to save that of the prince. He confined him for three years in a tower at Koulali. Selim one day repented himself of his cruelty for he had no other children -and then the vizier thought fit to confess

his disobedience. Selim was succeeded by Suleiman, who pulled down the tower and planted a beautiful garden and fountain on the spot of his captivity.

The Sultan's kiosk is built on the point of the highest hill above Koulali. It was such labour to climb it that we seldom went, but when we did gain the summit the view was magnificent, for we could see miles of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmora.

The next village to Koulali is Candilee, and it is a lovely spot; its ancient name meant stream-girt, from the strength of the current which washes its banks, but now it is called Candilee, i. e., hung with lanterns. It is impossible to describe the exquisite beauty of the views from Candilee. Several English gentlemen have country houses here; from one we visited we saw plainly the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmora, almost the whole extent of the Bosphorus, hills, and palaces, and groves without number-Europe