Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-04-05
COnAtantlnOple.

Al thlS moment Mhen the tattrnllOn ot all
nations is directed upon the Turkish capital,
the following information gathered from re-
Gently published volume. cannot fail to be Of
general interest. Constantinople is situated
on the great commercial highway which con-
ntcts the Black Sea with the Mediterranean,
and separates Europe from Asia, thus al once
commanding two seas and two continents.
All the marine trade both export and import
Of the vast territories which are drained by
the Danube and the great rivers of southern
Russia, as well as that of the north coast Of
Asia Minor. and of those rich eastern lands
that lie around the Caspian, must pass under
its walls. When the neighboring countries
are opened up by railways, IT will be the CEN
tire from which lines will radate over Euro
peau Turkey and Asia Minor. With IA foot
so 10 speak. on each continent, the power that
possesses it can transfer troops or merchan-
| disc at will from one to the other, and can
| prevent any one else from doing so. Consd-
| er also how strong II is against attack. II is
| guarded on both sides by long and narrow
| strait-to the northeast the Bosphorus, and
| to the southwest the Dardauelles, each of
which can, by the erection Of batteries. posi-
| bly, by the laying down of torpedOes. be easi-
| ly rendered impreguable to naval force.
! For the Bosphorus, as is generally known. is
| fifteen miles long, with bold rocky hills on eli
| ther side and channel which is not only
| winding but is nOwhere over two miles, and
in some places scarcely half mile, wide.
And the city possesses n splendid harbor,
| lank locked. tideless, and with water deep
enough to float the largest vessels. On the
| land side, it is scarcely less defensiblc being
! covered by an almost continuous line Of hills,
lakes and marshes, with "A comparatively mar
| row passage through them, which offers great
| advantage for the erection of fortihcations.
| There is no other such site in the world for
an imperial city. In other respects it is equal
| ly fortunate. Although the climate is very
hot in summer, and pretty keen in winter ii
is agreeable; for the air is kept delicously
| fresh by the seldom failing breezes that blow
| down from the EuXine or up from the Egean
Sea, and the sea itself is a great purifier.
| Though there is no tide, there is a swift cur.
rent sweeping down into the Sea of Marmora
| and the Mediterranean, current at one point
SO strong that boats have TO be towed up
along the shore. and which carries of whatever
is thrown into the water. So, though it is
one of the dirtiest towns in the East is one OF
the most healthy.
Constantinople consists of three main divi
sions. First, there is the old city, the city Of
! Constantine which the Turks now call STAN
| boul, living between the Golden Horn and the
| Sea of Marmora, and narrowing down to
point of land the point which was the site Of
the first Megarian colony and which marks TIA,
entrance from the sea into the long strait OF
the Bosphorus. Secondly, over against STAN.
boul, on the other side of the Golden Horn
is Galata-a long, low, dirty district, running
along the waters edge and full of Greek sail
ors and bad smells. Behind and above Gala
ia, rising up the steep hill, is the quarter
called Pera, where Europeans of the bette
sort live and all the European shops are to b,
found. The third and last division is in Asia
on the further side Of the Bosphorus, oppo
site both Stamboul and Galata and consist
of n series of towns, the chief of which is Scu
tart, forming an almost continuous line o
houses along the shore, and virtually par
of the great city, though separated 10y NOR
than mile of water-water which is some
times so rough that the steamers cannot cross
Constantinople is n city, not of one nation
but of many, and hardly more of one than o
another. The inhabitants are not less than
500, 600 or 900 900, and of these about half
some say rather over half-are Mohamme
dams. This half live mostly in Stambou
proper aud in Scutari, while PeR, Galata ant
Kadikeni (Chelcedon) are left to the Chris
tians Nearly equal in numbers TO the Mo
hammedans are the Turkish Christians
Greeks, Armenians and Bulgarians. Tn
Arneniaus seem to be the most numerou
they are said to be POO, O00), and many O
the wealthy merchants belong to this national
| ity the Bulgarians, however, are, according
to the report of the American missionaries
who are, perhaps the best authorities, reall
the most teachable and progressive. Tn
Americans have an excellent college on tn
Bosphorus where they receive Christian chi
dren belonging to all nationalities. Then
besides all these natives, one finds a motle
crowd of strangers from the rest of Europe
Italians Germans, Hungarians, Russians
Poles, Frenchmen, English. Thus there are
altogether, at least eight or nine nations moN
ing about the streets of this wonderful city
eight or nine languages which one may hea
constantly spoken in the streets, and five c
: six which appear on the shop fronts.