We rode this day through the broadest part of the city—from the Golden Horn to the Seven Towers, a journey of about three miles—leaving Stamboul by a gate that opened close upon the Sea of Marmora. I never saw the sea so calm as it was this afternoon. Every cloud—every mast and spar of the distant steamers, was reflected on its glassy surface : and the water was as still at the edge, as though it had been the Serpentine. This dead calm was accompanied by an equal silence. I listened for some minutes, and did not hear a sound. Even the indefinite hum of busied life which can usually be detected near a great city, was hushed.
The walls of the ancient Constantinople still existing, are of enormous extent and magnitude, forming a triple enclosure. At certain distances are large square towers, now crumbling rapidly to decay. They are ruined in the most remarkable manner; some being split down the middle, and others tumbled over bodily into the fosse. We followed their course, externally, along a road, if such it could be called, full of holes, and evidently never repaired since first made. Here and there was an attempt at paving, with jagged stones; and occasionally one half of it ascended sharply, whilst the other dipped into a hollow, so that there was a difference of from five to eight feet in its level. This, it must be understood, was a high thoroughfare, close to a great city, and answering to the external boulevards of Paris. The horses understood the country very well. They scuffled and scrambled along, and occasionally had to get over a low stone wall or two, to make short cuts, with which my companion was acquainted, skirting gardens and cemeteries, and passing creaking water-wheels, similar to those I had seen at Smyrna. At length we came to the Greek church of Baloukli, in which the wonderful fish are preserved. Mr. Curzon, in his admirable book on the Monasteries of the Levant,* thus tells the story:—
Emperor Constantine Paleologus
"The unfortunate Emperor Constantine Paleologus rode out of the city alone to reconnoitre the outposts of the Turkish army, which was encamped in the immediate vicinity. In passing through a wood he found an old man seated by the side of a spring, cooking some fish on a gridiron for his dinner; the emperor dismounted from his white horse, and entered into conversation with the other; the old man looked up at the stranger in silence, when the emperor inquired whether he had heard anything of the movements of the Turkish forces: 'Yes,' said he, 'they have this moment entered the city of Constantinople.' I would believe what you say,' replied the emperor, 'if the fish which you are broiling would jump off the gridiron into the spring.' This, to his amazement, the fish immediately did, and, on his turning round, the figure of the old man had disappeared. The emperor mounted his horse and rode towards the gate of Silivria, where he was encountered by a band of the enemy, and slain, after a brave resistance, by the hand of an Arab or a Negro private tours istanbul.
" The broiled fishes still swim about in the water of the spring, the sides of which have been lined with white marble, in which are certain recesses where they can retire when they do not wish to receive company. The only way of turning the attention of these holy fish to the respectful presence of their adorers is accomplished by throwing something glittering into the water, such as a handful of gold or silver coin; gold is the best, copper produces no effect; he that sees one fish is lucky, he that sees two or three goes home a happy man; but the custom of throwing coins into the spring has become, from its constant practice, very troublesome to the good monks, who kindly depute one of their community to rake out the money six or seven times a day with a scraper at the end of a long jmle. The emperor of Russia has sent presents to the shrine of Baloukli, so called from the Turkish word Balouk, a fish. Some wicked heretics have said that these fishes are common perch: either they or the monks must be mistaken; but of whatever kind they are, they are looked upon with reverence by the Greeks, and have been continually held in the highest honour from the time of the siege of Constantinople to the present day."
These fish must have been of the same breed as those lively ones in the story of " The Fisherman and the Geni." They were now swimming in a tank in the interior : and the water was offered to visitors to drink. It was very pure and agreeable. The church itself was decorated with tawdry illuminated saints, and cheap glass lamps and chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A priest sat at the entrance, with a row of plates before him, into which contributions were thrown. A piastre or two was evidently considered a noble offering.
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