Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-07-08

portion of the audience, and on the other
lby hecseraglio, shed covered with planks
and protected by an open-work SCREEN,
which extended halfway up the 'front.'
The seraglio is the portion reserved 10
always separated, and husband would re-
gard it as piece of gross indecency TO seat
himself near his wives
All the audiences some with the red fez
and buttoned Nizam irock coat, others in
the old national costume, were squattIng
on Smyrna carpets or thin mattresses spread
on the ground, crunching sugar-candy, or
nibbling the rose-colored pulp Of water
melons, or inhaling the smoke of the CHI
boUk, or making the water bubble in the
crystal reservoir of the Narguilhes. The
women chirped and chatted behind the
lattice-work like birds in cage, and from
our window we could see their white
yamacks and the sky-blue, mallow-rose;
pea-green, and other gay-colored fereoges.
A dazzling sun glded the empty place the
actors were about to occupy, and the sea
sparkled through the olives and tamarinds
whilst the musicians, placed in the shade at
the foot Of the house, made their instru-
ments hum and shiver, as if TO prelude the
commencement of the performances. 1t
was charming.
A strange tumut, composed of discord-
ant and savage sounds, suggestive of SYM
phony OF servant composers, greeted the
appearance of the performers. This or
chestra was composed oftwo guitars scraped
with quill, rebeck played as double-bass,
two pairs Of kettle-drums, and flute-clar-
ionet, which a blind old man, bent double
and mummifed with age, blew with might
and main. The play commenced.
Two hammels, or Asiatic porters, came
forward, bearing a microscopic barrel sus-
pended TO the car, which is used 10 Con-
stantinople to sustain the heavy weights
which single man, unaided, could not
move. These hammels were dressed in a
q loose grey great.coat, with borders Of red :.
yellow and blue cloth lace-work puffed
pantaloons, narrow from the knees, and
bordered with black ornaments; tall hat
of undressed fur, which can compare to
nothing but stralning-bag one of them
was thin, dried up, nervous, with keen
physiognomy; the other robust, with the
| |
Each seemed to make enormous efforts TO
support his barrel, as large as ones fist !;
they tottered, opened their legs, supported
themselves as if crushed beneath the bur-
den. What did that mysterious barrel
contain? Raki, sort of white Brandy,
which the hammels were carrying for a
Frank merchant of Para, who was about
establishing drnking-room. The Frank,
dressed'in Robert Macare style, in an old
frock coat of black lutestring, threadbare
r and sleek at the elbows, bis legs buried in
dirty, large pantaloons, without waistcoat
or cravat, and having no linen, unless a
Turkish silk shirt might for the nonce usurr
the name, refused TO pay the agreed price
for the transportation OF the barrel of raki
This refusal forms the leading incident on
which the plot turns, and becomes the
source of an intermnable series of kick.
. and blows.
: The thin hammel persists with mulish
obstnancy to demand his due; he becomes
the evil genius of the drinking-room hi
complains to the chiet of the hammels, 9
grotesque fellow with red beard, in {
turban with muskmelon-lke ridges, and o
, as varied colors as Plombierice, with ;
red doiman la Bajucet, welding pad
! ded cane; he goes and wakes up the po
: lice and the cad, who appear followed by
. half dozen bunkins, dressed in extravagan
costumes, their turbans like cake-moulds
> with prodigious folds, as in the time Of tn,
' jannissaries, and ornamented with feathers
: swans wings, broom aigreite--nothine
= was wanting but the lighted candles of the
. bourgeois gentiitomme. Process was ser
:, . we'd on the merchant, and the explanation
y was resolved on in a general row, wher
all the turbans fall from the owners heads
The fall OF turbans is a sure comical "hit'
!. in Turkish pieces. In reality, nothing
I" more laughable than TO see uncovered thos
. shaved, blush pates, upon which lock G
: hair sticks out like the end of an old vim
. or pumpkin. The Frank promises to pa
= the hammel out OF his future profits, where
c upon peace is momentarlly re-establisheC
{ The sale OF raki is not prosperous th
g Frank and his servant are the best cusc
II mers of the drinking rooms. The room
' want additional attractions; therefore mr
% sicians and dancers are engaged
D The danseuses are boys disguised as wo
~ men, for Turkish deceney does not alo'
!. women TO appear in public. The persec,
y ting hammel embraces the danseuses, an
: disarranges everything; shower OF blow
- from stout stick runs him oil, and he TAXI
- refuge on a tree, 50 that the dances can
" continued notwithstanding his presence.
y These danseuSes, or rather these dancer
:. - deserve particular description. one {
= them, by the delicaeies OF his features, II
whileness OF his nees; his blonde hair a
ranged ia eurls, his blue handkerchief pli
81 eed in the Greek style on the top OF b
" head, his modest air, and his slender wais
" made a complete illusion, and he reall
~ seemed TO be pretty young woman. II
w costume hoo was exceedingly elegan
u was eompossd Of green cloth yes
a. sao'1ed with souiaehes Of a shirt OF gaul
nc s'ik' OF two lunies Of reddish valet All
&c 'l,nssd whh yellow, placed over "a,
W other, aud fastened around the wsisi Mi
-, bel, OF rcd silk. The .~s slhsrs d,li.s.
to, nom their paflaeF only ia ,ls hsad dre,
fe- whieh consisted of q red svz, around Viii,
10 large plsIls Of alss hair wers rolled. m
ss, lIlo sssealsd, wilh beading, aad Iss.lw,
H. 'ng., Which woald excite The ehass sases
'a' sibihly oi oaF police, soa Of ramaic
ie- quiv' an ogig'nal gharseigf, which .ssnl
'sh 70 s''s pleasure u lbs aadlsass.