Part 3 (1/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: Etched by G. C. from a Sketch by the Author
The Burnt Pillar.
Published by Longman & Co. April, 1835.]
[Sidenote: BURNT PILLAR.] A short walk brought us to the Tchernberle Tasch, or burnt pillar, built of red porphyry, which has been cracked and splintered by the numerous fires that have taken place around it; and, to prevent its falling to pieces, it has been enclosed within a sort of iron cage. It is ninety feet in height, and thirty in circ.u.mference at the base. Of the inscription, only a few letters can at present be made out. It originally ran thus:--
[Greek: To theion ergon enthade phtharen chrono kainei manouel eusebes autokrator.]
Pa.s.sing onwards, we came to a dark dismal place, called the Cistern of the Thousand and One Pillars, a large reservoir for water, but now dry and occupied by the winders of silk thread. Its extent is very great, and the number of pillars far exceeds that above-mentioned. There is also another cistern, but as the entrance is through a Turk's dwelling, it cannot be visited except as a special favour, not always granted.
[Sidenote: HIPPODROME.] From this, we were led to the Atmeidan, or place of horses, the ancient hippodrome; a large oblong area, on one side of which is the beautiful mosque of Sultan Achmet, separated from the open square by a handsome screen of masonry; over which a number of plane trees hang their luxuriant foliage, and through its windows we were gratified with a view of the court of the mosque. The Atmeidan is famous as being the scene of countless insurrections and tumults; it was the rendezvous of the turbulent janissaries; here they made their last n.o.ble stand, and were hewn to pieces and swept down by the Sultan's cannon and cavalry. Here too were held games and reviews, and here stands the obelisk of Theodosius, the brazen serpents from Delphi, and the lofty monument of Constantine, built of rough masonry, and supposed to have been once covered with bra.s.s. It is ninety feet in height. The obelisk was brought from Egypt and placed there by Theodosius, as appears from the following inscription on the pedestal, which is now covered up with earth, and the Turks will not allow of its being cleared away.
Difficilis quondam Dominis parere serenis Jussus, et extinctis palmam portare tyrannis: Omnia Theodosio cedunt sobolique perenni; Terenis sic victus ego, duobusque diebus, Judice sub Proclo, superas elatus ad auras.
It measures sixty feet in height, and each of its faces is covered with hieroglyphics. On the pedestal is a badly executed _alto relievo_, intended to represent the victories of Theodosius. Between these two monuments is the celebrated tripod from the island of Delphos; the heads of the serpents of which it is composed are lost: one of them was cut off by Sultan Mechmed with a single blow of his sword. From the number of people that gathered about me, I had some difficulty in making a drawing of these objects; and the soldiers from a neighbouring guard-house really appeared to consider I was forming a plan to pocket the columns and run away with them. Had not Mustapha been with me, it is probable I should have been arrested, as a friend of mine was yesterday, when he attempted to sketch Constantinople from Tophana. A superior officer, however, soon ordered him to be released, and gave him two soldiers as a protection whilst he finished his drawing. [Sidenote: ST.
SOPHIA.] Thence our course lay to St. Sophia, which is a confused heap of unsightly buildings; the centre having enormous b.u.t.tresses built against it, and the dome is much too low in proportion to the great size of this edifice. The princ.i.p.al entrance to the seraglio is also situated in the square, of which St. Sophia occupies one side, the walls of the palace another, and a row of small houses and coffee shops a third. In the centre is a very beautiful fountain; which, though inferior in size to that of Tophana, is much more richly ornamented.
[Sidenote: SERAGLIO.] The guard having allowed us to pa.s.s the gate, we entered the first court of the seraglio--a large oblong enclosure, formed by the Sultan's gardens, the inner gate, the grounds of the serai, barracks, stables, and a portion of the outer wall. Within a niche on the left-hand side of this entrance, the heads of rebellious Pashas and other traitors are exhibited to the gazing mult.i.tude, and among the more recent of those placed there, may be mentioned that of Ali Pasha. The second gate, which is flanked by double towers, resembles that of an ancient Gothic abbey; the interior is highly ornamented with gilding and inscriptions in letters of gold; and a large gilt cipher of the Sultan decorates the front. Our attempt to pa.s.s into the second court was less successful: Mustapha being a great coward, he was afraid to offer the sentinels a bribe; yet I have no doubt that the sight of a gold dollar never fails to gain admission for the unbeliever, whether Jew or Christian. Turning away from this forbidden paradise, we proceeded to examine a fine old plane tree, in the trunk of which three people live and keep a coffee-shop. A grove of plane, oak, chestnut, and cypress trees, conducted us out by the lower gate, and we walked to the sultanas' mosque, where the bodies of the late Sultan, and of the wives of his two predecessors, lie in state. The present Grand Signior's favourite sultana, and her son, also repose upon the same bier.
[Sidenote: TURKISH FUNEREAL POMP.] On looking through the window, we distinguished the Sultan's coffin, deposited on a kind of throne, with four large wax tapers burning around it, and covered with the most splendid Cashmere shawls. All the other coffins were decorated in a similar manner: those of the women being distinguished by having no turban at the head; and the Fez, or Greek cap, with a feather and diamond _aigrette_, lay on that of the Sultan's son. The court of the Sultana Valide's mosque conducted us to the water-side; and, embarking at the steps of the Balouk bazar, we glided swiftly across to Galata, highly delighted with the novelty of the objects witnessed during our day's excursion.
[Sidenote: COSTUME.] _Thursday, 16th._--The clothes' bazar attracted our curiosity to-day, where, in a few minutes, a person may be rigged out, either _a la Turque_, or as an Armenian, the whole dress costing about 270 piastres. A cloth cloak, a silk gown, a silk jacket, camlet trowsers, yellow or red morocco boots, a shawl for the waist, with a waistcoat, s.h.i.+rt, and a calpac or turban, form the dress of a gentleman or merchant. The Jews wear a low black hat, round which is twisted a white handkerchief, inscribed with some Hebrew sentences from their law.
The calpac of the Greek differs from that of the Armenian, by having a hole at the top, out of which peeps a bit of red cloth. The Turks wear yellow, Greeks and Armenians red, and Jews black, boots. The day was finished at Mustapha's, the scent dealer; or, to describe him by his real appellation, ”Kortz Sultanee Amel Mehemet Said,” as his card duly setteth forth. There we generally took a luncheon of beed caimac, a species of curd; or of mahalabe, a mixture of rice boiled to a jelly, and eaten with ice and cream; at other times we discussed a large dish of cabobs and a few gla.s.ses of lemonade. Occasionally our party adjourned to the coffee-house built in his garden, where, under the shelter of a delicious rose and jasmine bower, we spent the interval between dinner in all the luxury of idleness, smoking and drinking sherbet.
[Sidenote: ANECDOTE.] _Friday, 17th._--I visited a printing-office in Galata, and saw the types of a work on the Greek church, some specimens of music, and a few Turkish books. The types were cast in Paris, and brought here at a great expense. The proprietors are now preparing a Hebrew work for the press, which will take them two years to execute.
Went again in the afternoon to the Valley of Sweet Waters, where a greater crowd had a.s.sembled than even on the former occasion. I walked to the village, where there is a coffee-shop in a very agreeable situation, overshadowed by plane trees, one of which is nearly as large as that of the seraglio, and also quite hollow. In one part of the ca.n.a.l, near the palace, where the water is very deep, the favourite sultana of Selim drowned herself. She was young and exceedingly beautiful, but grew so jealous of the attentions paid by her lord and master to a Greek slave whom he had recently purchased, that she determined on committing suicide. Accordingly, having succeeded in eluding the vigilance of the guards and eunuchs, she one night escaped from the palace; and having procured a large stone, she carried it to the edge of the ca.n.a.l, and there fastened it to her person by means of the Cashmere shawl which she wore round her waist. On her absence being discovered next morning, the utmost consternation prevailed throughout the harem; and her slaves and attendants trembled at the fate which awaited them when the Sultan was informed of his favourite's escape. The harem, the palace, the gardens, the whole neighbourhood, were instantly searched, but in vain; no one had seen the sultana, and her absence remained a mystery. The eunuchs were threatened with death, if she were not found; and the horror of all was aroused by the suggestion that she might possibly have eloped with some giaour[10], and several of the slaves were sent to atone for their neglect with the forfeit of their lives. In the mean time, the poor Sultan remained inconsolable: all his former love returned, and the Greek slave was sent as a present to one of the Pashas. At the expiration of a few days, as the disconsolate Selim was seated smoking on the borders of the ca.n.a.l, the body became detached from the stone, and rose to the surface of the water.
Overwhelmed by the heart-rending spectacle, which too well explained the mystery of his beautiful queen's disappearance, he was with difficulty prevented by his attendant slaves from throwing himself upon the corpse.
When he retired, it was taken out, and sent into Constantinople to be buried. Thus ends this little episode in the life of the mighty Selim.
[Sidenote: IBRAHIM PASHA.] _Sat.u.r.day, 18th._--I went up to Terapia in the evening, and dined at the palace. Ibrahim's army is pa.s.sing the Taurus, and will soon be followed by its chief, who is taking the baths near Kutahieh. It is perfectly true, that Greek pilots are on board the Russian men-of-war, and that the Count Orloff has proposed to the Sultan to man the Turkish fleet with Russian artillery-men; so little dependence can be placed on their own sailors, should they come to blows with France or England.
_Sunday, 19th._--This morning I went over to the Sultan's Valley, which is kept by outposts of Turks and Russians, one of each nation mounting sentinel together. The Russian has orders to instruct his Turkish comrade in the manual exercise, and in marching, during the time they are on duty. The poor Turks do not like it; for, when left to themselves, they make but lazy guards.
The Captain of the Actaeon considers that he has received a marked affront from the Russian Commander-in-Chief. In consequence of his invitation, he went to head-quarters, and sent in his name; but after being kept standing for twenty minutes in the hall, among orderlies and common soldiers, he came away in disgust. Next day the General, who was probably a little alarmed, came on board to make an apology, saying the whole matter originated in a mistake, and that the attendants were ignorant of the rank of his English visitor. What! not recognise a captain in his Britannic Majesty's navy, commanding a frigate which lies moored within sight of the Russian army, when he visits its General in full uniform, in his boat, and with his pennant displayed? I think it is full time that these northern barbarians should be instructed, with the point of the bayonet, in the respect due to a British officer. However, it is to be hoped that such insolence will not long remain unpunished.
[Sidenote: RUSSIAN MILITARY PUNISHMENT.] In this beautiful valley there is a kiosk of the Sultan, at present used as a paper-mill; and near the landing-place stands a large house once occupied by an Englishman, sent hither by the Sultan to establish a leather manufactory. It is now the Russian head-quarters, the valley being their exercising ground. This morning a Russian soldier was flogged at parade. I was not in time to witness the punishment, but it was explained to me by one of the mids.h.i.+pmen. The whole regiment was drawn up in two lines facing each other, each man having in his hand a small twig or stick. The offender, stripped of his jacket and s.h.i.+rt, was made to run the gauntlet through the ranks, every man giving him a sharp cut as he pa.s.sed, while the officers and sergeants stood by to see that the blows were sufficiently severe; and in case of any neglect, the delinquents are punished themselves. The man roared like a bull, and seemed to suffer immensely.
[Sidenote: SULTAN'S VALLEY.] Under the pleasant shade of some remarkably fine plane trees growing near to each other, close to the borders of a stream, thousands of Turkish and Armenian, as well as Greek parties, formerly came to spend the day during the summer months. This is all over now: the presence of the Russians prevents a single pic-nic, and the lovely valley is deserted. Crossing over to the European side, I walked along the sh.o.r.e towards Buyukdere, and at the point of Kerridge Bournu enjoyed a fine view of the entrance to the Black Sea, and the old Venetian castles which rise so romantically on the opposite coast, a little beyond the Giant's Mountain. The view in the Sultan's Valley is very grand, and the undulating hills approach each other in a picturesque manner, forming a wooded vista, terminated in the distance by the arched aqueduct which carries the water across several deep valleys from the bents near Belgrade to Constantinople. These bents are large reservoirs, resembling artificial lakes, bordered by thick woods, groves, and pasture land, and converting their immediate vicinity into a beautiful and luxuriant landscape, while all around is barren and exhausted.
[Sidenote: RUSSIANS AND TURKS.] _Monday, 20th._--I strolled about in the Sultan's Valley till dinner-time; and on returning again in the evening to play at cricket with the officers of the Actaeon, I found all the Russian cavalry horses had been turned out to graze. They are sorry steeds, supplied for the Cossacks by the Sultan; they seemed, however, to enjoy this liberty very much. Just before dusk, some Russian soldiers came down to catch them, and we amused ourselves with observing their motions. In vain they drove them from one side to the other, and into all the corners of this extensive pasture-ground; it was of no use, they would not be caught either by stratagem, or the temptation of corn. An old white stallion seemed to be the prime devil of the lot; for the moment the men got near, away he gallopped, kicking and flinging, with all the others at his heels. The Turkish commmandant of the army encamped near the Russians now came and sat down, and took a pipe. He laughed heartily at the discomfiture of his Frankish allies; and when we asked him how he liked them, (for he understood Italian, though he could not speak it,) making every sign of contempt, he spat upon the ground, p.r.o.nouncing the word Rusky; as much as to say, he spat in their faces, and called them some very unpolite names in Turkish. But the Inglez--oh!
and then he shook our hands--they were good fellows, he liked them exceedingly. When our mids.h.i.+pmen visited the Russians, they did not offer them any refreshment; but on their arrival at the Turkish encampment they were immediately taken to the officers' tent, and regaled with ices, coffee, pipes, lemonade, &c.; and it was with difficulty that they got away from their hospitable entertainers. When it became dark, there came down a reinforcement of Cossacks, and after a short chase the horses were caught. [Sidenote: RUSSIAN HORN BANDS.] The Russian and Turkish bands play every evening for a couple of hours. The latter also chant hymns at meal-time and at sunset; and the sound of so many voices, pealing forth these solemn and beautiful airs, and swelling and modulating as the breeze wafts them over the waves, diffuses over the mind a sensation of tranquillity which it is difficult for language to describe.
_Thursday, 23d._--Went to the other side of Pera, to visit a garden established by a Frenchman for vegetables and the cultivation of the vine. He makes a delicious wine from the Chious grape, called Altintash, resembling the white lachryma of Vesuvius, but neither so strong nor so highly flavoured. He also manufactures an effervescing liquor, in imitation of champagne, but very inferior to that sparkling elixir, of which many of the Turks are, in secret, decided wors.h.i.+ppers.
[Sidenote: ANECDOTE.] This evening, while sitting under the cypresses near the walls of Galata, upon the gra.s.s-covered tomb of an old Turk, our guide, Guiseppino, amused us with some Venetian tales, of which the following is a specimen:--”Many years since, there arrived in Venice a traveller of commanding exterior, and very magnificently dressed. He appeared exceedingly inquisitive respecting the curiosities of the city, and spent all his time in visiting the palaces, the museums, cathedrals, &c. One day, he called a gondolier, desiring that he might be carried to the church of a certain saint. The boat accordingly plied through several ca.n.a.ls, and pulled up, at length, near the stairs of a church.
The gentleman entered the building, but quickly returned, saying,--'That it was not the church he sought.'--'Well, then,' replied the gondolier, 'we will try another.' In this way they visited half a dozen churches; but the traveller was still unsatisfied. The gondolier was in despair: he had been rowing to and fro, from one end of Venice to the other, for the last four hours. At length he suddenly pulled up before a very ancient and venerable building; the gentleman entered, but as quickly came out again, with the same complaint. 'Not right this time?' said the gondolier: 'Why this is the church of Tutti Santi[11]; and if your patron saint is not here, by San Giacomo, he is in no other church of Venice!'”.
[Sidenote: COLLEGE OF PAGES.] _Friday, 24th._--To-day I pa.s.sed by the ruins of the College of Pages, situated at the north end of Pera. Here were educated, in various languages and accomplishments, the pages of the Sultan,--selected from the sons of persons of the greatest distinction among the Turks. Their education began about the age of nine years, and continued till they were thought sufficiently instructed to attend to the duties of their appointments about the Sultan's palace.
This n.o.ble structure was destroyed in the great fire; and will, probably, never be rebuilt, unless some rich merchant purchases the ground and materials, or some foreign amba.s.sador receives it as a present. Pa.s.sed through the Christian burying-ground, which is adorned with beautiful walks, overshadowed by cypresses; it is the favourite winter promenade. Thence a steep descent leads to the Sultan's new barracks; which are handsome square buildings, with regular windows, and a turret at each angle. [Sidenote: SULTAN'S VISIT TO THE MOSQUE.] The Sultan himself is now staying at his new palace in the neighbourhood of Dolma Batche; and the streets of the village were gravelled for him to go to prayers, which we were informed he would do at twelve o'clock.
From a dread of tumult or a.s.sa.s.sination, he never visits any mosque in the city, contrary to the custom of his predecessors; and, for similar reasons, he never announces to which he will go until the same morning, and that as late as possible: in fact, time is only allowed for the guards to a.s.semble, and the ordinary preparations to be made for receiving him.