The reason of this is to be found in the continual danger of fire to which all towns built of wood are exposed.

Every proprietor of a house calculates that he may be burnt out in the course of five or six years, and therefore endeavours to gain back his capital with interest within this period.

Thus we do not find the houses so well built or so comfortably furnished as in the generality of European towns.
There is a theatre in Pera, which will hold from six to seven hundred spectators.

At the time of my sojourn there, a company of Italian singers were giving four representations every week.

Operas of the most celebrated masters were here to be heard; but I attended one representation, and had quite enough.