Anthony Zurbonsen Avrupa'da Dolaşmak

A[nthony]. Zurbonsen, Rambles Through Europe, The Holy Land and Egypt, B. Herder, St. Louis, 1903. [2], 234 s, metin dışında 12 tek sayfa, 1 çift sayfa levha, ex-library, 20 x 12.5 cm, yayıncısının desenli bez cildinde. Almanya doğumlu Amerikalı rahip Anthony Zurbonsen’in (1860-1927) Almanya, Avusturya, Macaristan, Balkan ülkeleri, İstanbul (s 67-94), Filistin ve Mısır seyahanamesi. Pera Palas otelinde kalan yazar kitabında İstanbul’u sokak köpekleri, şehir içinde hammallarca ve at ile eşek gibi hayvanlarca yapılan taşımacılığı, gezip gördüğü yerleri yazar. Yazar İstanbul’a gelişinde gümrükte karşılaştığı manzarayı kitabında şöyle aktarır: “This done the customs officers commenced their work. They ransacked our few belongings, unpacking and examining almost every article, but found nothing suspicious looking or dutiable until they came upon our harmless guide books. Ha! Important discovery! Our breviaries remained unmolested, but the poor guidebooks were ruthlessly confiscated, carefully tied together with strong twine and sent to customs headquarters. With a grim smile of satisfaction, as though he had thwarted a plot or saved the country by the timely discovery of impending danger, the Turk motioned to us that we might now go about our business. I remonstrated with him at the confiscation of our books. I argued, and even threatened him with Uncle Sam's vengeance, but all to no avail. The books were “corpus delicti."” (s 70 vd) Birkaç gün sonra…. “One day my friend being indisposed, I sallied forth with the dragoman alone. The confiscation of our guide books had been neither forgotten nor forgiven, and the object of our quest that morning was their release from Mohammedan captivity. We bore down upon the customhouse determined to conquer. There they were, our proscribed and imprisoned friends, sharing the doom of others of their kind, all waiting to be liberated by their owners. After a forceful parley with the official, success was mine, and our faithful companions from Germany were safely stowed in the inner pocket of my coat. Jubilant over this victory we started for the “Achmed” mosque.” (s 85)