A compilation about the plane tree and sandal in the photograph.
Last weekend, while I was reading Bercuhi Berberian's book, İçimiz Isınsın Biraz, I noted that one of the plane trees in Burgaz island lived at the bottom of the slope leading up to the mosque, overlooking the sea and was as tall as an apartment building, and that the waterships were tied to its hull. Our great sycamore can be seen very clearly in this photograph of the aforementioned years.
To learn more about the water boat, let's continue with a section from the Burgaz story of the book of İrma ve Elma Ağacı by Garo Alagöz, another writer who loves Burgaz island.
Sait Faik mentions the island of Burgaz in many of his stories. Sait Faik is right to mention Burgaz in his stories. Because Burgaz is the most beautiful of the four islands in my opinion. It is as if the sunrise and sunset can be seen better than Burgaz. Now the moon looks so beautiful on Heybeli! I am looking at him, he is looking at me, he is looking at me, I am looking at him.
The islands and the moon are really beautiful tonight. Besides the many beauties of the islands, their troubles are not missing. For example, he would say water. At this moment, the veteran Beykoz boat has emptied its water and is anchoring in anger. Machines pulling iron work and stop. They are making a big noise. The boat looks like it will be on the road at any moment. This time, the water was finished very quickly with us. When he explained the situation to the captain, he said, "I cannot give water today or next week." I say, "But captain, we only have two days of water left." Captain: "What can I do? There are others next," he is moving towards the old, ramshackle boat like his waiting ship on the beach. He looks like the captain Admiral Nelson standing in the middle of the boat as the two crews lead him towards the anchored boat.
Meanwhile, my little daughter comes to me and says, "Dad, will the captain give water?" When he said that we will not be able to get water for a week, he says: 'Then bring a water pump and we will draw water from the sea, we will not be dehydrated'.
In the past, our landlord Mr. Hüner (may Allah have mercy on him, he was a very good man) came with a long stick in his hand every second and he measured the amount of water in the cistern, and he arranged the water works of the house. Now that he was not there, I started doing these things. By opening the lid of the cistern at two, I say: "Forty centimeters left".
Garo Alagöz, whom we lost in 2015, rest in peace.
According to the Istanbul Encyclopedia prepared by Reşat Ekrem Koçu, drinking water was brought from Beykoz or Çubuklu by Nasib Captain with the island's own engine, and it used to benefit from the cisterns in public houses. In addition, the water brought to the existing large cistern by the Maritime Bank by the large water ship was emptied by a hose, and it was sold with donkeys depending on the distance to be taken.
According to what I learned from the comments of the people of Burgaz island, half of this water, which tastes a little sweet, was wasted in the hoses that exploded on the roads while being transported to the big well next to the church. Finally, we will always remember with mercy Uncle Muhittin and Uncle Cebrail, who were carrying water to houses from wells, and the captain Nasip.
Photos of Beykoz Water Boat were taken from the internet. I would like to inform those who know which archive it belongs to.