Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-07-23

lie Men tucked a colOred rapper round
our waists, and threw a towel over our
shoulders, after which we walked down
stairs, and put on some wooden clogs at
the door Of the next apartment. The
first thing these did was 10 send me head
over heels, to tho egreat discontinue oGmy
Temporary costume, and equal delight OF
the bathers there assembled. We remain
ed in this room, which was of an increa-
sed temperature, ,idling uponothercouche
until we were pronounced ready to 90 in
TO the second chamber. contrived with
great care and anxiety, TO tOtter into itup-
on my clogs and found another apartment
of marble, very warm indeed, and lighted
from the top by dome of glass "bull's-
eyes" In the middle Of this chamber
was hot, raised octagon platform, also Of
marble, and in the recesses of the sides
were marble vases, and tanks, with taps
for hot and cold water, and channels in
the floor to carry of de suds. Two saw
age, unearthly boys, their heads all shaved,
with the exception OF tuit on the top,
and in their scant costume of towel only,
looking more like wild Indians than Turks,
now seized hold of me, and forcing me
back upon the hot marble floor commenced
a dreadful series Of tortures, such as had
only read ofas pertaining to the dark ages.
1t was of no use to resist. They clutch-
ed hold of The back OF my neck, and |
thought they were going 10 srangle me
then they pulled at my arms and legs, and
[ thought again they were going TO put
me on the rack; and lastly when they
both began to roll backward and forward
on my chest, doubling my cracking cl-
bows underneath them, thought, finally,
that my last minute was come, and that
death by sutiocation would finish me-
They were fiends and evidently delighted
in my agony ; not allowing me TO look TO
the right oY left after my companions, and
throwing themselves on me again, when
ever they conceived | was going To call
the dragoman 10 my assistance. do not
know that | ever passed such frightlul
five minutes, connected with bathing, ncr-
vous as are some of the feelings which
that pastme gives rise 10. 1t is very ter.
rible to take the first summer plunge INTO
deep, dark river, and when YOU are At
the bottom, and the water is roaring in
your ears, to think of dead bodies and
crocodiIes it is almost worse 30 make
that frightful Journey down sleap beach,
in a bathing machine, with 4 vague Inrrr-
ti,ude as to where you will ilnd yourself
when the doors open again; bat nothing
can come up TO what suffered in my last
extremity, in this Constanlinople bath.
Thoughts of Turkish cruelty and the
sacks of the Bosphorus; Of home and
friends, and my childhood's bowers--o
the sadness of being murdered in foreign
balh--and the probability of my HIaom
body being eaten by The wild dogs, crow
dcd rapidly on me, as these demons IN.
creased their toGturcs until, collecting all
nv strength for one last effort, con,nvcd
to throw them off, one to the right and ihe
other to the left, some half dozen feet
and rcgaincd my legs.
| The worst was now over, certainty {:
hut the persecution still continued Sui!l-
cicntv exciting. They seized ON ne Il.
Jain, and led me to the tanks, where ihey
llmost navcd me with horse-halr gloves,
. md drowned me with bowls OF warm wa
ter. poured continuously on my head. /
could not see, and if ! again tried to cry
out, they thrust a larse soapy swab, made
of the Gbrcs that grow at the foot OF the
late palm, into my mouth, accompanying
each renewed act Of cruelty with demand
for bukSheeSh. At last, being fairly eX-
hausted, themselves, they swaycd me in
grea, many towels and | was then hall
carried, half pushed up stairs again. where
| took my place upon my coach with feel
nos of grpa, Joy and thankfulness.
now began to think that all the hor-
cors had undergone were balanced by
he delicious feeling of repose that stole
aver me. felt that could have stopped
,hcrc for ever, with, the fragrant coffee
,,e,ujug at nv side, and the soothing
hubbIe of the uarhiirS sounding IN every
direction. went oil into day dream
nv last clear vision beng that OF a man
having his head shaved all but top knot,
which was long enough to twiStround and
rouud under his fez--and could scarcely
believe that an hour had, elapsed, when
the dragonan suggested our return TO the
busllng world without.
The RihIr.