Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/200

 1S2 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. portant in the world, l^o city which exists, or has ever ex- isted, lias so completely commanded an open road leading to, and having on eacli side of it, so many fruitful countries. From Batoum, which is the most direct outlet from Central Asia, the best available route to Europe was by the Bosphorus. This channel, varying from half a mile to a mile wide, could be easily defended. After a passage of eighteen miles these noble straits lead to Constantinople, which commands on one side of it the Marmora, a beautiful and convenient lake under the entire control of Constantinople. Its outlet is at the Dar- danelles, where the facilities for its defence are equal to those on the Bosphorus. Thence, through the ^gean, all Europe, Africa, and Asia Minor was open to the trading vessels of the capital. The imports for the supply of the wants of Con- stantinople and the export of her own products were them- selves considerable. We have seen that the rulers of Con- stantinople had conceded many privileges in favor of trade to foreign subjects. But while these concessions doubtless in- creased her wealth, she had reserved to her own merchants the exclusive privilege of the Black Sea trade and of the im- port of provisions. But she was then, as she has continued to be till cpiite recently, and will be again under a good govern- ment, a great mart for the collection and distribution of goods. A large amount of the trade between Asia and Europe passed through the Bosphorus. Persian and Armenian merchants brought their merchandise to Constantinople, to be distributed from thence throughout Western Europe. The city had oc- cupied the first rank among the great marts of commerce for 60 long a period that, at the end of the twelfth centuiy, she had supplied not only the empire of which she was the capital, but also Western Europe, Central Asm, and even India, with gold coin. At present all foreign merchants, without exception, live outside the walls of Constantinople.' The aim of the Latin 1 It must be remembered that the Constantinople of 1200 was oul}^ that portion which is now called Stamboul or Istamboul, a word which is probably the Turkish abbreviation of Constantinople, just as Skenderoun is the abbrcTiation of Alexandretta, Skcnder bey for Alexander bey, Isnik