Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-02-19
I;tStactsal:
From DR.. " sish's Journey to Cons,antinople
ShUMLA.

rfoh LIT. sloA's Journey 10 Constantlnople.
SHUMLA.
1.-THE town Of SLumla lies in an an.
gle OF valley. formed by two ridges OF
low monntains; they are the last branch
of the Balkan at their extreme termina
ton. III, therefore, the whole breadth
OF this immense chain be taken, il may
be said to extend from Fakih to Shumla
thirty two hours, or ninety-six miles,
the country beyond these places being
all level plain, and hey ond them being
all mountain; the lofty ridges, howe ve r
extend onlv from Haidhos 10 Tonenitzs
nine hours, or twenty seyen miles.
"The mountains about Shumla form
semiclrcular amPhithea're up the sides
OF which the gardens and plantations
extend to the summit of the bill over
hanging the town with very rich pros
pect; below, at the extremity Of the
ridges. an immense plain begins, which
extends to the Danube en- the north and
the Black Sea on the east Hare are
seen the town sc of Narna, between
two bead lands, distant eighteen hours,
orforty four miles. 10 ibis port alt
who wish to avoid the difficulties of the
Balkan hire a vessel frog Constantine.
pie, aud from thence come to Shumla.
10 fact, il appeared as if the eountry
from the Danube to the Propontos was
originally dead fiat surface; when by
some cenvulsion of nature this ridge of
mountains was thrown up. which divided
the country like a vast wall running
from the Black sea 10 the Adriatie. The
part of the plain wing on the south OF
the ridge WAS formerly called Tbrace,
and is now Romelia; the part on the
north was formerly called Mesa, and
now Bulgaria.
"Shunla is very large and popu.
ieus town, containing about sixty thou
sand inhabitants. Ills divided into two
parts, the Turkish and Christian The
Turkish is the upper part. II is filled
with m osques whose domes and minarets
are covered with FURNISHED tin plates,
which glitter in the sun with dazzling
splendor; so that when the sun sbone
bright could not look at the town
Here is, besides, an extra ordinary no
velty in a Turkish town-a large town
clock; it tells the hours by bell, which
is heard all over the city, and regulates
the time of the inha bitants, instead Of
muezzims crying the hour frop the
minarets. This extraordinary innova-
ton, and approximation to European
manners, was introduced some years
go BY Bsshaw. who had been prison
er in Russia; he there acquired taste
for bells; and on bis return brought
with him striking clock, which be
rscted in Shumla. Tue improvement.
however, has not ct proceeded beyond
this northern frontier. have never
seen or heard of any other town clock
ia the Turkish domiaions except at A
thsns, presented by Lord EIgin. as some
remuneration for the dilapidation Of the
PariheDon.
Detached by an interval from this
upper town. is a smaller called Warish,
which extends into the plain. Within
its limits the Rayas, or Jew and Chris
tan population. reside separate from
the rest, like the districts called Irish
towns in Ireland, the original inhab,i-
ants in both having been laid under the
same interdiet by their conquerors In
this district are about three hundred
houses inhabited by Jews. ArmsniaRs
and Greeks. who have each place OF
worship. II is hers the most celebrated
tinmen and braziers in the Turkish EN-
pirs reside. who supply Constahtinoplf
with their manufactures, and cover their
own mosques with tin and copper, which
lock SO gIittering Shumla has some
irregular fort6satiOna standing. We