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.