An American Among Orientals

COVER......Page 1
PREFACE......Page 3
CONTENTS.......Page 4
Outward Bound Triumph of Steam Yankee go-a-headivenessFairly off Glowing Fancies versus Sea-sickness Recovery Ludicrous Effects of the Ship s Motion.......Page 14
Meditative Pleasures of Ocean Life Resources to Kill Time onboard The Auctioneer Betting on the Ship s Speed TheSailor Relieved.......Page 19
The Smoking-Room Ladies Saloon A Home Picture Sunday onthe Ocean Divine Service Bishop Wainvvright Character and Manners of the Passengers.......Page 24
Nearing Land Anxiety increases to reach it Fastinet Light;Coast of Ireland St. George s Channel The Last Dinner Wineand Speeches A Golden Sunset Arrive at Liverpool.......Page 29
Western Europe The Orient Embark on board an AustrianSteamer Politeness of the Captain His friendliness towardsAmerica Approach the ;City of the Sultan; Accident Ineffable Beauty Constantinople Seraglio Point The Golden HornAmphitheatre of Beauty.......Page 33
At Anchor Sleeping on Deck A Confused Scene A ModernBabel Pera Conflagrations Means of extinguishing themTurkish versus American Firemen A Singular Mode of showing, the Dissatisfaction of the People.......Page 38
A Ride through Constantinople on Horseback People of allNations and Costumes Turks, Greeks, Jews, Moors, Arabs, Persians, &c. Turkish and Armenian Women The Perigee andYashmak Hamals, Donkeys, and Horses Dogs of Constantinopleand Pera Their Peculiarities.......Page 43
Ramazan Its Rigid Observance Evening Scenes and EnjoymentsCafes The Turk s Fondness for the Pipe The Oriental s Inclination to Seek for Enjoyment amid the Abodes of the DeadSeparation of the Sexes The Harem The Salamnik Luxurious Enjoyments of the Females.......Page 49
Wives and Slaves Number of former allowed by the KoranReason why Turks generally have but one Wife Turkish Wife sExtravagance Valleys of the " Sweet Waters of Europe and ofAsia" Picturesque Scenes Ox Arabas Female costumeArabian Jugglers Amusements of the Men Dashing Steeds.......Page 55
An Audience with Sultan Abdul Medjid Rowed by AmericanSailors The Bosphorus Boat of the American Legation Emotions on beholding the Flag of our Native Land Reach the Sultan s Palace Reception-Room Our Appearance Pipe-BearersMode of Presenting the Pipe Magnificent Amber and JewelledMouth-pieces Their Abundance Turkish Tobacco FormerSmoking Customs Sarfs Coffee Enter the Palace An Exhibition of our Veneration for the " Shadow of God on Earth" TheSultan s "Pages."......Page 59
Audience with the Sultan, continued Enter the Sultan s ApartmentTurkish Salutation Mr. Marsh s Speech The Sultan s Reply-Description of the Sultan s Person His Dress Profusion ofDiamonds Inverted feet and their Cause Abdul Medjid ascompared with Mahmoud the Second Energy of the LatterHis Reforms Benevolence of the present Sultan His LiberalPolicy towards Christians His want of Energy Stagnation ofthe Empire Its Cause Unequalness of Taxation Presentationof Mr. Brown Backing-out Ceremonies.......Page 66
Visit to the Harem of the Minister of Foreign Affairs The Effendis Palace Cavasses Astonishing Number of AttendantsEuropean Innovations A Beautiful Eastern Picture Coffee,Sherbet, and Pipes A Point of Etiquette Turkish Vanity RoseLeaf Preserves The Conservatory A Little Eden BubblingWater, Flowers, Birds, and Sunshine Sudden Appearance of aEunuch Accompanying Him into the Precincts of the Harem,......Page 73
Follow the Eunuch into the apartments of the Harem Accompanied by Circassian slaves, ascend to Madame Fuad s ChamberLuxurious Repose Salutation Madame Fuad s Manner andOccupations Her Interest in her Slaves Their Accomplishments Turkish Female Dress Unlike the " Bloomer" Contentment of the Slaves Female Slavery in the East a luxuriousCaptivity Desire of the Young Circassian Girls to be sold intoSlavery Madame Fuad s Inquiries concerning Matrimonial Customs in our Country Latticed Windows Part with Her Ladyship Serving of Refreshments The Ladies return to theSalamnik The Black Eunuch, the Guardian Spirit of the HaremFuad Effendi His Intelligence and Reformatory SentimentsHis Garden Miniature Lake Swiss Cottage Birds, Statues,&c. Departure.......Page 80
The European Passport System Its Annoyances Unsuspiciousnessof the Turks The Sultan s Firman A Translation of it,showing the Peculiar Style of Oriental Verbiage Travelling inTurkey Use Horses and Mules The Camel Transportation ofMerchandize Picturesque Effect of a Caravan of Camels Magnificent Steeds Scarcity of the Full-blooded Arab A Ride tothe Village of Belgrade A Beautiful and Diversified SceneLady Mary Wortley Montague Grand Aqueduct of JustinianThe Valley of Buyucd6re Godfrey de Bouillon Return toTherapia.......Page 87
CHAPTER XV.Mahomet s Injunctions as to Cleanliness Ample Provision for aSupply of the Aqueous Element Magnificent Baths, Fountains,Aqueducts, &c. Bends of Belgrade Doing in Turkey as theTurkeys do Go through the Ordeal of a Turkish Bath ThePreparation Room Change of Dress Turkish Towels WoodenClogs Enter a Room of Higher Temperature After Preparationof the System enter a still hotter Room Primitive CostumeThe Operator His Manipulating and Kneading Process SoreEffects.......Page 96
CHAPTER XVI.Bath continued ;i A Used-np Man" A Delicious State of Suspense Not Quite Washed Away Rough Scrubbing SkinnedAlive Hold! Enough! "Macaroni" A Coat of Lather Almost Suffocated The Bath Finished Mummy Costume SiestaRemedial Advantages Obesity of the Turks Number of BathingEstablishments Fountains Expressive Inscriptions Bounty ofthe Mahomedan Sultans Propitiating the Prophet and Purchasing the Joys of Paradise.......Page 101
CHAPTER XVII.Religious Devotion of the Turks Unjust Condemnation of ThemPrayer and Charity The Koran Example for ChristiansTurkish Superstition The " Evil Eye" Charms The Giant sGrave Fatalism of the Turks Apathy Recklessness in BattleAssurances of Happiness.&......Page 106
Singular Beliefs Hurried Burials Funeral Practices The " Questioning Angel The Soul Drawn out through the Mouth TheMahomedan s Heaven Celestial Houris The Unbeliever sHeaven Prejudices against Christians Religious Liberty TheTurk s Attachment to his Religion Rarity of his Conversion toChristianity American Missionaries at Constantinople.......Page 112
CHAPTER XIX.The Mahomedan Sabbath Separation of the Sexes in the MosquesPeculiar Mode of Worship Requirements to gain Admittanceinto the Mosques How obtained Bayard Taylor and his friendHarrison Harrison having succeeded in visiting Mecca in theguise of a Turk, attempts to enter a Mosque in the same CostumeIs detected Beats a Retreat Mosque of St. Sophia A sacredRepository of Valuables.......Page 116
CHAPTER XX.The Sultan Going to and Returning from Mosque Brilliant Procession The Royal Barge A Moslem Summons to WorshipThe Howling Dervishes of Scutari Their Thrilling CeremoniesWild Fanaticism Torturing Instruments Closing ScenesThe Whirling Dervishes of Pera Exclusion of the FemalesLearned Patriarchs.......Page 122
CHAPTER XXLTurkish Cemeteries Their Vastness Cemetery of Scutari Cypress Trees Turbaned Stones Mingled Scene Carvings andInscriptions Eyoub Character of the Epitaphs ExamplesWoman s Soul.......Page 127
CHAPTER XXII.Down Among the Dead Men" Female Resorts Tombstones ofthe Females Of the Janissaries Separate Burying GroundsCharacteristics of the Turkish, Armenian, Jewish, &c., CemeteriesDisinclination of the Turk to be Buried in European Soil HisBelief as to the Ultimate Fate of European Turkey Consolationat the Close of his Mortal Career Mausoleum of Mahmoud II.......Page 132
CHAPTER XXIII.The Ramazan, or Holy Month Rigid Observances Religious Fanaticism Ancient Prejudices dying out Changes for the betterTheir causes A Confused Scene Afloat Large Number ofCaiques The Oblivious Turk Female Curiosity The BazaarBoat A Polyglot Scene The Great Variety of LanguagesSpoken in the Orient Illumination in Honor of the Descent of theKoran Brilliant Scene at Tophane Constantinople Illumined byOlive-Oil-Fed Lamps The Ships in the Golden Horn lit up.......Page 136
CHAPTER XXIV.Turkish Soldiery- Grand Pyrotechnic Display Firing of CannonA Calm The Royal Barge Sultan Abdul Medjid He PraysEffulgent Display Annual Presentation of a new Wife to theSultan Self-denial of his Highness Return to Shore Ascendthe Heights of Pera The Turkish Guard, Mustapha A denseand heterogeneous Throng Its Turbulent Elements DangerousProximity One of our Female Companions alarmed Summarymode of Stealing a Watch An exciting Struggle Arrive safelyat Home.......Page 144
CHAPTER XXV.The Bairam The Sultan Saluted by His Wives, and Complimented by the Dignitaries of the Land A Brilliant ProcessionBeautiful Picture The Corban Bairam Great Killing of Sheep.......Page 151
CHAPTER XXVI.TURKISH WEDDING.Marriage negotiated by Female Relatives The " Fair One " soughtout by them The Baths frequently Visited Courting by ProxyFalling in Love without seeing the Object loved HandsomePresents to the Expected Bride A mode of Popping the Question Expensive but Convenient to Modest Suitors Assembling ofFriends The Lady escorted to the Bridegroom s House Festivities Tying of the Nuptial Knot The Bride and Bridegroom unseen by each other before Marriage Coquetting in the BridalChamber......Page 154
CHAPTER XXVII.The Eastern War Its Cause American Sympathies ActuatingMotives of the Three Great Powers Our Policy Effects of theWar upon Turkish Manners and Customs.......Page 159
CHAPTER XXVIII.HOMEWARD BOUND.Leave Constantinople Malta Sicily A Gale between Scylla andCharybdis Pompeii Rome Its Antiquities Driven into Elbaby a Storm Florence Genoa Return to Paris Our RouteHome Again Conclusion.......Page 162