The Nevada journal., 1855-08-10
GLIMPSE atthe EaSt--Turkish Bath,
BY ALBERT SMITH.

way as everything else had been. The
establishment patronized, was the head
one in Stamboul; and We went from the
street into very large hall, entirely of
marble, with gallery round the walls, in
which were couches, as well as down be-
low On these different visitors were re-
posing some covered up and lying quite
still, others smoking narghiles and drink
ing coffee Towels and cloths were dry
ing on lines, and in the corner was a little
shed serving as Cafe
We went up stairs and undressed, Civ
ing our watches and money to the attend
ant, who tied our clothes up in a bundle
He then tucked colored wrapper round
our waists and threw a towel over our
shoulders, after which we walked down
stairs, and put on some wooden clogs at
the door of the next apartment. The
first thing these did was to send me heels
over head, to the great discontinue of my
temporary costume, and equal delight of
the bathers there assembled. We remain
ed in this room which was of al increased
temperature, idling upon othe, couches,
until we were pronounced ready to 90 into
the second chamber. | contrved, with
great care and anxiety, to totter into it
upon my clogs, and found another apart
ment Of marble, very warm indeed, and
lighted from the top by dome of glass
bulls eyes, In the middle of this cham
Der was hot, raised octagon platform,
also of marble, and in the recesses of the
sides were marble vases, and tanks, with
taps for hot and cold water, and channels
in the floor to carry off the suds. Two
savage, unearthly boys, with their heads
all shaved, with the exception of tuft on
the top, and in their scant costume of a
towel only, looking more like wild Indi-
ans than Turks, now seized hold Of me,
and forcing me back upon the hot marble
floor, commenced dreadful series of tor
lures, such as | have read of as pertaining
to the dark ages. 1t was of no use to re-
sist. They clutched hold of the back of
my neck, and l thought they were going
to strangle me; they then pulled at my
arms and legs, and thought again they
were going to put me on the rack and
lastly, when they both began to roll back
ward and forward on my chest, doubling
my cracking elbows underneath them, |
thought, finally, that my last minute was
como, and that death by suffocation would
finish me.
They were fends, and evidently delight
ed IN my agony ; not allowing me to look
to the right Or left after my companions,
and throwing themselves on me again,
whenever they conceived | was going to
call the diagoman to my assistance I do
not know that | ever passed such fright
ful live minutes, connected with bathing,
nervous as are some Of the feelings which
that pastime gives rise to. it is very ter
rlblc to take the first summer plunge into
deep, dark river, and when you arc at
the bottom, and the water is roaring in
your ears, to think Of dead bodies and
crockodlles; 1t is almost worse to make
that frigbtful journey down a steep beach,
IN a bathing machine, with a vague incer-
titude as TO where you will find yourself
when the doors open again but nothing
can come up to what suffered in my last
extremity, in this Constantinople bath
Thoughts of Turkish cruelty and the sacks
of the Bosphorus-of home, and friends,
and my childhood's bowers-of the sad
ness of being murdered in foreign bath
and the probability of my Giaour body be-
ing eaten by the wild dogs, crowded rapid
ly on me, as these demons increased their
tortures, until, collecting all my strength
for one last effort, contrived to throw
them off, one to the right and the other to
the left, some half dozen feet and regained
| my legs.
! The worst was now over, certainly: but
the persecution still continued sufficiently
exciting. They seized on me again, and
led me to the tanks where they almost
fayed me with horse hair gloves, and
drowned me with bowls of warm water,
poured continuously on my head. could
not see, and if / again tried to cry out,
they thrust large soapy swab, made Of
the fbres that grow at the foot of the date
palm, into my mouth, accompanied each
renewed act of cruelty with demand for
baksheesh. At last, being fairly exhaust
ed themselves, they swayed me in great
many towels: and [ was then half carried,
nan pushed, up stairs again, where L took
my place upon my couch, with feelings Of
great joy and thankfulmess.
now began to think that all the hor-
rors had undergone were balanced by
the delicious feeling of repose that stole
over me. felt that I could have stopped
there forever, with the fragrant coffee
steaming at my side, and the soothing
bubble of the narghiles sounding in every
direction. | went off into a daydream-
my last clear vision being that of man
having his head shaved all but top knot
which was long enough to twist round and
round, under his fez-and could scarcely
believe that an hour had elapsed, when the
dragoman suggested our return to the
bustling world without. t.-Fron, a Month
an Corastantinople eH
WoMAN's WIT.-An elderly lady, tell
ing her age. remarked that she was born