The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-09-02


The last good description ORA Turkish
bath, 1 think, was Lady Mary W'ortlsy
Montague's, which voluptnous picture must
have been painted at least hundred and
thirty years ago; SO that another sketch may
be attempted by an humber artist in dif.
ferent manner. The Turkish bath is GER
tainly novel sensation to an Englishman,
and may be set down as the most queer and
surprising event Of his life. made the
valet de place or dragoman dt is rather a
fine thing to have dragoman in ones SER
vice. conduct me forthwith to the bes: ap.
pointed hummnms Ia the neighborhood; and
we walked to house at Tophana. and in
70 spacious hall lighted from above, which
Is the cooling room Of the bath.
The spacious hall has large fountain in
the midst, painted gallery running round
i; and many ropes stretched from one gal
Iery TO another, Ornamental with profuse
iraperies OF towels and blue cloths, for the
use Of the frequenters OF the place. All
round the room and the galleries were mat
tel enclosures, fitted with numerous neat
beds and cushions for reposing on, where
lay dozen of true believers smoking, OF
sleeping. or in the happy halfdozing state.
was led up to one Of these beds TO rather
a retired corner, in consideration OF my
lnodesty; and to the next bed presently
came dancing defvish, who forthwith be-
gun to prepare fog the bath.
When the dancing dervish had taken of
bis yellow sugar-loaf cap, his gown. shawl,
&C., he was arrayed in two large blue
cloths; a white-one being thrown over his
shoulders, and another in the shape Of q
amban plated neatly round his head; the
garments OF which he Invested himself were
olded up in another linen, and neatly pu
oy. | beg leave TO state | was treated il
precisely the same manner as the dancing
,iervish.
The reverend gentleman then put on
pair Of wooden pattens, which elevated hin
about six inches from the ground-anc
walked down the stairs, and padded across
The moist marble floor of the hall, and il
at little door, by the which also Titmarsl
entered. But | had none of the profes
sional agility Of the dancing dervish; stag
sered about very ludicrously upon the higf
wooden pattens; and should have been dowr
ON my nose several times, had not the dra
CONAN and the master Of the bath support
ed me down the stairs and across the hall
Dressed in three large cotton napkins, will
white turban round my head, | thought O
Pail Mall with sort of despair. passed
the little door, il was closed behind me
was in the dark couldn't speak the Ian
guage---in white turban; Mon Dieu wha
was going to happen!
The dark room was the tepidarium, q
moist oozing arched den, with light faint
~ streaming from an orifce in the domed
ceiling. Yells OF frantic laughter and sons
came booming and changing through the
e:hoing arches. the doors clapped TO witt
loud reverberations. twas the laughter O.
the followers of Mahound, frolIieking and
taking their pleasure in the public bath.
could not go into that place; | swors would
not they promised me private room, and
tie dragonlan left me. My agony at part
irg from that Christian cannot be described.
When you get into the Sudarium, or hot
room, your first sensations only occur about
half mnute after entrance, when you feel
that you are choking. found myself in
that state, seated on marble slab; the bath
man was gone; he had taken away the cot.
tOn tuTban and shoulder shawl | saw was
in narrow room of marble, with E. vaulted
roof, and q fountain Of warm and cold wa
tel; the atmosphere was in a steam. the cho
king sensation went of, and felt a sort OF
pleasure presently in a soft boiling simmer,
which, no 'lolbt, potatoes feel when they
are, steaming. You are left in this state for
about ten minutes; il is warm, certainly, but
odd and pleasant, and disposes the mind to
Ieyerie.
But let amy delicate mind in Baker street
fancy my horror, when, on looking up Out
Of this reverie, saw great brown wretch
extended before me, only halfdressed, stand
ing on pattens, and exaggerated by them
and the steam until he looked like an ogre.
ginning in the most horrible way, and
waving his arm, ON which was horse-hair
glove. He spoke in his unknown nasal
Iargpn, words which echoed through the
arched room; his eye seemed astonishingly
large and bright, his ears stuck out, and his
head was all shaved, except bristling top
knot, which gave it a demoniac ferceness.
This description, | feel, is growing too
-righlful; ladies who read i. will be going
INTO Mysteries, or saying, swell, upon my
word, this is the most singular, the most ex-
raonlinary kind Of language. Jane, my
owe, you will not read that odious book
md SO will be brief. This grinning man
,elabors the patient most violently with the
lorse.brush. When he has completed the |
Iorse-hair part, and you lie expiring under
squirting fountain OF warm water, and
ancging all is done, he reappears with a
arge brass basin, containing a quantity Of
ather, in the midst of which is something
Ike old Miss MacWhirter's flaxen wig that
he IS 60 proud of, and that we have all
augfed at. just as you are going to re.
nonstrate, the thing like the wig is dashed
ITO your face end eyes. covered over with
pap, and for five minutes you ara drowned
, lather; you can't see, the suds are frothine
yer your eyeballs; you can't hear, the soap