(Henry Shaw's personal map pictured right)

A cloudy wet morning - and remained in my room - about noon was conducted by Mr. Ruboli who has formerly acted as drayman or interpreter to respectable foreigners across the bay to the city -

Landing at the custom house - or the gate of the city called Walido Rapussi- from the mosque of the Walido close by - did not find the streets so much crowded as they were crooked and narrow - mosques and fountains sumptuous - but houses & shops mean - passed along the wall that divided the seraglio from the city to the gate or Porte - from which the court of Turkey is called the ottoman or sublime porte -

In the street saw a number of nairuls or porters loaded with bags of money - had no conductor or person in charge - such is the honesty of these men that they are entrusted with treasure - could we do the same in America? -

Gased externally at St. Sophia a turk sat waiting at the door - asked to go in was answered with a shake of the head - asked for portions of the crumbling mosaics- which the keepers of the mosque sell to strangers - purchased a piece for five piastras - offered him money to let us in - replied that if he were to do such a thing he should expect to be punished by banishment -

Little to be seen at the - inside it is now an open space about as large as the St. Louis market Square - the marble steps and balconies - and the statues brought from all parts of the world for its embellishment have long disappeared - what was not destroyed at the taking of the city by Baldwin and Dandolo - were used by the different Sultans in the construction of the mosks - the Egyptian obelisk is still erect - and as fresh as if just from under the sculptors chisel on a marble basement - and reused by the Emperor Theodosius -

The ground as in ancient Rome is much elevated above its original level as the basement is partly buried - there is another crumbling pillar close by - said to be formerly covered with brass plates - and to support the three brasen serpents - twined in the form of a column and now planted in the ground close by - and is of most remote antiquity - being brot from the temple of Delphi - leaving the Hippodrome - and the mosque of Sultan Achmed - came to a beautifull Mausoleum & fountain of Mahmoud - drank of this water out of a shining brass cup and to the repose of the soul of the deceased Sultan - the mausoleum and fountain are of white marble & just finished - taking off my shoes - but keeping on my hat entered the former - the tomb is in as splendid an apartment as painting and gilding can make it - the body is encased and covered with richest cashmeres and cloth of gold - the red cap and diamond star of the dead Sultan on the top - numbers of turkish women as well as men were spectators as well as ourselves on the whole the effect is magnificent and pleasing - showing great respect for the dead - here his son the present Sultan frequently comes to pray

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