Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-18
~. " HITMUhE
Publisher and Propriett
AT CONsTANTINOPLE.
An American Naval Officers View
Of the SultNn's CapItAI.

An American Naval Omcer'a view
Of the Sultan's CePItaI.
From private letter Of Lieut.. Carter, U.s.N.l
Certainly Oonstantinople, with
its mosques, minarets, palaces and
terraced houses, presents a beauti-
full panorama upon approaching it
upon clear morning. For me, at
least, the framing and not the pic
ture was paramount. / had been
in the city, and had seen the filth
and misery, the bigotry and hatred
Of Christians and civilization.
At sunset a "muzzern" came out
from one Of the minarets, and in
loud and plaintive voice summoned
the faithful to prayers. The crews
of the Turkish men-of-war near us
shouted "allahl" as with one voice,
and faced toward Mecca toward
the east) and prayed. Across the
hill from the barracks the bugle
calls are heard, and then the hoarse
and savage allahl wells up from
the thousands of throats of the
faithful wearers of the. fez there.
From the Black Sea and the Sea of
Marmora the misty cloud comes,
and soon envelopes the city within
its fold. Then commences the
nightly serenade from ths 10000
"dogs of Oonstantinople;9 but
from the number that lie about the
streets, l should say that there are
five times that many. They will
not move out of the way, and even
the horses will not step on them,
for | have often tried to ride them
down. 1t is said a lurman has pro-
posed to pay the sultan $4OO, 900
for the dogs Of the city, proposing
to utilize their hides; but how the
said furman would obtain the hides
would be a problem, The Turks
will not kill the dogs, and would
not like to 0e the Christian that
attempted it. In
The city is not crowded with
troops; they are wisely sent to the
front, especially the Bashi- Bazouks
and Zirbecks, almost wild men from
the interior, and upon whom the
sight of a Christian acts very much
the SAME as a red rag upon a bull.
In Smyrna we saw them fresh from
the interior, and they. were really
dangerous. However, they will
make good bullet-stQppers for the
Russian bullets.
On the night of the l9th the
C ty was partially Illuminated. We
thought 1t was to celebrate some
Turkish victory, but the next
morning learned it was the COM
mencement of the Turkish Lent,
The koran commands there shall be
no eating, smoking or drinking be-
tween sunrise and sunset for thirty
days. The smoking is a great de-
privatiQp to the Turk, but | think
his abstemiousness is better than
that of the Christian,
Last Friday brother officer and
myself went over to Scutari-on the
Asiatic side of the Bosphorous-
and the day being the Turkish Sun
day, took bGrses and rode back two
miles, and then rode up the gentle
sloping sides OF q mountain, from
which we had o magnificent WOW,
Meandering between tile Stambopl
and Pera is the historic Golden
Horn, ending in the Sweet wa,
terS" Of Europe, made famous by
Moore. Here the beautiful CircaS-
sian closely Seile4 goes to dream of
love. The sultan has h mosque
and palace here. To the right tho
Bosphorous winds among the hills,
which are dotted with the numer-
GUS palaces Of the sultan and cf his
pashas, and finally losing itself in
the Black sea, which appears from
here as a misty speek, being twenty
miles of. To the left is tbs haauti.
full Sea of Marmora, and at its ep-
trance are the Princess Islands,
also a favorite resort OF Turkish
ladies. Behind are the bills and
deep wales Of Asia Minor, appear
ing an easy road for the Russians,
So far as the physical features Of
the e9gptry are concerned. In
| ftnnt of ha Bio Stanhoul and its