Part 5

We continue anchored at the same place, being all this day entirely becalmed. And the day following, the calm having changed into a contrary wind detained us still at the same anchor. But however disagreeable this interruption in the course of our voyage might prove to some others of the company, the leisure of those two days was to me very grateful. Nor could I esteem it any loss of time, but rather an advantage, on account of the favourable and unexpected opportunity it afforded me of visiting two so famous castles, together with the villages adjoining to them[61]. Going ashore therefore in the captain’s pinnace to the town on the Asian side (formerly called _Abýdos_[62], but by the Turks _Eskí Natolia Hisar_) with great pleasure I walked about the place, but found no footsteps of antiquity[63]. The town is large, but mean; yet famous for a curious sort of earthen ware finely glazed, which is made here, and vended in great quantities. The castle is intire, of a square figure, with bastions projecting at each corner, and with one side flanks the water on a level shore; where are to be seen betwixt twenty and thirty vast guns, such as perhaps are no where else to be found, except in some other parts of Turkey. They are of brass, and have a bore at least three quarters of a yard diameter; and are charged with stone bullets of the same dimensions, which lie at hand spherically cut. The charge of powder, as I was informed on the place by the _barút agá_ of _Smyrna_, is an hundred and five _okes_. From _Abýdos_ I crossed over in a small wherry to _Sestos_[64], that is, from _Natolia_ to _Rumeli Hisar_, and in the way observed the art of the boatman in avoiding the force of the current, a circumstance mentioned by _Strabo_[65]. This town stands on a precipice, descending steeply towards the sea shore; and is better built, tho less, than _Abýdos_. It has a castle consisting of a triangular tower, enclosed within an high wall of this [Illustration] figure, and that again with another triangular wall, all surrounded with a deep foss. In the same level with the water are mounted about thirty guns, of the same or rather bigger size than those of _Natolia Hisar_; and by each lie great heaps of stones, cut spherically to the dimensions of each canon. In relation to this town of _Sestos_, and the tower of _Leander_, once adjoining to the shore a little above the town, I remembered that request of _Musaeus_:

Σὺ δ’ εἴποτε κεῖθι περήσεις, Δίζεό μοι τινὰ πύργον[66].

April v.

This morning a fresh wind favouring us at south west we set sail by six a clock, and passing the forementioned castles, within a league on the European shore, arrive at the town _Maitos_, antiently _Madytos_[67], seated on a low land within a small recess of the sea, and inhabited intirely by Greeks. The campain on each side is delightful to the traveler, as well as fertile to the inhabitants; being for the most part of a level situation, and in the neighbourhood of the villages it possesses, well cultivated and distinguished into pastures. About three leagues from _Maitos_ we view on the same shore two pleasant and well situated villages, by the name of the _Lesser_ and _Greater Galata_. Thence about the distance of two leagues we arrive betwixt _Lampsacus_ on the Asian, and _Callipolis_ on the European shore; the former a small town, and the latter a city of no inconsiderable extent; so that now they have changed their fortune, and that character, which they bore in the time of _Strabo_[68]. About twelve leagues from _Callipolis_ lies the island _Marmora_, exceeding high ground, abounding with rich veins of durable and pretious marble; the same of which has given it the name of _Marmora_, instead of the ancient _Proconésus_. Adjoining to this are two lesser isles, _Kutali_ and _Alonia_, the latter eminent for the product of excellent wines. Betwixt these islands and the beautiful Thracian shore, which here graces the _Propontis_, we were advanced by a brisk and favourable gale at the approach of the evening, and from thence are now continuing our voyage, with the same auspicious wind, and hopes, if God permit, to arrive at _Constantinople_ early by to morrow morning.

April vi.

Before ten last evening the wind having changed to our disadvantage, we find ourselves this morning but little advanced from _Marmora_; however by the benefit of turning to windward, we proceeded this day about the distance of ten leagues. Every other tack brought us near to the Thracian shore, and entertained us with a fair view of the most green and fertile campain I ever yet beheld. By the same means we enjoyed the opportunity of seeing the famous port and city of _Heracléa_, built behind a small eminence, which protends itself into the sea, and forms an haven on each side of the city. Not far from hence stands on the same shore the fair town of _Selymbria_; near which the night now overtakes us, and deprives us of that delicious prospect, which the whole day afforded us, of the feilds of Thrace. It was on this day, that captain Winter wanting his log line to be brought him from a chest in the great cabin, was not permitted by the _barút agá_ to send any person down for it, by reason of his _harém_ being there. At length he yeilded to let the captain’s son go, a child of about eight years of age.

April vii.

Early this morning I betake myself to the enjoyment of the same diverting prospect, whilst the ship, by the benefit of tacking, passes by _Grande_ and _Piccolo Ponte_; and so betwixt nine and ten of the clock comes to an anchor within a short league of the _Seven Towers_, a castle which forms the extreme point of _Constantinople_. Here we continued wind bound the remainder of this day, because the narrowness of the chanel, into which we were now to enter; and the force of the current, which runs very rapidly out of the Thracian _Bosphorus_; did not suffer us to advance against the violent north wind.

April viii.

This morning about nine a clock the wind, which changed nothing of its point, yet abated so much of its strength, that it permitted us to turn from the _Seven Towers_ along the bending walls of _Constantinople_, as far as the _Seraglio point_. But the violence of the current prohibiting us to make the harbour of _Galata_, the ship was again obliged to drop anchor, and wait till she could either make sail with a fair wind, or take the opportunity of a calm to be towed in by _hamáls_. We had not long cast anchor, when my esteemed freind, Mr. Matthias Goodfellow, was pleased to visit me on board the ship; and carrying me ashore in the boat, which brought him, first introduced me to his excellency, the Lord Paget, and then kindly allotted me a pleasant and convenient apartment in his house at _Galata_.

April xiii.

This day I attended the funeral of Signior _Demetrasco_, chief _dragoman_ to the English ambassador, who tho by faith a Latin, yet by birth was of the Greek nation. And accordingly in the way of burying proper to this latter, I observed the manner of carrying the corps of the deceased barefaced, clothed in his late usual habit, and supported by four of his nearest relations; who were followed by women slaves, hired to make a hideous pomp, by tearing their hair, extorting forced and counterfeit tears, and repeating in a continual loud and frightful lamentation, ὦ ἀφέντη μου; that is, _O my master!_

April xv.

I paid a visit to Signior _Rombarts_, a gentile and ingenious merchant of the Dutch nation, at his house in _Curuchesmée_, a village on the Thracian _Bosphorus_. Here I observed a _sophá_ room remarkably adorned after the richest Turkish fashion, the roof formed into a cupola, and the gilding and painting of the whole so splendidly curious, that it amounted at first to the sum of four thousand _hungárs_, or two thousand pounds sterling.

April xvii.

I took the opportunity of passing over the chanel to _Constantinople_, in company of Signior _Wright_, the Dutch minister of this place, with whom I visited the _mint_; the _Grand Signior’s_ lions; and the _mosques_ of _Sultan Solymán_, _Sultan Bajazet_, _Sultan Achmét_, and the _Validée_. That of _Bajazet_ and the _Validée_ are adorned only with two _minarées_, that of _Solymán_ with four, and that of _Achmét_ with six. They all much resemble one another, both in the inward and outward figure. They first consist of a spatious court, enriched all round with fair and regular cloisters formed by pillars, some of whose shafts are carved with white marble, some with serpentine stone, and some with porphyry; but all the capitals are of the modern Turkish figure. Next is the body of the _mosque_, covered outwardly with domes, and supported inwardly with four massy pillars, from the tops of which rises a regular cupola, forming the roof of the whole _mosque_. Whoever exactly compares the beauty and grandeur of these several _mosques_, will find that of _Solymán_ more regular, and artificial in the outward frame; that of _Achmét_ more magnificent in the whole, and on the outside more beautiful in the work of the pillars; that of the _Validée_, tho less in bulk and extent than the other two, yet more curious in the inward ornaments and workmanship than either; and that of _Bajazet_, which is the oldest, inferior to the rest both in bulk and beauty, except that some cast pillars, which form the cloisters of the court, consist of a more polite, shining, and pretious stone.

The same morning I visited the antient cirque of this city, a large oblong space flanked on three sides with the houses of the city, and on the fourth with the walls of the _mosque_ of _Sultan Achmét_. Therein stand three pillars, the first of square stone, formerly covered with gilded brass, at the end of the cirque, and supposed to have been the goal of the _stadium_. It now declines much, having suffered greatly by time, and openings in the several joints of the stones. The second pillar is of wreathed brass, not above twelve feet high, lately terminated at the top with figures of three serpents rising from the pillar, and with their necks and heads forming a beautiful triangle. But this monument was rudely broken from the top of the pillar by some attendants of the late Polish ambassador, whose lodgings were appointed in this cirque, opposite to the said pillar[69]. The third pillar is a long square stone, or obelisk, decreasing gradually from its basis, till it ends almost in a point. The matter is granate, or Theban marble; and each side is engraven with birds, beasts, and other hieroglyphical figures[70]. This had once lain upon the ground, and, as we may conceive from the inscriptions, a considerable time; till _Theodosius_ erected it on a large and square basis, adorned on each side with various images; and having fixt on the top of this basis four brass supporters, on these he set the aforesaid hieroglyphical Theban column. There is a Latin inscription on one side of the basis, and a Greek one on the other, importing what I here mention concerning the erection of the pillar. The Greek runs thus:

ΚΙΟΝΑ ΤΕΤΡΑΠΛΕΥΡΟΝ ΑΕΙ ΧΘΟΝΙ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟΝ ΑΧΘΟϹ ΜΟΥΝΟϹ ΑΝΑϹΤΗϹΑΙ ΘΕΥΔΟϹΙΟϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ ΤΟΛΜΗϹΑϹ ΠΡΟΚΛΟϹ[71] ΕΠΕΚΕΚΛΕΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΟϹΟϹ ΕϹΤΗ ΚΙΩΝ ΗΕΛΙΟΙϹ ΕΝ ΤΡΙΑΚΟΝΤΑ ΔΥΩ

The Latin thus:

DIFFICILIS QVONDAM DOMINIS PARERE SERENIS IVSSVS ET EXTINCTIS PALMAM PORTARE TYRANNIS OMNIA THEODOSIO CEDVNT SOBOLIQVE PERENNI[72] TER DENIS SIC VICTVS EGO DOMITVSQVE DIEBVS[73]

The remaining verse, mentioned by Sir _George Sandys_, is now covered in the ground[74].

April xxii.

This day having first visited Mr. _Schrever_ (then ill of the plague, of which he died two days after) in a small boat of the countrey, in company with Mr. Goodfellow and Mr. Evans, I made a tour up the Thracian _Bosphorus_. This chanel we may conceive to begin from the point of _Scutari_ on one side, and that of _Tophana_ on the other; from whence in a winding figure, graced on each side with _seraglios_ of the chief courtiers of this empire, and on the marine with almost continued villages, as also two castles in the narrowest part, it extends about eighteen or twenty miles, as far as the antient rocky isles of the _Symplegades_, which seem to open and shut, as one advances to them in the _Bosphorus_[75]. The largest of them is situated on the European shore, and till lately bore an antient Corinthian pillar, to which a vulgar error has given the name of _Pompey’s column_. It was erected not on a regular basis of its own, but upon an antient heathen altar, that now only remains; the shaft and capital of the pillar, which have lately fallen, being yet visible in four pieces among the cliffs of the rock. On the aforesaid remaining altar may be read this inscription in large Roman letters.

DIVO CAESARI AUGVSTO L. CL. ANNIDIVS L. F. CLAV. FRONTO[76]

Returning from this pillar we stept on the adjoining shore, to see the large and lofty lantern there erected for the direction of mariners at the entrance of this difficult strait. About four miles from hence, in returning thro the chanel, we go ashore on the European side to visit a famous convent of Greek priests, by the name of _Mauromolos_, seated in the cliff of an hill, and enjoying a beautiful church, adorned with many rich pieces of religious furniture; as books bound in covers of massy silver; an ἁγία πύλη, or _sacred curtain_[77], wrought both richly and artfully in silk and golden figures; and a set of painting not of the vulgar sort, but regular and proportionable, the most curious of which was done in Muscovy. These fathers are exempted from their _harách_, on account of a present of excellent fair cherries, once presented to the _Grand Signior_. Over a fountain, that serves the convent with water, they have this device, not more proper for the place, than ingenious for the contrivance, in making the same words read forwards or backwards:

ΝΙΨΟΝ ΑΝΟΜΗΜΑΤΑ ΜΗ ΜΟΝΑΝ ΟΨΙΝ[78]

I was this day a witness of the strong current flowing towards the _Propontis_ from the _Euxine_ sea, as I had before observed it to force into the _Mediterranean_ from the ocean. Both which are taken notice of by _Lucan_:

_Quaque fretum torrens Maeotidos egerit undas_ _Pontus, et Herculeis aufertur gloria metis,_ _Oceanumque negat solas admittere Gades[79]._

April xxvi.

This day I crossed the water from _Galata_ to visit the antient _Chalcédon_, where I saw the poor Greek church dedicated to _St. Euphemia_[80]; and a little distant from the present village, the place where was held the fourth general council. Returning we row under the shore, to see the _Grand Signior’s_ beautiful _seraglio_ near _Scutari_. When _Chalcédon_ was an eminent city, which is now reduced to a slender village; _Scutari_, which by a contrary event is at present a fair and spatious city, was a poor and ignoble village, tho it then had the name of _Chrysopolis_, as we find by _Zosimus_[81].

April xxviii.

I retired to _Belgrade_, a small Greek village, seated about twelve miles from _Constantinople_, and about five from the _Euxine_ sea; where the English ambassador has a countrey seat. It is pleasantly situated among large woods of oak, beech, chesnut, and other trees, and enjoys an healthy air and water. Here I took the opportunity of riding to visit the famous aqueducts of _Constantinople_, distant from this village about six miles, which were built by _Valentinian_ the first[82], _accurante Clearcho praefecto_, as _Cassiodorus_ says[83]; and afterwards repaired by _Solymán_ the _Magnificent_, who exempted twelve adjacent Greek villages from the customary tribute of this empire, for the care he enjoined them of keeping these aqueducts in repair. The most remarkable of them are three great and lofty fabrics, built over so many valleys betwixt the adjoining hills, of which the longest has many but less arches, and may possibly be the entire work of _Solymán_. The other two have the appearance of a more antient and regular architecture, consisting of two rows of arches one over the other; and those of the second row enclosed by pillars cut thro the middle, so as to render the fabric both passable like a bridge, and useful for the conveyance of water. The more considerable of these two consists only of four large arches, each twenty yards long, and something above twenty high, supported by octangular pillars of about fifty six yards in circumference towards the bottom. The village of _Belgrade_ is likewise honoured with two royal _kiosks_, the one of the _Grand Signior_, the other of the _Validée_; each situated in two delightful recesses of the neighbouring wood, and adorned with natural avenues thro lofty groves of beech, oak, and chesnut. At each of these _kiosks_ the waters of the public aqueduct are gathered into fair and ample cisterns of hewn stone, from whence they pass in arched chanels under ground to the royal city.

May vii.

After a pleasant retirement of ten days at _Belgrade_ I returned to my lodgings at _Galata_, to take the opportunity of seeing the remaining curiosities of _Constantinople_.

May viii.

I walked almost thro the extent of the whole city to visit the famous pillar of _Arcadius_, a lofty and aspiring fabric, of the Doric order, built with a wonderful regularity and exactness of architecture, bearing on the basis, and on the whole shaft from top to bottom, various warlike figures of men in arms, chariots, galleys, and other ornaments, which in a spiral manner encircle the whole pillar; every figure being so well proportioned to the distance, from whence it is seen, that those at the top, the middle, and the bottom, appear to the eye exactly of the same size. Returning from this pillar I passed by the old pillar of _Aurátbasar_, defaced by the several conflagrations of the city, and bound in several places with rings of iron by the care and charge of the emperor _Manuel_, as is witnessed by this inscription on the top.

ΤΟ ΘΕΙΟΝ ΕΡΓΟΝ ΕΝΘΑΔΕ ΦΘΑΡΕΝ ΧΡΟΝΩ ΚΑΙΝΟΙ ΜΑΝΟΥΗΛ ΕΥϹΕΒΗϹ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ

From this pillar I was desirous of passing thro _Atmeidan_, that is the _hippodromus_, or _cirque_ above mentioned, to review the _mosque_ of _Sultan Achmét_, and make a stricter observation on the three pillars there erected. Here I was informed, that the brass serpentine pillar was erected by the emperor _Leo_, as a charm against the noisom number of serpents, which in his time infested the city; the same person superstitiously affirming, that since the late defacement of this pillar, by the breaking of the serpents heads, the city was again molested by innumerable noxious serpents. At the foot of the old pillar, formerly covered with brass, I read the remains of that inscription once taken by Sir _George Sandys_, but since his time part of it buried with earth, and part broken away; which is very erroneously printed in his _Travels_[84]. On the basis of the hieroglyphical pillar I observed the carved representation of the pillar it self, together with the figures of men labouring to erect it.

May ix.

By the interest of a Greek, who serves the _bostangí bashá_ as his surgeon, I was admitted in company of Mr. John Philips, an eminent merchant, into the great _seraglio_ of _Constantinople_, where we passed thro two courts, that form the entry of the palace; the first of which has a small arsenal, furnished with arms and ammunition; the second has piazzas on two sides, in which the _janisaries_ are wont to eat, and opens at the upper end into the _diván_. From these two courts we were permitted to walk round the full extent of the garden, on each side of the palace. They are rude and wild places, affording nothing that is entertaining, but that wherewith nature has furnished them, which is an admirable situation rising into convenient ascents, and capable of infinite improvement, if it were happily in the possession of a Christian prince. The whole plat of ground, which they call the gardens of the _seraglio_, is covered with cypress and other trees, thro which are cut shady walks, where _kiosks_ are seen of various sorts; the most eminent and remarkable of which is that called the _Blew kiosk_, fronting the town of _Scutari_. This and the other called the _Alaí kiosk_, fronting the city of _Galata_, are rich and splendid pleasure houses, covered with a gilded cupola, and adorned in their several walls with Indian tiles, and stately chimneypieces of solid brass. Passing thro the extent of the _seraglio_ towards the extreme point, that looks up the Thracian _Bosphorus_, you observe a Corinthian pillar consisting of white marble, of which the ignorant Turks report a fabulous and ridiculous account; but its true original is discovered by this inscription on one plane of the basis:

FORTVNAE REDVCI OB DEVICTOS GOTHOS[85]

On the opposite plane is likewise this religious device:

+--+--+ |ΙϹ|ΧϹ| |ΝΙ|ΚΑ| +--+--+

Near this pillar we were admitted thro a gate, which opens into a green court, and that again into a garden kept in somewhat a regular order. From hence we ascend by a few steps into an apartment of the _Grand Signior_, where are two rich _kiosks_, a fish pond, a paved walk, and an open gallery. Here we were shewn the lodgings, where the unhappy princes of the empire are detained prisoners, as also the dark chambers of the _ichoglans_, and the door that leads into the _harém_ of the _Grand Signior_. There also are shewn two or three instances of the strength and the activity of _Sultan Morát_; as a ponderous round stone, which with one finger he is said to have lifted by a ring fixt therein; likewise five thick and substantial sheilds, which being placed upon one another were peirced thro by a cast of his _jiríd_ still sticking in them; also several silver pellets thrown by him with that violence, as to stick in an iron door. The above mentioned gallery is rich and splendid, adorned with various gilding of flower work, and supported with beautiful serpentine pillars. In the sides of one of the _kiosks_ are three orbicular stones of fine porphyry, the middlemost of which is curiously polished, and thereby serves to reflect the prospect of the _seraglio_ and adjoining city, in the nature of a looking glass. At the further end of the garden of the _seraglio_ are the intire walls of an antient Christian church, and near to that the aviary of the _Grand Signior_, where I observed the hens of _Grand Cairo_, having blue gills and feathers curiously coloured with grey circles, and in the center of each a spot of black.

This day I retired again to _Belgrade_, for the advantage of its healthy air and water, and the entertainment of its shady situation. Hence on the twelfth instant I made a tour towards _Domuzderé_, and the shore of the _Black Sea_, on which we rode for some space of ground, and returned by that called _Ovid’s Tower_, thro a fertile tract of ground, curiously varied with corn, grass, and shady woods.

May xx.