CONSTANTINOPLE CAIQUE.

"EXPERIENTIA docet," at least so it ought. Directly a yacht approaches the Dardanelles the only way to save much trouble, anxiety, and annoyance, is to hoist a red ensign, that being the commercial flag that passes the boat comfortably. Still, the owner of a Royal Yacht Squadron vessel, after having been round the world, perhaps, must either do that or wait at Chanak until a firman arrives from the Sultan, and the Governor has the order to let him pass or no. White ensigns, the privilege of the R.Y.S., and the blue ensign as a Naval Reserve flag, are tabooed; and should either of these flags pass the forts of Chanak without the necessary permit, two blank shots are fired across their bow; should the hint not be taken, then the third is shot, and as one may suppose, the third one is not often required. Constantinople is more beautiful from without than from within. The Golden Horn is very striking, the picturesque boats flitting about with sturdy Turks rowing caiques, highly decorated State caiques, with drapery richly embroidered hanging over the gunwale of the stern sheets: all is fine in colour but a little solemn.

The Turks are, as a rule, a fine, sturdy race, as shown by their soldiers at Plevna, and not less by the rowers and boatmen generally in the Bosphorous. The oars have a special peculiarity. Inside the rowlock there is a balance of a large egg-shaped piece of wood, which the rowers consider a very great help, as taking off the weight of the length of oar outside the gunwale of the caique. The dress of the rowers is very dandylike and showy: the voluminous baggy trousers or knickerbockers, very full indeed, generally dark blue; a crimson kummerbund or sash, and crimson tarboosh with blue tassel; a thin white shirt, over which is worn a Zouave jacket embroidered according to the station or dignity of the owner of the caique, who usually reclines rather than sits in the stern sheets, under some decorative awning. The more truly Eastern scene is when Youth and

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Beauty are seen reclining in gorgeous caiques, with light robes of diaphanous muslins richly embroidered, dainty slippers of marvellous workmanship and finish; an air of lazy luxury pervades the whole picture, which is heightened by the remarkable contrast of a Nubian or Ethiopian attendant in gorgeous attire right aft.

The city of Constantinople presents an especially beautiful effect as the morning sun first catches the tops of the slender minarets, and, gradually descending, illumines the sleeping city. It is not, however, under these circumstances that the most impressive view is obtained, although the lovely delicate tints of the morn appeal to the artistic mind; it is the approach to Constantinople by moonlight which most forcibly appeals to the poetical mind, and deep must be the impression made, for it is a scene which can never be effaced. Much has been written about the simple grandeur and soothing beauty of the Taj-Mahal at Agra, "the glory of the world," as the white marble is softly illuminated by a young moon, the full moon being almost too strong. Others again prefer the frowning grandeur of the Colosseum at Rome as seen by moonlight; but beyond the beauty of these the approach to Constantinople on a moonlight night is impressive and beautiful, the reflections on the waters of the Bosphorus adding greatly to the charm of the scene, whilst the dark hulls of the shipping intensify the chiaroscuro with their long shadows and flickering reflections.

THE KHEDIVE'S "DAHABEAH."

So many visitors have been attracted to the Nile of late years that the most familiar name of passenger and pleasure boats is that of "dahabeah." As the visitors increased in numbers so did the number of luxuries obtainable on board these craft, till at last they had tout ce qu'il fallait and a little more. Although steam has made its mark from the delta of the Nile to Fashoda in various forms, and steam navigation been applied to war and peace purposes, it is gratifying to the lovers of canvas that the Khedive remains faithful to the old river favourite "the dahabeah" as a pleasure craft.

There is one feature very peculiar, and confined to the river Nile, about the way in which the huge yard of these boats is carried. Most lateen sails are hoisted so that the upper part of the mast is seen above the hoisting point on halyard blocks. In the Nile boats there is no part of the mast above the yard, which rests in a saddle on the mast head. To get that yard into that saddle does not seem an easy thing, and even when there to keep it there. The yard is fitted with two single halyards, one on each side of the yard, just below where the saddle would come. Each halyard passes through a single sheaved block on each side of the masthead, so that when the yard is hoisted home it will be found in position, ready to be lowered into the saddle, to do which, check the tack and a very gentle pull at one of the upper brails or downhaul, and the yard is on active service in the saddle. The appearance to an Englishman is flat-headed and ugly. It seems to meet all the requirements of the inhabitants of those parts; nothing short of the general use of steam and abolition of lateen will terminate its career.

The precursor of the later dahabeah period was the sternwheeler steamer for the Upper Nile, built by Yarrow for shallow waters. Soon after the Khedive had a steam yacht the " Safa-el-Bahr," built by Messrs.