Читать книгу The Antiquities of Constantinople - Gilles Pierre - Страница 17

THE Bottom of the fifth Hill, on the Top of which stands the Tomb of Selymus the Emperor, as bounded partly by the Bay, and partly by an Eastern and Western Valley, is four thousand Paces in Compass. The Pitch of this Hill hangs so far over the Bay Northward, and the Pitch of the fourth Hill lies so low towards the same Point, that the fourth Hill seems to be a kind of Valley, situate between the third, and the fifth Hill. For the fifth Hill does not join at Top, and continue the Ridge of the Promontory as other Hills do, but being of an equal Heighth with it, shoots to a great Distance beyond it running as far Northward, as does the Foot of the fourth Hill. It has a Descent on three Sides of it; one to the North, the Steepness of which the Reader may learn from hence, that altho’ it is very near the Heighth of the fourth Hill, which is above a thousand Paces high, yet the highest Ascent of this Hill comes nearer upon the Line, than that of any other Hill, to the lowest Ascent from the Bottom; for you ascend thro’ a little Valley, no more than three hundred Paces high to the Top of it. This Valley is form’d by two small Hills adjoining to the Shore of the Bay, upon which, at about four hundred Paces distance, you discover some Stone Steps, belonging to a Foundation of a Caravansera, built by the Emperor Selymus. This Northern Side of the Hill has four small Hills jetting out of it, three small Valleys running between them, which rise from the Top of the Hill, and are situate at such a Distance from the Plain upon the Shore, that two of them touch the Wall which stands upon it; the other two are a hundred Paces from it. The Plain upon the Shore is in no Part of it narrower than it is at the Foot of this Hill; for to the Distance of a thousand Paces, it does not exceed a hundred Paces in Breadth, and in some Places not fifty. Two of these Hills are very steep, so that the Buildings you see upon them, as tho’ they were in danger of falling, are all underpropp’d, and the Inhabitants have been oblig’d to cut Windings in the Rocks to moderate the Descent. The other two are less Precipitate, the Valleys which enclose them not lying so deep. The Side of the Hill which shoots Eastward is one thousand four hundred Paces in Length, and two hundred in Breadth, and its Altitude two hundred Paces upon the Perpendicular. The Height of the Side of it, which falls Westward, shelves into a different Depth, according as the Valley sinks. Where it descends into a Level Plain, it advances its Top to the Height of five hundred Paces. In other Places it rises no higher than three hundred, with a very moderate Ascent. The Side of the Promontory which points Southward, situate behind the fifth Hill, ends in the Plain of the Valley, which divides the Promontory from the seventh Hill. In other Places it falls with a more confined, and sometimes with a more expanded Descent, upon a small thick Hill, which hangs over the fifth Valley; as also over that Valley which parts the Promontory from the seventh Hill. The back Part of the fifth Hill does also wind it self into a small Valley, which rises at the Brow of the Promontory, where not long since was remaining the Columna Virginea. From hence the Ridge of the Promontory somewhat bends over the Top of the Plain of the fifth Hill, which in some Places is six hundred, and in others seven hundred Paces broad. But beyond the Ridge of this Hill it widens to a great Distance, as far as the Plain of the fourth Hill, and shoots on with the Plain of the Promontory, and falls down to the Neck of the Isthmus, and so extending it self still on, is at least two thousand Paces in Length.