The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-10-11
AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
An American Naval Officers View Of the
SultAn's Capital.
From a Private Letter of Lieut.. Carter, U. g.
Navy.l

NhVy'J
Certainly Constantinople, with it
mosques, minarets, palaces and terraceC
houses, presents beautiful panoram;
upon approaching it, upon clear morn
ing. For me at least the framing anC
not the picture was paramount. haC
been in the city, and had seen the filtl
and misery, the bigotry and hatred o.
Christians and civilization.
At sunset "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 allah as with
one voice, and faced towards Mecca Ito.
wards the east) and prayed. Across the
hill from the barracks the bugle calls are
heard, and then the hoarse and savage
allah 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 the 10000 "dogs of Constantine.
ple," but from the number that lie about
the streets, | 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 furman has proposed to pay
the Sultan $500. 1000 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 be the Christian that would att
tempt it.
The city is not crowded with tloops
they are wisely sent to the front, espec>
tally the Bashi Bazouks and Zirbecks,
almost wild men from the interior, and
upyn whom the sight of Christian acts
very much the same as red rag upon
bull. In Smyrna we saw these fresh
from the interior, and they were really
dangerous. However, they will make
good bullet shoppers for the Russian
bullets.
On the night of the 18th, the city was
partially illuminated We thought it was
70 celebrate some Turkish victory, but
he next morning learned it was the com.
nencement of the Turkish Lent. The
Koran commands there shall be no ting,
smoking or drinking between sunrise and
sunset, for 90 days, The smoking is
great deprivation to the Turk, but think
lis abstemiousness is better than that of
he Christian.
Last Friday brother officer and my
ielf went over to Scutari-on the Asiatic
ide Of the Bosphorus-and the day be
ng the Turkish Sur day, took horses and
ode back about two miles, and then
ode up the gentle SLIPPING sides Of a
from which we had magnih.
:ent view. Meandering between
and Pera is the historic Golden
Horn, ending in the sweet waters" of
europe, made famous by Moore. Here
he beautiful Circassian closely yelled
-oes to dream of love. The Sultan has
lis mosque and palace here. To the
light the Bosphorus winds among the
ills, which are dotted with the numer-
'us palaces of the Sultan and of his
'ashas, and finally loosing itself in the
Black Sea, which appears from here as a
misty speck, being 20 miles off. To the
eff is the beautiful Sea of Marmora, and
It its entrance are the Princes Islands,
.lso favorite retreat of Turkish ladies.
Behind are the hills and deep wales Of
Asia Minor, appearing an easy road for
he Russians, as far as the physical fea>
ures of the country are concerned. In
ront of us is Stamboul, and its European
eighbor Pera, but which would not at
empt to describe.
The war is dragging its length this
Vay; day after day troops continue to
rive. The Bashi Bazouks and Zirbeeks
4 their rags and with innumerable
nives and old pistols stuck in the vol
minous folds of muslin tightly wound
round their waists, come from Asia Min
r.
The regular troops that have been up
nd whipped the brave Montenegrins,
re coming here from the Macedonian
oast by steamers, and hurried by rail
, the defence Of the Balkans. II
There is small army Of reporters
ere.
The Geneva Cross Association is do.
lg a noble work here for the sick and
attended an opera the other evening,
iven by an Armenian troupe. 1t was
La Bell Helene" had previously
card il in French and Italian, but never
! the Turkish language before. The
like the Greeks, speak the
urkish language as well as their own.