63

CHAPTER III:

CONSTANTINOPLE.

FRENCH STEAMBOAT.

ARRIVAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE. CLIMATE.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY-BAZAARS.-CHANGE OF COSTUME BY THE TURKS. HABITS OF THE PEOPLE. - DANCING DERVISES. ANTIQUITIES. THE SULTAN.-HIS POLICY.-SITUATION OF THE CITY.

In the evening of the 7th of March the steamboat from Smyrna, a French vessel, appeared, twelve hours after its usual time; and, being unable to face the stream and storm of wind and snow, cast anchor for the night. On the morning of the 8th, at eight o'clock, I went on board. The usual time required for the voyage to Constantinople is from twelve to sixteen hours: our passage took forty-eight; and most miserable hours they were, for it blew hard the whole time; the mingled snow and spray made it difficult even for the crew to remain at their posts. I was the only passenger in the principal cabin, which had every requisite of splendour and luxury, but no fire or stove. I was in bed almost the whole time, but never lost the numbness of cold in my feet. The captain and mate took their scanty dinner with me. I cannot like the middle classes of the French nation, particularly in travelling and in rough weather; they have little idea of cleanliness, never shaving or dressing, and often exhibit all that is disgusting in the

epicure added to the German unmannerly mode of eating; but perhaps my comfortless voyage has made me hypercritical. I will therefore pass on to the pleasure of arriving on the morning of Saturday, the 9th of March, at this place, the Eastern capital,--a name which in childhood was a frequent lesson in my copy-book, and from which I now date my letters, Constantinople, or, as it is called by the Turks, Stámbool. On landing, I observed vast numbers of porpusses, which seemed to threaten to upset the light boats or caifes which swarm on the water. The Turks always squat at the bottom of these boats, which are very like canoes; but to the European, who sits higher or stands, they are a dangerous conveyance.

March 13th.—I have now been four days in the city, and each day the snow has continued to fall, and the wind is still north-east. On my noticing the severity of the weather, the people say, "Yes, we always have this weather at this season;" and, both from the state of vegetation and the accounts given by residents here, I am persuaded that we English are strangely mistaken with regard to the climate of this country, as well as of Italy, fancying from the great heat of the summer that there is no cold season. I am told that the winters here are extremely long and severe, and that the use of fur is greater than in any part of northern Europe; every person, male or female, rich or poor, being clothed in fur, varying from the richest sable to the most common skins. The houses are certainly built for a warm season; but Dr. Millingen, a resident here for many years, with whom I conversed about the climate, says very truly that it is easier to obtain artificial heat than cold; the people can warm themselves in winter, but could not cool an European-built house in summer.

The snow has not prevented my ramblings, but all my associations of luxury and sunshine with the East, which have hitherto accompanied minarets, are, like the vegetation

here, folded in the bud: in a warmer atmosphere they may expand. I can only speak of the substantial features of the city, and must leave its gayer colouring to poets, or those who may visit it during a more genial season.

The streets of Constantinople are certainly better than those of other eastern cities, but I know none in Europe that I can mention to convey an idea sufficiently bad even for the best of them. In some a carriage may be, and occasionally is, dragged along, but the partial pavement renders. it unsafe. The conveyance for ladies is drawn by a single horse or ox, led by a man, the body swinging like a hammock; yet I know not what danger there can be, for there is not width to allow of the carriage being upset; and as the ladies sit at the bottom, they cannot be jolted from their seats. The wheels and body are all carved and gilded, and hung with drapery of gay colours; but these carriages are not numerous; for besides the above objections to their use, all the districts of the city-Pera, Galatea, Constantinople, and the Seraglio Point, or Golden Horn,—being situated on a series of hills, the greater number of the streets would be impassable for such a conveyance. For all commercial purposes connected with the shipping the water must be crossed, therefore boats are used with more advantage than carriages, and the fares are very low. Horses stand in the streets for hire, as hackney-coaches with us.

The mosques are prodigious masses of building, piled together without plan or reference to outward effect. But the elegant minarets are redeeming features, and render the general effect almost beautiful, especially when backed by a clear horizon. The proportion which the mosques bear in size to all other buildings is so colossal, that this alone renders them imposing: in fact there are no other public edifices, unless the bazaars may be so called. These are delightful places of amusement, through which you may walk perhaps for miles, generally under cover of a kind of

arched vault. From the outside, or from any neighbouring hill, they look like a series of ovens or dome-tops rising from flat roofs. In these covered streets or bazaars camels and asses have free passage; and on either side are shops, or shop-boards, with the vendors on their knees, or leaping about like frogs over their various wares, which are arranged in the manner most tempting to those fond of gay colours and gaudy embroidery. The trades generally are in separate compartments, each having its bazaar: the one for ancient arms, or rather armour of all ages, is quite a museum; but the articles generally sold are clothing and ornaments of a costly kind, and these are very dear.

The people in the East spare no expense in dress. They wear a garment for a great length of time, but it would ruin an active-bodied, weather-braving inhabitant of northern Europe to dress as they do here. Their furs, shawls, arms, and embroidery are each a little fortune, and not kept as holiday-clothes, but worn daily. The price of a travelling cap of lambskin from Persia was eight pounds: a piece of material of cheap imitation Persia shawl, for a dressinggown, was seven pounds ten shillings; an embroidered tobacco-bag, four pounds; and yet the buyers of these things count their paras (about four to a farthing) and spend little except in dress.

The bazaars for spices, scents, drugs, and dried fruits have each their peculiar and often pleasing perfume. That for shoes forms one of the gayest marts; not a pair of black ones is to be sold. I see "Day and Martin" advertised, but this must be for the Frank population alone, who do not frequent the Turkish bazaar for the purchase of shoes.

The lambskins of which I spoke are generally from Astracan, but are produced in most of the southern countries. I have seen some of inferior quality in the South of Italy; the peculiarity of the most valued is that the wool is of close, firm little curls, and the colour glossy black: this is obtained

by the following process. A short time before the ewe lambs she is killed, and the lamb extracted; the skin never having been exposed to the atmosphere, the wool retains. the closeness of its curls. Should the skin happen to be purely black the prize is great, its value being about a guinea, while the sheep and lamb alive would not be worth three shillings. In Italy the lamb is dropped before it is sacrificed for its skin, in consequence of which the value seldom exceeds a few shillings; this is done probably in order to preserve the mother, whose life is there of more value than in Asia Minor or Persia.

The change to European manners and costume is far from becoming to these people, and the painter cannot but regret it; many years must elapse before the new dress and habits will harmonize with their character. The mere substitution of trousers for their loose dress interferes seriously with their old habits; they all turn in their toes, in consequence of the Turkish manner of sitting, and they walk wide and with a swing, from being habituated to the full drapery; this gait has become natural to them, and in their European trousers they walk in the same manner. They wear widetopped loose boots, which push up their trousers: Wellington boots would be still more inconvenient, as they must slip them off six times a day for prayers. In this new dress they cannot with comfort sit or kneel on the ground, as is their custom; and they will thus be led to use chairs, and with chairs they will want tables. But were these to be introduced, their houses would be too low, for their heads would almost touch the ceiling. Thus by a little innovation might their whole usages be unhinged.

The change that has been introduced shows the wonderful power of the Sultan over the people; all has apparently been done by example, and by the influence of that universal power fashion. The Turk, proud of his beard, comes up from the province a candidate for, or to receive, the office of governor.