AVESHA, THE MAID OF K A R S.

THIS novel is an adinirable picture of manners, a very good exhi- bition of national character, an interesting though improbable tale. The nicxles of balutation, ejaculation, and cursing amongst the Turks (for the author has quitted Persia), are done to the life. The apathy, passing for philosophy with superficial ob- servers, whieh fatalism induces—the profuse conipliments that slavery has introduced into the language, till obsequiousness merely takes the form of hyperbole—the wily readiness which constant danger, or the necessity for intriguing even on the slightest affair, have infused into persons exposed to their influ- ence—are ably and fully developed. Not less ably, but perhaps not quite so fully brought out, are the apparent gravity and real grossness of the Turks—their cruelty, their disregard of life, their insolence, their servility, and the predominance of the animal or the mental qualities. The harem is a more ticklish subject ; yet some parts of Mr. MORIER'S sketches have an air of truth about them which banishes all suspicion of their being fancy pieces,— though, we presume, he must have painted his pictures from de- scription, not from observation. In his exhibition of the frequent superiority of the Asiatio woman over her lord within the harem, he is supported by MALCOLM ; the spirit of intrigue and the almost revolting lasciviousness of idea which form the chief cha- racteristic of the immured ladies, has been mentioned by num; but mere general accounts could scarcely have sufficed for the characters of Suleiman and Zabetta. Strange, that the Euro- peans should be commonplace people, or heroes, whilst the Asiatics seem taken from the book of life.

The scene is laid in various places,—the country between the Turkish, Persian, and Russian frontiers, the Black Sea, Constan- tinople, Rhodes, and even London. The characters are numerous, —Greeks, Turks of every rank, front the Sultan (for he figures in one scene) down to the criminals in the dockyard, and the ban- ditti of the border land, the Yezidies, or Devil-worshippers. The heroine, Ayesha, is a wonder; a mysterious inhabitant of a harem, but such a character as never could have been formed in the cir- cumstances by which she was surrounded. Lord Osmond in his conduct is as inconsistent and improbable. This hero is the eldest son of an English Peer, and a sort of Admirable Crichton in his way. Having exhausted the wonders of Europe, he travels into Asia, to observe the policy of the Mahometan governments and the social condition of the people. He is so versed in Eastern accomplishments as to be taken for a Turk : so pious, that he aims at converting the barbarians of Kars by getting up a meet- ing to discuss the respective merits of Christianity and Mahome- tanism, and addressing them in a set speech from FOSTER'S Moho- metanism Unveiled: so amiable and influential, that he saves the life of a notorious robber and murderer, in despite of reason and justice and the representations of the Russian commander; though, to be sure, the existence of Cara Bey was necessary to the progress of the story and its final denouement. At the time our story opens, this all-accomplished nobleman is on his way homeward. Arriving at Kars, the frontier town of Turkey, he by chance procures a sight of Ayesha, and falls in love : their houses adjoin each other; their meetings take place on the ter-

raced top; but unluckily, Osmond, or as the Turks term him, Osman, is beheld by his enemy, an Imam, as he chants the call to evening prayer from the minaret of the mosque. An accusation is laid against my lord : he is imprisoned, tried, but finally escapes; falls in with a gang of frontier banditti, by whose celebrated chief he is treated as half-hostage half-prisoner; is present at an attack on a Russian outpost; is compelled to bear the abduction of his mistress by Cara Bey; evades the poison which is prepared for him; and, alter a variety of adventures, breaks forth with Ayesha and her supposed mother; reaches Constantinople, where fresh difficulties beset him ; has the Grand Seignor for a rival; IS banished as a criminal to Rhodes; gets released by the inter- ference of the English Ambassador ; and is shipped off to Eng- land, where virtue is at last rewarded. All this is not very probable; but, to connect an Englishman

and a lover with Turkish adventures and Turkish ladies, was in itself a task of difficulty. Waving, however, the want of art which the two leading characters and some of the incidents as ap- plied to these characters present, the story is one of considerable interest: but the great merit is the exhibition of Asiatic manners. Most other writers merely present us characters whose names alone are Oriental; Mr. MORIER'S persons are Turks down to the hem of their garment. Here we have some at Osmond's arrest— Bops, by this time, with fear and trembling, had opened the door of Ids house to the Pasha's officers: The first salutation which he received, was a blow over the head for having detained them so long, and then he heard the question, "Where is the Frank Infidel who lives here ? "

" said the poor loan, 'slow in betraying his guest, yet secretly

charmed that the visit was not intemeleal for Liaised, " he sleeps up-stairs. But what is theme at your service ?—he plea,ed to sit :" at the saute time he waled out to his wife ta bring .safee and pipes. " You have dune me honour ; my louse is uNalted by your preserve." The Turks, who can never withstand the temptation of a cup of coffee, en. this occasion !Irmo] themselves true men ; and the two eltokliatlars, heedkss ot their commisaion, sat themselvea down on the At anenian's cushions, awaiting the proniil treat, this giving time to the whole. household to secrete such thiags as wire likely to be se:zemi if seen by their visiters, and which on such tic cosions they Mt themselves justiLd in &neg. The guard ieniamed stationed at the street deur.

Alustafa, who had the sharpest nose for the smell of coffee of any one of the sons of Islam, nu sooner heard the well-known sound of the moi tar in which the Tu.:stud bean was braying, than he dressed himself in all ha-ti, and making the wonted mliis4 aleikunt to the unexpected guests, sat himself down in all dignity hy their side, mold, lighting his first mot niug's pipe (ever a great luxury to' the nue smoker), awaited the coaling stimulant evith as much unconcern as if that was the first object of consideration, whilst the reason of their visit Wii8 appatently quite of secoudary Munn tance. They all sipped in solemn silence, after the coffee hail been handed about by the Meaquiotia linguist, and smoked between whiles. NVIten it was over, Mustafa dily mid, " iifiict olhih— fetich geoil inty it do you! " to which the others responded the same, and stroked their whiskers. . After a long inteival, in which nothing was said, and little else done than inhaling and emitting smoke, Mustafa bethought himself that it might be as well if he inquited the object of this their early intrusion, SO far as it concerned 11-7 ma-ter.

‘ Sir," said the head officer with gravity, " I am the head chokhadar of time Pasta ; I am come to invite the Frank to take himself va the Pasha's pre- sence."

" I," said the other officer, " I am the deputy chokhadar ; I ant come to help to invite the Frank to come to the Pasha."

" Pek ugi— very well," said Mustafa, " upon our heads be it : garnish, yocusle,—slowly, slow, we will proceed. The Beyzadeli at present sleeps; when he wakes, upon our heads be it, we will go." This Mustafa said in the full persuasion that these persons were sent on the part of the Pasha to do his master honour, fur he was not in the least aware that any thing had occurred which could give rise to a different treatment. The officers, who had an eye to an immediate backslash or present, and who had also calculated how much the reversion of future donations or extortions might be worth to them, appeared to agree with Alustafit in taking a concilia- tory view of the case ; and although the chief, who was also the spokesman, amid " Very well," and '• by and by," and '6 slowly, slow," at;first ; yet, us time day began to show forth, be gradually threw haste into the composition of his speeches, amid said "Thritk, chabukk, gidelini! Come along, quick, let us go ! " until Alustafa was obliged to proceed to his master, and to infiwm him of the Paalia's message, and of his wish to see him without loss of time. However, before he went, be thought it right to inquire what might be the real object of the Pasha's wish to see Lord Osmond, since the armed men and the violence of the intrusion produced a doubt in his mind whether it might be honour or the contrary which was in preparation. " Bak I—see? "said he to the officer, in a mysterious whisper : "is there any thing wrong?" at the same time winking his eye and shaking his head.

"-What do I know?" said the other as mysteriously : then putting his two forefingers together in a parallel hue, he said, "time Frauk has been seen with S woman."

"Is it SO," said Mustafa in astonishment; "that is bad," shaking Ids head at the same time.

" Truly it is bad," answered the officer ; " our Mufti is much of a devil, and visits a ztimpardik—a piece of scandal, with great severity; but, if you will put the affair into my hands, I can do many things." Mustafa, who easily understood the hint, and who had taken fright at this , disclosure, was not backward in putting a gold piece into the hand of his in- former, as a retainer for his good offices. He then, with an accelerated step, sunaht his ma-ster, cogitating how the circumstance might have happened, and fell of anger at his master's imprudence.

The intenseness of Turkish jealousy is proverbial : behold the form in which it displays itself-

" I was chanting the Azan at the usual time," replied the Imam ; "I had half gone through it, when, from the minaret which looks upon your terrace, I saw a woman with a man. Curses he on all infidels! May heaven pour mis- fortunes on their heads! The tuan was the Giaour we saw at the Pasha's the other day—of that I will take my oath upon the blessed Koran. The woman, Allah best knows who it was! I have said it, what more can I do?"

Suleiman Aga, during his speech, was gradually expanding into rage ; his naturally placid face became sullen, and occasionally flashed with looks of re- venge; low-spoken sentences broke from his lips, he cursed in whispers, he clenched his hands, put them by turns on the head of his dagger, and Ins whole appearauce might be compared to a pent-up volcano. Ile said nothing more to his informer, but seemed to be nailed to the spot upon which he sat, as if he were there ready to receive the announcement of any more misfortunes which might be preparing for him. A hung silence ensued, when the priest said in a low voice, "Suleiman Aga, what shall we do?" 'flue only answer he gut was, "I will send ruin to his father and mother," whilst Ilia eyes looked upon vacant space, and his head remained fixed in one position.

. " speak, 0 man !" continued the priest : "what is to be done ? " " Pezerenk ! —rogue l—wretch! " softly breathed the jealous Turk. "Ai Gardach,—brother, are you turned mad?—speak!" said the Imam louder than before.

" Earipek 1— Giaour I—dog! infidel ! " whispered the other.

At length all of a sudden, as if he had been bitten by a snake, be bounded off the sofa upon which he sat, and without looking either to the right or left, flung out of the room, leaving the man of the mivaret in utter amazement at this un- exampled feat. All be could say was, " He is mad ! " then straightway quitting the house, he proceeded to the Mufti, open-mouthed, with the in- telligent*.

lee wretched Suleiman had sprung through the corridors in his way to the ummen's apartments, when he discovered that he had left his slippers behind this little circumstance most providentially broke the violence of his de- termination. A Turk never loses sight of his dignity"; seeing his feet without their papouches, he slowly turned back to seek them, and by the time be had put them on, his mind had in some measure turned also. First;he released the head of his dagger from his fast-clenched hand ; then the fury of his wife's temper came to hi* thoughts, and acted as a check upon his own; and last of all, the charms of the unoffetaling Ayesha became present to his imagination, and very materially put to the rout that host of satanic impulses which were goading him OD to crime and bloodshed.

With less precipitation and more uncertainty of purpose, he now proceeded to the harem. Raising the heavy cut tam n which hung over the door, the first ob- jects hepereeived were his wife and Ayesha, talking together with great earcest- aess. Upon teeing him, they retreated into the room before described, whither

he followed them. In a manner totally unusual to him, and never before wit- nessed by his wife, he said, " Woman ! stand up and speak for yourself; you are a sinner, and if a sinner, God protect you! "

" What do you 5ay, Suleiman Aga? " exclaimed Zabetta ; "are you run out of your senses? I a sinner, indeed ! What abomination are you eating? If I ant a 141111V1, what are you ? "

" This is no child's play, woman ! " said the angry man; "tell me, as you value your life, as ,t mai value that child whom pal see there, what devilry has got into pew head, that you should leave your husband arid seek infidel for your company?" Zabetta was not quite prepared for this, and as guilt is ever a coward, her usual prowess in aim encuunter with her husband forsook her, and she wined pale. " I do mitt understand you," said she; " you are Out a man if you come lucre with a lie in your mouth to cliques,: a woman." 6' A lie, do you say ? " exclaimed Suleiman ; " men do not dream when with their e) es wide open they see a Alusallinan woman and an Infidel together : that has been seen this very evening ; you are that woman, the Giaour at the next door is the man ; do you call that a lie?" ".11‘ !—..vliat's this? " exclaimed Zabetta, regaining her assurance. A lie! I do call it a lie ; whoever said it, is as great an oaf as you are, and that's much. Why do you Ming our heard here to be laughed at ? Go to time ass that sent you here, arid tell hint ' I seiffi him a bigger as back in return.' " " 'Woman ! " said Suleiman sternly, his wrath rising with her impertinence, " your words are of 110 avail against proof. You have been seen this very even- ing, before time Azan, in company with the Frank Infidel : tell me plainly what happened, or, by Allah ! the consequences will be fatal to you. Suleintau is not easily excited, but when he is, let me tell you, it is time to place your trust in God —speak ! " Zabetta, seeing that the subject was too grave to be treated lightly, did not answel this question otherwise than by calling out to time black slave. " Nour- zadeli," said she. "COIlle hither ; say where have I been all this evening until the Azan? " The girl's face, bearing marks of recent tears, and not in the least aware of the importance of the question, answered, " You were asleep the first part, you were flogging time the next, arid then you said your prayers. What more can I say?" " There," said time wife, turning round with exultation towards her husband, " tell me after this that I was on the terrace with an Infidel. Huif! kap_ shame ! shame ! "

Enough of the Turks on shore : let us take take a glance at them on shipboard- Osmond having made every arrangement for securing such comforts to Ayesha and her mother as the rude nature of the accommodations on board would admit, and having formed a tolerable estimate of the utter incapability of their vessel to resist a gale of wind in case it should be their misfortune to be overtaken by one, was anxious to ascertain the extent of their captain's acquire- ments in the science of navigation. He saw a compass, it is true, but nothing else ; no charts, no hour-glass, no log- line. He stepped up to time old Reis just after he had finished his evening prayer in his little kiosk, and the following conversation ensued.

"Oghour altar !—a good passage to you, Omar Reis" (for that was the cap- tain's name), said Osmond, accosting hint with the frank familiarity of manner which is most likely to win a sailor's heart.

"May Allah give us success, friend," answered the old man: "please Heaven, we shall get on well."

" Inshallah ! " answered Osmond.

" Insliallah !" repeated time Reis. " Are we likely to have a good passage?" inquired Osmond.

a' What can I say?" answered the other. "Kismet 1—fate! we are in God's hands. The wind is fair : please God it will last." " Whither are you steering now ?" inquired Osmond, finding that they were nearly out of sight of land.

" To Sinop, bishallah ! " said the old man extending his hand right a-head. " By what point are you steering?"

" By what point! " inquired Omar: "what do I know? by the way I have always gone. Don't I know that there lies Trebisond ?" pointing with his left hand on the larboard beam ; " arid don't I know that Caffa is there?" pointing with his might hand. " Besides, have I not got my compass?"

" Aim, time compass! do you ever steer by compass?" said Osmond. " Evallah !— to be sure ! " said time old man in great exultation, expecting to surprise the Frank by his knowledge; then calling for the compass, which was kept in a square book, he placed it before them, and pointed to the fleur-de-lis on the index, " There, that is north; here is south : on this side is east, and on that, west. This is the direction of the blessed Mecca. We—praise be to the Prophet !—we know many things." " But have you no chart?" " We have no chart," said the old man.

" Then what is the use of a compass?" replied Osmond.

" Of what use is it ! " said Omar. "I have always done very well without a chart any father did very well before me; and my grandfather before him. After that, what can you want more? Give me only wind—I want nothing mire; after all, that is the father and mother of sailors; charts are bosh—no- thing!"

"But were you to meet with a fortuna—a tempest, what would you do then ? you ought to know where you are."

" Inshallah !" said the Reis with a sigh, " we shall have no fin-tuna! Al- lah bugia der !—God is great ! "

"Are the gales violent in this sea?" asked Osmond.

" What can I say?" said Omar, evidently wishing to waive the subject, pulling his jacket over his breast, and looking miserable at the very thought. " Inshaliah! we shall have no gale! Allah kerim der !—God is merciful ! " he repeated several times with great seriousness, at the same time shaking his head and throwing up his eyes to heaven. "Inshallah ! fort :41:a yoh I—we shall have no tempest !,, • • 5 • • Osmond had observed with much anxiety symptoms of a change of wind : the weather was sultry ; he remarked a bank of clouds gathering to the south- west, the precise direction of their course; the sun, as it descended below the holizon, appeared heavy and ominous, and there was altogether a general sen- sation of approaching storm. He looked about for the Reis, to discover by his looks,—the best barometer to consult, for there was no other en board,—what might be his feelings on the occasion, acd he perceived him quietly counting :hie beads after his evening prayer, perched up in his little cage, as if all was going on well. "What do you think of the weather ?" said Osmond, stepping up to him. It Gurelik —good, pretty good," answered the old man.

"Our wind is gone," remarked Osmond.

"What can we do ?" said the Reis, with resignation ; "it will come again." "Don't you think it will come a-head?" inquired Osmond ; "it looks dark yonder."

"Let it come," answered the other, "we can always run back to Sinope." "But see, it is come ! Why don't you brace up your yards?"

" Bakalum !—we shall see!" said the other, totally unconcerned. "AZ/mile herim der /—God is merciful !" By this time the vessel had drifted towards the shore, baring felt the influent:.

of the current which runs in the direction of the Bosphorus. Darkness in- creased to the south-west ; a blink cloud, portending an immediate squall, was occasionally lighted up by slight indications of lightning, and very distant thun- der was heard : still, old Oniar sat cross-legged on his carpet, with two or three of his friends, smoking his pipe, waiting for his evening :meal, and ejaculating ever and anon, " Praises be to the Prophet ! All will lie well, please Allah!"

Osmond could scarcely control the risings of his temper ; he saw the coining squall ; he thought he could perceive the agitatioo of the sea under the margin of the cloud ; awl when the approaching crisis coda no longer be doubted, he made his way hastily to the captain, who, with his hind in the dish, was quietly ruminating a previous mouthful of rico, and inylored him to lower his sails i lllll wait ely, cii W, he would soon have none left.

l'orude, purash !-- slowly, slowly ! " mumbled out the old man, with appa-

rent " Iii, dug yo/.—there is nothing ; kW:ma—fear not."

Ile hid no sooner said this, than the vhole violence of the squall took the vessel on her beano, the sea whitening with foam and thionving her very eon- riderably on her side. This cirennistance, accompanied as it was by a most vivi I flash of II;lituing and an a xfill clap of thunder, WWI produced a total ehang•• in the apathy of die Reis and his sailors, and a visible sensation among the passengers. Omar, jumping up from his carpet, left his pillau to the mercy of the w ;aids, and ordered his sails to be lowered. This was not so easily done, for the whirl having ellen Drell], they woe now flipping about, making a tre- mendous noise, arid flying out in every (Election avithout control.

'FUR k Dal 4; itsiurt DE.

The difference between Osmonol's feelings oriel those of the Mahomedans on being saved was striking ; he acknowledged and felt in the highest degree, that the hand of l'rovidence had inert:dully interposed between them and a premature death, and his first impulse was to vent his gratitude in prayer and thanks- giving ; the feeling of the Mahomolans was a cold aequieseC1101! ill the decrees of predestination. 'I hey all felt, more or less, unbounded delight at their pre- sent safety, thr it is our nature to slit ink from danger and cling to life ; but the same C11111 resignation which would make the real Mussulinan Lend his bead to the bowstring, or see himself involved in ruin, or meet his death by shipwreck, would also sear his heart to the love and go ;aim& %%Lich the Christian is pionipt to feel for every dispensation proceeding born the hand of his Maker, and make Lim look upon his preservativn as a mere occurrence which was preordained and predestined.

All felt tbat through Osmond-. sagacity and presence of mind, their lives had been saved ; but he received no iotimation off their thatiks beyond kind expres•

sions. the said, "Afrriu, Fraud done, Front ! You are a good non! Mashallah ! the English are good ! " Another, who had picked up a word or two of Italian, came up to him. and patting hint on the shoulder said, "Bono !" A third presented him with an apple. and holding up his fingers, as denoting a whole handful, exclaitneol, "..liosholloh !—praises to Allah ! Jack

(1—in—bono!" This ebullition' was followed by that of another Turk, who, coining up to Osmond, lookol at him for some time straight in the Lee, and said, as he shook his head in token of astonishment, "Ai yid; IngliZ—Sen ehok adorn !—Ah, you Englishman !—you are much of a man ! " The chief of the Janissaries invited Osmond to sit by him, and (offered him his own pipe to smoke, first cleaning its orifice with his thumb : his ob,ervations upon the late event took an epigrammatic turn ; for, pointing to the poor Omar, whose prowess haul certainly been far from conspic s, he said, " Osmonli dononts—Lwliz rums !—the Turks are hogs—the English clever dogs!" l'he Mufti did not deign to make the least acknowledgment ; but, when the danger was over, wrapt himself up as usual in his pelisse, made up his thee and mind to be wretched, and retreated to his coiner.

Two conclusions will be drawn from a perusal of the work. One, that an Englishman in Turkey should never travel disguised as a Turk; for by so doing, he foregoes the protection of his Am- bassador, and becomes subject to Turkish laws, which seem worse for natives than strangers. The other will banish his anxiety for "our dear and ancient ally." The picture which Mr. MORIER draws of the distant provinces, must convince Mr. ATTWOOD that the establishment even of Russian law in those devastated coun- tries would be a benefit to the human race.