266 FREQUENCY OF FIRES. 



Pera and Galata are mostly built of stone, with 

 iron shutters, and made fire-proof, — a most ne- 

 cessary precaution, considering the frequency of 

 these accidents. A small fire broke out in Stam- 

 boul, during my stay, and consumed about fifty 

 houses. Since my visit, a large fire in Pera has 

 consumed about three thousand. The whole 

 of the Frank quarter at Salonica, too, has been 

 destroyed by fire since I was there, and pro- 

 perty consumed to the amount of at least a mil- 

 lion sterling. I do not know how these fires ori- 

 ginated, and I should think that it is very pro- 

 bable that they are occasioned by the great care- 

 lessness of the Turks, with their perpetually 

 lighted pipes. 



The sultan goes in state every Friday (the 

 Turkish sabbath) to mosque. As it is always offi- 

 cially announced to which mosque he intends to 

 go, a stranger may make quite sure of getting a 

 ghmpse of him. He sometimes goes by water, and 

 at others by land. When I saw him, the streets 

 through which he had to pass were completely 

 lined with troops. 



The mosque which he attended was a small 

 one, and not very far distant from the palace. 



