Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-11-27


back. A small Turquoise ring (the ia
vorite color in Turkey first attracted
her attention. She took up my hand &
turned it over in her soft fat fingers, and
dropped it again without saying word.
| looked at my interpreter, but he seem
ed to think it nothing extraordinary,
and | went on with my bargain. Pres
emily my fAe eyed friend pulled me. BY
the sleeve, and as leaned toward her,
rubbed her fore hnger very Quickly over
Imy cheek. looking at me intently aiIthe
while. was little disturbed at the
llady's familiarity, and asked my Jew
what she wanted. found that my ru>
bicund complexion was something un-
common among these dark skinned orr
1eptals. and she wished TO satisfy herself
that was not painted! concluded my
purchase, and putting the parcel into nay
pocket, did my prettiest at an orienial
salaam, but 10 my modification, the la
dy only gathered up her yashnsack, and
looked surprised out of her great eyes
at my freedom. My Constantnople
friends inform me. that am to lay no
"unction to my soul'' from her notice
such liberties being not at all particular,
The husband extracts from his half do
Zen wives only the concealment of their
faces, and they have no other idea Of
improperly in public.
In the centre of the bazaar, occupy
ing about as much space as the body Of
the City Hall in New York, is what is
called the bezestein. You descend into
it from four directions by massive gates,
which areshut, and all persons exclude
except between seven and twelve Of the
forenoon. This is the core of Copstan-
tinople-the soul and citadel of oriental
ism. It's devoted to the sale of arms
and to costly articles only The roof is
lofter and the light more dim than the
outer bazaars, and the merchants who
occupy its stalls, are old and of estab-
lished credit. Here are subjects for the
pencil! If you can take your eye from
those Damascus sabres, with their Jew
elled hits and costly scabbards, or frcm
those gemmed daggers and guns inlad
with silver and gold oaet glance aiorg
that dim avenue and see what range
there is of glorious old gray boards with
their snowy tur5ans! These are the
Turks Of the old regime, before Sultan
Mahmoud disfgured himself with coat
like dog Of christian, and broke in
upon the customs Of the orient. These
are your opium eaters, who smoke even
in their sleep, and would not touch wine
lift were handed them by hours! These
are your fatalists, who would scarce
take the trouble to get out of the way
of lion, and who are as certain of the
miracle of Mahomet's coffin as of the
length Of the pipe OF of the quality OF
the tobacco of Shiraz!
have spent many hours in the bezes-
TEN, STEPPING my fancy in its rich orien,
talism, and sometimes trying to make a
purchase for myselfor others. 1t is Gu
rious to see with what perfect ndlffer.
ence these old crosslegs attend to the
wishes of a christian. was idlng round
one day with an English traveller, whom
| had known in Italy, when Persian
robe Of singular beauty hanging on one
of the stalls, arrested my companions
attention. He had with him his Turk
ish dragoman, and as the old merchant
was smoking away and looking right at
us, we pointed to the dress over his head,
and the interpreter asked to see it. The
mussulmans smoking calmly on, taking
no more notice Of US than Of the white
clouds curling through his beard. He
might have set for Michael Angelo's
Moses. Thin, pale, calm, and of stat
ue like repose Of countenance and pos
ture, with large old fashioned turban,
and a curling beard half mingled with
gray, his neck bare, and his fine bust
enveloped in the flowing and bright COL
ored drapery Of the east-I had never
seen a more majestic figure. He evil
IDENTITY did not want any thing to do with
US. At last took out my snuff, box. and
addressing him with "effendi" the Turk
ish title Of courtesy, laid my hand on
my breast and offered him pinch.
Tobacco in this unaccustomed shape, is
a luxury here, and the amber mouth
piece emerged from his moustache, and
putting his three fingers into my box, he
said s.pekhe" the Turkish ejaculation
of approval. He then made room for
US on his carpet, and with cloth meas.