Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-17


their time in tihing conversation slipping their coffee
from morning till night and without the chibouk
which must have Supplying and eneryating effect yet
they to be capable Of enduring extraordinary ia
tgue; and when reused into action Of peo
pie exhibit greater physical courage erocious de-
termination The toll of travel the torments Of hunger
and thirst the extremes of heat and cold all the prva
tons Of military life and all the errors Of DEATH fail to
them from their bloody career of revenge
pine This wonderful power Of endurance may be attr
butcd in measure to their simple mode Of living
and the frequent of cold in their daily ablu
TONS What would be considered extreme privaon in
America in the matter of food and clothing is habtual
with the Turk. crust Of dry bread, with bunch Of
grapes, dish Of SOUP is his ordinary meal and his
clothing, in winter summer, consists of few simple
robes thrown loosely around him. Flesh of oil kinds is
sparngy used and strong liquors almost unknown in
oriental climates and here in Constantinople where
the winters often severe as in New York. the native
population sit whole days in their shops without fire, and
think Of destroying themselves by the Of hot
air stoves the death-dealing salamander It mat
of surprise how they exist through the ncemency OF
the season, without those ordinary comforts which we
apt regard essential to life Their houses are
built without frepaces chimneys and provision is
made for heating them that oil who accustomed TO
these luxues find almost impossible to endure even for
few weeks what the Turks endure all their lives For
this reason perhaps they know little of those Preside
oyments which tend much in other countries to refine
socaze the human family, and cultivate the better
feelings Of nature whatever may be the sanitary
evils of atmosphere vitiated by excessive use OF
fire. it may be set down axiom that in no country
where the thermometer ranges for three months the
freezing point community Of people enjoy the plea
sures of domestic e the refining influence of social
intercourse, without creating comfortable temperature
xlxs~L hayo YlIrEi
stoicsm or Turkish philosophy retain for any length
Of time kindly feeling towards his fellowman, love
the genial pleasures of e where he is subject to con-
nual physical discomfort or what is equally as bad re-
duced to of torpor like caterpillar, or compelled
to make smoking chimney Of his mouth and nostrils,
like Turk. This custom, however, Of living without
res whether from taste necessity, sometimes has an
effect similar that of the five straws day upon which
the horse supported till he diedit kills good many
every winter The suerngs of the classes in Con-
stantnople very great when the winter is unusually
severe protracted for unlike the weather. classes
who can cover themselves up in cloak, and sit the
son through state of lethargy they exposed to all
the ncemencie of the weather. and almost without food
or raiment These facts show that, although
people may exist months without fire. and sustain life
on bread and cheese occasional scrap of meat and
become hardy animals yet to be frozen or starved are
extremes not calculated to prolong life.
The tearing down of portion of the bridge from Gaata
to the opposite side Of the Golden Horn certain repairs
thereto which have been in progress for days past
have given idea Of the manner in which work is
done in this country expected to see aziness in its
perfection, and not disappointed Several hundred
workmen engaged upon this extraordinary job The
bridge is constructed Of wood and very credtabe piece
of work it isquite good most bridges Of the kind
built believe under the auspices Of the present Sultan
Abdul Meschd by native workmen; but have forgotten
my information that point 1t is remarkable sight,
this tearing down and putting up of the bridge by in
turbans and loose breechesworth sitting down the
pile Of lumber the dollhouse to enjoy for hour
So There is gang not far off engaged in pulling some
large beams out of the water small windass would
pun whole raftnp in ten minutes bur they work by
hand in preference because their ancestors did IT.
Twenty able-bodied doing the labor which could
be done in half the time by two with proper machinery
See them tug at that BEAM Not putting fourth Of
his weight on the rope 1t inches after
mendous of yelling and tuggng and incessant
confusion of tongues There seems to be master
less the sleepy fellow sitting the bridge with chibouk
in his mouth be the MASTER of which there evidence
Another fit Of tuggng and yelling ensues; all hands now
give up work. and betake themselves to their respective
pipeshe chatterng of voices tagging for single
moment except when momentariy arrested by the Chi
bouk The smoking lasts good deal longer than the
other part of the work but it is length and they
90 at the beams again with renewed energy. Each
tugs his responsibility without reference the
exerons Of the Others and only at such long intervals
suit his peculiar views OF the subject By accident ge
neral pull takes place. inhe of time andthe beam
comes up two inches further. All hands again
hausted and nd by reference to the sun, that it is the
hour of prayer to prayer they go-frst, however,
carefully making their additions 1t is picturesque and
impressive sight, after all to these rude barbarans
the midst Of the busy turmoil Of e cast off all thought
Of worldly affairs and bow down their heads towards
Mecca the sacred city Of their Prophet Absorbed de
votion they unconscious Of all the petty Of
humanity, and, for the time at least elevated above
the animal Even Christians might profit by
their sincerity. Unmoved by the preudices of
other races regardless Of the busy world around them
forgetting that there is aught upon earth to claim
ments time the salvation Of the SOUL they give their
whole being the worship Of God and the Prophet Is
il for vain and sefconstuted judges to say that these
people, taught from infancy to regard their peculiar belief
the only of salvation shall be rewarded for
their sincerity by everlasting torture! Oh, ye that
wrapt in the seshness Of single idea ye that bode de-
structon to others Look out upon the broad universe
and learn that there millions Of human hearts
cere and devoted yours and that there is Divine
power great and good and mercifu enough ALL
even to the weakest and the most benighted.
At last the prayers ended and the tolls Of the
world commence again. But first general smoke is
cessary refresh the system for another tug The Chi
lxs-- n4.o1 -