A Short Account, by Mr. John Eames, F. R. S. of a Book Intituled, Tuhhfat Ilkibar, Printed at Constantinople, AnnoDom. 1728

March Ther. Winds. 18. 40. S. SW. Clear. The City was sprinkled over with small Ashes, like Kitchen Ashes, which were attracted by the Loadstone. 19. 42. o W. A few thin Clouds. 20. 37. o Almost clear. Vesuvius became entirely quiet. VIII. A short Account, by Mr. John Eames, F. R. S. of a Book intituled, Tuhhfat ilkibar, printed at Constantinople, Anno Dom. 1728. The Advantage of Printing above Writing, has at last prevailed with the Grand Signor to permit a Printing-Press to be set up at Constantinople. It was obtained upon a Memorial presented to him by the Grand Vizier, with the Consent of the Mufti. The Privilege is granted to Zaid the Son of Mehmet Effendi, late Ambassador in France, and Ibrahim Mutafarrica, the Author of a small Tract in this Book. The Licence extends to the printing all Sorts of Books written in the Oriental Languages, except such as treat of the Mahometan Religion. The Book before me seems to be one of the first that ever was printed there. For though Giauhauri's Arabic Dictionary, translated into Turkish, was what the Turks designed, for particular Reasons, to begin withal; yet the Manuscript, from which they printed off the first Sheets, was found to be so incorrect, that the Grand Signor ordered the printing of it to be stopp'd, 'till a more correct Copy could be procured. During During this Stop, the Book I am to give a brief Account of was printed, containing about 150 Leaves. The Language of it is not Arabic, as was supposed, but Turkish, though it has several Words and some Sentences that are so. The Title, or what may serve as such, is Tuhhfat ilzibar, or, A Present to the Great; containing an Account of several Engagements at Sea. The Author is Hagi Califa, styled Coelebi Almurhhum, i.e. A Gentleman who has obtained Mercy, or deceased. It consists of two Tracts, a large, and a very small one. The latter is done by the Publisher, Ibrahim Mutafarrica. Mutafarrica is a Title of Honour signifying a Horse-Soldier, obliged to go to the Wars when the Grand Signor goes in Person, but not else. It is a short Account of Geographical Measures of Distances, &c. particularly of the Circumference of the Earth. The principal Treatise is partly Historical, and partly Geographical; the latter treats of the Nature of the Terrestrial Globe, the Use of Maps, and Situation of Places, particularly of Venice, Corfu, Albania, &c. and such as border upon the Turkish Dominions. The Historical Part is an Account of several Naval Expeditions and Battles between the Turks and Christians, especially during the Holy War, in the Mediterranean Sea, with their Conquest of the Islands and Places of Note upon the Sea-Coasts. It is an Abridgement of the History of their Admirals, from the taking of Constantinople to the Year 1653; gives a Description of the Grand Signor's Arsenal at the Porte, with the Charges of maintaining it; and concludes with some Directions to the Turkish Officers. Besides a general Map of the World, there are three others; one of the Mediterranean, or White Sea, as the Turks call it; another of the Archipelago, and the third of the Venetian Gulph: They have each Scales of Turkish, French and Italian Miles annexed; but what is something surprizing, these Maps have the Degrees of Latitude, but not of Longitude, marked upon the Sides. The last Plate has two Mariner's Compasses, the one containing the Turkish Names of the several Points; the other, besides the Turkish, has the Arabic Names, which are taken from certain Stars supposed to rise and set upon or near those Points. The Book ends with Words to this Sense: This Treatise was done by the Persons employ'd in the Business of Printing, at the Printing-House erected in the noble Month of Dulkaadah, in the Year 1145 (i.e. 1728) in the good City of Constantinople. May God, &c. I forgot to observe, it has the Imprimatur, or Commendations of a Turkish Divine, and three Effendies, prefix'd; and at the End an Index of the Errata, with their Emendations in three Pages. The whole is done upon shining or gumm'd Paper, stamp'd with three Crescents in Pale, and an Imperial Crown, proper to the Turks. I join with the learned Mr. Clodius (Author of a Turkish Lexicon and Grammar lately published at Lipsic) in wishing the Turks would print a compleat Livy, which Fame says is reposed in the Grand Signor's Library in the Turkish Language, together with other European Books translated into Turkish, whose Originals are not to be met with in Europe, a Catalogue of some of which is expected from the younger Mons. Fourmond. FINIS.