Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-29
EVENING STAR.

rFIcm a corFesnnnd en-, ~ ~. To,a

lFTom correspondent Of the Lor don s,ar.l
l alighted at the door of the head bathing
establishment of Grand Cairo
| Behold me, now, in the vestibule Of a gem
uiDe Eastern hummum. Two tall Numidian
slaves assist me to disrobe, and in the place Of
my multiplied garments attire me in a piece
of loose cloth, buttOned just above the hips
Thus denuded, am mounted on a pair Of
wooden clogs, or pattens, about ten inches In
height. am then supported on either side,
while make my way over the CLASSY MAJ Bile
door to a bathing saloon, number one. Here I
am stretched upon plank, covered by a white
cloth, and recline at an angle Of forty-fve.
The room is then filled with vapor, and in
| about ten minutes am perspiring profusely
through every pore l grow faint, the vspor
is turned off, a few buckets of tepid water are
thrown over me, a cup of coffee is administer
ed, and few whiffs of n chiboque, am re-
vived, and am straightway conducted into
bathing saloon number two
Here, sitting on the side of a marble reser-
voir Of hot water, am drenched with buck
cts Of the scalding liquid. 1 am then laid
down and scrubbed from head to foot with
woollen gloves and sort of fuller's earth
Then drenched again. 1 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 of an outer skin The peeling over, L
am drenched again. The next stBge is that
OF pumice stOnipg-applied to the inside Of
the hands, the soies or the feet, and the heels
until all the horny and hard parts are rubbed
down TO delicate softness. Now comes a
season Of comparative leisure aud repose
Whlle am on my back, the operator is cut
ting my finger and toe nails, and carefully
extracting from every part Of my body what
ever is extraneous, unsightly or inconvenient
am next made to sat up, and in my sitting
posture am shaved-the hairs are carefully
pulled out Of my nostrils-my cars are picked
my hair is cut-my whiskers and moustachs
are trimmed, and my head is, at last, declared
to be finished. To these processes succe ,ds
that OF shampoolng; namely, moulding the
flesh, cracking the joints, and looseping every
lntegument in every socket throughout the
frame. Then latheripg all over with Pc
culiar kind Of agreeable emollient soap; and
then, another drenching 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 l am permitted to inmnrso my
self in large cistern of moderately cold water.
Oh how refreshing and restoring, after the
swcatiDgs, TubbiDgs, scrubbings, scaldings,
puliings, piDchings, kneadings, crackings, hair
tweaking, belatherings, and pumice-stonings
of Nos l and 2
AN reluctant to quit my present quarters,
but am commanded to get out L do so, and
my tender and new bOrn-ipfant like skin (ss
susceptible as the surface of a skinned cell is
gently wiped down, and enveloped in sheet;
then, mounted once more on my lofty pat
terms, and supported as at frst, l am led back
t. the robing saloon, where, laid upon a mat
tress on the floor, with my head raised by
pillow, and With quilt over lie, am pre-
scnted with cup Of coffee and Persian
kulian. L sip, and puff, and dose and dose,
and puff, and sip; and am of opinion that,
after all L have undergone. my present bliss
has been cheaply purchased. I am reused
from my reverie by polite inquiry if I will
be a second time shampooned; TO which an
swer, Certainly not" In half an hour, or
theresbouts, L rise and dress, and leave the
hummum And now it is that feel the ben
eft of my bath. l seem 10 have gone back to
the days of my childhood, Ny body is lighter
and more elastic than a feather My spirits
are exuberant. am conscious Of breathing
the circumambient air through millions OF
pores / am ready to shake hsnds with the
donkey, and caress ihe boy. The external
world never looked so beautiful The future
never 80 cheering l am ready TO do anybody
in the universe good turn. so ends my Turk
ish bath