Dragoman.—­No, your Excellency; but he says the English talk by wheels, and by steam.

Traveller.—­That’s an exaggeration; but say that the English really have carried machinery to great perfection; tell the Pasha (he’ll be struck with that) that whenever we have any disturbances to put down, even at two or three hundred miles from London, we can send troops by the thousand to the scene of action in a few hours.

Dragoman (recovering his temper and freedom of speech).—­His Excellency, this Lord of Mudcombe, observes to your Highness, that whenever the Irish, or the French, or the Indians rebel against the English, whole armies of soldiers, and brigades of artillery, are dropped into a mighty chasm called Euston Square, and in the biting of a cartridge they arise up again in Manchester, or Dublin, or Paris, or Delhi, and utterly exterminate the enemies of England from the face of the earth.

Pasha.—­I know it—­I know all—­the particulars have been faithfully related to me, and my mind comprehends locomotives.  The armies of the English ride upon the vapours of boiling caldrons, and their horses are flaming coals!—­whirr! whirr! all by wheels!—­whiz! whiz! all by steam!

Traveller (to his dragoman).—­I wish to have the opinion of an unprejudiced Ottoman gentleman as to the prospects of our English commerce and manufactures; just ask the Pasha to give me his views on the subject.

Pasha (after having received the communication of the dragoman).—­ The ships of the English swarm like flies; their printed calicoes cover the whole earth; and by the side of their swords the blades of Damascus are blades of grass.  All India is but an item in the ledger-books of the merchants, whose lumber-rooms are filled with ancient thrones!—­whirr! whirr! all by wheels!—­whiz! whiz! all by steam.

Dragoman.—­The Pasha compliments the cutlery of England, and also the East India Company.

Traveller.—­The Pasha’s right about the cutlery (I tried my scimitar with the common officers’ swords belonging to our fellows at Malta, and they cut it like the leaf of a novel).  Well (to the dragoman), tell the Pasha I am exceedingly gratified to find that he entertains such a high opinion of our manufacturing energy, but I should like him to know, though, that we have got something in England besides that.  These foreigners are always fancying that we have nothing but ships, and railways, and East India Companies; do just tell the Pasha that our rural districts deserve his attention, and that even within the last two hundred years there has been an evident improvement in the culture of the turnip, and if he does not take any interest about that, at all events you can explain that we have our virtues in the country—­that we are a truth-telling people, and, like the Osmanlees, are faithful in the performance of our promises.  Oh! and, by-the-bye, whilst you are about it, you may as well just say at the end that the British yeoman is still, thank God! the British yeoman.