CONLuRING BOX.
{"newspaper_name": "The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register.", "edition": "01", "page": "p1", "byline": ""}
The following amusing instance of the
general ignorance of the Turks, with res
pect to the European arts, is related in d tour
through Greece The Disdar of Athens
was very rapacious in his demands, for leave
to copy Inscriptions, &c. 'After experience
ing numerous vexations from this mercena-
nv Turk, (says the author) ridiculous
circumstance at last released us from his
importunties. I was one day engaged in
sketching the Parthenon with the aid of a
camera obscura, when the Disdar, whose
surprise was excited by the novelty OF the
sight, asked, with much inquietude, what
new conjuration | was performing with that
extraordinary machineT endeaVored to
explain it, by putting in clean sheet OF pa
per, and making him look into the instru-
ment- but he no sooner saw the temple in-
simultaneously reflected on the paper, in all
its lines and colours, than he imagined that
had produced the effect by some magical
process; his establishment appeared mingled
with alarm, and striking his long black
beard, he repeated the words Allah Mesch-
Allah "a term of admiration meaning that
which is made by God,) several times. He
again looked into the camera obscura, with
a kind of cautious diffidence, and at that mo-
ment, some of his soldiers happening to pass
before the mirror, were 5eheld by the as
tonished Disdar walking on the paper: he
now became outrageous, and told me that it
! I chose, I might take away the temple and
all the stones in the citadel, but that he


would never permit me to conjurc his sol-


ders into my box. He then retired visibly


alarmed, and ever after, when he saw me
even approach the Acropolis, he carefully
1 avoided me, and never gave me any further


molestation.