Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-11-05
CONSTiNTINoPLE.

! ion uI lie manners, characters and Customs
! Of ConstantinopIe, is frum Meals Travels.
ltwoa!d be difficult for any Imagination.
| even tue most romantic or distempercG. 10
associate IN close array all the incOngruous
! and discOrdant objects which may be con.
tempIaled. even within lew hours peram-
bulation, in and around the Turkish capital.
The barharoES extreme of magniticence
! and wretchcdness, OF power and weakness,
oi turp,iude and magBanmj,y, OF profisacy
and sanciity, OF cruelty and humanity, are
all TO be seen Junaied together in tie most
sublime or offensive combinations Of nature,
crowned with all the grandeur of human
art, Coutras;ed with the a;rociuus effects o.!
Unrcstrairei sensualitv, and brutaizing in
! Ecrent degcneracy, TN up tie vacant spaces
d; this varied picture.
The bowling OF ten thousand dogs re-
echoing through the deserted streets all the
live long night, chase you betimes iion
your pillow approaching your window.
you are greeted by the rays Of the rising
sun, gild:hg The Snowy SUBMITS OF mount
Olympus, and the beautiful shores Of the
sea Of Marmora, The point oil Chalcedon,
and the town OF Scutari midway your eye
! ranges it'll delight over the marble dones
OF 81 Sophia, the giided pinnac!es OF the Sc
raglio glitterirg amiIs, groves Of perpetual
vcrdure, the long arcades OF ancient aque-
ducts, and spiry ninarets Of thousand
mosques. Wills you contemplate this su.
peru scenery the thunters CT artillery burst
upon your ear; and, directing your eye TO
the quarter whence the sound proceeds, you
may behold, proudly sailing around the
point of the seraglio the splendid navy OF
tributes of Egypt. Tie Curling h I volumes
OF smoke ascending from the port holes,
play around the bellyiug sails, and hide at
times, the ensigns OF crimson silk. besprin-
kled with the silvery crescent Of NahOmet.
The hOarse cultural sounds Of Turk SELL
ing kdimac at your door, recai your atten-
tlon towards the miserable lanes OF Pera,
wet, splashy, dark and disgusting the
Wondering wooden tenements beetling o.
YER the alleys, are the abode Of pestilence
and misery. You may mount your horse,
and betase you to the fields, rich with the
purple OF health and lavender, and swarm.
inS with myriads Of honied insects; in the
midst OF your progress, your horse recoils
from his path, at the lOa'hsome object &C.
cupylDg the centre OF The highway, an ex-
PirIng horse, from which ho.de OF famish-
ed dogs are already tearing the reekiDg en-
trails. Would you behold his unieeling
master. look beneath that acacia at the
hoary TURK performing his pious abIutons
at the sacred fountain! Ii we retrace our
steps, we are met by party passing at
quick pace towards that cetnetry on the
right; they are carrying on a bier the dead
body of Greek, the paid beauty OF whose
coun,enanance is contrasted with The fresh
ness OF the roses which compose the chap
let OF the head. A few hours only has he
ceased 10 breathe: but see. the gave ha1
already received his corpse, and amidst the
desoa,e palaces Of the earth, he has enter
ed an obscure and nameless tenant.
Having returned 10 tiie city, you are APP
palled by a crowd OF jewellers pressing a.
round the door of wine house the sounds
OF minstreley and riot are within. You
have scarcely passed, when you behold
three or four gazers around the door OF
bakers shop--,hc KdmGikel has been his
rounds, the weights have becn found def
cient, and the unfortunate manwho swings
in hallar al tine door, has paid for his pet
~ villany, The forfeiture Of his life The
popuacc around murmur at the price 0.
bread. but the ntuezeinS from the adjoining
minarets are procIaimine the houro. prayer,
and the followers of Mahomet are pouring
in to count their beads, and proclaim the
efficacy OF faith In an opposite coffee
house, group OF Turkish soldiers, drowsy
with tobacco, are dreaming over the clio
Guers OF cbess-board, or listening 70 the
Ilcentors fairy tales OF dervise. The pas
sung crowd seem to have no common SYM
palhIes, jo.tiiDg each other in silence on the
narrow foot-path women yeiied IN tong
cailan emis, with green iurbans, Janissa-
rIes, Bostandits, Jews and Arnenians, c.
counter Greeks, Aibanians, Tartar ard
Franks. Fstigued with such pagcaniry.
you observe the shades 0! cyening descend,
and again sigh for repose but the pnssG-
7reHd with their iron bound slaves striking
the pavement, excite your attention to The
cries OF yHga Vcr from the top OF tie adj
Joining tower, and you are told that the
flames are IN the next street. There you
may behold the deyouring element over
wheIIning ia a common ruin the property
u! int;dels or true believers, I'LL the shouts
oi the multitude announce the approach 0!
the arch depot, aud the power OF golden
shower OF sequins is exemplifed in awa-
keniEg the caiiou; feelings OF even Turk
ISL multitude, to the suferiDgs Of their ie!-
low creatures, and OF rendering them seG-
sibIe to the common ties OF humanity. The
FIRE is extinguished--sHd darkEes, OF
deeper hue has succeeded TO the glarr q
the flames: the retiring crowd. guide ~
their PIPER lanterns, fiji ny Ihous1at' Ike
,gnis .tdfai, amidst tie cypresscs = The
Champ 9eJ N5r.s; aud Ike another Mi!za,