SECTION VII.
Concerning the Mines within and without the City of Kostantín.
By God’s will there was anciently a great cavern in Islámból, below the Sultán’s mosque (Sultán jámi’-sí), filled with sulphur, nitre, and black powder, from which they drew supplies in time of need. Having, by the decree of heaven, been struck by lightning in the time of Kostantín, or, according to our tradition, at the time of the taking of the city by the conqueror, all the large buildings over the cavern were blown up, and fragments of them scattered in every direction; some may still be seen at Uskudár (Scutari), others at Salájak búruní, and Kází kóï (Chalcedon); one large piece, particularly, called the Kabá-tásh, and lying in the sea before the chismehler tekkiyeh, to the north of the village of Funduk-lí, near Tóp-khánah, was probably thrown there when the city was blown up.
In the neighbourhood of the castle of Kúm-búrghaz, half a days journey from the Seven Towers, to the south of Islámból, a fine white sand is found, in great request among the hour-glass makers and goldsmiths of Islámból and Firengistán (Europe).
Near the privy-garden of Dáúd Páshá, outside of the Adrianople-gate, there are seven stone quarries, which appear to be inexhaustible. It is called the stone of Khizr, because it was pointed out by that prophet for the construction of Ayá Sófiyah.
A kind of soft clay (tín) like electuary (ma’jún), found near the suburb of Abú Iyyúb ansárí, is called tín ansárí; it has a sweet scent like terra sigillata (tiní makhtúm), from the island of Alimání (Jezírehi Alimání, i.e. Lemnos); and it is used for the sigillate earth found at Lemnos; making jugs, a draught from which refreshes like a draught of the water of life.
From a pool (buheïreh) between the suburbs of Iyyúb Sultán and Khás-kóï, divers bring up a kind of black clay, which is excellent for making jugs, cups, plates, and all kinds of earthenware.
The springs of Jendereh-jí, in the delightful promenade (mesíreh-gáh) called Kághid Khánah (Kïahet-haneh, or les eaux douces, i.e. fresh-water springs), are famous all over the world. The root of a kind of lign-aloes (eker) is found there superior to that of Azák (Assov), the city of Kerdeh, or the canal of the castle of Kanizzhah. One of its wonderful properties is, that when a man eats of it it occasions a thousand eructations; it fattens tortoises marvellously, and the Franks of Ghalatah come and catch them, and use them in all their medicines with great advantage.
At Sárí Yár, north of Kághid Kháneh, a kind of fermented clay is found, which smells like musk, and is used in making jugs and cups, which are much valued, and offered as presents to the great.
At the village of Sári Yár, near the entrance of the strait of the Black Sea, there is a lofty mountain of yellow-coloured earth, covered with gardens and vineyards up to its summit. On its outside, near to the sea-shore, there is a cavern containing a mine of pure gold, free from any alloy of Hungarian (Ungurús) Búndúkání brass. From the time of the infidels till the reign of Sultán Ahmed, it was an imperial domain, farmed out for one thousand yúk of aspers (loads, each equal to 100,000). The Defterdár, Ekmek-ji-zádeh Ahmed Páshá, closed it, as bringing little into the treasury; it is now, therefore, neglected, but if opened again by the Sultán’s order would be found a very valuable mine.
From this mountain in the valley of Gók-sú, near the castles (hisár) on the Bosphorus, a kind of lime is obtained which is whiter than snow, cotton, or milk, and cannot be matched in the world.
In the same favourite place of resort, the valley of Gók-sú, a kind of red earth is found, of which jugs, plates, and dishes are made; and the doctors say, that pure water drunk out of vessels made of this earth cures the básuri demeví (blood-shot eyes?).
In the mountains near the town of Uskudár (Scutari), is found a kind of fossil whetstone (kayághán), which breaks in large slabs, and is much used for tombstones.
Beneath the palace known by the name of Ghalatah-seráï, above the suburb of Tóp-khánah, is an iron mine, called the mine of old Islámból, and the ore extracted from it is known by that name all over the world. Not a soul in the universe knew any thing of it till Khizr pointed it out, in the time of king Ferendú, for the building of Ayá Sófiyah; and all the ironwork of that edifice, as well as the iron hoops round the column in Táúk-bázár [Forum Theodosii], were made of iron from Eskí Stámból. The mine was worked till the time of Sultán Báyazíd Velí, who was much pleased with the air and water of the place, and often spent some time there; and having been admonished in a dream by the Prophet, founded a hospital and college on the spot; and having finally made it a school for pages of the seraglio, the mine was abandoned. The humble writer of this remembers, in the time of his youth, when ’Osmán the Martyr was on the throne, there was between the lead-magazine (kúrshúnlí makhzen) and Tóp-kapú a manufactory of Damascus blades, made from the iron of this mine, where Mohamed the Conqueror, who established it, had most excellent blades made. I myself have seen Mustafá, the head sword-maker of Sultán Murád IV., and master of little David, working in that manufactory. It was a large building, outside of the walls, on the sea-shore. Afterwards, when Sultán Ibráhím ascended the throne, Kara Mustafá Páshá became a martyr, and every thing was thrown into confusion; this building was turned into a house for the Jews, by ’Alí Aghá, superintendant of the custom-house, and neither the name, nor any trace of the mine or the sword manufactory, are to be found.
The thirteenth mine is that mine of men, the Good City, i.e. Kostantiniyyeh, which is an ocean of men and beautiful women, such as is to be found no where else. It is said, that if a thousand men die and a thousand and one are born, the race is propagated by that one. But Islámból is so vast a city, that if a thousand die in it, the want of them is not felt in such an ocean of men; and it has therefore been called Káni Insán, a mine of men.