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animals , and then send them to every market in Germany . Might not this prove an advantageous speculation " for some of our own wealthy traders ? In the interior of the country they can be bought even at a lower rate ; at the same time , their flavour being similar to thatof the wild boar , which they somewhat resemble in form , renders them the more acceptable to the epicure . Now , as the Danube is equally open to the commercial speculation of an Englishman as an Austrian , I trust that some of my friends will profit by the hint , and make their fortunes . . .
•* I feel assui « d that , if some of our enterprising countrymen , acquainted with commercial pursuits , were to vieit these provinces of European i « r « ey , They would find a rich field , as yet unexplored x both here , as well as in Moldavia and Wallachia , I found a most anxious desire on the part of the inhabitants to establish a more intimate commercial connection with Great Britain . Prince Constantine Soutzo , of Moldavia , one of the most extensive landed proprietors of the province , frequently expressed to me his wishes to that effect , and begged me , on my return home , to open for him a negotiation with some English merchant for the disposal of his timber , corn , and cattle , which seemed to lie upon his hands without the possibility of a sale .
" As all commerce should be reciprocal , perhaps it may be expected that I should suggest what articles of our manufactures would be most likely to find a lucrative sale . Sheffield cutlery , which all admire and covet , together with Staffordshire wares , would be much prized . As to printed calicoes , the Austrians monopolize the market ; this is , however , not owing to their cheapness , nor the superiority of the fabric , but the manufacturer has had the wisdom to consult the taste of his buyers . The chief purpose for which they require calico is to make their long loose pelisse ; for these they use gaudy colours
with broad stripes ; it would , however , be advisable to send an agent to study the pattern , in order to secure with safety an extensive sale . In addition to these people , the Turks , particularly , have a decided predilection for everything that is English ; the Austrian and Sajss manufacturers , aware of this { -enchant , most adroitly fix to their spurious and flimsy goods the name of some well-known English manufacturer . Oiled paper being now superseded by glass for window-, occa-ions a large demand tor the latter ankle . Watches are coveted by all ranks , and are valued and admired in proportion to their bize . " Instead of following Mr . Spencer through hi 3 varied route , we will take random glimpses at the pictures he presents . Here is one of A SEUVIAN TOW . V . " During my rarnbies through the streets of Alexinitz , in which , like all the other towns of Servia , we are certain to find something new—some feature characteristic of this primitive people—I was struck with the novel manner in which the auctioneer exercises his vocation : when an article is offered for sale , whether a buffalo , ahorse , or a lady's bracelet , a drummer is sent forth to perambulate the town , exhibit the article , and take the biddings . If he can write , he notes them down in his tablet ; if not , why a notch in a piece of wood must serve the same purpose , and ,
when he h is completed his promenade , he returns to the auctioneer , who examines the different amount of the Kums which have been offered , and , if approved of by his employer , a loud rat-a-tat announces that ( he highest bidder is the purchaser . Nor is this the only office the town drummer » xercisea ; he is , at the same time , the crier and the gazette ; he announces the promulgation of a new law by a rut-a-tut , and the most important news of the day ; and it is he who HUinmom the inhabitants to arms , should the fierce Arnoiit , 01 the Bosnian , bo making preparations to cross the frontier .
" The vocation of this important functionary does not end h « : re . It is hIho his ofHee to announce , at nightfall , that the hour has arrived , after which it beco ; nen a punishable offence to be found in the streets -without a lighted lantern , lamps having not yet contributed their aid to the enlightenment of Turkey . ThcHC lanterns are made of transparent , pupor , gaudily painted , and ho folded an to be capable of boing carried in the pocket . The effect of" a number of these moving about in difft-ient directionn , resembling ho many gigantic glow-worniH , i . s exceedingly pretty .
•' The ciuarantine cHtiildiHhnient is of gii'at extent , <> nf ] o »( . 'd with Btron ^ palisades , nnd guarded by a little army <> f pandouris ; it contains Hbcds for merchandize , and Mtnbh'H , a han , and a few lintii lor the accommodation of the traveller who may have the means of paying for the ; luxury of a roof . Hut as the touriHtH in this country usually consist of kiraidjis , Hwineher < ln , and drovers of cattle , a class who prefer the night air to t ho expenses of a han , they bivouac in a lar ^ e open space in iho centre , around blazing fires .
" During the time I remained a detenu in the quarantine at Alcxinitz , I counted from three to lour hundred perHonn , as wild-looking nnd motley tin ifHc-uiblngo n » it wiitt ever my lot to be fi Kiitered among . Intermingled with the rayahs of Svrvin , Bonniu , Bulgaria , Herzegowina , and Tthernettoriti , there were Turks and ArnoutH , Oreeks and
Zinzars , Jews , Armenians , and Gipsies , habited in the costume of their respective tribes and nationalities , and speaking as many languages as might have rivalled Babel itself . Notwithstanding they drank gallon after gallon of wine and raki , they might be cited as patterns of good conduct and good humour to the inhabitants of the most civilized country in Europe . Here was no quarrelling nor fighting , all seemed intent upon amusing themselves , by singing , smoking , dancing , and cooking . Then , to afford a still greater variety of pastime , there were performers on the bagpipe , the reed , and the gousla , together with bards and story-stellers , spouting forth in the expectation of winning a few pari from the audience ; these , with our four-footed companions , who , it appeared , were also doomed to quarantine , formed a most uproarious concert : we had the grunting of swine , the braying of donkeys , the neighing of horses , the lowing of cattle , and the barking of dogs . " Here is a POBTBAJT OF A lUBKUGADB . " It appeared , while a mere youth in 1830 , he bad been compromised in some political movement that took place in Northern Germany , which obliged him to seek a iefuge in the Slavonian provinces of Hungary on the Lower Danube . Here he endured every privation , nearly starved , suspected , hunted from place to place by the espionnage of the police , his life forfeited should he be taken . Thus desperate and reckless of the future , he crossed the Danube into Turkey , became a Mussulman , and a soldier in the Turkish army .
" He had , no doubt , displayed great bravery and considerable military talent , for he had been elevated to the rank of bimbashi . Having chosen his path in life , retreat was no longer in his power , yet he bitterly repented the step he had taken , which had rendered existence a blank . He held no communication with hU family , who he was determined should never know they had a renegade for a kinsman ; he had remained unmarried , for he would leave no inheritor of a name which he said always sounded in his ear as the knell of happiness ; he never attempted to amass wealth , but expended his ample revenue in acts of charity , and assisting any of his poor countrymen chance threw in his way , for his heart was still thoroughly German .
" How deeply I commiserated the fate of this nobleminded German , whom neither rank , nor wealth , nor power , could reconcile to his position —obliged to conform to the tenets of a creed he dt spised , living among a people of who e intelligence he was centinics in advance , too fiequently obliged to perform duties adver .-e to his feelings and opinions , fame , honour , distinction , all that can animate man , existed not for him ; with no beloved hand to smooth his pillow , no kindred eye to shed the tear of love over his bid of sickness , he only looked forward to an honourable death , a ; id to lie in the land of the stranger . "
An amusing story of Bulgarian justice is told by Mr . Spencer . He had engaged a Greek guide to take him to Adrianople , and agreed to pay him on arrival for the use of the horses and his services . On the way the guide frequently demanded money on various pretexts . Before they had accomplished more than half the distance he had thus been paid nearly the whole amount , and refused to proceed , swearing he had never been paid a farthing . He not only swore this , but had the impudence to summon Mr . Spencer before the Kodji-bacha , or magistrate of the village : —
" Our little cause was tried in the presence of the whole of the villagers , who , with their Kodji-bacha , were already predisposed againat me , by the representations of the subtle Greek . With great volubility and earncbtne . sB of manner , the clover scamp descanted . on the unjust manner in which I had behaved to him . Described me as one of those horrid Franks—a species of living vampyre , who travelled through the country poisoning the inhabitants by
giving them pills ; and , as a climax to all my misdoingH , I was denounced as a Latin Heretic—a thousand times wore than a Mahometan , an infidel , who ate , drank , slept , passed over dangerous rivers and crumbling bridgen , and even heard the awful thunder , without making the nigii of the cross ! The women screamed and cronmrd themselves ! the men gnashed their teeth ! and the grave Kodji-lmcha frowned mout inenaciously !"
Fortunately , however , Mr . Spencer had taken the precaution of making the guide aiiix his mark to the agreement before starting , and repeated it at every advance of money ; the mark was a crows . Against this plea , the guide declared thut it wan a fabrication — a mere triek to cheat him : — " We now waited the verdict of tho village Solomon , who , with true Oriental gruvity , pondered over the ouho for uome time in deep silence . At length , lie rcqucHtcd l ) mnctiiu » and myself to take pun , ink , ami paper , imd each make u cross . Now , w < j all know how long a time it requires , and how muuy wearisome efforts , before the school-boy can acnuiro
sufficient command of his hand to mak » o 7 ~ ~ . — stroke . The Kodii , who was aschoUr ^ elitd ^ rf proof to enable W to discover which parS K spoken the truth . As may be presumed **?* attempt made by the Greek , whether large Or smaH produced aem , of crooked jagg « d ¦* & ££££ similar to thoee m the pocket-book . This w «« j ly cisive ; and the sentence of the village judee tn v , the culprit sent to Dunotika , to redi ^ h ^^ Z from the governor , brought the pitiful wretch to , T feet imploring for mercy , amidst the execrations f the peasants—an interesting manifestation of ti ? moral feeling of the people . " Ot the We must return to these volumes for further selections from their ample store .
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1116 ® t ) e ! t * a&eir * [ Saturday >
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THE TRUMPET-CALL ( THEATRICAL ) . As an old war-horse browsing serenely in rich meadow lands , with no cares on his soul except the flies , which d isregard his quiy eringhide and whiskinc tail , suddenly starts into energetic life , throws his head high in the air , and feels the vigorous pulses of excitement throbbing through him at the old familiar sound , the clanging rhythm of the trumpet call—as he , a moment ago so peaceful , now feels
" His soul in arms and eager for the fray , " so do I start from among the ancient folios which for many weeks have been the pastureland of my serene untroubled soul , and feel my dramatic pulses quiver at the old familiar sounds of " reopening . " A week ago I was calm , grave , a little pedantic perhaps ( as becomes a man who reads big books and Greek with the " contractions " ) , but wholl y indifferent to the footlights j and now— "Oh ! " as Mr . Wordsworth says" The difference to me ! " my calmness is gone , my blood is in a tumult , the Christian Fathers are put back on their shelves , my opera glass is taken out , the play bills arrest my eye , the theatres which looked so blank and mournful have a bustling joy in their aspect ; and I feel , as the politicians are fond of saying , that we are entering a new era ! The theatrical trumpet sounds ; and Vivian is at his post . " Reopening " ! What a beautiful word ! how full of hope and joyful promise , like the sound of " Breaking up " in the days of Dr . Birch ! . There is Mr . Webster already in the field . He reopened The Hoyuinrket with Macfarren ' s opera of Charles the Second . A certain chill was given to my enthusiasm by observing that Mr . Harrison was again to be the distinguished tenor of that theatre , and I was not present at the reopening in consequence . Then why did Mrs . Sterling , who has joined the Haymarket company , select such a part as the Countess in the Ladies ' Battle for her debut ? It is not in Countesses , it is not in elegant comedy that her forte lies , and she hurts her reputation by attempting such parts . Leigh Murray too should be warned against characters like Grignon . He is a charming actor , but comic he is not ; and the vis comica ia a gift , not an acquirement . . The- Princess ' s opens to-night . Bartley is to resume his performances , and the management has been wisely liberal in the purchase of new p lays , i hear that Jerrold , Marston , Lovell , Slous , and Bourcicault , have all new plays accepted , that Hay it Bernard is to furnish more than one , and him Serle ' s little comedy will be produced on Monday . Success to them all 1 f Bunn iH active in engagements for l > rury I- ™* - Drama and Opera will alternate . I hear that Mu > h ( ilyn is to make her appearance at this end of i ' town , and that Heveral " provincial celebrities < to support her ; she is decidedly the best ti . > K £ actress after Helen Faucit we now possess , and ix fitting that the West-End should have the opport y of seeing her . I have too often and too franky told her of her faults , not to bo allowed to say much without suspicion . tin The Lyceum , it is eaid , will not o n Christmas . This will give ample tune ior tnc I paration of another King Charming . , ; ' So much for prospects . Meanwhile J « u " " triumphant an ever , and deserves Ins ^ ' ^ Bottesini keeps up tho marvel at Iuh t ; xtc Alexandra IWlet , the classical | «»» ' » . »™ hllK added to the attractions ; and Mrs . Mevvu i replaced Mias Dolby . Vi <> BEL 81 LAZZAR" AT UXE fKK-i ^ ^ ^ On Friday evening , the I ^ mdon . Sacred I * rin | lC Society commenced its Season of I 8 ol- ^ -
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 22, 1851, page 1116, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1910/page/16/
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