Twenty years around the world

by John Guy Vassar

My last was from Constantinople, in which I mentioned my intention of making an excursion along the Bosphorus to the mouth of the Black Sea. Having procured a Kislangist, or swallow boat, with twenty-six oarsmen, we started—our party, with the dragoman, consisting of four in number. These boats are built of light beech wood, neatly finished and elaborately furnished. They go over the water with amazing rapidity. They are so extremely light that great caution is necessary in getting into them, as from their nature they are easily upset; but once in, all seated themselves in the cradle of the caique, upon carpets, like the Turks, there being no seats. It is difficult to convey any idea of the beauties of the scenery along the banks of the Bosphorus. The eye is constantly attracted by new and beautiful objects, both on the European and Asiatic shores; rapidly passing palaces, summer villas, fortifications, villages, &c., as the boat glides along from bay to bay, of which the Bosphorus forms itself into seven. The currents at the narrowest points in some places are extremely rapid. At one point, called the Dents current, which is the narrowest, the boatmen were obliged to give up the oars and seize a rope which was thrown them to draw the boat up stream. It was a beautiful sight to see the fleet of vessels coming from the Black Sea, availing themselves of the north wind and the rapid current, and going with great velocity. After visiting Stenia, Therapia, and other places along the coast, each being celebrated for some particular event, we visited the Giant’s Mountain, the highest point on the Asiatic side, which affords a magnificent view of the windings of the Bosphorus and the coast of the Black Sea. Here in this great height we found two of the Dervish priests, who remain there to guard the grave of the giant. It is called the Mountain and Grave of Joshua by the Turks, who say that Joshua, during the battle of the Israelites, stood upon a mountain to pray that the sun might stand still and victory attend his arms. The grave is about twenty feet long and five feet wide, and is inclosed with a framework of stone, and planted with flowers and bushes. Here are also pieces of cloths and votive offerings hung up on the bushes, against fevers and other diseases, their owners believing that if they hang a remnant there the disease will leave their persons. On descending we visited the valley of the Heavenly Water, one of the most delightful scenes in the East.

But I must try to give an idea of the Seraglio of the Sultan, though I cannot speak of the beauty of his forty or fifty wives, who were screened from the gaze of all our party. This splendid work is inclosed with walls for nearly three miles in circuit, the longest side situated upon the coast and harbor. It is filled up with palaces, houses, and gardens. Some of the rooms are very rich in gilding and ornaments, but I have seen other palaces in Europe far surpassing it in splendor. I must except the magnitude of the inclosure, and the magnificence of the baths and spouting fountains of marble, which, according to oriental custom, are placed over the first floor. Nothing can be more luxurious for the women of the harem than those marble basins and bath rooms, magnificently furnished, and always of the proper temperature. The principal entrance to the Seraglio is an immense guarded gate, which looks more like a guard-house than the entrance to a palace of one of the most remarkable princes in the world. Fifty porters, it is said, keep this gate. After entering the first court may be found the slaves of the Bashas, who await their masters and attend their horses. Passing through another guarded gate you discover many eunuchs, both white and black, performing the different services of the palace. After visiting the interior of the palace, the gardens, the stable of Arabian horses, the exhibition of ancient armory, all of which is so extensive that it is really fatiguing, we proceeded to the mosque of St. Sophia, which has undergone so many changes for the last fifteen hundred years, and now stands in such magnificent grandeur. The interior is extremely rich in marble and mosaics. Three of its sides are surrounded by vaulted colonnades covered with cupolas. The length of the interior is one hundred and forty-three feet, the breadth two hundred and sixty-nine feet. The centre of the great dome is one hundred and eighty feet above ground, and is so flatly vaulted that its height is only a sixth of its diameter, which is one hundred and fifteen feet. Here are eight porphyry columns from the Roman Temple of the Sun, and four of green granite from the temple of Diana at Ephesus. It would occupy too much time and space to describe this magnificent structure. The floors are well paved with large flag-stones, covered with matting, and then carpeted, and here may be seen groups of Turks, both men and women, the latter veiled in long caftans, all squatted on the floor, with feet bare or in slippers, paying their devotions. Overhead are suspended in every direction, immense rows of lamps, with ostrich eggs and artificial flowers, which, when lighted, must produce a magical effect. Among other objects of curiosity here is the sweating column, visited by pilgrims as miraculous. The dampness which it emits is considered a marvellous cure. There are holes worn into the column by the constant touching of fingers. The tops of the minarets of some of the mosques glitter with highly gilded crescents, the ancient arms of Byzantium; the one on the top of St. Sophia is of immense size, the gilding alone costing fifty thousand ducats. It is said to be visible fifty miles at sea, glittering in the sunshine.

Notwithstanding the Turks differ so widely in their manners and religion, still they possess many good traits of character. They are more honest than some other nations, and not so much addicted to lying. The Greeks say sometimes that the Mahometans dare not lie or steal, as their religion forbids it. They are exceedingly devotional, and generally hospitable to the stranger in distress, which is a part of their duty as laid down by the false prophet, but they still hold infidels in detestation. On visiting the house of a Turk the other day we found the proprietor, with his legs crossed, smoking his pipe, seated upon a sofa which extended round three sides of the room; the sofa was about four feet wide, and was raised a foot and a half from the floor, with deep fringe hanging down to the floor. There was not a chair in the room. After being introduced and seated, pipes were ordered, and as many servants as there were visitors appeared, with pipes five or six feet in length, placing the bowl on the floor, and with a great deal of accuracy presenting the mouth-piece of amber to each guest within an inch or two of the mouth. They then knelt down and put a brass plate under the bowl of the pipe; after which coffee was presented in small cups with small silver holders, the servants retiring to the bottom of the room with hands crossed, each watching the cup he has presented and has to carry away.

At Scutari, on the Asiatic side, we visited the largest and most beautiful cemetery in the Ottoman dominions. The extensive groves of dark cypress, through which one may ride for miles, interspersed with white turbaned stones of marble, are remarkable. As no grave is opened a second time, and as it is the custom to plant trees at a birth or funeral, these graveyards have become forests, extending for miles and miles. The aromatic odor of the trees is supposed to destroy all pestilential exhalations. It is said the Turks suppose the soul to be in torment from the time of death until the burial of the body, therefore the funeral succeeds death as soon as possible. The only occasion on which a Turk is seen to walk with a quick step is when conveying a body to the cemetery, as the Koran declares that he who carries a body forty paces procures for himself the expiation of a great sin.

1842.
XXVIII.

Alexandria, Egypt, January 10, 1842.

A few days since, at an early hour in the morning, all hands were on deck looking anxiously for the land of Egypt. At length we discovered in the distance the minarets of the mosques, Pompey’s Pillar and other objects, and soon found ourselves in the harbor of Alexandria. Our steamer was immediately surrounded by about sixty boats, filled with half naked Arabs and Egyptians, of all colors and complexions, whose yells and cries for luggage would surpass those of savages. Having heard that the plague still existed, none were permitted to board us, but our fears in getting ashore were soon dispelled on learning that few cases existed. After procuring camels to carry our luggage, we were beset by another swarm in the shape of donkeys and drivers, and in self-defence our party all mounted, and soon found ourselves going at a fearful gallop through crowded streets, amongst loaded camels and yelping dogs, with our half-naked, sore-eyed Arabs chasing alongside and applying the stick in a lively manner. The Egyptian donkey is peculiar to this country, and superior in point of speed to any I have found in Europe. They are the omnibuses of the city, and it is surprising to see how rapidly and easily they pass through crowded streets.

I must first give you a better idea of Alexandria as it now is under Mehemet Ali, and not as it once was under Alexander the Great, when it only yielded to imperial Rome in wealth and magnificence. Formerly it was fifteen miles in circumference, with a population of three hundred thousand citizens and as many slaves, with four thousand palaces, four thousand baths, and four hundred theatres and public edifices. In different directions may be seen the ruins of ancient days. The Frank quarter of Alexandria reminded me more of a new American city than anything that I have seen since I left Trieste. The Pasha is doing everything in his power to resuscitate the city and increase its commercial importance, at the expense of Damietta, Rosetta, and Cairo. The population, notwithstanding the fearful ravages of the plague, is said to be fifty or sixty thousand. I must here mention that the interior of the town is, in most places, a succession of narrow, dirty, unpaved lanes, filled with camels, asses, lizards, and dogs, and I only wonder the plague does not exist all the year.

My first excursion was to Pompey’s Pillar. My friend and myself mounted on donkeys, and away we galloped through the suburbs of the city, passing occasionally groups of Egyptian women with their heads and faces covered with a sort of blue cotton cloth, concealing all except their eyes, the lids of which are singularly colored with India ink. They are particularly fond of ornaments, which are suspended from the ears and from the forehead over the veil. On passing several groves of palm, date, and banana trees, and feeling the powerful rays of the sun at mid-day, I was reminded of the West India climate, from which this does not materially differ. After passing through a long line of Arab huts we came to this magnificent column, erected by Pompeius, governor of Lower Egypt, in honor of the Emperor Diocletian. Standing on a gentle elevation it rises nearly one hundred feet in height. The shaft is of red granite, ten feet in diameter, with a clumsy Corinthian capital on the top to crown the summit. Notwithstanding it is more than two thousand years old, it still remains almost perfect.

We next directed our attention to the beautiful Obelisks, one of which is commonly called Cleopatra’s Needle, and still stands erect in all its grandeur and beauty, covered with hieroglyphics on every side. It is sixty-four feet high and eighty-eight feet square, and was brought from the city of Memphis to adorn the palace of the Ptolemies. The hieroglyphics are as clear on one side as if but recently sculptured, but the sirocco blowing from the desert two thousand years has effaced the marks on one side considerably, and worn away the solid granite. The other obelisk, which lies beside it, is said to have been taken down by the English many years ago; but Mehemet Ali prevented them from taking it away, and there it lies half covered with sand, a magnificent piece of work.