The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-07-13
constantinople.

equally remarkable for beauty and securi-
ty. A gently declining promontory, see-
ured by narrow seas, at the east of Europe,
stretches out to meet the continent of Asia,
from which its extreme point 10 separated
by 80 narrow strait that in q quarter of
an hour boat can row from one continent
to thaether. This channel, which is call
ed the Bosporus, is one of the most charming
waters on earth, and NO voyager or artist
has yet done full justice to it's surprisingly
beautiful scenery. The rounded outlines
ofthe hills, the light, rich green of vegeta-
ton, the luxuriance of tree, and flower,
and heritage, resemble tho banks of Killar-
ney or the entrsnce into the bay Of Chris
tiania. For thirteen miles the waters, !
escaping from the Black Sea, now COM
pressedzby swelling hillocks to . breadth
of little moro than mile, then expanding
into sheets of four times that space across
from shore to shore, gush along in q food Of
dark blue, like the Rhone, a. it issues from
the lake Of Geneva, tilt they mingle with the
Sea Of Marmora, passing in their course by
a succession of wood and dale, ravine and
hill side, covered with the most prof1se
csrpetipg of leaf and blade, while kiosks
and pleasure grounds, bastions and loop
holed curtains, gay gardens, villas, mos
ques, and noble mansions, stud the banks
in unbroken lines from the very foot Of
the forts, which command the entrance,
up to the browning glory of the scene,
where the imperial city of Constantine
rises in many colored terraces from the
verge of the Golden Horn.
The hills strike abruptly upward to q
height vary ing from two hundred to six
hundred feet, and are bounded at tho foot
by a line of quays which run along the
European side from Pera to Buyukdere,
about five miles from the Black Sea, almost
uninterruptedly-
These quays are very numerous on the
Asiatic side also. The villages by the
watar- aida IN clOSa fnnathpr that Para
may be said to extend from Tophane to
the forts beyond Buyukdere. All along
the waters edge there ia q succession Of
villas and palaces, and small, graceful
kiosks, W fIieh remind the traveller of an
italian lake such Us Como or Orto. There
| palaces belonging to the sultan, situated,
! wherever q beautiful view is to be COM
maaded, on such eminences as one sees on
the banks of the Rhine orthe Moselle. In
the absence ofall theartistic Impressions, tho
Turks are great admirersof Nature. Fields
aad forests, blue water and skies, suany
air and brightE lower garesns, arc the great
sources of their happiness. The state of
listless dreaming int which the eontempla-
ton Of these objects throws them they call
let. Their little kios&s, dedicated 70 che
idlsss inactivity Of mind and bedy, are
| and there they dream away their leisure
time, drinking in the bright aad lovely
prospect sreend thsa,, with onlySthe tGb-
bling Of the uarsilo 10 assist rather thAa
intrude upeo their contemplation.
Tho kiesks and residences Of the pashes,
the retreats Of opuleoce, line these favored
sheFee, and these DWELLINGS succeed each
other quito ~ numoRously as the villas Of
wealthy Americans in the environs of Bos-
tea, New York, and Philadelphia, and ct
places such As Therapia and Buyukdsre,
they arc dense enough to form large vii
lagos, provided with hotels, shOps, eafes,
snd lodging houses. The waters abound
in fish, and droves 0f porpoises and delp-
l,ins dispert in hundceds on tho sarfaee OF
Besporaa, splashing and playing about in
the plentiSude of their strength and secari.
ty, till sword fish takes dig at them
4 eod sets them off ,eIrveting and sneptipa
Ike sea -korses.
/ The eheres Of the;Eosporus are enlive1ed
by many ked.lookiDg felucea-rigged
craft, darling by ia all directions, and
manned by wild, swarthy looking nen
reminding one of Greek pirates,
The prettiest spot to land at is = LITTLE
village on the Asiatic side of the stream
betw cen herapia and Buyukdere, at the
bend of'the Bosporus. From the suMmit
of the hill above this village there is afnt
view of tue opposite or European shores OF
the Bosporus and even of the Black Sea
The return to Constantinople down the
tie Bosporus is equasly delightful, going
with the stream and keeping close to tho
Asiatic side-glowing with all the purple
gleries of an Eastern sUnset-the prospect
is most enchanting the whole distance,
until you turn the angle of the Golden Horn
and reach the landing place of Tophene.
Constantinople is built on seven hills
which appear to rise above one another il
beautiful succession. The rise of the first
hill is occupied by the Seraglio, behind
which, little on the reverse of tue hill
the dome of st. Sophia can be seen. TIE
second hill is crowned by the Mosque o
Omar, whose dome is strikingly boil and
lofty. The still grander Mosque of Suly.
man the Magnificent towers on the THIRD
hill, while an ancient aquedgct, whose bolC
arches have the happiest effect, unites the
SUBMITS of the fourth and fifth hills. All
these, intermngled with houses painted o
different colors, the gilded dones, and the
slender and elegant minarets crowned By
the shining crescent, impress the beh Older
with high idea OF the magnifcence and
splendor Of Constantinople. Its situation
upon these hills is not only the cause of it,
beauty, but of it's salubrity, as it catches
! all the pleasant breeEes from the Bosporus
the sea of Marmorap and the adjoining
. plains of Thrace. It occupies the whole o
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