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16 March 1878 — Constantinople | |
Saturday. 16th [March 1878]. The Hornbys went to see the mosques &c & return to the Fleet today. At 10.30 Henry & I set off to go to see the Sultan as he had sent last night to beg us to come. We went round to a back gate to the Malta Kiosque. We had to wait about 2 hours before Said P. came. He said they had been detained by a council of Ministers over a tremendous discussion as to whether they should let the Russians embark their troops at Buyukdéré wh it was decided they should not. Soon after we had had coffee in the diamond zarfs the Sultan arrived & he conducted us up into the large centre hall & made me sit on the sofa next to him & Said interpreting talked a long time with Henry. He was very thankful to the Queen for not allowing the D. of Edinboro to land unless he would pay him a visit. The D had wanted to go & see the Reuss & the G. Duke Nicolas, but the Q had let him know he must first visit the Sultan & he had left for Malta in the Antelope last Wedy. He talked to Henry about the wish of the Russians to embark at Buyukdéré & consulted abt sending troops there & to Kavak. He said he was determined not to see the G. Duke unless he came in a private way. After some time he told Said to give us some lunch & we went down & got some caviare—cheese—rose sweets—small bits of cold mutton & chicken, dolmas & sherbet—after coffee we went out & H.M. showed us many rare stuffed birds he had there & some live canaries wh he called “fraisé” he said they were a new sort with feathers like a ruff round their throats. He took us to walk in the garden & offered me some swans but we told him we had no where to keep them. He took us into a tiny summer house with 2 rooms he has just built & there we sat some time. He talked pleasantly & cheerfully—talked of the delights of a good wife—& said a good one was Paradise & a bad one the opposite—& that husband & wife were one. Abt 4 we left to go home & he walked off with Said in another direction with a splendid horse led after him. Henry & I dined quite alone. In the eveng a messenger arrived with a note from Said & 3 parcels done up in white muslin tied with green & red satin with a seal, containing cakes—strawberries & french beans from the Sultan to me. | |
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