American Boys Afloat by Oliver Optic

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.