Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-03-17
From Bentley's Miscellany.
VISIT TO THE SUE TAN.

From Bentley S Miscellany.
VISIT TO THE SULTAN.
Let us follow the internunclo and his suite,
| however, and we shall Judge for ourselves. When
they arrive at the palace, they are conducted by
some stragglers who happen to be about the pal
ace through little garden formally laid ont in
the old French style-one Of those gardens which
have nothing but the name ; a garden with little
patches Of flower beds cut into triangles and cres
| cents, and having hard, dry, pebbly, useless
paths between, which nobody ever does or could
walk upon. This garden may, perhaps. cover
quarter of an acre of ground, not more: and it is
| soon passed. The internuncio and his train have
entered into a low stone passage, with many
mysterious doors here and there. This passage.
TOO, is very dark, and rather damp, and partcu-
larly bare. It has nothing of oriental 1nagnifi-
cence in it. yet we are within the imperial palace,
| and the Sultan is. l dare say, within hearing Of
US somewhere.. Meantime some half dozen strag-
Cling servants and officials appear to be as busy
as orientals ever are, in showing up stairs in
to the state apartments. There is nothing splen-
did about them, either. Except for their red
caps, they might easily enough be mistaken for
German artisans in their Sunday clothes; they
are quite as heavy, as awkward, with as solemn
a sense Of dignity, and with as baggy trousers.
a few guards, dressed in brown, with dirty gold
sashes, and having no arms but sabres, are also
posted about, without order or regularity. The
| day is wet and drizzly: indeed, nothing can be
altogether more commonplace or uncomfortable.
Things change little for the better as we as
cend the stairs, in spite Of the dinginess which
still seems to hang about everything. Upon the
I q u y
of the Sultan and he IS dressed in clothes which
| are at least meant for uniform. The intention
is not very successfully carried out; but it is OBJ
vious that it has existed. We are satisfied; here
is at least commencement. Up the dingy stairs,
therefore, we go with the splendid coTtege Of the
internuncio, and from the dingy stairs into
dingy room-oh! how dingy dingier, I vow,
than lawyers office in Lincoln Inn. 1t is i'll
furnished and there are not chairs enough for
the ambassadors suite; more are brought in from
another apartment; but there are still not enough
so that fresh supply must be sent for. Then
the carpet, which is dinger really than anything
ever seen except the sofas, does not half cover
| the room but this, perhaps, is merely oriental
fashion, 50 we must not be surprised. At last
the grand vizier'is brought in, and the grand in
| te1preter "a high officer in Turkey then the
minister Of foreign affairs, all dressed in ill-made
European clothes and they are followed by the
usual pipes and coffee.
| The pipes are handsome they have rich jewel
elled mouthpieees of amber and their value is
| sometimes preposterous as an English race
horse. The coffee, also, is served in little cups
ofjewelled filgree, of which the best are made at
1 Malta Neither the coffee nor tobacco is very
| good, and the former is served without sugar
and unstrained, according to the fashion of the
East There is not much conversation-every-
| body feels very cold and strange. Everybody
also is ignorant of the etiquette of the place, and
does not like to commit himself. There might
! perhaps, be plenty to say, for must be dull
indeed who cannot talk to a minister for foreign
affairs: but to make remark is rather too seri-
| Gus a business to be repeated often. Thus, for
/ instance the internuncio observes, for want Of
! ANYTHING else to say, ''That it is a cold day.
| No sooner is the observation out of his exceen-
! cv,s mouth than the head dragUtII,s-s
( gno-t;ne, over his scalding coffee, and dropping
\ what remains over his knees, rises with an ex-
preston of pain and confusion. A tear ofintense
/ anguish is in one of his eyes.
/ ..It is cold day." repeats the internuncio,
/ nodding; for he is pleasant, cheery man.
! The internuncio looks bored, and the pipes
having been changed for others still more magni-
ficent, the whole party rise. They take their
way through passage, and pass through dingy
curtain; after which they find themselves in a
suite of rooms of considerable size, but misera-
blv furnished. freshly lit fire Of Goals burns
4 sulkily in one or two of the CRATES, and know
1 of nothing more dreary and dispiriting. The
rain rattles solemnly against The windows of the
palace. The noses of the guards ranged IN line
are quite red with cold, and their hands are blue.
Let us go on.
The last room of the suite is smaller than the
rest. 1t would be used a refreshInent room Il
Strauss or Julien were to give ball IN the
palace. A coal fire burns sluggishly in the CRATE
and there is plain sofa without back, placed
next to the wall at the extreme end. As the IN
ternuncio enters with his suit, an individual l;
seen TO rise slowly from this sofa, and he stands
mn to receive the visiters. Heis dark, wearlec
looking man in appearance about forty, though