'Every stranger is struck with the numerous contrivances around Constantinople for supplying it with pure and wholesome water. Belonging to a city in the United States which has long been distinguished for its nauseous and detestable water, and for the cul pable negligence of its rulers on a subject of so much importance, no opportunity was neglected to obtain all the information in our power in regard to the hydraulic establishments in this neighborhood. The result, however mortifying, must not be concealed, and we therefore state, that on a subject intimately connected, not only with the comfort, but with the health of the people, the commercial emporium of the United States is some centuries behind the metropolis of Turkey.

'Under the Greek emperors, Constantinople was supplied with water by means of aqueducts, and large reservoirs were established in different parts of the city. These lat ter, however, have now gone into disuse, as expensive and inadequate for the purposes intended. Under the present system, all the water-works about Constantinople are under the management of an officer, termed the soo naziri, or inspector of waters. It is his bu. siness to keep them in good repair, and he is responsible for any accidents which may obstruct or diminish the supply. As no time is to be lost to repair injuries, this officer is clothed with great power, and he compels every one to assist in restoring the line of com. munication. This resembles the corvee of old France in some measure, but is much more oppressive; for the soo naziri fines most rigorously all who dwell in the vicinity of any breach or injury unless they give immediate information of the disaster. So important are these water-courses considered that the sultans have always been in the habit of making annually a formal visit of inspection, which is accompanied with much ceremony, and ordering such improvements and alterations are deemed necessary.

'It is impossible to travel anywhere in the vicinity of Constantinople without being struck with the great pains taken by the Turks to treasure up every ill, or the minutest trickle from the face of the rocks. These are carefully collected in marble or brick reservoirs, and the surplus is conveyed by pipes to the main stream. In passing through se. questered dells, the traveller frequently comes suddenly upon one of these sculptured marble fountains, which adds just enough of ornament to embellish the rural scene. They are frequently decorated with inscriptions, setting forth the greatness and goodness of Providence, and inviting the weary traveller to make due acknowledgments for the same. Unlike our civilized ostentation, the name of the benevolent constructor never appears on these sculptured stones. The quaint Turkish adage, which serves as a rule of conduct, is well exemplified in this as well as in many other instances; 'Do good and throw it into the sea; if the fishes don't know it, God will.'

'Among the hills at various distances, from fifteen to twenty miles from the city, are constructed large artificial reservoirs. These are termed bendts, a word of Persian origin, and are built in the following manner: Advantage is taken of a natural situation, such as a narrow valley or gorge between two mountains, and a strong and substantial work of masonry is carried across, sufficiently high to give the water its required level. Four of these bendts were visited and examined, but there are several others which we did not see. A description of one of the largest will give an idea of the manner in which they are constructed.

'A solid wall of marble masonry, eighty feet wide, and supported by two large buttres ses, rises to the height of a hundred and thirty feet from the bottom of the valley. It is four hundred feet long, and the top is covered with large marble slabs of dazzling brilliancy. On the side next the reservoir, a substantial marble balustrade, three feet in height, gives a finish to this Cyclopean undertaking. A tall marble tablet indicates the date of its erection, or more probably of its repairs or reconstruction. From the date, 1211, it appears to have been built about forty-six years ago. It is called the Validay Bendt, and is said to have been built by the mother of the reigning sultan. It is furnished with a waste gate, and at a short distance below, the water from the reservoir is carried across a ravine by a short aqueduct. About two miles from this is another bendt, erected in 1163, which corresponds to the year 1749. This is also a magnificent work, although inferior in size to the preceding. They both supply the aqueduct of Batchikeui, which, as has already been stated, furnishes the suburbs of Pera and Galata with water. Beyond Belgrade are other reservoirs which will be elsewhere noticed. These supply Constantinople proper with water.

'In order to convey a clear idea of the direction of these various hydraulic works, it may be advisable to follow each singly. Beyond Belgrade is a large bendt, which sends its waters into a basin already partially supplied from another reservoir. A mile farther on, the water is carried across two aqueducts, the larger of which is known as the aqueduct of Mustapha III. From this it is conveyed into the aqueduct of Justinian. This is twelve miles from Constantinople. It consists of two tiers of arches, each forty-two feet wide. The arches are four in number; the total length of the aqueduct, with its abutments, is seven hundred and twenty feet, and its greatest height a hundred and ten feet. A gallery pierces the square pillars, forming the first story of arches, and allows a passage through its whole length. There are four small arches at each end of the first story, about twelve feet wide. The precise epoch of the construction of this aqueduct is not known, although it is commonly attributed to the emperor Justinian II. This aqueduct receives also water from two others, the principal of which is known under the name of Solyman. This is sixteen hundred feet long, and eighty feet high, and consists of two stories of fifty arches each. It is a Turkish work. Another aqueduct also conveys water into that of Justinian, and is generally supposed to be of the age of Constantine. It is three stories high; the lowest tier consists of thirty-three arches, fifteen feet wide, the second of twelve arches, and the uppermost of four. It is three hundred and fifty feet in length. All these magnificent and costly structures are intended for the supply of Constantinople alone, and we will now trace the course of the water. Leaving the aqueduct of Justinian, it follows the right bank of the Cydaris, and receiving in its course various tributary rivulets from the neighboring hills, it enters within the walls of Constantinople near the aygry kapoosi, or crooked gate, whence it is distributed over the city. It was impossible to ascertain the quantity of water furnished through this series of hydraulic works; but, judging by comparison with that which supplies the suburbs, it cannot be less than fifteen millions of gallons within twenty-four hours.

'We will now return to the aqueduct of Batchikeui, and follow the direction of its waters. These are carefully brought round the heads of the valleys in covered canals, in which there are at certain intervals sudden breaks or alterations in the level, which answer the double purpose of agitating the water in contact with air and of precipitating its im purities. It likewise affords fountains on the road for the use of cattle and weary travellers. When hills intervene, tunnels are boldly driven through, at the depth of fifty, eighty, and in some places a hundred feet. The course of these tunnels may be traced on the road between Pera and Buyukdery by numerous pits, which were about two hundred feet apart. These pits were convenient for giving air and light beneath, and also afforded a ready means of getting rid of the excavated earth and rocks. It is possible, that at the period when these tunnels were made, the pits were previously dug, in order to enable them to give the necessary direction and level to the subterranean passage. Branches from the main stream are continually thrown off to supply the villages, and the palaces of the sultan along the Bosphorus. Notwithstanding all these expensive works, it sometimes happens, after long droughts, that the supply becomes scanty in the suburbs; and during my residence here, I have known water to be sold at Pera and Galata at from two to six cents the pailful. This, however, never occurs in the city itself, which is abun dantly supplied at all seasons of the year.

'Where a valley of great extent is to be crossed, the Turks have resorted to an ingeni. ous contrivance, which I have nowhere seen clearly described, but which, from its simplicity and value, merits a more particular notice. From the want of sufficient mechanical skill to manufacture water-pipes strong enough to bear the weight of a large column of water, they adopted the following plan: In the direction of the proposed water-channel, a number of square pillars are erected at certain short intervals. They are about five feet square, constructed of stone, and, slightly resembling pyramids, taper to the summit. They vary in height, according to the necessities of the case from ten to fifty feet and in some instances are even higher.

'They form a striking peculiarity in Turkish scenery, and it was some time before the principle upon which they were constructed was apparent. The water leaves the brow of a hill, and descending in earthen pipes rises in leaden or earthen ones, up one side of this pillar, to its former level, which must be, of course, the summit of the pillar, or sooteray, as it is called by the Turks. The water is here discharged into a stone basin as large as the top of the sooteray, and is discharged by another pipe, which descends along the opposite side of the pillar, enters the ground, advances to the next sooteray, which it ascends and descends in the same manner; and in this way the level of the water may be preserved for many miles over large ravines or plains, where an aqueduct would be, from its expensiveness, manifestly out of the question. In the city of Constantinople, the old ruinous aqueduct of Valens, which no longer conducts water in the usual manner, is converted into a series of sooterays, and permits one to examine their structure in detail. The stone basin on the summit is covered with an iron plate, to prevent the birds from injuring the water. This is connected by a hinge, and, upon lifting it up, the basin is found to be divided into two parts by a stone partition. Several holes are made in this partition near its upper edge. The water from the ascending pipe is allowed by this means to settle its foreign impurities, and the surface water, which is of course the most pure, flows through these apertures into the adjoining compartment, from whence it descends, and is carried to the next sooteray, where the same process is repeated. A number of projecting stones on the sides facilitate the ascent of the person who has charge of these sooterays, and whose business it is to remove the deposites from the water in the stone basins.

'This ingenious hydraulic arrangement seems to possess advantages which might recommend its adoption elsewhere. As the pressure is thus divided among this series of syphons, the necessity for having very strong and costly pipes is obviated. As they are from three to five hundred yards apart, the cost is probably much less than by any plan which could be devised, where, in addition to the cost of a canal or series of pipes, we should be compelled to raise it again by the expensive agency of steam or some other costly apparatus. The frequent exposure of the water to air and light at the summit of

• This word is from the Turkish sooter aysoo, which means the levelling of the water, and expresses very well the object of the sooteray.

these sooterays is another very important advantage which cannot be too strongly insisted upon; as it is now well known that nothing tends more to purify water than the presence of these two agents. The arrangement likewise of the basins on the top of the pillars is well adapted for getting rid of much of the matters deposited from turbid waters. Lastly, to the descending pipe a small cock is attached near the ground, by which the flocks and herds of the adjoining villages and fields are furnished at all times with a copious supply of water.

'On the heights of Pera there is a large reservoir, 200 feet square, built of the most solid and substantial masonry; from the reservoir the water is distributed through the suburbs of Fundukli, Pera, Galata, and Cassim Pacha.

'After a deliberate survey of the various hydraulic contrivances for supplying Constantinople with water, one is at a loss to know which to admire most, the native good sense which pointed out the necessity and importance of furnishing the capital and its suburbs with pure and wholesome water, the ingenuity displayed in conqueri g almost invincible obstacles, or that wise and liberal economy which considered no expense too enormous, no sacrifices too great, in comparison with the health and comfort of the people. The various water-courses about Constantinople must exceed fifty miles in length, and the expenses of the various reservoirs and aqueducts could not have been less than fifty millions of dollars. With a single remark we shall conclude our observations on this subject. The city of New-York, with a population of more than 200,000 inhabitants, has been deliberating for years over the question-whether it is expedient to spend two millions of dollars for the purpose of introducing a copious supply of pure and wholesome water.'

The genius of the present intrepid Sultan is well known and appreciated by civilized nations. The following extract, in which an accidental view of him is related, has a graphic felicity in its description, and a fine dramatic effect. We feel an interest in being thus minutely admitted to the presence of those in the lips of all for their genius or their power. We think we see the subverter of the Mamelukes and the illustrious reformer of the Turkish Empire before us.

'We were sitting this evening in the court of our palace, inhaling the perfume of the orange and myrtles around us, and watching the progress of the full-orbed moon as she threw her rays over the gently roughened waves of the Bosphorus, when the regular plunge of many oars announced the approach of a barge belonging to some personage of distinction. We were not left long in doubt as to the personage in question; for immedi ately a band of music struck up a spirit-stirring air, and from our little coterie the excla mation arose in various tongues, The sultan is coming.' The first boat, rowed by ten oars, contained, in fact, the sultan, accompanied by one or two of the officers of his court; and the second, which was much larger, bore a full band of musicians, and was brilliantly lit up, in order to enable them to see their notes. I may take this occasion to remark that all the military bands are now nearly upon a footing with those of Europe. There is a very extensive school, under the direction of an Italian musician, where young lads are carefully instructed, and from a natural aptitude become excellent performers. Sultan Mahmoud's Grand March is known throughout the empire, and as it is in fact a composition of much merit, will in a few years doubtless become as national an air as the Parislenne, or God save the King.

'As the gay cortege approached, the imperial caik suddenly diverged from its course, and steered directly for the court in which our party were assembled. For a moment we imagined that we were to be honored by a royal visit-a circumstance of no unusual occurrence, — and great was the consequent bustie and flutter among the ladies of our party at the idea of such an unexpected honor. The imperial barge approached so near that we could readily discern the person of the sultan, half-reclined upon a sumptuous cushion; although the indistinctness of the moonlight prevented us from examining his features, As he approached, a slight movement of the helm sent the caik almost grazing the marble steps of our court, and his majesty surveyed us, or, perhaps I should rather say, the ladies of our party, with apparently as much earnestness as we endeavored to trace the features of the absolute monarch of so many millions of human beings. The procession passed on, sweeping along the crowded quay of Buyukdery; and the last seen of It was near Therapia, where for two or three weeks past the sultan has taken up his re

sidence. In these excursions it is always understood that he is incognito, and it would be considered a great breach of decorum to recognise him by look or gesture.

During the warm months he resides at different times in the various palaces which are situated on the Bosphorus, and frequently spends his evenings in aquatic excursions like the one we have just noticed. His habits are described as of the simplest kind and his amusements consist chiefly in riding, fishing, and exercising with the bow. He is said to be the most graceful and fearless rider in his dominions-an accomplishment which may fairly be weighed against those of some of his brother potentates, who are at the head of all the civilization of Europe;-one of whom has been known to kill a wild boar, when securely tied up, at the distance of twenty paces,-and the chief merit of another, as awarded to him by his subjects, consisted in making the most perfectly graceful bow of any man in his kingdom.

'Like all his subjects, the sultan is extremely temperate in eating, and his establishment is far from being on that expensive and magnificent scale which we are accustomed to attribute to oriental courts. I have been assured by an officer of his household, that

the expenses of his table rarely exceed ten piastres, or about fifty cents a day; and from various anecdotes which I have elsewhere heard, I should not be disposed to believe that his annual expenses exceed those of the President of the United States.'

On the whole, this is the best, the very best book of travels which has been published by an American. Dr. De Kay is entitled to this praise. His intelligence, his industry, his happiness of description, his good humor, and his candor, might be a model to other writers, and are worthy of all commendation.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ART OF MODERN HORSEMANSHIP, for Ladies and Gentlemen, in which all late improvements are applied to practice, by M. Lebeaud. Philadelphia; E. L. Carey & A. Hart.

Poems have been written upon all pleasures known or imaginable, except upon one of the greatest of all pleasures, the pleasures of Horsemanship. Why has not some adventurous lyre sung that noblest and most stirring of all recreations? Does the poet want inspiration? Only place him upon a mettlesome hunter, pawing the ground and rearing his thunder clothed' neck with impatience for the signal which will send him bounding at his topmost speed over the plain. Let him seat himself firmly in his saddle, fixed in his stirrups with that elastic confidence riders can so well both appreciate and assume. Let him, in herald's phrase, place his gloved' and 'whipped' right hand bent 'a kimbo' in his side, and with gently tightened rein let him put his charger to his speed, and our sagacity on the stake, that thoughts worthy of an epic, will rush through his fancy as he flies. Does he wish for episodes? In what variety of beauty might they not be introduced, from the plunge of the war-horse and the fall of his rider, to the love scene between that graceful little maiden, in the flowing habit and jeweled turban, gently reining in her conscious jennet, as she flings back her sunny curls and listens, with pleasure lighting up her delicate features, to all that that manly youth is whispering in her ear; he leans gently toward her, his hand almost touches her, and his whip handle extended to enforce his words, half terrifies, half stimulates his noble racer, which with happy gallantry expressed in his glance, curbs in his impetuous fire to the pawing pace of his beauty-mounted companion, and snorts, and rears, with very happiness and pride.

Or, above all and all, does he wish to excite, to stimulate his readers, let him describe a Steeple-chase, that most glorious of races, too little known in this