Constantinople, Chapter 17 — streszczenie

Co się wydarza

1. The narrator describes caïque construction, the rowers’ strength and habits, and the skills needed to board and navigate these unstable boats.
2. Steamers draw passengers away from the caïdjis, whose deserted landing stages reveal the pressure on their trade.
3. During the celebrations, the narrator rows among decorated ships and recounts legends and historical explanations concerning Kiss-Koulessi.
4. He describes a custom involving the sultan’s mother presenting a beautiful enslaved woman, alongside prayers and visits to mosques.
5. From an Austrian ship, he watches illuminated vessels, fireworks, and bright shorelines reflected across the Bosphorus.
6. His caïque narrowly avoids a collision before he reaches Top’Hané and walks back to the Hôtel de France.

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The contrast summarizes the unequal competition between rowers and steamships. Admiration for the boatmen’s strength accompanies recognition that machinery draws away their trade.

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