Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-01-12

Of hogs and dogs in some cities in the
United States. As for the former ami.
mails You are aware that the Turks utter-
ly detest them. and I have not seen one
since have been in Turkey. s9i, I.
The dogs hayeono owners. but make
their beds in the middle of public tho
roughfares, and depend for their food up
on Moselum charity. They have wolf
fish, half-famished look, and occupy their
own quarters of the city. promptly repel-
ling any trespassing neighbor that ven
lures upon their premises. a4i a
As il is an iniuction of the Koran to be
merciful to all animals. the dog scarcely
ever receives any blows from Turk: and
to prove the fact that the Turks are obe-
dient to the Mahomedan precepts. il is
only necessary to witness the difference
in tho actions of dog of Constantinople,
and one of Pera, when club or stick is
elevated to strike him. The latter under
such circumstances. with that instructive
dread caused by the recollection of GER
tain disagreeable impressions which have
been made upon him at sundry times by
christian hands, flies off at q tangeant
with howl with the former, mere threats
are of no avail; having been accustomed
to the largest liberty from his puppyhood,
to lay where and bark when he pleases !;
and being. moreover possessed of a true
Oriental Incidence, actual blows. horses
heels or carriage wheels are the only
things that will arouse him from his To-
thargy.
1t was in the holy month Of Ram1san
that we arrived at Constantinople. This
month Mahomet set apart for fasting aud
self-denial. His followers during it are
prohibited (from three o'clock in the NOR
ming until sundown) from eating, drink
ing, or even smoking, the abstaining from
the latter being the sorest trial of ALL
On account of the way in which time is
reckoned among the Mahomedans, the
Ramazan in the course of years runs
through every season, and this year oc
curing in midsummer, its strict obserya-
ton was peculiarly trying-still such is
the veneration of the Turk for the COM
mand of the prophet of Mecca, that,
amidst all his toll under the burning rays
of the sun. he will take in this specified
time no nourishment: and though, as he
passes along. his eve rests almost every
moment upon a marble fountain with its
clear, gushing water, yet no cooling
draught refreshes his feverish thirst.
A walk towards evening through the
streets of the city presents far different
picture from that Witnessed through the
day. Already the heightened shadows
intimate the almost finished course of the
sun, and many Moselem eye is regard
ing his diminishing rays with peculiar in
terest. The cafes. as yet deserted. are
being swept. seats being arranged in front
of them for the expected guests; pipes
are getting prepared. coffee warmed and
sherbert cooled While these things are
progressing, crowds are gradually collec-
ting. and the seats of the cafes are beco.
ming occupied by long bearded Turks,
before whom are placed nargalas with
their long tubes gracefully winding over
them, their cut glass and decanter formed
bodies half filled with rose water, and
their perforated earthen bowls holding the
grateful tobacco. rE tr..aJ
At length the booming cannon of \
neighboring fortress announces the set
Ting of the sun, and almost simultaneous
with which thousand curling. eddies Of
smoke convince the passer-by that the
long agony is over, and that the moselem
derotee ia indulging in bright reyeries Of
Paradise, and luxuriates in blissful
oblivion to all surrounding objects, midst
the care-dispelling fumes Of his pipe.
After smoking for while, he alps
strong coffee out of diminutive cups,
which are handed around by Greek or
Turkish attendants; the drinking Of this
beverage always succeeds the pipe. then
refreshing sherbert cooled by snow from
Olympus is partsken of, after which fol-
lows a promiscuous diet.
Some of the cafes are pstronized almost
exclusively by Turks. others by a mixture
of Turks, Armenians and other orientais,
whilst others still are frequented only by
Franks. The best are those in the vicini-
ty ofthe cemeteries both within and with
out the city. There appears to be a pen
chan. here to seek for pleasure and enjoy
ment amid the gloomy abodes Of the dead.
and with many acuriously wrought tomb
stone rising mp to view all around them
upon which, engraven in gilded letters.
are inscriptions recording the virtues Of
some one who has gone TO his long ac-
count, or admonishing the locker on Of
thesuncrtsinty OF this life. and the prepa-
rations necessary TO the enjoyment Of q
perfect one in Paradise, are, every ere-
ming seated a merry throng. smoking,
chatting. drinking. and listening to the
soft strains of Italian nusic. or the less
refined but stranger tones Of Turkish
band.
Women do not make their appearance
at Turkish cafe. In fact they do not,
on any occasion. out of doors. mingle
with the men. Even when the inhabi-
tants of Constautinople, in arder to es-
cape the heat OF the city, resort 70 some
of the beautiful villas opening into the