262 THE BAZAARS 



but then there is this disadvantage, that a person 

 wishing to make a purchase may have to go on 

 a voyage of discovery from one end of the bazaar 

 to the other, through a regular labyrinth, to find 

 out the particular class of shops he may chance to 

 be in search of. The bazaars are certainly very 

 fine, and the trade carried on in them must be 

 enormous ; but, in point of appearance, there is 

 nothing in the Constantinople bazaars that can 

 be compared in splendour to our magnificent 

 shops in London, or to those in Paris, Vienna, or 

 any large city in civilized Europe. 



The peculiarity of the bazaars is their arrange- 

 ment, general appearance, the collection of all the 

 trade of that immense city into one spot, and the 

 glitter of the profusion of gold embroidery, the 

 ruinously expensive amber mouth-pieces for 

 pipes, and other fancy articles of Eastern luxury, 

 which are comparatively unknown amongst us. 

 I made but few purchases, because I formed a 

 resolution not to buy any thing from fancy or 

 caprice of the moment, a very necessary determi- 

 nation before entering an Eastern bazaar. One 

 word concerning the valets de place at Constanti- 

 nople. I advise all travellers to be particularly 



