A Voyage to Athens and Constantinople

Embarked early this morning on the French Steamer bout to the island of Syra (Syros) one of the islands of the archipelago as this is no longer a tour round the island of Sicily - I therefore change the title to soon got aquainted with my fellow travellors on board the Sycurgue for they did not exceed 10 or 12 in the first cabin - the greater number being in the other parts of the vessel - and consisof Greeks - Turks - french and English as there is also a great stout Musselman and his son from Algiers who speaks Arab and enquiring of the boy where they were going - replied Stamboul - on asking him about Abdel Kader (Abd al-Qadir) he seemed not to know to whom I referred, but replied such things were not to be spoken lightly of - the words I understand, mean one sent by God -

Leaving the quarantine port of Malta we rapidly receded from the fortifications, and the barren looking coasts of the island - the weather find and the sea calm - all on board were far from the scourge of a sea voyage - the captain is a surly looking man with epaulets - as also the other officers - as they are in the pay of the government - they do not think it worth while to be polite to the passengers but the vessel is kept in good order, and is defended by two large guns and a number of brass swivels (guns) - as between Malta and the Southern extremity of the Morea is an uninterrupted sea this days sailing is as on the wide Atlantic, nothing in sight but sea

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