The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-30

notions, and begun by once more sfeveiy
accepting pipe. AT the pashas, ! had
managed merely to hold it in my hand, oe-
cas;onally touching it with my lips. without
really using it but | soon saw that, with
some twenty pairs of eyes fixed jealously
upon me, must smoke here-postively
and actually smoke-or be considered a
violator of all the laws Of good breeding
The tobacco was 50 mild and fragrant, that
the penance was not so great as might have
been expected; but | could scarcely help
laughing at the ludicrous position l was
placed in, seated in state ON large square
cushion, smoking long pipe, the other end
of which was supported by kneeling slave,
and bowling solemnly to the suliana between
almost every Whit.
Coffee. sweatmeats, and shsrbet, the
most delightful Of all pleasant draughts)
were brought 10 me in constant succession,
by two little negroes, and pretty young
gid whose duty il was TO present me the
richly embroidered napkin, the corner oil
which was expected to make use OF as il
Law on her shoulder, as she knelt before ne.
These refreshments were offered TO me IN
beautiful crystal vases, little gold cups, and
silver trays, of which, for my misfortune,
they seemed to possess large supply, as
was Obliged to go through never-sndine
course Of dainties, in order that they might
have an opportunity of displaying them all
One arduous duty felt il was quite no
cessary | should perform, and this was, te
bestow as much admiration on the sultana's
dress as | knew she would expect me Il
feel: | therefore exhausted all my eloquenct
in praise of il. to which she listened with d
pleased smile, and then, 10 my surprise, rost
up and left the room. l was AFRAID l hae
offended her: but in e few minutes after
she returned, in a new costume, equally
splendid and unbecoming, and once more
had to express my enthusiasm and delight
which seemed greatly to crafty her. She
then returned the compliment, by minutely
inspecting my own dress; and the slaves
forgetting all ceremony in their curiosity
crowded eagerly round Inc.
NV bonnet sadly puzzled them; and
when, to please them, took it of, they
were most dreadfully scandalized to see me
with nv hair uncovered, and could scarcely
lbelieve that was not ashamed to SIT all
day without a veil or handkerchief; they
could not conceive, either, why | should
wear gloves, unless il should be to hide the
want Of henna, with which they offered to
supply me. They then proceeded to ask
me the most extraordinary questlons-many
of which really found it hard to answer.
Nv whole existence was as incomprehensl-
BILE to this poor princess, vegetatlng from
day to day within her four walls, as that oil
bird in the ar must be to mole burrow-
ing in the earth. Her life consisted, as she
told me, of sleeping, eating, dressing, and
bathing. She never walked further than
from one room to another, and can an
swer for her not having an idea beyond the
narrow limits of her prison. IL is a strange
and most unnatural state TO which these
poor women are brought; nor do | wonder
al the Turks, whose own detestable egotisn
alone causes it, should declare that they
have no souls.
Her highpess now sent ior her children.
to show them to me, which proved that
was rapidly advancing in her good graces
and, as luckily knew well that must not
look at them without pronouncing the wish
that they might live forever, in case should
have an evil eye, she was well disposed to
receive all my praises OF them, and to al
low me to caress them. She had four hne
little children, and the eldest of them, q
boy of six years old, was 50 perfect minia
ture of his father. that it was quite ludicrous
He was dressed exactly in the same way
wearing even little sword; and he came
in bowling with so precisely the same digni
fed manner, that really should as soon
have thought Of offering bons-boas to the
pasta himself as TO this imposing little per-
sonage.
The sultana's affection is quite won by
admiration Of the children, and, with one
OF those sudden thoughts which do honor Il
the female heart in Bulgaria as well as in
Britain, proposes through the interpreter
that she and her new friend should be isis
ters." So they swear eternal friendship
and in earnest Of the compact the lady trav
eler is obliged to receive handsome dia
mond ring. But if she made as favorable
an impression on the sultana as her book il
likely to make upon her readers she deserv
ed the sqltanas gift.
4