THE CITY OF THE SULTAN
Pitts and the engineers remained on board of the Maud, but the rest of
her ship's company repaired to the deck of the Guardian-Mother, where
the captain and the professor were to tell them something about Turkey.
They had been studying geography all the time, and they had obtained
a better knowledge of the countries visited than it would be possible
to get from books and maps. History was to be mingled with it so far
as practicable. The regular class in the library, consisting of Miss
Blanche and the big four, were present, for their instruction was one
of the principal purposes of the voyage round the world.
"I suppose you all know where you are," said Captain Ringgold, rising
from his chair.
"In a horn," replied Felix.
"That is the standard joke of this locality, and I heard it thirty-four
years ago when lying at anchor where we are now," replied the commander.
"I thought it would be as fresh and new as though it just came out of
Kilkenny," added the Milesian.
"No; it is a chestnut. But why is it called the Golden Horn?"
"Because that's the best sort of a horn to be in," answered Felix.
"Hardly. This gulf, as it properly is, extends back about five miles,
and several streams flow into it from the Valley of the Sweet Waters.
It gets its name from its shape, and it is called golden on account of
the riches brought to its shores from other lands. It is a safe harbor,
though great storms sometimes pass through the Bosporus. You can see
that it is crossed by two bridges of boats."
"With two humps in each of them," said Scott.
"Those are to enable boats to pass under them; and some of the pontoons
are drawn aside to permit the passage of large crafts. Do any of you
happen to know the name of this country?"
"Turkey; and it was named after the Thanksgiving bird," replied Felix.
"The bird of which you speak is a native of Mexico, and was first taken
to Europe by the Spaniards."
"Thanks to the Spaniards, for we have eaten the bird in Europe."
"The people here wouldn't know what you meant if you called their
country by the name of the bird. Their name is Osmanli Vilaieti; but we
do not expect you to speak Turkish, and the proper name in English is
The Turkish or Ottoman Empire. It consists of three divisions, Turkey
in Europe, in Asia, and in Africa. The first has thirty thousand less
square miles than New York and Pennsylvania together. We used to
say it had a population of fifteen millions; but it has lost Servia,
Roumania, and Bulgaria, and a census makes it less than five. The whole
empire is estimated at twenty-seven and a half millions.
"The principal industry is agriculture, which is carried on in a very
slipshod manner. Grain, rice, cotton, and tobacco are raised. Olives,
grapes, figs, dates, oranges, citron, and otto of roses are largely
exported. The ladies will find the last at the Bazaar. This is about
the season here for the nicest grapes in the world, and you will see
them for sale about the streets. If you wish to buy them, the money
here is in _piastres_, worth five cents apiece, and _paras_, of which
it takes forty to make five cents, or one-eighth of a cent apiece.
At the hotels and foreign stores French money, which is the same as
Italian, is used, a franc or lira passing for eighty-eight _piastres_.
"The present Sultan is Abdul-Hamid II., born in 1842. In Turkey the
eldest son does not succeed to the throne of his father, as in most
Christian countries. The founder of the empire was Othman, who reigned
in the thirteenth century, and his oldest male descendant succeeds to
the crown up to the present day. When I was here the second time in
1870, Abdul-Aziz was the Sultan. I took my hat off and bowed to him on
his way to the mosque; but he took no notice of me. His son, Yussuf
Izzeddin Effendi, a boy of thirteen, returned my salute, and was more
polite than his father.
"When the Sultan Aziz became the Sultan that was, to repeat an old
joke, the boy I had seen had to step aside for his Uncle Murad, who was
older, and therefore nearer in his descent from the original Othman.
Murad reigned but three months, and was then deposed as an idiot; but
he had a brother, who is the present Sultan, Abdul-Hamid II."
"I thought these sultans were not married like other princes," said
Mrs. Woolridge.
"They are not; for the Imperial Harem, as it is called, is a state
institution, and all the children born there are equal and legitimate.
The ladies there are usually brought in from other countries,
principally Circassia, and they are practically slaves. The Sultan does
not contract a regular marriage as we understand the matter; but from
the inmates of the Harem he usually selects seven, who are supposed to
be more especially his wives. An aged lady is the superintendent of
this institution, through whom alone any communication can be obtained
with the outer world; and then it must be done with the guard of
_eunuchs_, whose chief is the equal of the Grand Vizier, the principal
officer of state, and is his superior on some occasions."
The commander retired, introducing the professor.
"The government of Turkey is called an absolute monarchy; but it is
limited by the Koran and the Multeka, which is a collection of sayings
of Mohammed and his immediate successors. The Grand Vizier represents
the sultan, and is the head of the government as the premier is in
England and France. Next to him is the Sheik-ul-Islam, who is the
head of the church. There are a dozen or more ministers in the several
departments.
"The history of the Ottoman Empire is simply a record of conquests over
other divisions in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Turks originally came
out of Tartary. It would require too much time to relate the events of
these wars, and you may read an epitome of them in several books in the
library. This country has long been regarded as the 'sick man,' and no
doubt it would have been dismembered before this time if the nations
of Europe had not been jealous of any increase of territory and power,
each of any other. Russia would like to have Constantinople, which
could be made the finest seaport in the world. England and France have
been the allies of Turkey to prevent Russia from becoming too powerful
by its acquisition. But I think you are all in a hurry to go on shore,
and I will not detain you longer."
After lunch the party went on shore in the Maud, to the great
disgust of the boatmen. There were no carriages to be had, and they
were obliged to walk. A steamer had just come in, and they had an
opportunity to see how a passenger with a trunk and other baggage
would get to his hotel in the Rue de Pera, at the summit of the hill.
A porter with a kind of saddle on his back, having a shelf for his
burden, rendered this service. The trunk was placed on this shelf, the
valise and packages on the top of it, till they were piled up higher
than his head.
"That man is called a _hammal_, Miss Blanche," said Louis, who had
placed himself at her side.
"He has to carry an awful load," she replied as they followed him up
the street, which was not more than eight feet wide, and was very wet
and muddy. "There is a lady coming down the hill; at least, I take her
for one."
She was stout, and not very clean. She wore about the same trousers as
the men, with a sort of long jacket and red slippers. She was closely
veiled, and her _yashmak_ was quite thick.
"She needs a veil, for she is as homely as a hedge fence," said Louis,
laughing. "There is one who is better-looking, and her veil is not so
thick."
"What a lot of dogs!" exclaimed the young lady, as her companion shoved
one out of her path. "I should think every person in the city kept one."
"On the contrary, no one keeps a dog. They do not belong to any person,
but every one of them has to look out for himself."
A little farther along a mule was approaching with panniers on his
back, filled with cord wood. The street at this point was not more
than six feet wide, and they had to step into a doorway to avoid being
knocked down. They reached the Rue de Pera, which was wider, and looked
a little more like a street in a European city. They walked through
a portion of it, looking in at the shop windows, till they came to
Misserie's, as it is oftener called than Hotel d'Angleterre, its proper
name.
At this hotel Captain Ringgold procured the services of two guides who
were to serve the tourists for the next week, and longer if needed; and
they were to be on board of the steamer the next morning. Dimitri was
the principal one, and was a Greek; the other was a Turk, whose name
was Munif. Both of them spoke English, French, and Italian, as well as
Greek and Turkish.
"To-morrow will be Friday, and that is the Mohammedan Sunday, and
you can see the Sultan when he goes in procession to the church,"
said Dimitri. "You will need a _firman_ to visit the mosques and holy
places."
"We must certainly see the Sultan, and the procession will be a fine
sight," added Mrs. Belgrave. "But what is a _firman_?"
"It is a permit to visit the sacred places of the city, given by the
Sultan, or in his name; and it costs five hundred _piastres_, or
twenty-five dollars," replied the commander.
"Then it is very expensive to see the sights here."
"The _commissionaires_, or guides, usually make up a party of a dozen,
so that it does not cost but about two dollars apiece. Be sure and have
the _firman_ ready for to-morrow, Dimitri," said the captain as the
party left the hotel, though they halted in the street.
"But how are we to get about this city if there are no carriages?"
asked Mrs. Woolridge. "The walk I had up that narrow street, through
the mud and garbage, was quite enough for me."
"We have carriages, though it is impossible for them to go through
most of the streets; but there is a fine road at Tophana, where we see
procession," interposed Dimitri.
"Engage enough of them to seat the party," added Captain Ringgold.
"There are sedans for ladies, and saddle horses for gentleman when we
go to the Seraglio," added the guide, who hastened away to procure the
_firman_.
"There is a pedler selling grapes," said Miss Blanche, as she
discovered a Turk with a big basket at a corner.
He was dressed in full Turkish costume, and Felix insisted that he
had escaped from some circus company. The basket looked as though it
contained about two bushels of the fruit; but it was a fraud with a
partition near the top, upon which the grapes were heaped up so as to
make the greatest possible display.
"We must have some of them," added Louis; but he had no Turkish money.
Munif, the second guide, had attached himself to the party, and he soon
procured a supply of it with an English shilling, and about half a peck
of the luscious fruit was purchased. All the tourists tasted them, and
declared they were fully equal to the recommendation the captain had
given them. After a basket had been obtained it was filled, and the
guide insisted upon carrying it, apparently as an excuse for going with
the party.
But most of the travellers were tired by this time, and the older
members strolled down the hill to the landing. With the assistance of
Munif, Louis treated Miss Blanche to a variety of Turkish confects
and drinks. The sherbet of which they read in the Arabian Nights
was nothing but raspberry shrub, as it is called in New England, or
something very like it. The little cakes or rolls were strong of rancid
grease, and the young lady could not eat the candy. They concluded that
there was some delusion about things Oriental.
Miss Blanche was tired, and Louis obtained a sedan to convey her to the
little steamer, walking by its side down the narrow, filthy, and steep
street.