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Journal of my journey from Constantinople to Crichoff begun
Saturday Dec:r 10. 1785
At about 11 I left the Stable at a place called Zivani-
Sarai
viz: the abode of beasts or repository at Constantinople. Dr.
a Physician settled at Jassy had the kindness
accompany thither cross the water from Pera, and staid
with me to serve as interpreter till I set out. I reached
Ponte Piccolo at 40 min after 1. P.M. My train consisted
of 1. My Janisary Ahmet whom his Excellency had
appointed to attend me till I should over-take the Princess
2. An Turkish attendant on horseback to take charge of the Janissary's
horse and wait on him on his return. 3. Mr
Schneider's servant Ludwig whom I had borrow'd of his
master to wait on me till my arrival at Ovliopol
where I expect to meet a messenger from my Brother. 4
a pack-horse for Mr Schneider's baggage. 5. Another pack-horse
for my own baggage. 6. A guide on horseback
to take charge of the above horses and my own to
from Bucharest for which place they were engaged. In
all 5 horses engaged for Bucharest with a guide: and 2
with another guide retained together with the Janissary for an indefinite time, viz:
till we should over-take the Princess.
Ponte Piccolo, in Turkish Calchuk Checkmije is a
little town, lying between a f
hill and the bridge from whence it takes
its name. As the hill slopes towards the bridge in going from Constantinople you see no
appearance of the town till you are close to it.
At Ponte Piccolo we staid no longer than about
hour to refresh the horses. We set out at about 10 mins
after 2. At about 1/2 after 3 we crossed a bridge called
by the Janissary if I understood him right, Hir akmetderesa
At 1/4 after 5 we reached Ponte Grande, in
Turkish Buguk-checkaneje where we slept instead of
Silivria, the place which the Janissary had led me to expect
we should reach at the end of the first day.
We took up our quarters at an immense Hahn (Inn) not
much less as it seemed than Westminster Hall, I am sorry
I did not pace it to take an exact idea of the dimensions.
Here as elsewhere we saw several parties of Turks grouped
round the arched fire-places which are ranged at regular
distances along the side walls of these Inns, which are
built almost all of them upon nearly the same plan.
Parallel to each wall runs a range of mangers
which are so many boxes of a form nearly cubical
in which the chopt straw, the only provender I have
yet seen given to the horses, is thrown. The bottom of
these mangers is level with the inner area on which
the horses stand to feed: the top of them is level with
the abovementioned range of fire-places; the intermediate
ace forming an elevated plat-form, which being equal
open with the interior area below, affords no other circumstance
than those of position and elevation to distinguish
the apartment for human travellers from the stable. Here
I expected at first instance we should have taken up our
quarters on the bare ground: but was agreably disappointed
when upon following the Janissary up a narrow blind stair-case
cut as it were, out of one of the side-walls, the
same through which the entrance is, I found myself in a
little room, without indeed either chair or table, for even
dwelling-houses furnished a la Turque know neither of these
conveniences, but warm, or at least capable of being made so
a charcoal fire, and decently enough cover'd with matts
and meagre sofas. Below instead of windows it had only window
shutters, shutting closer than in a S room of Turkish architecture
could have been expected: but above each window-shutter
was a small glazed window a la Turque, that is composed
of small oval panes enclosed in messy wood-work.
Its warmth is ow'd in great measure to the its being
without a fire-place, which forced me to have recourse
to the unpleasant and unwholesome expedient of
a pan of lighted charcoal in the middle of the room.
Our Supper consisted of 1. a kind of sallad
composed of
a kind of white root, it might be a turnip for ought
I know pulled into narrow strips, seasoned with indifferent
oil and vinegar, and garnished with about a dozen
black olives. 2. a dish of flat-fish, flounders or
somewhat like them, fried, I know not whether in lard suet
or oil (hog's lard it would not be ) but at any rate very good. 3. Pilau or Pilav: a
dish which when announced to me, as it was with
emphasis, by the Janissary, I had expected to have
found composed of rice and meat, but which has turned
out hitherto both there and elsewhere to consist of nothing
but rice, too much greased with but indifferent
or suet.
Sunday Dec:r 11
We left Ponte Grande at about 1/2 after 5 in the morning,
long before the dawn of day. At about 40 mins after
7 we passed through Comburgas: at 50 min: after 8, through
Aidos: at about 1/4 after 11 we came to Silivri, after
leving a place called Kiflick or Chiflick about 2
or 3 miles to the right. Silivri is a pretty considerable
town: I counted in it 5 minarets at a distance. It stands
close upon the sea: some of the houses are built upon a
perpendicular rock that overhangs the water: others within
the cruciate of a pretty large castle in Turkish condition,
that is ruinous.
Between Aidos and Silivria I observed at different
places along the sea shore a number of large birds,
the bodies considerably larger than those of crows, and the
wings when extended at least twice as long. By their hooked bills
I should have supposed them carnivorous, of the eagle
kind, if I had not seen them sitting in great friendship
with a flock of mag-pies, intermixed as I believe with
small birds. They were so tayme as to suffer our company
to approach them to I suppose within ten yards distance,
and dogs to within five. Upon the dogs coming up with
them and barking at them they took wing, but flew heavily
and sat down again at a few yards distance. Near the
town at entering it we saw flocks of sheep, with goats
feeding amongst them promiscuously. In one or two of the
goats above the ground of the hair which was snuff coloured,
projected a considerable quantity of white, not less I shou'd
suppose than 1 1/2 feet in length, as if they had been of
the Angora breed: The faces of the sheep here as elsewhere
in Turkey, different from the English, & much prettier.
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1785-12-10 |
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Journal |
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Jeremy Bentham |
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