The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1856-12-12
WHOLE NUMBER 1873.
Miseries and Delights of q
Turkish Bath.

Behold me now, III the veStibule of q
genuine Eastern humnum. Two tall Nu-
indian slaves assist me to disrobc, and in
the place OF my multiplied garments, attire
me i'll piece of loose cloth, buttoned iist
above the hips. Thus dcnudcd am mount
cd upon a pair Of wooden clogs or pattens,
about ten inches in height. am tLea sup
ported on either side while made my way
over the CLASSY marble floor TO bathing:
saloon, number one. Here I am stretched
upon plank, covered by white cloth, and
recine at ali angle Of iorty-fvc. The room is
then filled with val'"r, aud in about ten
minutes am pcr<i'iriny prottlscly through
every pore. grow faint, tie vapor is turn
ed off, a few buckets OF clid water are
thrown over me, cup Of coffee is admins
tered, and a few Willis at Il chiboque.
| am revived, and am straightway conducted
into bathing saloon number two.
Here, sitting Oh the side Of marble res
ervoir Of hot water, | am drrnched with
buckets Of the scalling liquid. lam then
laid down and scrubbed from head to foot
| with WOODEN gloves and Il sort Of fuller's
earth. Then drcnchcd again. / am next
submitted to the operation Of peeling, a
process which removes all accumulation Of
dirt and scurf upon the surface which, in
fact, seems to take off another skin. The
pccling over, am drcnchcd again. The
next stage is that of punicc- -stoning, applied
to the inside Of the bands, the soles of the
feet and heels, until all horny and hard parts
arc rubbed down to a delicat softness.
Now comes Il season Of comparative leisure
and rcposc.
am next made to sit up, and in my sit
ting posture am shavcd-the hairs arc care
fully pulled out Of my nostrls-my ears
are picked-my hair is cut-my whskers
and ,noustache are trimmed, and nv head
is, at last, declared to be finished. TO these
processes succeeds that of shampooing-
namely, moulding the flesh, cracking the
joints, and loosening every intcgumentE in
every socket throughout the frame. Then
lathering all over with peculiar kind of
agreeable emollient soap; and then ano-
ther drcnching. The time is now come to
be introduced into bathing saloon number
three. The atmosphere Of this is, after the
temperature of the last, gratefully cool, and
here | am permitted to immerse myself in
large cistcrn Of moderately cold water.
Oh how refreshing and restoring, after the
sweatings, rubbings, scrubbings, scaldings,
pullings, pnchings, kncadings, crackings,
hairtweaking, bleatherings. pumice;stonings
of numbers one and two.
am reluctant to quit my present quar-
tcrS, but am commanded to get out. [ do
so, and my tender and ncw-horn-infant-like
skin, as susceptible rs the surface Of skin.
ned eel, is gently wiped down and envel-
oped in ashect-theD, mounted once more
on my loftyEpatten, and supported, as lat
first, | am led back to the robing saloon,
where, laid upon a ,nattrass on the floor,
with my head raised by "A pillow, and with
a quilt over me, am presented with cup
of coffee and persian kulian. sip, and
puff, and dose !; anu dose and puff, and sip;
and am of opinion that, after all l have
undergone, my present bliss has been cheap
ie bya polite inquiry if will be second
time slampoocd to which answer, 'Cer-
tainly not" In half an hour or therea-
bouts rise and dress, and leave the hum
mum. And now it is | feel the benefit Of
my bath. ] seem to have gone back to tue
days of my childhood My body is lighter
and more elastic than a feather. My spir-
its arc cxnberant. l am conscious of breath
ing the circumambicnt air through millions
OF pores. ] am ready to shake hauds with
the donkey, and carcss the boy. The ex-
ternal world never looked so beautiful-tha
future never so cheering. am ready to do
any body in the universe agood turn. So
ends my Turkish bath. . aa.
ART AND SCIENCE AT HOME AND A.
BRoAD.-Thc question of moons rotation
has been much discussed for the past ak.
months in the London Times and MeciiaiS.
les Magazine, growing out ofa letter puba
lisled some time since by the well known
astronomer, Mr.. Symonds, EMr, ST. took
the position that rs the moont alwaystprel
sents the same face TO the earth, it canpot
have a rotation on its axis, and that the
prevailing opinion taught in astronomical
works. that it rotatcs on its axis once in
90 days'exactly, to a second, iswsons. He
llas been SUPPORTED in his controversy ty
Even Hopkins and others, and Mr.. John
'Gumbach has published apampblet sup,
porting the same views, in which lie assests,
that Newton's proposition relative to- Ma
moons rotation has been entirely. misunders
stood by his followers. DR.. Lardner has :
just come out in defence Of lie moons
rotations, and DR.. Whewell read. "a paper
before the late meeting Of the British sG
entfic Association. '%''s. s'sfs 3st'lsas
A.Russian Rriac., who is,a ssnat;cal ad-
mirer Of an Instrument which has fallen
into general disfayoTsof yate years-tl,e gui-
summoned lBthe gpitarists OF
Europe to a public Iriaf s6f tleir skill next
month at Brussels, and Iias PROMISED gold
medal to the best player and an silver one