The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-11
CONSTANTIN0PLE.
A Graphic Description OF the Turkish
Capital.


I'd the whole world, or round which its
history has at one time or another re
valved, cities in which students and
philosophers from every country are
conallv interested. These four are Jeru-
salem. Athens. Rome, CouStantiOople.
The FIRST has given 10 civilized mankind
their religion: the second has been our
great inStructresS in literature and art (:
the third has spread her laws. her Ian
,y,lageS her political and ecclesiastical
institutions over half the globe. And
though ,Constantinople can lay No claim
% tho moral or intellectual glories OF
these other three, though her name does
not command our veneration like Jeru-
stlem, nor our admirine gratitude like
Athens, nor our awe like Rome, she has
preserved, and seems destined to retain,
an influence and Importance which they
have in n great measure lost. They be-
long mainly to the past; she is still y
power in the present and may he a
mighty factor in the future. For titteen
hundred wears she has been a seat oi
empire, aud for an even longer period
the emporium of a commerce 10 which
the events of our own time seem destined
- give a growing magnitude
Ii You look at the map you will see
what a remarkable, and indeed unique,
position ConStautmople occupies. Ii is
ON the great highway which connects
:he Black Sea with the Mediterranean.
and separates Europe from Asia. Thus
il commands at once two seas and two
continents. All the marine trade, both
cvuort and import, of the vast territor-
les which are drained by the Danube and
the grNat rivers ot southern Russia, as
well as that Of the north coas; Of Asia
Minor, and of those rich Eastern lands
that lie rouni the Caspian, must pass
under its walls. When the urighboring
countries Sre opened up by railways IL
will be the center from which hines will
raaiate over European Turkey and Asia
Minor. With n loot 50 Il speak. on
each continent. the power that possesses
y can transfer troops or merchandise al
viii from one ~ the other, and can pre-
vent auv one else from doing So. Then
consider how strong it is against attack.
IL is guarded on both sides by long
and narrow straii-to the y, T.. tht
BosphoruS, and q the :. ". the Dapia.
cnlles-aAch of which can, by the erec-
ton Of batteries, possibly by the laying
down Of torpeloeS, be easily rendered
impreCnable 20 a naval attack. For the
RoSpboruS, rs You probably know, Is
tiiteen niles long, with bold rAcky htlls
IN either side. and chaI.nA which j.
not only winding but il Is nowhere over
a - 4
half "a mise Wide. Aud il possesses a
Spieniid harhar, Ani-locke3. tldelesS,
and with water deep enough 20 hoat the
largest vessels On the land side II Is
scarcely less defeuShle, being covered
bv an almost continuous line Of hills,
lakes AMI marshes, with a comparatively
narrow passage through them, which
offers great advantages for the erection
II Notifications. There Is no other such
site IN the world for an imperial city. In
other respects il is equally fortunate.
OF It's beany | shall say something
presently, Although the climate Is very
ho: in summer, and pretty keen n WIN
ter. lt Is agreeable. for the alr Is kept
ialsciouslv fresh bv the seldom failing
hrcezeS that blow down from the Euxine
us up from the lBgean sea, and the sea
itself is a great purifier. Though there
is 10 tide there is a swift surface current
sweeping down into the sea ot Marmora
ani the Mediterranean, a current at one
noint 50 strong ths: boats have 10 be
towei mp along the shore, which carries
ofT whatever is thrown into the water.
-. though II is one Of the dirtiest towns
II ~ = fnf Eb.aw
healthy.
People are always saying that the in.
side of Constantinople dispels the illu-
SONS which the view OF it from the sea
or the neighboring hills has produced.
But those who say so, If they are not
merely repeating the commOn-places ei
their glide-book, can have no eve for
tie picturesque. l grant that the IN
terior Is very dirty and irregular and
tumble-down, that smells offend the
L Sc, and Loud harsh cries the ear. But
then, it is so wonderfully strange and
Curious and complex, full Of such bits OF
c-lor, such varieties Of human life, such
far reaching associations from the past,
that whatever an inhabitant may desire,
q visitor az least would not willingly see
anything improved or cleared away.
The streets are crooked and narrow.
climbing up steep hills, or winding
along the bays of the shore, sometimes
lined with open booths. in which stolid
old Turks sit cross-legged sleepily
smoking, sometimes among piles OF
gorgeous fruit, which even 20 behold il
a feast, while sometimes they are hem
med in by high windowless walls aud
crossed by heavy arches, places where
you think robbers must be lurking.
Csnstantinoble has absolutely nothing
- show from pagan times. Though
Byzsntium was nearly as old as Rome,
tie CITY Of Constantine is the true crea-
on Of the first Christian emperor, and
Possesses not a relic OF paganisn, ex-
c-pt the twisted serpents from Delphi
aud an Egyptian obelisk planted near
them in the hippodrome.
There are no shops in the streets oi
Stamboul proper, for nearly everything,
except food, is sold in the bazaar, which
i an enormous square building, con-
sting OF a labyrinth Of long covered
arcades, in which the dealers sit in their
stalls with their wares piled mp round
them. II is all locked up mt sunset
You nav buy most things IN it, but the
visitor is chiefly attracted by the rugs
and carpets from Persia, AnatOlia, and
Kurdistan, the silks of Broussa, and
the stores Of old arnor (real and falsel
from everywhere Purchasing is no
easy matter. for a stranger is asked
thrice the value OF the goods, and unless
he is content to be cheated both by the
dealer and his own cieerone interpreter
(who Of course receives a secret commits
sion from the vendor), he must spend
hours and hours in bargaining. Bus
mess is slack on Friday (the Mussulman
Sabbath) and on Saturday (since many
of the dealers are Hebrevs). as well as
on Sunday. 1t is conducted under an
other difficulty, which drives the visitor
almost wild-that Of a multiplicity of
" circulating mediums There is a
Turkish metallic currency, and paper
currency, greatly deprecated, besides
all sorts OF coins of other nations con-
stantly turning up, among which the
Indian rupee is one Of the commonest /;
and you have to make a separate bar
gain as to the value at which the coins
you happen to have in your pocket will
he taken. Hotel lodging, and indeed
almost everything, is very dear for
Western books you pay half as much
again as in London or in Paris. There
is little sign of police in the streets,
and nothing done either to pave or clean
them. Few are passable for carriages
aud the Turks leave everything to time
and chance. The only scavengers are
the yultures, which may sometimes be
seen lowering about in the clear sky, and
.Ln Gnc-. ,f rr-linl. Ak.r.. 10 r-nct r,.-.lLa