«3 8 Travels through Tur 



its inhabitants. The mixture of trees, houfes and minarets : 

 the canal of the Black Sea, the hills and valleys by which it 

 is bordered, Scutari and the numberlefs villages fituated on 

 its fliores, the fea of Marmora with its iflands, Mount Olym- 

 pus covered with mow, the variegated and fertile fields of 

 Afia and Europe, all together prefent fo many pictures 

 which at once delight and aftonifh. One. cannot help ad- 

 miring the natural beauty of the environs of Conltantinople, 

 and reflecting at the fame time on the happy fituation of 

 that large city, which can be fo fpeedily fupplicd with pro- 

 rtfions; which is fo eafy to be defended, and which enjoys 

 the advantage of a port fo fafe, fo commodious, and of fuch 

 an extent. But if wc cait our eyes a little farther, we be- 

 hold the two fliores of the entrance into the Black Sea, for 

 the fpace of fevera.1 leagues, convulfcd by fubterranean fires. 

 Different flrata of lava, decompofed rocks, porphyry and 

 granites of various colours, more or lefs altered, atteft the 

 flow and facceifive action of a great volcano. If we afcend 

 a few leagues, we difcover, for a vaft extent, a mine of coal, 

 which the Turks have not vet found means to work. 



We remained fix weeks in this capital of the Ottoman 

 empire, waitino- till the envoy extraordinary of the Republic 

 mould receive from the minifter orders refpec^ing our miflfion 

 and allow-anee; but the attention of government was at that 

 time engaged with objects of more importance. Our letters 

 remained unanfwered, and we fliould have been thrown into 

 great emharraflment had not our prefling wants been fupplied 

 by the envoy of .the Republic. 



After viewing this country, fo interefting in every refpect, 

 and making aq ample collection of plants, birds, tithes, in- 

 feets, fheils and minerals ; and after fending two packages of 

 feeds at different times to the national garden of plants, rite 

 fet out, for- the Dardanelles, by which means w< had it in 

 our power either to proceed to the Archipelago in the fpring, 

 or to return 10 Con. in order to direct our court e 



(ids thelo&tlkra fliores of the Black Sea; to proceed 



throutrh 



