Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-01-08

This celebrated strait, which divides Europe
from Asia, and whose waters flow IN smooth
c urrent like noble river, in course OF salno
twenty miles, and in channel from one to
,hrco in width connects the Euxino with tho
sea of Marmora. the Hellespont, aud the Archi-
p.iago of the Mediterranean. Two sides of tho
triangle on which tho city is built embrsec,t
ny an of tho Bosphorus, named the Goden
Horn, and by tho waters of Marmora. Ehc
third, or land side, stretching between tho two
waters, is enclosed by wall, which has long
been in ruins. Tho Golden Horn forms n roble
and capacinus harbour, possessing every Tossi-
bic convenience for building, securing, and g.
quipping the most numerous fleets of SHIPS, OF
the largest class. Tho city itself, whether view
ed from the land side or from tho wate,, pre-
scnts most impressive and beautiful propent;
but, all lovely as it appears from withouy the
moment that the traveller finds himself within
tho old and crumblng walls with their daapida-
ted turrots, every idoa Of splendour or uagniG-
eonce at once vanishes in gloom and melancholy.
He finds nothing that can deserve the name Of a
street tho mosques with their domes ard their
minarets, which appeared so brilliant from dis
lance, are now seen to rise out of narrow,
crooked, filthy lano., sl.n~si impossible for
stencil and dirt, accustomed by dead dogs and
other animals, putrid vegetables, and Sinking
offas of every description; and he may think
himself fortunate if his eyes arcss not offended
by tho naked or mutilatcd cnrcasc of some VIC
tin, Turk or unfortunate Frapk, which had not
yet found its way into tho Bosph6rus. These
dark alleys are silent as tive tombs as soon as
aight sets in, except, perhaps, when fro hap
poae, which is not nnfre auently the caseS burn
ing down some bundled wooden houses or no.
vols, speedily to arise from their ashes precisely
in their pristine Shape(By day the countenance
of the soil ,ary passengers bctray perpetual eau
ton, amounting alrnyst TO fear, and their avertcd
eyes bespcak their Anxiety to avoid each other.
There certainly is not an ancient capitol m all
Europe that, at this day, possesses fewer objects
to claim tho attention Of the traveller or tho an
tiquary Tho church, Of MOSQUE, of SaintnSo-1
phia, those of Soynian. aid Selihn, the Nss;ie;
dan, (thc ancient Hippodrome ) a fractured e.
Egyptian obelisk, brazen pillar, the seraglio,
with its numerous fantastic buildings, and its
garden studded with the son,bro and formal cy-
press: the aqucductCoflthc Emperor Valcns, and
the FIVE hundred gilded and painted fountains il
supplies, arc the principal objects that attract
the'eye above ground.--The remains of the
cient cisterns bencath, to which this and some
other aqueduc,s once conveyed water for sup
plying the city, are still curious in their ruins
but most of these ar2.no longer used cstcrns.
One of them, described by Dr. Walsh, il a
vast subtcrrancan edifce, having an arched roof,
supported BY six ,,uadred and sexenty Two mar
bic columns. it is now filled with earth and
rabhish, except whore some silk.iwis.c.s ply
their a. -, 81 L.. L., An
dteossi calculated it would once have held water
enough to supply Tho whole city for sixty days
Another presents the appearance CT sabterra-
mean lake, which extends under several streets
It's rcof is supported by ilir1c hundred and .i:r
ty-six magnificent u,atble pillars; and it is the
only one of vast Eunoar constructed by the
Greek cmpcrors which st,,l exists rs a cistorn
but even ol this the Turks take no care, and IN
decd scarcely know any thing about it; although.
in tho even; of siege: if tho water, which is
brought from distance by aqncducts, should be
out off, their capital could not hold out for
week. The Ottomans have done nothing eithar
10 enbsiiis' or to keep in repair this imperial
metropolis during the iou. hundred years they
havo held it. No stronger proof is wanting Of
their utter negligence, than The fact that the
Breach In the wall where tic Turks entered
and IN the runs Of which The last Of tins Palco.
logi vas buried, remains breach to this dav. -
This great city, Of twelve or fourteen miles in
circumference, densciy studded with hatiiations
together willf lis suburbs of Pcra, Galata. and
Topllana, and whole line of houses extending
along tho snore Of the Bnspiorus to Buyinkderc.
near the point dof hsfexit from the Black; Sea,
was supposed some eighteen or TWEEN,
" years ago, population cfiffom seven TO eight
hundred thousand made up of TurlSa, Creeks,
Armeniana, Copts, Egyptians, Jews, ard few
European merchants; but tho nuinber is now
said 10 b. reduced to about five hundred thou
sand no; ioss than from three to four thousand
having persisted from the piaEHe, the Russian
war, the massacre of the JaniSsari0s and the
Crock insurroction, since the year 1912 The
modes and customs of the master caste are sim
guiarly at variance with thoeecof Chfisiendom.
FL" Here she head IL shaved, fhe beard unsborn
tho men wear pett;coats Of cloth he women
trowsors OF silk or cotton Instead, Of aha,
piece OF muslin is twisted round the head in.
stead of surtout, blanket is thrown across IN.
sho"i3c-, I carpet serves for bed n wooden
5o~l for service Of plate; a pewter tray for
table cioth fingers DO oT forks, and swords for
'cE-TinG KNIVES. 4 man saiutcs without s,oon.
ing, sits down without cisir he is silent viii.
ou. rejection, AID serious without saracjtr II
you inquire after the health oc lis wife. il !, a,
the hazard of Jou; head i;you prsisatbe be,,.
~ Of his children, be- suspects YOU of tho .r;,
$40. The nsme Of the preohet is Sin ovcry
man amouth, and the fear Of, God inSfs,v, ,r.n.
ho'Tt7. Ihe women hide .acir faces. and heed
not the exhibition Of their bo,oms ;,they oIorv
IN 'ao issci"ou' ovoIutions Of the Alme, and
Riush at .ho im'no9e'.y % en- English woman
|:thoni n vii. One would almost think there
w:s pprpo'cd hostility To All the modes and
nnsthnia OF l,ntisirndno, :, I'LL, u