186 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



Harbour. 



Commerce 



Imports. 



however, are several elegant palaces with beautiful 

 hanging gardens; and a few vineyards and kitchen 

 plants are to be found in the environs of Pera. " With- 

 in a mile of the suburbs," says Mr Dallaway, " the 

 gorgeous fanes of the capital rise as from a desert at 

 the call of a magician ; and the beautiful chiftlik, or 

 country seat of Daoot Pasha, flourishing amidst a drea- 

 ry waste, ■ confirms the idea of his residence there." 

 Washed on two sides by the sea, Constantinople en- 

 joys a climate which may be considered as particularly 

 healthy. It is never subject to such a degree of heat, 

 as to be really deleterious, or to any severity of cold. 

 Fogs are very rare, and the heavens are seldom ob- 

 scured by clouds for any length of time. The average of 

 the climate, in ordinary years, is estimated, by Dr 

 Pouqueville, at 66 days of rain, 4 of snow, 6 of fog, 20 

 cloudy, 40 variable, 15 thunder, which leaves 214 al- 

 most uniformly serene. Thunder storms are not fre- 

 quent, but very tremendous ; and earthquakes are not 

 uncommon. Whatever is unwholesome about this city, 

 arises entirely from the indolence of the inhabitants, 

 and the negligence of the government. 



Constantinople possesses one of the finest harbours 

 in the world, both for security and convenience. It 

 lies on the north of the city, which it separates from 

 the suburbs of Galata and Pera, and is formed of an 

 arm of the Bosphorus. From the seraglio point, to 

 where it receives the waters of the river Lycus, it is 

 about seven miles in length, and its breadth at the en- 

 trance is about 500 yards. It is capable of containing 

 above 1200 ships; and, from the curve which it de- 

 scribes, and the rich cargoes which were continually 

 wafted thither, it obtained, at a very remote period, 

 the name of the Golden Horn, which it still retains. 

 Owing to the vicissitudes of the tides being scarcely 

 felt in those seas, and the steepness of the banks, ships 

 of any burden can approach close to the shore, and un- 

 load their cargoes with very little trouble. The ships 

 of war are generally moored on the city side of the 

 harbour, while those of commerce are stationed at Ga- 

 lata. The whole of the canal is almost constantly fill- 

 ed with ships of different nations, who are obliged to 

 stop here for a bill of health before they can enter the 

 Black Sea, or for a passport to the straights of the Dar- 

 danelles. 



Upon entering the harbour of Constantinople, and 

 beholding for the first time the immense quantity and 

 variety of shipping, the bustle that appears on the quays, 

 and the numerous boats that continually cover the water, 

 a stranger would be led to rank this city among the 

 most opulent and flourishing in Europe. " The ships, 

 however, which crowd its port," says Dr Clarke, " have 

 no connection with its welfare : they are for the most 

 part French, Venetian, Ragusan, Sclavonian, and Gre- 

 cian vessels, to or from the Mediterranean, exchanging 

 the produce of their own countries for the rich harvests 

 of Poland ; the salt, honey, and butter of the Ukraine ; 

 the hides, tallow, hemp, furs, and metals, of Russia and 

 Siberia ; the whole of which exchange is transacted in 

 other parts, without any interference on the part of 

 Turkey." The commerce of this city is conse'quently 

 very inconsiderable, compared with its extent and po- 

 pulation ; and its inhabitants seem incapable of appre- 

 ciating the advantages of their situation. Under a wise 

 government, they might obtain the riches of all the em- 

 pires of the earth ; but in their present state, they can 

 scarcely obtain sufficient for their daily consumption. 

 From England they receive lead, tin, watches, all sorts 

 of clock-work, hard- ware, woollen cloths of different 



qualities, spices, and glass-ware; but as they have no C 

 manufactures to give in return, the ships of that coun- 

 try are obliged to take in their lading at Smyrna. The 

 Russians supply them with skins for pelisses, &c. cloths, 

 and other manufactures, and take in return dressed lea^ 

 ther, oranges, lemon-juice, and some dried fruits. They 

 receive from France woollen cloths, wrought silks, caps, 

 paper, sugar, cochineal, indigo, gold lace, and an infi- 

 nite quantity of trinkets, and other trifles, for which 

 they give grain of all kinds, coffee, goat's hair, cotton, 

 wool, silk, &c. The Venetians carry thither a small 

 quantity of gold stuffs, and a species of damask called 

 Damasquetti, of which they make a considerable sale ; 

 also sweetmeats, glass, paper, drugs, wax candles, &c. ; 

 and receive in return leather, wool, cotton, wax, ashes 

 of Cyprus, oil of Candia, coffee, and Cyprus wines. The 

 following are their principal articles of importation, with 

 an average calculation of their annual consumption and 

 price. 



on?:.-! 

 nop! 



Articles. 



Quantity. 



Price. 



Tin, .... 



400 barrels, . 



lOOto 170 piastres per 

 kintal. 



Tin plates, . 



300 boxes, . . 



155 to 250 do. the pair 

 of boxes. 



Shalloons, . 



<i00 bales, . . 



55 to 100 do. per piece. 



Cotton yarn. 



300 bales, . . 



about £100,000. 



Indigo, . . 



350 seroons, . 



34 to 46 piastres per oke. 



Cochineal, . 



60 barrels, . 



65 to 100 do. per oke. 



D)'e-woods, 



500 kintals, . 



25 to 35 do. per kintal. 



Pepper, . . 



500 kintals, . 



2^ to 3 do. per oke. 



Vitriol, . . . 



160 bottles, . . 



5 do. per oke. 



Rum, . . . 



100 puncheons, 



5 to 7 do. per gallon. 



Loaf-sugar, 



150 hhds. . . . 



1 50 to 1 70 do. per kintal. 



Raw and 







powdered do. 



600hhds. . . . 



100 to 140 do. per kintal. 



Watches, . . 



15,000 .... 





Rabbit skins, 



20,000 .... 



2 do. each. 



Cloth, 40 bales of British, the rest French and Ger- 

 man. 



Muslins. Those from India and Germany are pre- 

 ferred. 



Printed cottons and Indian ginghams are much used. 



Jewellery to a great amount, also arms and cutlery, 

 but of British manufacture only about *"5000 worth. 



Glass and furniture in considerable quanties. 



The exports of Constantinople are very inconsidera- Exports, 

 ble; and of those articles which formerly constituted this 

 branch of trade, they have now scarcely a sufficiency to 

 supply their own wants. Indeed the Turks have no 

 merchandise to give which are nearly equal to the va- 

 lue of their imports, and consequently the return is 

 made almost entirely in gold, money, and diamonds. 



The principal manufacture of Constantinople is a kind 

 of silk stuff, wefted with cotton twist, and brocaded 

 with gold and silver flowers. It is generally made by 

 Armenians, and is much used by the Turks for vests 

 and under garments. In the city and its environs, it is 

 computed that there are about ten thousand looms em- 

 ployed in the manufacture of this and other inferior ar- 

 ticles. 



This city has frequently suffered from conflagrations, Conflagr 

 and its inhabitants have often been thinned by the more tions. 

 dreadful ravages of the plague. When a fire is once 

 raised, it spreads with such rapidity, that whole streets 



