The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-08 00:00:00

...:NSTANTIPioPLE, JULY 12.—The Sultan has been this
week amusing his subjects with the long-promised fetes at
Scutari. The spot of ground selected by his. Highness for
the scene of these festivities was a large open meadow sur-
rounded by trees, situated in a lovely valley near the vil-
lage of Hyde Paella, on the Asiatic sbo..e,.about a mile
from Scutari. The principal 'amusements
.consisted of
horse-riding, dancing on slack and tight ropes, tumbling,
juggling, &c., performed by a party of Germans, who. had
been sent for by the Sultan expressly for the Occasion.' A
spacious circus, enclosed by a low barricade,
.was erected
in the centre for the equestrian performances, which Were
really such as would have done credit to a' DucroW or
Fraticoni. The side of the hill to the right' Was cow-red
by the green tents of the regiment of Imperial Guard, 'who
kept the ground ; and on an eminence immediately ij
front, near where the kiosk occupied by the. Sultan
Himself was situated, magnificent pavilioni were pitched,
in which were tables spread out with delicacies 'and
luxuries of every kind, for the reception of the vfficers
of the household and such of the Foreign Ambassa-
dors, with their suites, as chose to accept his
High-
ness's invitation to participate in the festivities, and the
whole was surrounded by an outer . barrier to keep off the
immense concourse of spectators, who, undaunted by the
insufferable heat of the weather, flocked from far and
near
to see the sports. One side of the arena was devoted en-
tirely to the women, who, I need scarcely add, are always
separated from the other sex, and the curious (lea of
their extraordinary costume, being all cloaely enveloped in
their ashmacks and ferijees, when such an immense mass of
them were seen congregated together, formed not one of
the least striking features in the spectacle, but where some-
times the jealous cloak was thrown a little bask, and the
envious veil loosened to allow its fair wearer to breathe
more freely, in the immense crowd a beauty was disco-
vered beneath, to be equalled only by the celestial houris
of the Alahometan . Paradise. The surrounding ground,
on every side, was covered by the elegantly gilded grace-
fel arabas, containing the harems of the different Paellas
and 10ffiecis of Court, their gorgeous awnings of scar-
let or green velvet embroidered with gold, bedecked with
gold or silver spangles glittering in the sun, and the heads
of the lazy white oxen, which dragged them so wearily
along, fantastically decorated with mirrors reflecting the
re-lit in every direction, as if to contest with the radiance of
the brilliant eyes peeping from beneath the ashmacks of the
veiled beauties-who reclined an the cluhroHered silk- cushions
within. The diversified colours of the immense variety of
costumes of Turks, Armenians, Greeks, Jews, and Fr.alks,
who crowded on every hand ; the picturesque appearance
of the numerous groups seated on their tmts and carpets
under the shade of every tree ; the rental:tie beauty of the
surrounding scenery, heightened by the extreme fineness of
he weather, all tended to render this scene one of the gayest,
the most fanciful imagination cotikl p )ssibly'coneeive. But
it. would require the pet' of the poet and the pencil of the
painter to convey to those Rho have ncicr been in the Bist
time, faintest idea of the effect of on orieet.ti spectacle ; suf.
_flee it, therefore, to add that all the world of Constantinopla
was there, and though this f6te was perhaps, as far as exhi-
bit ions.go, far inferior to that of the marriage of Said Pacha
and some others, it was genera fly admitted by the ladies to
have been as merry a three days as they had ever passed.