Copy 1

The travels of the late Charles Thompson, Esq. containing his observations on France, Italy, Turkey in Europe, the Holy Land, Arabia, Egypt, and many other parts of the world : giving a particular and faithful account of what is most remarkable in the manners, religion, polity, antiquities, and natural history of those countries with a curious description of Jerusalem as it now appears, and other places mention'd in the Holy Scriptures the whole forming a compleat view of the ancient and modern state of great part of Europe, Asia, and Africa / publish's from the author's original manuscript, interspers'd with the remarks of several other modern travellers, and illustrated with historical, geographical, and miscellaneous notes by the editor.

  • Thompson, Charles, active 1750.
Date:
1744
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The travels of the late Charles Thompson, Esq. containing his observations on France, Italy, Turkey in Europe, the Holy Land, Arabia, Egypt, and many other parts of the world : giving a particular and faithful account of what is most remarkable in the manners, religion, polity, antiquities, and natural history of those countries with a curious description of Jerusalem as it now appears, and other places mention'd in the Holy Scriptures the whole forming a compleat view of the ancient and modern state of great part of Europe, Asia, and Africa / publish's from the author's original manuscript, interspers'd with the remarks of several other modern travellers, and illustrated with historical, geographical, and miscellaneous notes by the editor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Stairs and Landing- -places ; and fo lofty is the Situa- tion of the City, that whatever Gate we enter at, we mount an Afcent. I fhall only add, with refpedt to the Figure of Confiantinople, that its firft Angle is at the Seven Towers, the fecond at the Point of the Se- raglio, and the third at the Mofque of Ejoup, to- wards the frefh Waters, at the North- Weft Part of the Harbour. : Havine provided ourfelves with Turki/h Habits, (which it is proper for Strangers to do, if they are de- firous of giving no Offence, and would be admitted freely where their Curiofity leads them) we began to think of viewing the Infide of the City, which had fo charm’d us by the Beauty of its Oatfide, We hired two Fanizaries to attend us wherever we went, who are very ufeful Guards to prevent the Infults of the Rabble ; and our honeft Landlord, the Few, ferv’d us both for a Guide and an Interpreter, Our Lodgings at Galata being juft oppofite to the Grand Signior’s Seraglio, whereof the great Number of Cupola’s, and the Gardens fill’d with Groves of Ever-greens, had af- forded us anagreeable Profpect, we paid our firft Vifit to that famous Palace. The Turks call it Padifcha- Serat, or the Emperor’s Palace; for Seras fignifies any ftately Building, from whence we have form’d our Word Seraglio, which we apply by way of Eminence to the Palace of the Grand Signior, though there are many other Seraglios in Conflantinople. “The Grand Signior’s Seraglio is a kind of Triangle, about three Mules in Compafs, two Sides whereof are wafh’d by the Sea, and the third is feparated from the City by a high Wall. It takes up the very Spot of Ground on which ftood the ancient Syzantium, viz. on the Point of the Peninfula of Thrace, at the very Entrance of the Bofphorus. ‘Che Apartments are onthe Top of the Hill, and the Gardens below, ftretching to the Sea; which are planted thick with Ever-greens, not only for their lafting Beauty, but that the Thar 9)