Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-09-26
SCENERY or CoNsTANTINoPLE.

From .Uacjdriane's ConsfrnIinopie IN 1929
In the course Of this volume ! have avoided lux
uriatng IN scenic description, but not without oreut
difficulty, and doing frequent violence TO INV feciinrs.
for the part OF travel which is most difficult to con
voy with the pen distant reader is precisely that
which most interests me, and III the course of COM
position, my own taste las but too frequently turned
my thoughts from The contemplation Of mems actions
to the spots where those actions took place-from
politics and war, and the Sultan and his reforms 10
the sublime scencsy Of Asia Minor and to the less
grand but more beautiful pictures of the BosrLorus
The dreamy diversion has lost ME nanv an hour
have not, however, frequently 0btruded it in nv pa
ges. and before leaving Coistdniinoiao, an eXcnss
would be necessary for tue omission rather than for
the insertion of few remarks the scenery of that
remarkable place and IT'S nelghbourhood. | will and
indeed must be brief On my first arrival in The
Golden Horn, (ior tho approach by the Euronean
coast of Marmora Is not advanta geous and il is mot
nnth you turn the projecting point OF the Scraplio
that the eye takes IN the novel pctuo though struck
with panorama truly magical, was ON tho whole
somewhat disappointed with what saw. The CITY
of Constantinopc did not present itself in that vast
ness had imagined; the silver coIoured doncs of the
mosques appeared rather OF the dull hue of lead and
the gilt and respondent spires and crescents of the
minarets, with one two exceptions seemed To be
OF furnished copper, luJtreless and heavy Siam
booi's seven hills were not clustered SO happilv ms
those OF the eternal city, the ridges of Pera and
Cassim Pasha owed all their beauty TO artificial ar
rangemcnt and the mixture Of red panied houses
with dari expresses, the graver verdurc of other
trees. The picture though vast, was little in its de-
tails-tho Bosphorns river between bold banks
-the.Cioden Horn only stupenaous canal and then
over all and through all there was wanting the brill
liant, sPoIoss canopy OF southern Italian slv and
the Ncopo'itan transparency of atmosphere through
which the objects of material nature seem to live and
breathe Ike sentiont beings
My Impressions were more favourable, when on
The second evening a)cr my arrival assembled TO tho
circular gallery on The summit of Tho Gaata Tower
From that elevated apartment, which should seem 20
have been erected on purpose for the enjoyment OF
the lovers of scenery, | could take in as vast
who 10, what in the level Of the port had broken itself
into minute, and could discover an inhniludc Of OBJ
Jects that were there concealed from the eve
could embrace tho whole length Of the city from Sc
ragbo Point TO the quiet suburb of Eyoob could
range for considerable length along the base Of
Consten lnOples Triangle marked with its ancient
walls and hcky set fortresses and reach across tho
city 20 of its angular Examinations at the castle
of Ycdi- kOulecr or the seven towers on tho sea OF
Marmora--an immense space, filled with cdiffces
picturesque from their very defects and broken with
mosques and minarcs Tor too numerous TO count -
The walls Of the Scraglio which occupy the lines
and are supposed 10 retain a portion of tho ancient
Notifications OF Byzanlum; the aquoduct of Valens
stridiug across to hollow left by two of the seven
hills the proudly swelling domcs Of 81. Sophia and
the moro lofty and imposing elevations Of the mosque
OF Sultan Achmot on the square Of the Hippodrome.
were immediately before me, IS stood al one part Of