GALATA AND SERASKIER TOWERS. 237 



that no place I have ever visited has rewarded 

 me so well for the trouble of journeying to see it, 

 and that Constantinople is not only worth seeing, 

 but well " worth going to see." 



On the Pera side, there is the Tower of Galata, 

 and on the Constantinople side, that of the Sera- 

 skier, both of which are used as watch-towers to 

 discover and give notice of fires, which, in a place 

 where the houses are all built of wood, are very de- 

 structive and of very common occurrence. I went 

 up that of Galata first, which I would recommend 

 every person to do, because you descend with the 

 thorough conviction of having seen the most 

 striking, pleasing, and magnificent view in the 

 world. Having done this, let him cross the 

 Golden Horn forthwith, and mount the Seraskier 

 Tower, and he will discover, to his surprise, that 

 there does exist a prospect still more beautiful 

 than that he has so much admired. I could have 

 remained for hours on the look-out of the Galata 

 Tower : the view is utterly indescribable. 



Stamboul stands on a tongue of land, the water 

 boundaries of which are the Bosphorus and the 

 Sea of Marmora. From the top of the Tower of 

 Galata, dingy red, half brown, and some bright 



