Concerning the Canal from the river Dóná (Danube).
King Yánván, wishing to provide water for the great city of Islámbúl, undertook to make a canal to it from the Danube. For that purpose he began to dig in the high road near the castles of Severin and Siverin, not far from the fortress of Fet’h-islám, on the bank of that river; and by those means brought its waters to the place called Azád-lí, in the neighbourhood of Constantinople. He afterwards built, in the bed of the river, a barrier of solid stone, with an iron gate, which is still to be seen, as the writer of these sheets has witnessed three different times, when employed there on the public service. The place is now called the iron gate of the Danube (Dóná demir kapú-sí), and is much feared by the boat-men, who sometimes unload their vessels there, as, when lightened of their cargoes, they can pass over it in safety.
He also built another wear or barrier in the Danube, now called Tahtah-lú sedd, upon which many ships perish every year. It was when that river overflowed in the spring, that king Yánván opened the iron gate and the barrier, to allow the stream to pass down to Islámbúl, where it discharges itself into the White Sea, at the gate called Istirdiyah kapú-sí (the Oyster-gate), now Lan-ghah kapú-sí. All this was done by king Yánván during the absence of king Vezendún, who was gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On his return, his uncle Kójah Yánván went over to Scutari to meet him; and as soon as they met: “Well, my uncle,” said Vezendún, have you succeeded in your undertaking with regard to the Danube?”—“I dragged it, O king,” said he, “by the hair, like a woman, into Mákedúniyyah (Constantinople), through which it now runs.” Scarcely had he uttered this haughty answer, when, by the command of God, the river suddenly returned, deserting its new bed, and bursting forth in a large fountain, at a place called Dóna-degirmánlerí (the Mills of the Danube), between Várnah and Parávádí, where a mighty stream turns a great number of mills, which supply all the people of Dóbrújah with flour. Another branch of the Danube bursts forth near Kirk Kilisá (the Forty Churches), from the rocks of Bunár-hisár (Castle of the Source). A third branch broke out in the lakes of Buyúk and Kuchúk Chekmejeh, whence it unites with the Grecian (Rúmí) sea. The proof that all these streams have their source in the Danube is that they contain fish peculiar to that river, such as tunnies, sturgeons, &c., as I myself have more than once witnessed, when observing what the fishermen caught in the lakes just named. It is also mentioned in the historical work entitled Tohfet, that Yilderim Báyazíd (Bajazet) when he conquered Nigehbólí (Nicopolis) and Fet-h-islám, having heard of the ancient course of the Danube, caused straw and charcoal to be passed into it through the iron gate, and that they afterwards appeared again at the above-named lakes Bunár-hisár and Dónah-degirmánlerí. When travelling with the Princess Fatimah, daughter of Sultán Ahmed, and Suleïmán Beg, we stopped at the village of Azád-lí, between Chatáljeh and Islámbúl, where there are evident marks of the ancient channel of the Danube, cut by art through rocks towering to the skies. We penetrated into those caverns on horseback, with lighted torches, and advanced for an hour in a northerly direction; but were obliged to return by bad smells, and a multitude of bats as big as pigeons. If the sultáns of the house of ’Osmán should think it worth their while, they might, at a small expense, again bring the waters of the Danube by Yeníbághcheh and Ak-seráï to Islámbul.
The eighth builder of that city was a king of the name of Yaghfur, son of Vezendún, who placed no less than three hundred and sixty-six talismans (one for every day in the year) near the sea at Seraglio-Point, and as many on the hills by land, to guard the city from all evil, and provide the inhabitants with all sorts of fish.
The ninth builder was Kostantín (Constantine), who conquered the ancient town and gave his name to the new city. He built a famous church on the place where the mosque of Mohamed II. now stands, and a large monastery, dedicated to St. John, on the hill of Zírek-báshí, with the cistern near it; as well as the cisterns of Sultán Selím, Sívásí tekiyeh-sí, near Ma’júnjí Mahal-leh-si, and Kedek-Páshá. He erected the column in the táúk-bázár (poultry market), and a great many other talismans.
SECTION IV.
Concerning Constantine, the ninth Builder, who erected the Walls and Castle of Constantinople.
He was the first Roman emperor who destroyed the idols and temples of the Heathens, and he was also the builder of the walls of Islámbúl. ’Isá (Jesus) having appeared to him in a dream, and told him to send his mother Helláneh (Helena) to build a place of worship at his birth-place Beïtu-l-lahm (Bethlehem), and another at the place of his sepulchre in Kudsi Sheríf (Jerusalem), he despatched her with an immense treasure and army to Felestín (Palestine); she reached Yáfah (Jaffa), the port of Jerusalem, in three days and three nights, built the two churches named above, and a large convent in the town of Nábulús.