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the city, on that side nearest the sea of Marmara. A 
truly magnificent spectacle is presented by the astonish- 
ing multitude of houses and edifices of every kind, that 
extend almost to the extremity of the horizon upon the 
sea shore. 
I have already said that the point which juts out at 
the mouth of the port is formed by the seraglio, sur- 
rounded by a simple embattled wall, with several 
kiosks or belvideres at different distances, and some 
gardens. 
The foot of this wall on the outside is furnished with 
a line of rustic batteries, constructed under the direc- 
tion of the ambassadors of France and Spain, General 
Sebastiani and the Marquis Almenara. These batteries, 
supported by those on the opposite sides of the port, 
and of the Bosphorus, put the seraglio completly in 
shelter from any insult by sea. I perceived only one 
battery upon the walls of the seraglio, called The 
Spanish Battery. It was served by individuals of that 
nation within the seraglio, which is a convincing proof 
of the confidence reposed in them by the Grand Sultan. 
This wall does not differ in any respect from those 
which gird the city on the water's edge. I remarked 
some ancient Turkish cannons of a colossal size, in the 
last battery of the seraglio towards the south; some of 
which had seven or eight small mouths round the 
central one; the others, which were more than a foot in 
diameter, were used to fire stone- balls ready piled up 
near each piece. These enormous guns are planted on 
the ground without carriages, with a view to fire level 
with the surface of the water, so that if any ship be 
struck by one of these projectiles, it must inevitably 
sink. However, as they cannot be pointed, it must be 
difficult for them to strike moving objects. 
