The Direct Steamers from Athens to Constantinople steer from the Straits of Doro (p. [529]) to the N.N.E. for Tenedos (p. [533]). In clear weather we descry to the right the distant Chios (p. [492]) and Psara (p. [529]), and to the left Skyros (2608 ft.), the S.E. island of the N. Sporades. On the right we next sight Mytilini (p. [533]), and on the left Hagiostrati (971 ft.; Halonnesos). From Tenedos to Constantinople, see p. [533].
81. Constantinople.[[9]]
Arrival by Sea. The French, German, and Rumanian (RR. 76, 82) steamers are berthed at the Galata Quay (Pl. H, I, 4), near the Dogana or Douane. Passengers of the French and German steamers have to pay pier-dues (1st class 5½, 2nd cl. 3½ s. pias). The Austrian, Italian, and Egyptian steamers also, on their arrival from the Black Sea, are mostly moored at the quay, but when coming from the S. they usually anchor in front of it, at the entrance of the Golden Horn (landing or embarkation, with baggage, 2 fr. or 10 pias.). The porters (hamáls, mostly Kurds) of the Harbour Co. receive 5 pias. and a gratuity of 1 pias. for conveying baggage from the quay to the hotels. All trouble with boatmen and porters is avoided by applying at once to the guides (dragomans) or hotel-agents.
[9]. In the following description the transcripts ö and ü have approximately the German value, or the French of eu and u respectively.
Money. The Turkish Pound (lira), worth about 23 fr. or 18s. 5d., is divided into 100 piastres. There are gold coins of ¼, ½, 1, 2½, and 5 pounds. The commonest coins are Silver Piastres (s. pias.; coins of 5, 10, and 20 s. pias.), but at the government, railway, and steamboat offices, in the tobacco-shops, and on the tramways they suffer a slight loss (5 s. pias. = 4¾, 10 s. pias. = 9½, 20 s. pias. = 19 piastres in gold). The piastre (worth 2⅒d.) is called Gurúsh in Turkish (grosi in Greek), the five-piastre piece is a Cheïrek (or simply ‘franc’), the twenty-piastre piece (about 3s. 6d.) is a Mejidieh. A piastre is divided into 40 parts called Paras; the commonest para-coins are the thinly silvered bronze Metalliks of 10 paras (about ½d.); there are others of 5, 20, 50, and 100 paras. New nickel coins of 1 pias., 20, 10, and 5 paras will in 1912 be brought into circulation.
A French or Greek silver franc passes in ordinary traffic for 4½ s. pias., and the Napoleon (the most popular of foreign coins) for 95 s. pias. (but the money-changers usually give 93 s. pias. only). The average exchange for an English sovereign is 120 s. pias.; for bank and circular notes the exchange is rather higher. French banknotes can be exchanged only at the banks. Small change, of which there is always a scarcity, is obtained at the banks (p. [539]) or at the money-changers, the current rate of exchange being ascertained beforehand. Worn-out coins may be exchanged at the Banque Ottomane.
Accounts are still kept in the provinces in ‘bad (chürük) piastres’; of these there are silver coins worth 1¼, 2½, and 5 pias., and copper coins of 1¼ and 2½ pias.—The Turkish pound contains 178 bad piastres, the mejidieh 33, and the silver piastre 1⅔. A pound sterling is therefore worth about 209 bad piastres, a shilling about 10½, and a franc 8⅓.
Turkish Numbers: 1, bir; 2, ikí; 3, ütsh; 4, dört; 5, besh; 6, altí; 7, yedí; 8, sekíz; 9, dokuz; 10, on; 11, on bir; 20, yirmí; 25, yirmí besh; 30, otuz; 40, kirk; 50, elí; 100, yüz; 1000, bin. ‘Katsh pará’, how many paras? ‘Besh gurúsh’, five piastres.
Baggage and passports (p. xvii) are examined in the ‘Salon’ or Bureau des Passeports. The importation of weapons and ammunition and of tobacco and cigarettes is prohibited. Cigars, however, if declared, are admitted at an ad valorem duty of 75 per cent. On showing their passports passengers must state where they intend to reside; the passports are then stamped and returned to them. On leaving the country passports are again examined (visés by consul, p. [539]); so also is luggage, to prevent exportation of antiquities.