794, T H E VE N O 
to equal thofe of Cacban in Verfia for Goodnels, which 
are reckoned the bed; in the World. Here are Abun- 
dance of Remains of Antiquity, enough to fatisty the 
Curiofity of Travellers. It was built by the Nymph 
Olbia^ but has its Name from , Nicomedes^ King of Bi- 
ihynia^ who enlarged it. It is famous for the Death of 
Hannibal and Confiantlne the Great, for the early Con- 
veiTion of its Inhabitants to Chriftianity, and the many 
Martyrs who fealed the Faith with their Death. 
It is called Ifmit by the Burks, and is a large and po- 
pulous City, having about 30,000 Inhabitants, Greeks, 
Armenians, Jezvs and Burks, who molt of them live by 
trading in Silks, Cotton' Wool, Linnen- Cloths, Fruits, 
Earthen and Glafs-Wares, and feveral other Commo- 
dities, which make it a City of great Traffick, There 
are a great many Greek Churches and fair Mofques, 
with feveral Inns and neat Bazaars, or Market-Places, 
in this Town. Moll of the Ships and Veffels which 
belong to Conjianiinople are built here, but they are forry 
Artifts at it. On the right Side of the Bay of Nico- 
media is a Fountain of Mineral Water, which the Turks 
and Greeks fay, cures all Diftempers, and therefore flock 
to it mightily. 
Chalcedon. This Town was once famous for the 
Temples of Venus and Apollo. Many Chriftian Churches, 
and among them one dedicated to St. Euphemia, where 
the Fourth Genera] Council fate, and in Part of which, 
as it ftill remains, the Greeks have yet their Religious 
Worfhip, and ftrong Fortifications, and other fine Build- 
ings it had ; but is now reduced to a Village of 1000 or 
1200 Houfes, and thofe very ruinous. The City gives 
Name to the Streights adjoining, which are called Fre- 
tum Chalcedonicum, Bofphorus Chalcedonius, as well as 
Bofphorus Thractus, and near it is a Light-houfe and a 
Pleafure-houfe belonging to the Grand Signior, called 
Finari Kioske, which Sultan Soliman II. built for his Re- 
tirement with the Ladies of the Seraglio. 
y. On the Thracian Side Hands Rodojlo, or Radijlo, a 
Town well fituated at the Extremity of a Bay, which 
affording it a very good Haven, fills it with Inhabi- 
tants, who drive a Trade all over Thrace, the Propontis 
and Black Sea. In it are three or four large Mofques, 
and fome fmall ones, fome Chritlian Churches belong- 
ing to the Greeks, and two JewiJh Synagogues. The 
Town lies along the Sea-fliore, where the Trade is, and 
toward the Land are many Gardens ; but the Fruit is 
not very good, becaufe the Gardiners of Turkey are but 
■unskilful in their Art. 
Perinthus, or Heraclea, which once gave Law to 
Byzantium, but now is fubjedl to it. This Town hath 
two good Havens belonging to it, but one of them is 
fo choaked up with the Rubbifli and Filth of the City, 
that it ferves only for Barks and Saicks. The Amphi- 
theatre of Heraclea was one of the feven Wonders of 
the World ; but now there are only fome fiiatter’d 
Ruins of it. There are alfo feen many Pedeftals with 
Greek Inlcriptions to Severus, Trajan, and other Em- 
perors, who had conferred any fignal Benefit upon the 
City ; but the Statutes which once flood upon them are 
thrown down and demolifhed. The Town at prefent 
is but thinly inhabited, and drives but a fmall Trade, 
though they have many Commodities, fuch as great 
Quantities of Cotton, Olives, Fruits, both green and 
dry. Skins and Wool. The Cathedral is one of the 
finefl in all Greece, having a handfome Roof, and being 
very neat in the Infide, and better contrived than the 
Patriarcnal Church of Conjtantinople . There are five or 
fix Churches befides, but none of them in fo good a 
Condition as the former, and two of them are wholly 
difufed. But though the Buildings and Trade of this 
City daily decay, and Time may blot it out of the 
Woild, yet the Sufferings of many Chriftian Martyrs 
in It will keep up its Memory as long as the World 
endures. 
8. in iho Propontis d.vQ feveral Elands, wz. Marmora, 
which gives Name to the whole Sea, and is about ten 
Leagues in Compals. The chief Towns in it are Gal- 
honi and Craftio. The Caloyers, or Greek Monks, have 
feveral Convents or Hermitages in it. They are very 
auftere in their Way or Living. 2, Avejia, whofe cliief 
t’j- Travels Book I. 
Town is of the fame Name. It hath two other Vil- 
lages called Aloni and Arabi Jiieny, becaufe it is inha- 
bned by Arabians only. 3. Contain, which has a Town 
of the fame Name : And, 4. Gadoro, which has only 
fome Houfes and Cloyfters for Monks. Thefe four 
Elands go all by the Name of the firft, and lie in a 
Clufter, abounding with Cattle, Corn, Wine, Fruits, 
Cotton, IBc. Their Fifhery is alfo good, but they re- 
gard it^ only for their own Ufe, becaufe Conjianiinople 
is fupplied from Places in its Neighbourhood. Nearer 
to Conjiantinople lies another Knot of Elands, called by 
the Turks Papas Adajft, by the Greeks Papa Doniffa, or 
the Iflands of the Monks j and by the Europeans, The 
Pope s Ifies. If Conjiantinople were in the Hands of the 
Chriftians, they would be a perfefl Paradife, and every 
one v/ould have his Houfe of Pleafure there ; but being 
fubjedl to the Ravages of the Turks, who often go thi- 
ther to be drunK, and in their Heat rifle their Gardens 
and Vineyards, they lie in a Manner uncultivated, and 
only a few Caloyers manure a little Bit of Land by the 
Monafteries for Herbs and Roots for their own Ufe. 
TfiHt Caloyers are_ Monks of St. Bafil, who retain the 
ancient Way of Living and Habit, without any Alte- 
ration. They lead a very retired and auftere Life, and 
never eat any Flefh. They obferve four Lents in the 
Year, befides feveral other Fafts ; and fome among them 
are fo abftinent, as to be fatisfied with eating a little 
Bread and Pulfe, drefled with Salt and Water, once a 
Day ; and others by Cuftom have brought themfelves, 
to eat once in two or three Days, during their Lents ; 
and it is faid Ibme will eat but feven Times in the feven 
Weeks of their longeft Lent, though this feems impro- 
bable ; but thefe are only the moft devout, which are 
but few. The reft order Matters fo cunningly, that 
they obferve nothing lefs than Falling ; for though in- 
deed they eat no Butter, Fifh, Eggs, or Oil, and drink 
no Wine, yet they ufe other Things luxurioufly, as 
Oifters, Cavear, and Shell-fifh, for Fifh ; Almonds, 
Piftacho’s, and Nuts, for* Butter ; Aqiia Vita, Coffee, 
and Sherbet, for Wine, fAc. 
9. Conjbantinople has the happieft Situation of any City 
in the World. It lies in Europe upon a Point of the 
main Land, jetting out towards the, Bofphorus of Thrace^ 
from whence it is but half an Hour’s PalTage into Afia, 
On the Ri ght-hand is the White Sea, or Propontis, by 
which there is an e,ify Paftage into Afia, Mgypt, and 
Africa, whereby it is fupplied with all the Commodities 
of thofe Places. On the Left-hand it hath the Black or 
Euxine Sea, and Palus Maotis, by which it is furnifhed 
with all the Commodities of the North ; infomuch that 
there is Nothing that can be neceflary, ufeful, or plea- 
fant, which is not brought plentifully to Conjiantinople,, 
the Winds always ferving to bring in Commodities from 
one of thofe Parts. The Port is by Nature the loveliefl: 
in the World, being fix Miles in Compafs, and a Mile 
over, and fo deep in all Places, that a Ship may lay her 
Head a-fhore without Danger. 
It was anciently called Byzantium, and was built by 
Paufanias, King of Sparta. The Emperor Severus de- 
molifhed it, to punifli the Rebellion of the Inhabitants, 
and Conjiantine the Great rebuilt it, calling it New Rome 
firft, and then Conjiantinople', being afterwards de- 
dicated to the Virgin, it fometimes bears the Name of 
Parthenopolis ; the Turks call it Ijiambol, or Stamboul, 
After the Divifion of the Roman Empire it was the 
Seat of the Eaftern Emperors, from vv'hom, in 1209, 
it was taken by the Venetians and French, but recovered 
by the Palaologi fifty Years after, and fell into the 
Hands of the Turks on Whitfunday, 14s 3, who have 
kept it ever fince. The Air in Summer would be very 
hot and incommodious, were it not cool’d by a Breeze 
which comes every Afternoon from the Mouth of the Port, 
by which it is render’d very healthful, fo that no Difeafes 
are known here but the Plague, which makes a great 
Havock every Year. It is very fubjesfl to Earthquakes, 
fo that fometimes two happen in a Day. The Figure 
of it is triangular, one Side lying toward the Propontis, 
the other on the Port, and the third toward the Land. 
It is all encompafled with good Walls, and to the 
Land Side they are double, being built in fome Places 
