binding 
158 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
CHAP, substance a depilatory is made for the use of the 
- Turkish baths. The other commercial objects 
worth notice, in this filthy and crowded city, 
(besides the Manuscript bazar and other things 
Shops for noticed in the preceding volumes) are the shops 
Stationary ^ , i i i i • t mi 
and Book- lor statiouary-warc and bookbmdmg. Ihe 
bookbinders of Constantinople surpass all other, 
in the neatness, the elegance, and the per- 
fection of their craft. This may perhaps be 
attributed to the high price sometimes paid 
for binding the beautiful manuscripts entrusted 
to their care. Every leaf is secured with the 
utmost attention and skill ; and the books, 
bound by Turkish women, open with the utmost 
evenness and facility. In the embelhshment of 
the covers, and in the cases made to contain 
the volumes, both taste and ingenuity are 
shewn*. Pocket ink-stands, pocket-books, and 
(1) See the long account of their " cunning workmanship," in the 
valuable Travels of Della Valle. " / libri, si legano sommamente 
bene; e si adm-nano con molte gnlanterie di colori finissitni, e d^oro; 
in partico/ar di nzurro oUramuiino, con fogliamini, e compurtimenti 
allor modo : e le coperte ancora bene spesso Imwrate di fiwri con diverse 
impronte, futte, come io credo, con le stampe." (Viaggi di Pieti'o 
Delia Valle, il Pellegrino, p, 98. Roma, 1650.) The name of Della 
Valle often occurs in books of Travels, because it i.> included among 
those of other authors vi^ho have visited the Levant, as a matter of course ; 
but his merit has been little attended to ; and some travellers have spoken 
of his writings without ever reading them ; as it would be easy to prove. 
He 
