politics and geography; but that with a man of his calibre and
experience, I was safe from misinterpretation--that I was collecting
the materials for a work on the Danubian provinces, and that for any
information which he might give me, consistently with the exigencies
of his official position, I should feel much indebted, as I thought I
was least likely to be misunderstood by stating clearly the object of
my journey to the authorities, while information derived from the
fountain-head was the most valuable."

The Deftendar, after commending my openness, said, "I suspect that you
will find very little to remark in the pashalic of Silistria. It is an
agricultural country, and the majority of the inhabitants are Turks.
The Rayahs are very peaceable, and pay very few taxes, considering the
agricultural wealth of the country. You may rest assured that there is
not a province of the Ottoman empire, which is better governed than
the pashalic of Silistria. Now and then, a rude Turk appropriates to
himself a Bulgarian girl; but the government cannot be responsible for
these individual excesses. We have no malcontents within the province;
hut there are a few Hetarist scoundrels at Braila, who wish to disturb
the tranquillity of Bulgaria: but the Wallachian government has taken
measures to prevent them from carrying their projects into execution."
After some further conversation, on indifferent topics, I took my
leave.

The succeeding days were devoted to a general reconnaissance of the
place; but I must say that Roustchouk, although capital of the
pashalic of Silistria, and containing thirty or forty thousand
inhabitants, pleased me less than any town of its size that I had seen
in the East. The streets are dirty and badly paved, without a single
good bazaar or cafe to kill time in, or a single respectable edifice