Prote, so called because they approach first to it, coming from Constantinople; to the South of this Prencipe and Pytis, which I take to be the same with Pyrgos, that lyes inmost toward the bay: Chalcitis, in modern Greek, Chalce or Chalcis. Oxia and Platy to the North-west. I have expressed the Turkish names of the lesser and uninhabited islands elsewhere, which perchance were phantastically imposed by some Franks.
The Seraglio is at the extreme point of the North-east Angle of Constantinople, where formerly stood old Byzantium, within which towards the Haven is a stately Kiosk or summer house, from whence the Grand Signior usually takes Barge, when he passes into Asia, or diverts himself upon the Bosphorus, at which time the Bostangi Bashi, who hath the principal care of the Emperors palace, and hath the command of the Bosphorus, sits at the helm and steers.
The seven Towers are at the South-east extremity.
The only Suburbs are to the North-west, along the Haven-side; for above the hill, where the three walls begin, lies an open champaign Country, except that here and there at considerable distances farm houses are scatter'd.
The Haven runs in from the West, and so opens East.
At the East end of Galata is Tophana, where they cast their great Guns.
Pera and Galata have about six gates to the Seaward. The whole tract of ground was anciently, before the times of the Emperor Valentinian, who enclosed and fortified Galata with walls and towers, styled Περαῖα or Regio Peræa being πέραν τῆς πόλεως, on the other side of the City to the North, which is the reason of its name, seated on higher hills, and whose ascent is more steep and difficult.
Our modern Geographers, such as Mercator and Ortelius, who herein follow Ptolomy, place Constantinople in the Latitude of 43. degrees and 5 minutes: the Arabian and Persian Astronomers, as Abulfeda, Nassir Edin, Vlugh Beigh, and so the πρόχειροι κανόνες, Chrysococcas translated out of the Persian tables, place it more Northerly in 45. But by latter and better observation it is found, that they have erred in assigning the Latitude of this City, as of several other places. To salve these differences, there is no just ground of pretence to say, that the Poles are moveable and have changed their situation since their time, whereas it may better be imputed to their want of due care, or to their taking things upon trust, from the reports of Travellers and Seamen, not having been upon the places themselves: which certainly is to be said for Ptolomy whose observations, as to places more remote from Alexandria, are far from being accurate and true. The learned Mr. John Greaves, as I find in a Manuscript discourse, very worthy of being Printed, which he presented to the most reverend and renowned Arch-bishop Usher, took the height of the Pole at Constantinople with a brass sextant of above 4 feet radius, and found it to be but 41 degrees 6´. but by the observation we made in our Court-yard at Pera with a very good Quadrant we found it but 40 degrees and 58 minutes of North Latitude.
There is no place between the Propontis and the walls of the City, except just at the Seraglio-point, which may be two hundred paces in length; where they have raised on a platform a battery for Great guns; but from the point to the end of the Haven West, the space to the gates is unequal in some places about twenty paces broad, in others three or four times as many more.
The distance between Constantinople and Chalcedon upon the opposite Bythinian-shore may be about three or four miles.