44 MifcelUnea Curiofa: Vol. III. 



fo the waters are forced back .to fbnie little 

 diftance : or elfe becaufe when the South- 

 wind freftiens and grows boifterous, it makes a 

 high rolling Sea in the Propomisand Bofphorms^ 

 and being contrary to the current, gives a 

 check to it, fo that it becomes lefs fenfible, 

 and is eafily Hemmed. Where itisnarroweft, 

 the diftance feems to the eye to be fcarce a 

 mile over from one fhore to another j where 

 broadeft, not much above a mile and a half, 

 unlefs whei-e it runs into the deep Bays, 

 which by reafon of their fhallownefs only har- 

 bour Boats. 



The channel certainly is natural and not 

 cut by art, as fomehave idly fanfied, not con- 

 lidering,how the fw^Z/^e Sea flioulddifcharge it 

 lelf otherwile of thofe great quantities of wa- 

 ters, poured into it by the Ifter and Tamis^ 

 )i\o\N called Don^z^nd the other Rivers,whereby 

 it becomes lefs fait, even very fenfibly to the 

 taft, than feveral parts of the Mediterranean. 



TheFiih, by aftrange kind of inftinft, pafs 

 in vaft flioals twice a year, Autumn and 

 Spring, through the Eoffhorvs^ that is, out of 

 one Sea into another ^ of which the Greel^^ 

 who live feveral months of the year nponthem, 

 take great numbers, and fupply the markets 

 at ealie rates ^ the Cormorants and other ra- 

 venous water-fowl, which the Turks will not 

 fuffer to be deftroy'd or otherwife molefted, 

 preying upon them. 



The weather in fome months is very incon- 

 ftant, great heats and colds happening the 

 fame day upon the change of the wind. 



The winters at Confiantinople ave fometimes 

 extraordinary fevere. 1 have heard it related 

 by feveral old Greeks^ thing molt certain 



that 



