The Osceola times., 1878-03-30
COnstantInOple's Gates.

COnstantInOple's Gates.
The vart Importance of the Bosphorus
as the gate or passage to onstantinople
from the Black sea, and of the Darda-
nelles as its gate iron the Mediterranean,
had been fully recognized by the Roman
and Greek emperoTs Gibbon tells us
that the emperor Constantine built
ferts at the Euxine entrance to the Bos-
phorus in order to stay the incursions of
pirates, who had been in the habit OF
sailing through the Bospherus, the sea Of
Marmora, and the Hellespont to ravage
the coasts of the Mediterranean thence
in due time to escape to the channel
through which they had come, to
their practically inaccessible harbors
in the Black sea. In modern times
Europe has never, hitherto, been
threatened from the Black sea, ex.
cept by the Turks themselves, who, to
prevent return expeditions orexpeditions or
of any kind from the west against Con-
stantinople, constructed the forts, towers
or castles, as they are variously called,
off the Dardanelles. The castles con.
structed by Mohammed H., at the
nsrrowest part of the Dardanelles, were
the advanced posts of the Ottoman
empire on the south European side. The
Venetians, however, disregarded them to
the point of approaching them very
closely. Accordingly, Mohammed w.,
to keep the Venetian galleys from sailing
80 far along the channel built much
nearer the mouth the castle-One on the
European, the other on the Asiatic side
which have been known as the
"new" ones in contradistinction to the
sold"
The story OF the BOsphorus is less iu-
teresting than that OF the Dsrdanelles,
from which, however, it cannot well be
dislocated. 1t must sometimes have
been supposed that the Bospherus and
not the Hellespont was the scene of
Leander's celebrated performances, for
on rock opposite Scutari, facing the
entrance to the Bosphorus, stands a
tower, which is often, without reason,
called 1.-THE Tower of Leander." The
Turks call it the Tower of the Virgin y
and in it, according to Turkish legend
was confined the lovely daughter o
Mohammsd-Sultan, Mehar-Schegid by
name, of whom it had been predicted by
u mysterious gypsy that she would die
} by the bite of serpent. Menar.Schegid's
reputation for beauty spread until il
reached the ears of the prince of Persia,
who came to Constantinople determined
by some means 10 gain admission
to the tower. He contrived, by
bribing her attendants, to get con-
veyed to her a bouquet of symbolical how-
ers, expressing to her, in language she
perfectly understands the passions with
which she had inspired him. But like
Cleopatra's basket of fruit, Mehar-
Schegid's bunch of flowers concealed an
asp. Mehar Schegid was stung. Her
servants, remembering the gypsy's pro.
phechy, uttered loud cries of distress,
and, throwing open the doors OF the
tower, rushed irsntically ont, declaring
that all was lest. Then the prince OF
Persia rushed in, seized Mehsr-Schegid
in his arms, and sucked the wound in
her shoulder until he had extracted from
il all the venom left there by the asp.
The sultan, when he heard the young
mans noble and interesting conduct,
declared that he should be his son-in-law ;
and the prince of Persia made Mehar-
Schegid his wife, and lived with her very
happily for number of years and
had many children.
1t need scarcely be said that the first
pssser OF the Bosphorus from shore to
shore was 10. transformed into heifer
through the amorous prosecutions OF
Jupiter, and driven into the sea by the
maddening attacks OF gadhy. 1t has
already been mentioned that across this
branch of the great historical and myth
illogical canal, which, from Agamem-
mons siege of Troy at one end to No
hammed Ills siege OF Constantinople at
the other, has been the scene Of such
world.important conflicts, the army Of
Darius crossed. The only entry o! a
military force from the Black sea into
the Bosphorus since the time OF COnstan-
tines Black sea enemies, the pirates,
occurred in 1888, when the Russians,
after making explanations on the subject
to the western powers. occupied the Turk
ish capital in friendly manner with the
view Of guarding 1t against the sultan's s
rebellious vassal, the viceroy Of Egypt.
The Russians kept their hold In 80 far
that they quilted COnstantinople a. they
had promised to do. But services of this
kind are not to be forgotten that, al.
though the Russians made no sign Of
Wishing to remain in Constantinoplc, they
, took away with them, when they left, a
secret treaty known as the treaty of
Unkira- -Skelessi, by which the porte
granted to Russia alone, among the
European powers, the right Of passing
, with vessels Of war from the Black sea
! TO the Mediterranean, and from the
Mediterranean to the Black sea. Be-
sides being protected, or placed in an ad-
mirable position for being protected,
against approaches both from the Medi-
terranoan and from the Black sea,
Constantinople was at one time
} guarded against further advances by
chain drawn across the mouth OF
the hsrbor, the so-called "Golden
Horn" The chain was supported at
intervals on piles, and the distance from
|, point to point along which it extended
measured Ave hundred yards. No
other city In the world is ~ admirably
situated as Constsntinople for letting
in trade and keeping out war. Before
the introduction OF steam navigation its
position was even finer than now. For
every wind, from Whatever quarter it
might blow, brought ships to its port !;
now from the Black -, with rich pro-
ducs Of the east; now from the White
e." !" or Asdisesraas<4. with the nsau.
hoiures a ~ wgut. T1e Wissding
lepuso q the Aslleaee91 o. paedsneales
9. ! = - :. :! -, ~