Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-11
LIVING CGNSTAN rINOPLE
Panorama of the STEAMBOAT Rrids


quarter OF mile in length, which extends
from the most advanced point of CiaIsSa to the
opposite shore OF the Golden Horn, facing the
shores are European territory; but the bridge
may be said to connect Asia to Europe. be
cause in Stamboul there is nothing European
urbs that crown it are of Asiatic charac er
and color. The Golden Horn which has the
look OF river, separates two worlds like the
ocean. The news of events in Europe which
circulates in Galata and Pera clearly and min .
utely, and much discussed, arrives on the other
shore confused and garbled. like a distant
in the west is stopped by that narrow water as
by an inSuperable barrier, and over that
bridge, where every day hundred thousand
people pass, not one me- idea passes in ten years
pie 60 by in an hour. Whatever can be i'm
agined that is most extravag CANT in type, cos
tune and social class may there be seen with
Behind thrOng of Turkish pOrters who pass
running, and bending under enormous bur
dens, advances sedan chair, inlaid with
Armenian lady; and at either side of it a
Bedouin wrapped in a white mantle and a
Turk in l muslin turban and sky,b!ue caftan,
man followed by his dragOman in embroidered
vest, and Dervise with his tall conicai hat
and tunic OF Gamers hair, who makes way for
coded by his running footman in GORGEOUS
livery. All this is only seen in a glimpse, and
the next moment You find yourself in the
GS OF o eT6wa OF per sian in Ryramda
a Hebrew in long yellow coat, Open at the
sides; frowzy- headed Gypsy woman with
her child in bag at her back; a Catholic
priest with brevia1y and staff while in The
midst of a confused thrOng of Greeks. Turks
and Armenians comes big eunuch on horse
oaeeed fryng out .make way and
with flowers and birds, and filled with the
ladies' OF harem, dressed in green aud violet,
ana wrapped i'll large white wells; behind a
sister of charity from the hospital at Ptra, an
African slave carrying a monkey and a pro
fessional stOry-teller in a necrOmancer's h ab-
II, and what Is quite natural but appears
people pass each other without look, like a
crowd in London; and not single counter.
ance wears smile. The Albanian, in his
white pettlcoat and with pistols in his sash,
beside the Tartar, dressed in Sheep-skinS; the
Turk, astride of his caparisoned ass, threads
pompOusly two long strings of camels: be-
hind an adjutant of an imperial prince
mounted upon his Arab steed, clatterS cart
tlled with all the odd domestic rubbish of a
Turkish household the MOhammedan woman
af0Ot. the yelled slave woman, the Greek with
NJ alteeSe hooded in her back faldetta, the He
brew woman dressed in the antique costume
ot India, the negress wrapped in a many-cO-
ored shawl from Cairo, the Armenian from
Trebizond, all yelled in black like a funeral
appa ltlon are seen in single file, as if placed
there on purpose to be cOntrasted with each
ether.
1t a changing mosaic of races and religions
hat is composed and sea tered continual v
with a rapidity thai the eye can scarcely fol-
oW V 1t Is amusing to look only at the passing
eet and see al the foot coverings in the wOr d
20 by, from that of Adam up to the late,t
fashion in Partisan bOOts-yelow Turkish ia
touches, red Armenian, blue Greek and bl &c
Jewish shoes; sandals, great boots from Turk
eStan, Albanian CATERS lOw-cut slippers, leg
pieces of many colors, belonging to horsemen
from. Asia Minor, gold embroidered shoes,
or oh, Of
OF rags, OF wood, so many that while you look
at one you catch glimpse of a hundred more
one must be on the alert not to be jostled and
carrier with a cOlored jar upon his back: now
Russian lady on horseback, now a squad of
mperla! soldiers in ZOuave dress, and step
ping as II to an assault: now crew of Arme-
Man porters, two and two, carrying on their
shoulders immense bars, from which are sus-
pended great bales of merchandise: and now
throng OF Turks who dart from left to right
OF the bridge to EN- bark in the steamers that
lie there. There is a tread of many feet, a
murmuring, sound of voices, gutteral notes,
aspirations interjectiOnal, incOmprehensible
and strange, among which the few French or
Italian words that reach the ear seem like
luminous points upon a black darkness. The
ngures that most attract the eye in all this
OF three and five together, with slow steps,
big-bearded men of a terrible countenance,
wearing bearSkin caps like the old Napoleonic
guard, long, black caftans, daggers at their
girdles and silver cartridg e-b boxes on their
breasts; real figures of banditti. who look as
they t had come to Cons'antinopIe to sell a
with Russian blood. Then the Syrians, with
robes in the form of Byzantine dalmatic, and
their heads enveloped in gold striped hand
and caps encircled with fur; Georgians in
hats of vanished leather. their TUNES bound
round the waist with metal girdes; Greeks
from the Archipelago, covered from head to
foot with embroidery, tassels and shining but
tons.
From time to time the crowd slackens lit
tie;; out ,i instantly other groups advance,
amid which the cylindrical hats, umbrellas
and pyramidal headdresses of Europeans
male and female seem to float borne onward
even to note the variety of religions.
The shining bald head of the Capuchin frlar,
the towering janissary turban of an Ulema,
alternate with the black veil of an Armenian
chapiains OF the turkish army, dressed Ii in
green. with sabreS at their sides, Dominican
!riars, pilgrims returned from Mecca with
talisman hanging at their necks, yesuits, Der
xises: and this is very stranse, Deryises that
tear their own flesh in expiation of their sins,
and cross the bridge under sun-umbrella, al
pass ny: If you are attentive. you may no ice
in the thrOng thousand amusing incidents.
Here is a eunuch showing the white of his eye
at Christian exquisite, who has glanced too
curlously into the carriage Of his mistress;
There IS French cOcOtte, dressed after the
latest fashion plate, leading by the hand the
beglOved and bejeweled son of pasta; or a
lady of STEAMBOAT, feigning to adjust her veil
that she may peer more easily at the train of a
lady OF Pera: or a sergeant of cavalry in full
uniform stopping in the middle of the bridge
to blow his nose with his fingers i'm wly to
give one a cold chill or d qulck, taking his
last sous from some poor devil, and m king a
cabalistic gesture over his face to cure him of
sore eyes.
Sometimes there passes mighty pasta with
,hree tails, lOunging in splendid carriage fol.
lowed by his pipe bearer on foot. his guard and
one black slave, and then all the Turks salute,
touching the forehead aud breast, and the
mendicant women, horrible witches, VITA
nuff1ed faces and naked breasts, run after the
carriage crying for charity. Eunuchs not on
service pass in tWOS and threeS and iveS to-
gether, cigarette in mouth and are recognized
by their cUrpuence their long arms and their
black habits. Little Turkish girls Dire sSed
like boys, in green full trousers and rose or
yellow vests, run and Jump with feline agility,
making way for themselves with their henna
med hands. BOOlblacks with gilded boxes,
harberS with bench and basin in hand, sellers
III water and SweetmeatS cleave tie press in
every direction, screaming in Greek and Tur-
hlSh. At every step comes glittarng mi :
larry division, officers in feZ and scarlet trOu.
serS, their breasts consolidated with medals; :
fronms from the seraglio looking like genera
a The army; gendarmeS, with a whole arsenal
at their belts; zeibecks, or free soldiers, with
those enormous baggy trousers, that make
them resemble in profile the HOttentOt Venus
1mpeiia! guards, with long white pumeS
upon their casques AVID gold bedizened
breasts; city guards of Constantinople; ;