edict, breathing the most barbarous fary, the Servians were devoted to data or slavery, without distinction of age or sex. For the execution of this savage decree, Muchtar Bashaw, son of the Bashaw of Janina, was ordered to march against them, at the head of 8,000 Albanese: white an immense but most disorderly army, under the command of the grand vizier, advanced, from Adrianople towards the Danube. This un disciplined and turbulent mass had not been above four days on its march, when, on the 8th of May, the commissary-general of the army, Hussein Effendi, was massacred by the furious troops in the midst of the camp. The cadi Ba. shaw of Conia, a zealous friend to the introduction of European disci pline and tactics into the Turkish armies, met with the same fate, while the troops were on their march. The treasurer of the army, Dettardar Hassan Tabfin Effendi, saved his life by a timely and prompt resignation of his office. The move. ments of the army under the grand vizier were so slow, that it was long before he arrived at the scene of action; and when it did, it served rather to swell the triumphs of the enemy, than to retrieve the national disasters. Their native impetuosity and strength of body were not an equal match for the national perse. verance and military subordination and discipline of the Russians. Among troops which, from their to tal want of discipline and order*, may be considered rather as an armed The Turks never fortify their camps; which are formed around the quarters of their commander in chief, but without any regular order, as every one may pitch his tent where he pleases. The grand vizier, with the troops immediately under his command, forms the main body. The Janizaries, with their commander, constitute another body, at some distance from the other and between each is the artillery, with the cannoniers and bombardiers. The cannoniers are a very numerous body, and some of them who have been trained by French officers, are tolerably expert in the management of field pieces. But their commanders are morant, and their carriages so clumsy, as to require twenty horses, or thirty buffaloes to draw them. The bombardiers being a separate body from the cannoniers, have their separate commander.-The Spahis constitute the Turkish Cavalry, and are divided into sixteen legions. They possess lands as hereditary fefs, which, in default of male children, devolve to their commander, who may dispose of them as he pleases. Some of them have very considerable estates, by the tenure of which, they are obliged to maintain, and bring into the field, a sertain number of horsemen. The Asiatic troops, especially those from Syria and Mesopotamia, form an excellent body of light cavalry. Their horses are fleet, and full of fire, but they are of little avail against heavy and well-disciplined troops. Of the Turkish infantry, by far the most numerous body is the Janizaries, who are distributed into 101 legions. Their number is not limited: and most of the Turks enlist themselves in these legions, on account of the privileges they enjoy. In time of peace some of the Janizaries have a small pay: "but in actual service this is granted to all, and they generally insist on its being paid to them in advance. The young men, on their first entrance into this corps, are obliged to serve as scullions to their respective messes, and to distribute the daily allowance of provisions to their fellow soldiers; an office of much consequence among the Janizaries, who are much less attached to their standards, than to their campkitchen. The loss of the former they consider as easy to be repaired, but that of the latter, as an irretrievable disgrace. When this happens, the legion is disbanded, another formed, and provided with new kitchen-utensils: of which, for the pre vention armed rabble, than an army, the commanders are frequently exposed to the utmost danger, from the inconstancy and capricious licentious ness of their own men. In the campaign of 1778, the grand vizier was very near falling a victim to their fury, because he attempted to draw up, and exercise his infantry, in the European manner. To this they had reluctantly submitted for a few hours, in hopes of receiving a pecuniary gratification. But on finding themselves disappointed in this expectation, a general insurrection took place. The Janizaries rushed into the vizier's tent, with a design to massacre him, but the vizier having the good fortune to escape in disguise, ordered a distribution of about £.6,000 among the soldiers: who, appeased by this act of libe. rality, suffered him to appear once more at their head.* But this did not prevent several subsequent attempts, all of them frustrated by the same cause, the jealousy, aversion, and hatred, of the Janizarics towards the Europeans, whom they call Franks. According to the law of Mahomed, the sultan loses his right to the throne, if in the course of seven years after his accession he has no children. It does not how ever appear, as far as we are acquainted with Turkish history, that ever this law was acted upon; whether a case that might have authorized its execution, was ever known to have actually happened, or that if it did, the reigning prince possessed too much vigour of cha. Se. racter to suffer it : but Selim III. vention of such accidents, they generally take care to be provided with double sets. Though the Janizaries are considered as infantry, yet as such of them as can afford to keep horses will not serve without them, their legions are a confused medley of horse and foot: a circumstance which occasions no small disorder in the Turkish army. See more on this subject, Vol. XXXIII, and Vol. XLIII. 1801, p. 208. Voyage de M. Le Comte de Ferrier Saubeuf. she the committed to the hands of her paramour Joseph Aga Chia Jassi, whose policy it was to favour, by all means, the introduction into the Tarkish army, of the European dress and tactics, with imposts for the maintenance of a new soldiery, that there might be a military force to be depended upon, in the event that the Janizaries should by any means, or on any pretence, be excited against the government. Handsome barracks were built for their accommodation, at different places in the environs of the capital; they ⚫ were handsomely paid; and their number was every day rapidly increasing, for which abundant pretexts were furnished by the open robberies and other disorders committed in the vicinity of ConstantiHople, and the anarchy that prevailed in all the provinces. The progress of the revolt in Servia, the troubles of Arabia, which restrain. ed the Mussulmen from paying their devotions at the tomb of the prophet at Mecca, the invasion of Moldavia and Wallachia, and further conquests and humiliations menaced by the Russians: all these circumstanees had produced a general spirit of discontent, and when they were combined with the new institution of Nizammi Geddid, the troops dressed, disciplined, and paid, in the European manner, among whom great numbers of Greeks had been received, a general murmur of dissatisfaction against government was beard among the Janizaries, the great militia, and the founders of the empire; to whom the househo'd troops, or imperial guards of the Nizami Geddid appeared in the light of upstart intruders, and odious rivals. It was rumoured at Constantinople, and throughout Roma. 4 nia, and other provinces, that the divan, availing themselves of the ab sence of the Janizaries, who had marched under the command of the grand vizier to the Danube, had resolved to put Constantinople, the bulwarks of the Dardanelles, and other strong-holds, exelusively into the hands of the new soldiery, who, it was added, acted in concert with the enemy, and intended to deliver Turkey in Europe, into the hands of the Russians. On the 26th, 27th, and 28th days of May, meetings were held between certain chiefs of the order of Janizaries, and the Ulemas, i. e. priests and lawyers; at which it was resolved that Selim should be dethroned, and his nephew Mustapha reign in his stead. According to an antient custom, the Janizaries in Constan. tinople meet together every Friday, which is the weekly festival of the Turks; when the grand seignior, who is himself a Janizary, presents them with bread, and soup (schiorba, or sherbet) in token of fraternal goodwill and affection. The acceptance of the sherbet is a token of alle giance to the sultan, on the part of the Janizaries. On the 29th of May, the Janizaries assembled at the place of Elmeidan, according to custom. The soup was set before them. The Janizaries would not taste it. Just before they had assembled at the usual place, they had witnessed the procession of the unfortunate Selim to the mosque, at. terded by a guard, consisting for the greater part, of soldiers of the Nizammi Geddid; among whom, as above observed, were a number of Greeks. This complaisance of the emperor for Christians, which had been also most signally displayed in the frequent intercourse and affa. bility bility of the sultan towards the French ambassador, Sebastiani, the Turks regarded with indiguation, and almost with horror. There were 5,000 Janizaries stationed at Bajukdere, and the forts on the Black Sea, and the canal of Constantinople. After the depar. ture of the grand army for the Da. nube, the sultan Selim sent Mahomed Effendi, who had been ambassador from the Porte to London, and was a zealous friend to the English*, to those garrisons with uniforms in the European style, and money, to invite and allurethem rather than to give or. ders for joining the regular regiments of the Nizammi Geddid. While he was employed in reading the instructions with which he was charged by the grand seiguior, the Janizaries be gan to murmur dissatisfaction and rage, and one of their officers cut him down on the spot with a sabre; saying, "In the name of God I slay not the Mussulman, but the English Mahomed.” On being in formed of this event, the weak and irresolute Selim dispatched to the rebellious Janizaries the Bostangi Baschi to appease them with money, and to say that they had done well in killing Mahomed Effendi, who had imposed on them, and not faithfully delivered the orders that had been sent, but devised others merely out of his own invention, and for his own private purposes. The perfidious and covetous Bostangi delivered the message with which he had been entrusted, but put the money into his own pocket. The Janizaries were not appeased; and only regarded the sultan with the greater contempt. The dow. ager sultana, the mother of Selim, had been for some time dead. Her lover and confidential friend, Joseph Aga Chia Jassi, who was a man of talents and vigour, had retired from court, and the unfortunate Selim had fallen under the direction of counsellors, it would appear, both weak and treacherous. The infamous Bostangi, on his return, persuaded his soft and easy master, that all was quiet.But the Janizaries in the garrisons, having joined their brethren in Constanti. nople, the whole, to the amount of 15,000, seized the batteries of the seraglio, and compelled the three regiments on duty there, to join them. From the seraglio, they repair. ed to the suburb of Tophana, where the cannon-foundery is established, placing as usual their standards and seething pots in the midst of the assemblage. In the mean time, they issued assurances to the inhabitants of Constantinople, that nothing was intended that ought to occasion the least apprehension or alarm. They elected for their commander, a brazier of Constantinople, and took an oath by stepping across a naked sword laid on the ground, that they would neither invade the property, nor make any attack or attempt on the lives of either Turks or Christiaus, nor come to any resolution without the consent of the Mufti, and Ulemas. After this, they proceeded in profound silence to the place of Elmeidan. In the march, one of their fraternity was detected in stealing a basket of cherries, and another in openly robbing a man of a pair of shoes. As a proof and earnest of their determination to respect both the lives and properties of all the people, they put those *He was commonly called at Constantinople Inglis Mahomed Effendi. Janizaries, the committed to the hands of her paramour Joseph Aga Chia Jassi, whose policy it was to favour, by all means, the introduction into the Turkish army, of the European dress and tactics, with imposts for the maintenance of a new soldiery, that there might be a military force to be depended upon, in the event that the Janizaries should by any means, or on any pretence, be excited against the government. Handsome Handsome barracks were built for their accommodation, at different places in the environs of the capital; they were handsomely paid; and their number was every day rapidly increasing, for which abundant pretexts were furnished by the open robberies and other disorders committed in the vicinity of Constantiwople, and the anarchy that prevailed in all the provinces. The progress of the revolt in Servia, the troubles of Arabia, which restrain ed the Mussulmen from paying their devotions at the tomb of the prophet at Mecca, the invasion of Moldavia and Wallachia, and further con. quests and humiliations menaced by the Russians: all these circumstanes had produced a general spirit of discontent, and when they were combined with the new institution of Nizammi Geddid, the troops dressed, disciplined, and paid, in the European manner, among whom great numbers of Greeks had been received, a general murmur of dissatisfaction against government was heard among the Janizaries, the great militia, and the founders of the empire; to whom the household troops, or imperial guards of the Nizami Geddid appeared in the light of upstart intruders, and odious rivals. It was rumoured at Constantinople, and throughout Roma. 4 nia, and other provinces, that the divan, availing themselves of the ab sence of the Janizaries, who had marched under the command of the grand vizier to the Danube, had resolved to put Constantinople, the bulwarks of the Dardanelles, and other strong-holds, exelusively into the hands of the new soldiery, who, it was added, acted in concert with the enemy, and intended to deliver Turkey in Europe, into the hands of the Russians. On the 26th, 27th, and 28th days of May, meetings were held between certain chiefs of the order of Janizaries, and the Ulemas, i. e. priests and lawyers; at which it was resolved that Selim should be dethroned, and his nephew Mustapha reign in his stead. According to an antient custom, the Janizaries in Constan. tinople meet together every Friday, which is the weekly festival of the Turks; when the grand seignior, who is himself a Janizary, presents them with bread, and soup (schiorba, or sherbet) in token of fraternal goodwill and affection. of the sherbet is a token of alle. giance to the sultan, on the part of the Janizaries. On the 29th of May, the Janizaries assembled at the place of Elmeidan, according to custom. The soup was set before them. The Janizaries would not taste it. Just before they had assembled at the usual place, they had witnessed the procession of the unfortunate Selim to the mosque, at. terded by a guard, consisting for the greater part, of soldiers of the Nizammi Geddid; among whom, as above observed, were a number of Greeks. This complaisance of the emperor for Christians, which had been also most signally displayed in the frequent intercourse and affa The acceptance bility |