"Dont talk such trash," said the captain, muttering to himself, "tho' St. Peter is just as likely to have visited Smyrna as Rome."* "What gun's that?

The consignee and Tomkinson both pointed seaward, where a long line of smoke, in the distance abreast of Vourlah, betrayed the approach of a steam-vessel, a circumstance which had now occasioned the signalgun to be fired from the so-called Castle of St. James, situate about a couple of leagues from Smyrna, on the south shore of the gulf, at a point where the very narrow entrance to the broad and spacious basin, off the town of Smyrna, (spreading as it does like an oval lake, over an extent of some six or seven miles from north to south, and from east to west,) had tempted in times back some long-headed personage in power, to cause a fortress to be erected to command and guard this little channel, and if necessary to prevent all ingress, which with good gunners may easily be effected, for the entrance is as we have said very narrow; the castle close to the beach, the fairway flanked by shoals, and even the opposite shore within range.

The opposite or Menimen shore is known as Pelican Point and the castle of which we have spoken as the Sandjak Kalessy, and also as the Castelo-Novo, and again as the Chateau St. Jacques. Notwithstanding the similiarity in sound between "St. Jacques" and "Sandjak," their meanings are totally different; one simply being, as our readers are aware, the French for St. James, and the other being a Turkish word, signifying a banner or ensign; whence comes the word "sandjaktar" or standard-bearer. Sandjak-Kalessy seems therefore to be the proper name of the fortress, which may be translated literally as " Flag Castle."+ It is also sometimes called the Yeni-Hissar, or New Castle, while the fortress on Mount Pagus is termed the Eski-Hissar, or Old Castle.

"You found the passage off the castle narrow enough on coming in I suppose;" said Tomkinson. "The castle opposite Pelican Point I

mean.

"The Saucy Fanny threaded it easily enough," replied the captain. "The old barky has seen too much of the Swin at home to care for such a spot as this Pelican passage."

"We could beat through it, if necessary," observed the mate.

Many vessels find it an ugly place," said the consignee; "craft are constantly getting aground there; even steamers and men-of-war don't always escape."

"Then the passage should be buoyed," said the supercargo; “if accidents are so frequent."

"An English surveying-vessel did buoy it once;" said Tomkinson; "but some of the outward-bound Greeks immediately made lawful prize of the casks, and appropriated them to their own use. They stole 'em all and bolted."

*See the Times and Daily News of the 4th of February, 1851.

†This is certainly a more elegant title than "Castle Rag" at Plymouth.Printer's Devil.

"A good look out at the castle would have prevented that;" said the captain.

"Our Muslim friends are not too famous for watchfulness, I fear;" remarked the consignee.

"I think I should myself have managed to give the thieves a shot," said the captain. "They richly deserved it; for every tar should respect marks and buoys, and all that sort of thing."

"Are you fond of shooting?" enquired the consignee. "The neighbourhood of the castle is famous for woodcock, and innumerable redlegged partridges."

"You should see the middies ashore in that quarter," said Tomkinson; "they're the boys for shooting."

"I'm no great sportsman," said the captain, "unless being fond of mackarel fishing gives me the title. With a fit breeze for that sport I've caught those jokers with a bent sixpence, or even a 'baccy pipe for bait.'"

"Our Smyrniote fishermen," said Tomkinson, "supply us not only by net and hook; but have another dodge, they light fires in their boats at night which attract the fish near enough to be be speared." "I can handle the granes too," said the captain.

a bonito in my time."

I've struck many

"Here are some of our fishing boats coming out now," rejoined Tomkinson, "and their fires will flare up' before they reach the castle; the ground is very favourable just there."

"Come," said the consignee, "I think it's time to break up, as we've to ride to Bougia. Lend me that spy-glass. Ah! I see our horses are already on the Marina: and Milcon, my Armenian sais does not like to be kept waiting, I can tell you."

Tomkinson now rose and hailed a passing kaik, pulled by a Turk with a most orthodox turban on his head, the fold of which mightily tickled the fancy of Master Nicolas Collier; and then taking leave, Tomkinson and the consignee seated themselves in the bottom of the kaik, for these craft have no thwarts or comfortable stern-sheets for their passengers; and shoving off from the Saucy Fanny, made for the little iskélé or wooden jetty near the Dutch consulate.

Soon after this departure, the captain gave Mr. Surtees a few directions about the watch for the night, and other matters connected with the brig, and then went below with the supercargo to prepare letters for England.

The evening wore on till three bells struck; and the supercargo the captain, and the mate were again discussing divers glasses of grog: the evening allowance in the cabin of the Saucy Fanny not being stopped as in the navy, when through the conversation somewhat lagging, it was proposed they should overhaul, for a little while,

Merchant Tomkinson's Manuscript.

"Come Mr. Supercargo," said the captain, "examine this which is to *Scomber pelamis. L.

be our guide book for Smyrna' and read out something or other pro bono publico."

"What will you have first?" asked the supercargo.

"Something about the churches," replied Mr. Surtees, who still had his thoughts running on the second chapter of Revelations.

"Or read us something about a Turkish bath, if Tomkinson has made a note of it," added the captain.

"I will try to oblige you both," said the supercargo," for I find the book has an index which will much facilitate perusal. Ah! here's an account of a bath to begin with!" And here the super read out as follows:

"Hammam or Turkish Bath.--I went, says Capt. Frankland, R.N., with Sir W. Eden, and Capt. Martin, to the principal Turkish Bath in Smyrna. We were first ushered into a large square ante-chamber, around which were many Turks, squatting or lying down upon divans, smoking and sipping sherbet. Upon these divans, mattrasses are spread, and each candidate for the bath is conducted by half-naked bathing men to one of these couches. Here he undresses and leaves his clothes; he is then supplied with a wrapper, a large cloth or towel to tie round his middle, a large pair of wooden clogs raised upon two pieces of wood, at least six inches from the streaming floor, and he is then conducted to an inner apartment, at the door of which he leaves his wrapper, underneath a dome lighted at the top, and amid an atmosphere of steam. The sensation upon entering is most oppressive, for such is the heat kept up by the stoves and flues below, that at first the bather can scarcely breathe, and until relieved by copious perspirations, he feels as if he were going to expire. The first thing that strikes his eye, as soon as he is sensible of what is passing around him, is a number of naked figures, with shaven heads, but long topknots and long beards or moustaches, undergoing the various operations of rubbing, scrubbing, lathering, and shampooing. The operator turns the patient over as he would a dead body, first lifts one limb, then another. and lets them fall again as if they were masses of inanimate matter, cracks all the joints in succession and then thumps and kneads as he would a piece of dough. Your unhappy self meanwhile is seated upon a wet and slimy board by the side of a fountain, into which hot or cold water can be conducted at pleasure, by means of two brass cocks. Your naked tormentor begins his annoyances by scrubbing you all over with a kind of glove on his right hand, made of horse-hair; your delicate European skin not used to such a scarifying operation peels off in rolls upon your person, which your persecutor knocks off with an air of contempt. Then comes the shampooing and kneading, after which you are seated in a corner, and covered from head to foot in a cloud of thick soap-suds, which streams into eyes, nose, mouth and ears, and makes you smart all over. This, which produces a feeling of cleanliness, is rapidly succeeded by copious ablutions of hot and then of cooler water. After a little while you rise, and wrapping the friendly cloth round your waist, proceed upon your clogs towards the door, where you are supplied with hot wrappers, and conducted to a couch to repose till the perspiration subsides, waiting which, you smoke and drink sherbet and coffee."

"Dash my buttons!" exclaimed Master Nicholas; "that's a Turkish bath, is it? Such a stew won't suit me, I can tell you; a plunge overboard, and a swim round the Saucy Fanny, accord more with my notions. But shut up your book, Super, that's enough for to-night;

and, Mr. Surtees, as the wind's rising just step on deck, and give the brig a little chain." This is your watch, you know, tho' I did call you down to a glass of grog."

(To be continued.)

THE SAILORS' HOME,

THE immediate object of Sailors' Homes is to provide for seamen when on shore, board, lodging, and medical attendance, at as moderate a charge as possible-to protect them from imposition and extortion-to encourage them to husband their hard-earned wages-and in every way to promote their religious, moral, intellectual, and professional improve

Such institutions to have a reading-room attached, and a registry and record of character kept. By this means seamen will more easily obtain ships, and wages in proportion to their merits, and shipowners will be materially assisted in procuring proper men. There should also be accommodation provided where masters of vessels may pay off their crews, and record their character, and where they can also ship them.*

In addition to the important objects contemplated by Sailors' Homes, the library and reading-room should be open for the use of sailors and apprentices frequenting the port, who have no other comfortable place of resort, and who might not be living at the institution. By this means, the moral and intellectual character of the sailors would not only be elevated, but they would be kept from the innumerable snares that beset them while on shore. And in order to secure these important benefits for seamen, it only requires the assistance of the public for their establishment, as experience proves that, once established, they are almost or entirely self-supporting.

To the sons of the ocean this nation, under Providence, owes its eminence and power; and yet, very often, after years of absence from their native land, and having escaped the many dangers incident to their profession, on arriving at a seaport, and being discharged from their ship, they know not where to take up their abode; and, as is well known, are watched for by designing persons, and often pass from the ship to the crimp, and from the crimp to sinks of vice, where they find no comforts, no real pleasures, but are led on by the depraved of both sexes to give themselves up to the most debasing passions-until at length, with injured health, and having lost all their earnings, they are glad to escape to a fresh ship, and take refuge, amidst the perils of the sea, from the greater perils of the land.

Neglect, of individuals and classes, is to be measured with some reference to their importance and value. Were the seamen who are

* Fire-engine, hoses, fire-buckets, fire-grapnels, scaling-ladders, and axes, ought to be kept at the institution, in the event of any ship in the river, or building on shore, taking fire, so as to render immediate assistance. Life- buoys, bearers, and baths, ought also to be kept to assist persons who may accidentally fall into the river.

daily perishing in the waters an idle, unprofitable, burdensome generation, we might perhaps let them drop away with less blame. But they sustain the trade of the world. Whatsoever is meant by that pregnant word commerce, involves the toils and dangers of thousands of mariners. To neglect them, is to cast from us the very instrument by which the gains of merchandize are acquired. The useful products, and the almost necessary luxuries, which are exchanged between continents and islands, are borne on their arms. The sails that fan all climates are guided by their sinews. There is not a delicacy or an ornament of commerce, there is not a wonder of art, there is not a transmarine medicine, there is not a transportation of christian mercy, not a visit of holy friendship or affection, which is not in some sort entrusted to the hardy seaman whom we neglect. And when he dies, far from sight of land, he dies in the hard service of a civilization and refinement, which use him, and abandon him. Surely, if people reflected on these things, they would not hesitate to aid in establishing such Sailors' Homes, where seamen, after their toils, might enjoy the comforts and necessaries of life, and have an opportunity of improving and raising their moral character in every way.

In the Bill recently introduced by Mr. Labouchere for the improvement of the mercantile marine, express reference is made to the necessity of encouraging Sailors' Homes. At all our ports legal powers and advantages are to be granted to them, which proves that the government recognize their importance and utility. If England wished to encourage and improve her seamen, she cannot do so more effectually than by thus protecting them from those harpies who watch their return to their native land in order to get them into their trammels, from which they are never permitted to escape until every farthing of their hard-earned wages is dissipated in extravagance and vice; when they leave the shores of England trusting to the advance-note for another fit-out, disgusted with their country, and ready to quit its service, whenever an opportunity offers.

This country has to thank the late much-lamented Capt. Robert James Elliott, R.N., for instituting in London the first public "Sailors' Home;" and to the present great shipbuilder and owner, Mr. Richard Green of Blackwall, for the first private "Sailors' Home," which he has established at his own expense for the seamen of his splendid merchant ships.

The London "Sailors' Home" in Wells Street, near the London Docks, has, after an experiment of fifteen years, been found well adapted to the wants and growing inclinations of seamen. There is a steady yearly increase in the number of its inmates, and of those who return again and again after each successive voyage, bringing with them others to enjoy the comforts, the respectability, and the protection from temptation which are afforded in that institution. At a recent meeting, it was stated that 31,667 seamen had been received into the "Home," since its opening; of which number, 12,391 had been old or returned boarders. During the last year, the number of boarders was 4,633, whose money, to the amount of £25,160, passed through the hands of