Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-11-13
From correspondent Of the London Star.
The Mysteries. HsEsrTics and Delights OF
a Turkikh Bath.

Ialighted at the door of the head bathing
establishment OF Grand Cairo.
Behod me, DOW. m the vestibule of A gena
ine Eastern human. Two tall N1uidan
slaves assist me 70 disrobe and in the place OF
my multiplied garments, attire me in piece
of lnuSe cloth, buttoned jnsr above the hips
Thus deRuded, | am mounted on a pair OF
wooden clogs or pattens abont ten inches II
height. am then supported on either side wai'e
| make my way ovlr the CLASSY marble floor t.
"A bathing saloon, number one. Here ! AN
stretched upun a plank, covered by white
cloth. and rechne at an angle of forty i've. The
room is then filled witt vapor, and in about
ten minutes ! am perspiring profusely through
every pore. ! grow faint the vapor IL turned
If, few buckets of tepd wiler are thrown
over me, cup of coffee is administered, and
few whiffs AT chiboque. am revived, aud
anu straightway conducted into bathing saloon.
number two.
Here, sitting on the side of marble reser
voir of hot water | am drenched with buck
cts of the scalding liquid. / am then laid
dawn and scrubbed from head To foot with
wooden gnves and sort of fHl'er's earth.
Then drenched again. an next submitted to
the operation OF peeilng, process which re-
moves all accumulation eff dirt and scurf upon
the surface; which, in fact, seems to take OH
another skin. The peelIng over, am drencHed
again. The next stage is that of pumice-ston-
iug-applied TO the inside OF the hands, the
soles of the feet, and the heels, until ali horny
and hard parts are rubbed down to delicate
softness. Now comes season of comparative
leisure and repose While / am on my back,
the operator is cutting my finger and toe nails,
and carefully Extracting rom every part of my
h,,Hv xul afavar u nnaiub9lu mr.
cor venient.
avn next made to sit up and in my sitting
posture am shaved; the hairs are carefully pull
ed ouI OF my Dostrls-my ears are picked
my hair is cut-my whskers and noustache
are trimmed, and my head j., at last, declared
TO be finished. To these processes succeeds
that of shsmpooiHg; namely, moulding the
flesh, cracking the joints. and lnoseniug every
iutegument in every socket throughout the
frame. Then, lstherng all over with a PEI
culiar kind of agreeable emnlent soaT aud
then, another dreUching. The time is now
cnme to be introduced into bathing saloon
number three. The atmosphere OF this j., st-
ter the temperature OF the last, gratefully
cnol, and here aII permitted to iInmerse my
self in q large clstern of moderately cold wa
er. o.! ho~ refreshing and restoring, after
sweating, rubbiDgs, scrubbings, scsldings, pull
ing. pincbnes, knesdings, crackings, hair>
tweskinfs, belatherings, and pumice-stoniIgs
of Nos. ] and z.
am reluctant to omit my present quarters,
but am commanded 10 get out, l do 80, and
my tender and w-borR infant Ike skip, (as
susceptible as The surface of skinned cell Il
gently wiped down, and eBveloped in a sheel
then, mounted once more 90 my lofty Pat
ten, and supported as at first, am led back Ia
the robing saloon, where, laid upon mat
tress on the floor, with my head raised 10y Il
pillow; and with quilt over me, AIN presen-
ed with a cup OF coffee a, d Persian Kulian
/ sip, aud pun, aud dose; aud dose, aLd puff
and SIP; aud am of opinion that, after ali
have undergone, my present bliss Las been
chesply purchnsed.
am reused from my reverie by polite inquiry
| il | will ue a second time shampOoned; to which
answer" Ur rtaniuy not" la half AL hour, OF
thereAbous, rise and dress, ADD leave the hum
mum Aud now it is feel the benefit OF nv bath.
seem 70 have gone back tu the days OF my child
hood Ny body is lighter and more elastic than .
feather. Nv spirIis are eXuberant. am consei-
ous of breathing the circnmamOient air through
millions OF pores. ain ready TO shake hands
with the donkey, and caress the hov. The cHter-
nal world never ouked so beautiful The future
never 20 cheering. | arm ready TO DO any hody Ii
the universe good turn. SO ends my Turkish
h.tb