Excerpt from A Lexicon, English and Turkish: Shewing, in Turkish, the Literal, Incidental, Figurative, Colloquial and Technical Significations of the English Terms, Indicating Their Pronunciation in a New and Systematic Manner

But, almost before the work could be completed, the state of affairs which had called it into existence had become altered. The British fleets and armies left Turkey; the Turkish Contingent was dissolved the book threatened to become a burden on the publisher's hands; and all chance of a demand for the preparation of a more complete Lexicon of the two languages seemed to have vanished.

Such, however, was not truly the case. The allied arms had driven back Turkey's political foe; but there was another warfare to be carried on within her territories - the war of the book, not of the sword. A small body of earnest men, from the great anglo-saxon republic established on the trans-atlantic continent, had long been established in Constantinople and various other parts of Turkey, labouring to unfold the views of modern science, temporal and spiritual, to the Armenian nation; losing no Opportunity, however, to place themselves in friendly communication both with the governing Osmanli, and with the numerous races and religious denominations subject to his sway. By degrees, the relations between these American gentlemen and a growing circle of Turkish friends had reached a point, and the newly awakened desire among these latter to know more of English ideas and literature had attained a degree, such that it was felt desirable, not only to furnish them with all available appliances suited to the purpose, but even to create a body of bi-lingual books specially designed to facilitate to Turks the acquisition of the English language; more particularly as the Sultan's Government had, immediately on the close of the Russian war, sent to England, to be instructed in various arts and sciences, between thirty and forty young officers of the Diplomatic, Naval, and Military Departments, who, it was thought, would not fail to be followed by others in succession.

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