At two o'clock I went to visit our Envoy in Buyuk-Dere, and for this I hired a caique with two oarsmen. Sitting down without habit into this narrow but long boat, I almost knocked it over, not knowing that there was no other way to step into it than by placing my foot in the very middle. The boat began to rock, but my hired servant, still standing on the pier, tried to grab me by the collar; the rowers began to scream, but everything ended well. Taught by experience, I carefully descended into the boat and quietly settled down in the middle of it, on a pillow. The oarsmen worked with oars e bolytsim usimem, because we had to swim against the current at all times. On the way, the rain still caught us, and I was forced to go ashore, it seems to Fonducli, and take refuge in a cove house. There are already a lot of Turks here, mostly military ones. They didn't pay the slightest attention to me. The servants took care of us, walked around, served hookahs, pipes, served coffee, and one asked me, what do I want? To give them shelter from the rain for free, I ordered coffee to be served. Compavya was the quietest; Most of the guests sat and smoked in silence. After a few minutes the rain stopped, and I, having paid, continued on my way.
In Buyuk-Der, our Envoy ‘received me with his usual politeness, introduced me to his wife and had a conversation with some embassy officials. He recommended to me that Mr. Komidas be the cicerone of the Greek, and to entrust me to the council and care of Sergzl Ivanovich Bogdanov. I was pleased to see him with my companions. The ladies were healthy, and it seems beyond words they admired the delights of the Bosphorus shores! Gray Khrebtovich began to feel ill and did not leave his room. I made it myself. He had a bile disease and needed calm. After eating lunch, Apollinariy Petrovich walked with me through the garden, where many old and dense trees provide pleasant shade for those walking; and this is the first treasure in a hot climate! G. The Messenger showed me how many rose bushes, four arshins high, and covered with flowers from bottom to top. Here I saw beautiful and huge plane trees, cypresses, pyramidal poplars, nut trees, and all kinds of plants characteristic of this climate. Inside the garden there is a rather steep mountain, where my old friend Alexander Semyonovich Khvostov, sending the Envoy here when he had to go to bed, built a calm marble staircase, at the pleasure of some ladies who complained about the steepness of the shoot. Kindly treated by the entire family of G. Messenger, I spent one of the most precious days of my life in the midst of it, and in the evening I went back to Constantinople. I was eager to start my reviews and arrange them in some systematic order. The return trip was much easier: we floated with the current, and it quickly brought us to the city. The time passed was half as long as during the ascent along the strait to Buyuk-Dere. I found my good friend, Dr. Moritz Tschänner, completely satisfied: he was with the Jewish Khakham-bashi, who politely offered him his services and assistance in searching for him, and Pinner spent the whole day among the old manuscripts, and returned covered with their precious dust. He realized to me, however, that he had not yet found anything particularly rare and necessary for himself; but he still had a lot to see, rummage through the Kahan library, talk to the rabbis, and he did not lose hope of making some kind of discovery and discovering little enough for his work. We spent the rest of the day together, smoked and talked very pleasantly, about Eastern customs, about Tudean antiquities, about our plans for the next day, and went to our rooms very pleased with ourselves.
Early in the morning I started making visits, and distributed cards to the embassy officials, finding almost no one at home; However, I managed to invite Mr. Komidas, who I needed to see Constantinople, to my place. He came; we got to talking, and I found in him a man experienced in accompanying foreigners through interesting places in the city. From great skill, he knew the ancient names of many buildings, but he was not an archaeologist. Extremely helpful, tireless, always ready to provide any pleasure, he was distinguished by a pleasant character. He knew today's Constantinople by heart, and in this no one can compare with him. He spoke purely Turkish. I forgot, by the way, that he was a zealous Roman Catholic, because, I don’t know his grandfather or great-grandfather, he was honored to be numbered 412.