St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-06-15
Notes from Turkey.
AMONG THE BULGARIANs.-u.

tanned so long on the way as to test our
patience pretty thoroughly, have no
desire to inflict correspondingly long
description upon you, of what would be
of little interest.
A single one of the old Roman bridges
that we passed would be a priceless
treasure of antiquity if you had it il
st. Johnsbury, but the assurance that
they are to be found off here III Turkey
may not make your readers any hap
pier or wiser.
We may perhaps stop for IA little
while with profit in the city of
ADRIANoPLE.
The tdiegdjis were all anxious to take
us up to the city for fifteen piasters,
but | wish to speak a good word for the
young lad who modestly demanded only
four, and who safely landed us at Rou-
melie Khan without grumbling at his
pay. A word also just here about the
tdIega. 1t is vehicle on four wheels
whose adoption in America should not
recommend. Sometimes it has two end
springs, sometimes one, and again not
any. The body is after the fashion of
the old N. E. wagon of rs years ago,
and is entirely covered by a leather
stretched over bent hoops, so low that
your hat is in an exceedingly dangerous
position. Some have seats, but all have
floor, and if you carry along a pillow
you may enjoy your ride if you go sim
ply for exercise. We found it the most
comfortable way, to hire talega and
then walk.
Adrianople lies Oh little hill over
looking the broad valley of the Martha.
Beautiful for situation it seemed to us,
who, from one years end to another, see
nothing but hills piled on hills with a
plain of salt water.
AdrianOple as a city dates back into
old Byzantine times, but it was enlarged
and beautitied by the Emperor Adrian,
in the first half of the second century,
and from him it received its name. 1t
contains some 10000 inhabitants of
whom perhaps half are Turks, 10000
are Jews and the rest are mainly Greeks
and Bulgarians. 1t is an improvement
on most Turkish towns as many of the
houses are good, and most of the streets
have two dimensions instead of one.
That portion which was the ancient
city was surrounded by wall, of which
several towns are still standing. On
the principal tower we traced the in
scription in Greek,
| IheOtOke bOethe to ereSebeStatO kdi pinto
Christie BdSilei em0n I0anni.
"Oh, Mother of God, help our most
devOut and Christ beloved King, John ~
/ have no information as to when it
was erected, but from the nature of the
inscription and the tower itself con-
clude it to be at least one thousand
years old. A man who guided us to it,
with unblushing disregard of anachron-
ism sain it was two thousand.
The principal attraction in Adriano-
pie is the grand mosque of Sultan Sc
linn III. 1t is one of the finest mosques
i'll Turkey, in some respects surprising
any in COnstantinople. The immense
dome is supported on massive pillars
of masonry, and the inside is beautiful
ly ornamented with sculpture, colored
tiles and Arabic inscriptions. The
minarets, one at each of the four cor
ners of the building, are by far the most
imposing that | have ever seen. They
must be $50 feet high, and have each
three outside galleries for the use of the
muessin when he calls to prayers.
The Turks in AdrianOple are not at
all fanatical, and allowed us to go all
over the mosque, and even to climb the
minaret. The view from the top is fine
beyond description.
Another mosque also has exceedingly
fine minarets, Ornamated with spirals,
and square aud diamond shaped tiles in
way l have never seen equalled. 1t
was built 45O years ago.
Adrianople fell into the hands of the
Turks under Amurath |. in 1861, ninety
years before the capture of COnstanti-
nople. 1t was therefore made their
European capital. In later times sew
eral of the Sultans have preferred it to
Constantinople, and have spent part
or all their time there. We were shown
all around the old palace of the Sultans,
large part of which is in ruins, but a
part was restored with considerable
degree of elegance two or three years
ago, to be ready for an expected visit of
His Majesty Abdul-Aziz.
Adrianople is the chief city of the III
ldyet, and the seat of the YAH, or gov
ernor- general. The one now in office,
Ali Pasha, is of Christian descent and is
said to be quite la frdncd. The Turks
hate him.
There are comparatively few foreign
residents in Adrianople besides the con-
suls, and only five or six English speak
ing families. We formed the acquaint-
ance of Mr.. Rosenberg and family, a
converted German Jew, who is laboring
as missionary among his people.
This seems to me to be the most dis
couraging of any missionary work in
the East. So much labor has been ex-
pended upon it, with so'few results.
The epmity of the Jewish nation for