TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 
country, as remarkable for its physical pheno- 
mena as for the interest afforded by its antient 
history. 
We had passed the town of Buyuckdery, a 
sort of watering-place, whither foreign ministers 
at the Porte retire during the summer months : 
this place is filled with villas and palaces be- 
longing to the inhabitants of Peru. Our vessel 
was anchored opposite to Yeniheuy, a similar 
retreat of less celebrity. Here the Canal is so 
narrow, that we were able to converse with 
persons upon either side, in Europe or Asia. 
The late hurricane had unroofed, and otherwise 
damaged, several houses in both these towns. 
During the night after our arrival, a storm 
raged with such fury from the north, that the 
Moderato and the Aronetlo, although held by 
stout cables fastened round the trees upon the 
shore, as well as by their anchors, drove from 
their stations during the violence of the gale. 
Soon after midnight we were called by the 
watch to notice a dreadful conflagration in Con- 
stantinople, which seemed to fill the horizon 
with fire, and exhibited an alarming spectacle 
from our cabin windows. The sight is however 
so common, that we were told we should find 
no notice taken of the accident when we reached 
the city, which proved to be the case. The 
429 
CHAP. 
XI. 
