HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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they rr.av be considered natives, have caused them to be esteemed as the most per-fectin that class of any built throughout theknown world. In respect to commerce,that of the Turks with foreign countries carried on in shipping belonging to them-selves, is extremely limited, and the sight of the Ottoman flag flying in a Chris-tian port might be considered nearly as singular an object as the standard of Japanor China would be in the same situation. The terror of the plague naturallydeters the inhabitants of all countties, not fatalists, from encouraging such anintercourse, while the natural temper and inclination of the Turks appear byno means disposed to use the smallest endeavour towards gaining that recep-tion which they themselves are as careless about as their neighbours are averseto. The mercantile concerns of Turkey are, however, among the most con-siderable in the world : It is only owing to the peculiar manner in which theyare conducted that they have such trivial effect on the marine of the country,and that so small a portion of vessels should suffice to support it in the extent towhich it was carried, particularly about the middle of the eighteenth century.The apparent mystery may, however, be easily developed, and explained in avery few words. A very considerable part of the Turkish commerce is ear-ned on, as it was in the days of Mahomet, through the medium of caravans,to which, in subsequent ages, has been added the aid of inland navigation.The Caspian and theEuxine seas, together with the numerous and consequen-tial rivers which intersect the country, have rendered the intercourse betweenthe remotest parts of India and Russia by no means difficult, though perhapssomewhat tedious, even without the intervention and assistance of what may beproperly called the science of navigation. By the means just pointed out, the differ-ent commodities, aswell thosewhich were the immediate production of Turkey it-self as those which were transferred thither from other countries, were with appa-rent ease conveyed to any port which necessity, or the wish of the merchant, mightrequire. In caseswhere this measure became inconvenient without the assistance ofshipping, the flotilla of the country, which fully supplied by its numbers the wantof extensive individual burthen, immediately afforded its aid ; and the vessels ofFrance, of Spain, of Britain, and other nations, repairing to the mart agreed on,the Turkish merchant, in his own person, derived every advantage that could re-sult from commerce. He rose indeed far superior to the foreigner with whomhe traded, inasmuch as he sat down perfectly at ease, with respect to thosedangers which are naturally attendant on a sea voyage, and was exempt from allloss on the instant his commodities were delivered to the purchaser from his ownstore, instead of being under the necessity, as is the general custom with other

people,