New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-10-02


tan city, and the opulsnt seat Of Eastern com,
merce. Many Of the inhabitants are descenoou
from the traders Of those times, and they q"
speak the iiagua trdncd, or Levant'ne l'aHan
The women wear a costome partly Turkish anu
partly European, combining the gracss oil botn'
and il. in my eyes, the most beautiful iemaie
d, 90 in the world. They wear rich scarf OF
same dark color on the head, which, on festive oc-
essions, is almost concealed by their jewels, and
the heavy scarlet pomegranate blossoms which
sdorn their dark hair. A Turkish vest and sleeves
Of emb, oidered silk, open in front, and skirt Of
white or some light color, completes the costume.
The Jewe.ses wesr in addition short Turkish
canan. and full trowsers gathered at the ankles.
Al ball given by Mr.. Very, the English Consul,
which we attended, all the Christian beauties OF
Alsnno were present. There was fine display
If diamonds. many Of the ladies wearing several
Thousand dollar worth on their heads. TIE pc
culiar etiquette ofthe piece was again lnustIseo
on this occa,ion. The custom 10, that the music
must be heard for at least one hour before inc
quests come. The hour appointed was eight, out
when we went there at nine, nobody had arrived
A il was generally supposed that the ball was
given on our account, several oil the iarnhies mao
servants in the neighborhood to watch our arr'sii
and, accordingly, We had not been there i've mn
utes before the guests crowded through the door IN
arse numbers. When the first dance ian Arab
dance. performed by two ladies at time,l was
proposed. the wives Of the French and Spanish
Con.uls were first led, or rather dragged out.
When lady is asked to dance, she invarioly re-
use,. She is asked second end third time,
and if the gentleman does not solicit most earn
estly and use some gentle force in getting her
upon the floor, she never forgives him.
At one of the Jewish houses which we visited,
the wedding festivities Of one Of the daughters
was being celebrated. We were welcomed with
great cordially, and Immediately ushered into the
room Of state, an elegant apartment, overlooking
the garde ns below the city wall. Half the room
WAS occupied by a raised PLATFORM with divan o.
blue silk cushions. Here the ladies recnsd, in SUI
perb DIRE sses of blue, pink and gold, while the gen.
tlemen were ranged on the floor below. They ali
rose at our entrance, and we were conducted to
seats among the ladies'. Pipes and perfumed drinks
were served, and the bridal CAKE made Of twenty
six different fruits, was presented golden sal
ver Our fair ne ighbors, some Of whom literally
sently the bride appeared at the door, and we all
rose and remained standing, as she advanced, sup
port.d on each side by the two shebeeniyeh, or
bride.m aids. She was about sixteen, slight and
graceful in appearance, though not decidedly beau
tiful, and was attired in the utmost elegance.
Her dress was pale blue, heavy with gold en-
broidery, and over her long dark hair, her neck,
bosom and wrists, played thousand rainbow
CLEANS from the jewels which covered them. The
Jewish musicians, seated at the bottom Of the
hall, struck up loud rejoicing harmony on their
yioIir =, guitars and duci ners and the women
wants grouped at the door, uttered in chorus that
Wild shrill cry, which accompanies all such festi-
walls in the East. The bride was careful to pre-
serve the d,corum expected of her, by speaking
no word nor losing the sad, resigned expression of
her countenance. She ascended to the diyan,
bowed to each Of us with low, reyereutal incli-
nation, and seated herself on the cushions. The
mu.c and dances lasted rome time, accompanied
b, the z4g harett, or cry OF the women, which was
repeated with double force when we rose to take
leave. The whole company waited on us to the |
street door, ard one Of the servants, stationed in
the court, shouted some long, sing song phrases |
words. but was told that 1t was an Invocation OF |
property upon us, in return for the honor which
our visit had conferred.
la the evening | went to view Christian mar
iisge procession, which about midnight conveyed |
the blite to the house Of the bridegroom. The |
house. it appeared was too small to receive all |
the friends Of the family, and | joined large |
number Of them, who repaired to the terrace Of |
the English Consulate, to greet the procession as
it passed. The first persons who appeared were
company Of bunoons; after them four janissa
ries, carry ing silver maees then the male friends.
bearing colored lanterns, and perfumed torches,
raised on gild,d poles then the females, among |
whom saw some beautiful Madonna faces in the /
torchbght ard finally the bride herself, covered |
fr, m head to foot th veil of cloth Of gold, and
VI ged along by two maidens. For it 10 the eti. |
quette ofsuch occasions that the bride should re-
sist being taken, and must be forced every step |
Of the way, so that she is frequently three hours |
in going the distance Ct a mile. We watched the |
procession long time, winding away through |
The stIeets-a line of torches, and songs and in |
Genre and noisy jubilee, under the sweet starlit |
heaven.
But space fails me 10 describe halfthe incidents
Ct cur stay in Al,ppo. There are two things Pc
cular TO the city, however which must not omit
mentioning. One is the AleppO Button, a singu-
lar ulcer, which attacks every person born in the
city and every stranger who spends more than a
month there. Ii can neither be prevented nor
cuiet, and always lasts for year. The inhabi-
tants amt 81 invariably have it on the face-either
on the cheek, forehead, or tip OF tbs nose-where
it often leaves an delible and ois6guring scar.
Strangers, on the contrary, have it on one of the
joints either the elbow, wrist, knee or ANGLE. 30
strictly is its visitation confined to the city proper,
that in more Of the neighboring villages nor even
IN distant suburb is it known. Physicians have
unr lu ID 70 nre vent IL BY inocul itiOn and