Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-01-28
From a correspondent Of the London Star.
The Mysteries, Miseries and Delights Of
Turkish Bath.

| alghted at the door of the head bathing es-
tablishment of Grand Cairo.
| Behold me, now, in the vestibule of genuine
Eastern hummum. Two tall Numdian slaves
assist Inc to disrobe, and in the place Of my
multiplied garments, attire me in piece OF loose
cloth, buttoned just above the hips. Thus de-
nuded am mounted on pair OF wooden clogs,
or pattens. about ten inches in height. am
then supported on either side, while | make
way over the CLASSY marble floor to bathing
saloon, number one. Here am stretched upon
plank covered by white cloth, and recline
at an angle of forty five. The room is then fill
ed with vapor, and in about ten minutes ! sm
perspiring profusely through every pore. grow
faint, the vapor is turned of, few buckets OF
tcpid water are thrown over me, cup OF coffee
is administered, and few whitfs at chiboqre.
/ ain revived, and am straightway conducted in
to bathing saloon number two. -
Here, sitting on the side of marble reservoir
of hot water, am drenched with buckets OF
the scalding liquid. am then laid down and
scrubbed from head to foot with woollen gloves
and sort of fnller's earth. Then drenched a.
gain. I am next submitted to the operation of
peelipg, process which removes all accumula-
ton of dirt and scurf upon the surface; which,
in fact, seems to take off another skin. Tie
peeling over, am drenched again. The next
stage is that of pumicestoning to the
inside of the hands, the soes of the feet and
the heels, until all horny and hard parts are rub
bed down to delicate soltness. 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 from
every part of my body whatever is extraneous,
unsghtly or inconveDient.
Ia 80 md in elf
posture am shayed-the hairs are carefully pull
ed out of my nostrils-my ears are picked-my
hair is cut-my whiskers and moustache are
trimmed and my head is, at last, declared to be
finished To these processes succeeds that OF
shampooning; namely, moulding the flesh, crack
ing the joints, and loosening every integument
in every socket throughout the frame. Then,
lathering all over with peculiar kind OF agree
able emollient soap; and then another dreDch-
ing. The time is now come to be introduc edin.
to bathing saloon number three. The atrnos-
phere of this is after the temperature Of tho
last, gratefully cool, and here am permitted to
immerse myself in q large cistern of moderate
" cold water Oh how refreshing and restor-
ing, after the sweatings, rubbings, scrubbings,
scaldings, pullings pinchings, kneadngs, crack
ings, hair-tweaking belatherings, and pumice-
stonings of Nos and Q.
am reluctant to quit my present quarters.
but am commanded 70 get out. l do so, and
nv tender and w-born-infant-like skin, (as
susceptible as the surface of q skinned eel,) is
gently wiped down, and enveloped in sheet
then, mounted once more on my lofty patten,
and supported as at first, am led back to the rob-
ing saloon, where laid upon mattress on the
floor, with my head raised by pillow, and
with quilt over me, am presented with cup
of coffee and Persian Kulian. / sip and puff
and dose; and dose and puff, and sip; and
am of opinion that after all have undergone.
my present bliss has been cheaply furnished.
am reused from my reverie by polite inquiry If
will be second time shampooned; to which
answer-"Certainly not" In half an hour, or
thereabouts, rise and leave the hummum.-
And now it is feel the benefit of my bath.
seem to have gone back to the days of my child
hood. Ny body is lighter and more elastic than
feather. My spirits are exuberant. | am
conscious of breathing the circumambient air
through millions of pores. am ready TO shake
hands with the donkey, and caress the boy
The external world never looked so beautiful
The future never so cheering. | am ready to do
anybody in the universe good turn. So ends
nv Turkish bath.