The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-11-05
TIE MYSTERIES, MISERlEs, AND
DELIGHTS OF a TURKISH BATH.

! f1Es II >
DELIGHTS OF a TURKISH BATH
alighted at the door Of the head
bathing establishment ofGrand Cairo
Behold me, now, in the yestibule OF
n genuine Eastern hummum. Two
tall Numidisn slaves assist me to dis
robe, and in the place ofmy mnltipll.
I'd garments attire me in piece ol
loose cloth. buttoned just above the
hips. Thus denuded, | am mounted
on pair of wooden clogs, or pattens,
about ten inches in height ! am
then supported on either side. while /
make my way over the CLASSY marble
floor 10 bathing saloon, number one.
Hero am stretched npon plank,
covered by a white cloth, and recline
at an angle OF forty five. The room is
then filed with yapor, and in about
ten minutes am perspiring protuseiy
through every pore. ] grow iaint,
the yapor is turned of, few buckets
If tepid water are thrown over me, a
cup Of coffee is administered, and a
lew whifis at schiboque ! am revi-
yed, gand am straightway conducted
into bathing saloon number two.
Here, sitting on the side Of a mar
bic reservoir ofhot water, ! am drench-
ed with buckets Of the scalding liquid.
/ am then laid down and scrubbed
from head to foot with woolen gloves,
and a sort Of fuller's earth. Then
drenchei again. lam next submitted
to the operation OF peeling, a process
which removes all accumulation OF
dirt and scurfupon the surface; which
IN fact. seems TO take of an outer
skin. The peeling over, am drench.
ed again. The next stage is that OF
pumice stoning applied to the inside
Of the hands, the soles of the feet, and
the heels, until all horney and hard
parts are rubbed down TO a delicate
softnesa. Now comes a season OF
comparative leisure and repose.--
While am Oh my back, the operator
~ cutting my finger and toe nails, and
carefully extracting from every part
Of nv body whatever is eXtraneous,
unaightly or inconyenient,
ana next made to sit up, and i'll
nv sitting posture am shaved-the
hairs are carefully pulled out of my
nostrils-my ears are picked--my
hair is cut-my whiskers and nous
tache are trimmed, and my head is at
last declared 10 be finished. To these
processes succeeds that of shampoon.
ing namely, moulding the flesh,
cracking the joints, and loosening
every integument in every socket
throughoutthe frame. Then lather,
ing all over with peculiar kind OF
agreeable emollient soap, and then
another drenching. The time is now
come to be introduced into bathing
saloon nnmberthree. The atmosphere
Of this is, after the temperature OF tht
Iast, gratefully cool, and here ! an
permitted to immerac myself in
large cistern Of moderately cold wateI
On, how refreshing and restoring, al.
terthesweatings, rubbings, scrnbbingt
scaldings, pullings, pinchings, knead
ings. crackings, hair-tweaking, belath
erings. and pumice.stonings Of Nos.
and 2
am reluctant to quit my presen
quarters, but am commanded to ge
out. lido so, and my tenderand new
borntutant like skin, tas susceptible
as the surface of Il skinned eel,) i
gently wiped down, and enVeloped il
a aheet--then, mounted once more OF
my lofty pattens, and supported as a
first, ! am led back to the rohinl
saloon, where, laid upon a mattress oi
the floor, with my head raised by
pillow, aud quill over me, am pre-
sented with cup ofcotiee and n Per
sian Kullian. sip, and puff, an'
dose and dose, and puff, and sip
and am of opinion that after all lhav'
undergone, my present bliss has beef
cheaply purchased. am rouse(
from my reycrie by a polite inquiry
| will be a second tltne Shampconed
TO which ! answer--"Certainly not.
In half an hour, or thereabonts, ris'
and dress, and leave the hummum. .-
And now it is | feel the benefit of m.
bath. seem to have gone back t
the days of my childhood. My bod
is lighter and more elastic than
feather. My spirite are exuberant. ~
! am conscious Of breathing the circW
ambient mir through millions OF fpore'
/ am ready to shake hands with TIA
donkey, and caress the boy, The e,
ternal world never looked so beautiful
The future never so cheering. ! al
ready 10 do anybody in the universe
good turn. So ends my Turks