New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-31
LETTERS OF AN EXILE.
The pemest;e ard Social Condition Of the
Turks.

shut, Ii could not avoid arapid decline and pro
mature death. A brief sketch Of the present con
di,ion Of the followers Of Mohammed VIII i0'y
Illustrate my meaning.
No people can develop and maintain us VITA
strength and energy daring peaceiui P''''U W.
By work; that ia to say, by commerce. e's' anu
industry, each of which pursuits Is iotoiadeh oy
the Aoslem law. Still, people may lose lts en-
erev and consequently its wealth without falihg
vs,v Low 10 the estimation of other nations and
without degrading its own character or being
But If it is doomed together with the loss OF en-
ergy and wealth, to the loss o. every human and
noble feeling, it will shortly be reduced to the
vretched condition of the brute. That such is
the case with the Musselmans Of the East, is, IN
INV opinion, bat too evident. None OF the arts
nor Of the wants of luxury are known to them
Their largest and richest towns are but heaps Of
yretcbed novels, situated and built without any
regard to neatness, elegance or comfort. The
law of the Turkish Empire that forbids the build
iog of stone houses and of vaulted edihces
makes conAagrations SO very frequent that no
reasonable person would spend more than is ne
oessary for the purpose of sheltering himself aud
his goods bis family being Of course comprised In
that category. The furniture of Turkish house
consists of divan or ottoman around the room
and djacent to the walls, and some bits OF carpet
iregularly strewn upon the wooden eOor. These
ettomans serve for beds, for seats, and for tables
ss they are often incumbered with the scanty
utensils of Turkish housewiiery. Turkish carriages
are the same as some centuries ago. nor is it pos
possible for any European to sit in one of them
Cor any length of time without getting bruised or
even having bones broken. Their carts, which
carry all their merchandise for immense distances,
are 90 awkwardly made that the roads are liter
ally covered with broken wheels aud other SINH
lar relics
use the word roads for cIearness' sake, though
there is nothing like what we term so in the
whole territory Of the Prophets uccessors-noth-
ing bat some vestiges of a Roman way attributed
10 the Empress Helena, and to which not stone
has been added since her time. The Eastern
caravans and Ara6as such is the Turkish name
Tor every kind of carriage) follow each other and
tread in each others footsteps well as they can,
and those footsteps, together with the ruts made
by the heavy wheels Of the conveyances, are the
only signs which distinguish the road from the
open country. But the number Of these travellers
being very great and their power OF getting over
difficulties and stones very unequal, some go In
one route while others choose a different one 30
that the roads or the trodden spaces are as nu-
merous as travellers fancies. A hundred men
could go from Handeck to Boo without meeting
q single one of another hundred going in the OPP
posite direction and nothing is more difficult than
TO recognize and decide which is the shortest and
the best of the innumerable tracks.
The ways used by the Turks In saddhng,
bridliDg, and shoeing their horses, az well as In
arranging the loads on the backs of their beasts,
are quite ludicrous, from their oddly and incon-
yenience Their clOaks and habiliments are oil
the coarsest WOODEN made in the toughest way.
Notw outstanding their frequent bathing they have
no distinct idea OF cleanliness, as their habits aud
manners are quite in opposition with 1t. They
eat with their fingers, drink out of common cup,
blow their noses with their fingers, never undress
at night, seldom change their linen and garments,
never sweep their rooms, nor wash their plates,
dishes or culinary uteNsils, and deem 1t not Ia the
least shameful or disgusting, to be devoured by
the most horrible vermin, such as bugs, hees, lice,
etc The white necks and arms OF the Turkish
ladies' are constantly beBtrewed with black aud
red spots which are the consequence OF such un-
becoming company and to mention trlhlng cir
cumstance, will add that the custom OF ironing
washed linen is quite unknown in the East.
had some ironing utensils in my house, which
were looked at by the natives as either lnstru-
ments of torture or chrurgical implements 1t
IL true, it would require many pounds weight OF
iron and a Herouean wrist to stretch out and
make even the coarse rough linen which they
wear.
Their food, though not delicate nor savory Is
substantial and healthy enough. Boiled rice,
roasted lamb and excellent vegetables, such as
esbbages, artichokes, pumpkins and oeets, con
stitute their usual fare, TO which they ada sour
milk prepared in different ways, raw garlic, honey
cakes white cheese aud preserves Fruit here Is
good and abundant. Straw berries, cherries, peach.
es plums apricots grapes, apples, and severa via
fruits, hang heavily from the trees, but nobody
picks them, as there are not people enough to eat
them.
But while such gifts of nature are abundant and
excellent, no thanks must be rendered for them
10 man and his industry, since not leaf, not a
single berry, has been added by him to the
richness of the land. Neither tbs vegetables nor
fruits which require care are reckoned by this In
dolent people as worth any notice. Peas, aspar-
agus spinach, lettuce exc. though growing by
themselves in the fields, are neglected as good
for nothing, as grass, because they cannot be
eaten In their wild condition. Potatoes they have
none nor do they.exert themselves to preserve
for the Winter season any of the bounties which
abound during Summer. Though the Christian
inhabitants of the East drink and consequently
make wine, they never dream of keeping any
store of il from one year TO another, bat drink 1t
always as soon as it is made, that is to say, be
fore II has acquired its true flavor. Their bread
badly baked and without heaven, resembles more
large white waters than what we are accustom.
ed 10 call bread In short, life is here deprived Of
all its elegance and comfort as well Is OF its lux
airy. Cold, hunger and fatigue are just prevented
from becoming too irksome, but no indulgence is
allowed to the body, after its deliversnce from
these evils
Such absolute want Of luxury renders the &C
QUESTION OF fortunes of little moment. The habit
nal carelessness of the Turk has often been &C
counted for by his belief in fatalism. But Go
not think any philosophical doctrine will make
man Indifferent TO the loss or the acquisition OF
riches. if his own temper does not influence him
In that direction. The truth is, Turk is as
careless about making his fortune as liable to
lose i, when made, and the fact of a man leaving
his entire property to his children is little short OF
inconcaivahla among them You daily see i'm