Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-02-06
Turkish Contracts.

tion meek in all the poverty Of Incidence
The loveiness Of every landscape is broken
| by the most hideous public misery. The
climate is fine, for the air is fresh and soft
the temperature generally moderate. IT is
and rainy. %
The Turk proverbially loves his ease YET
he lives in the most inconvenient mauner
He smokes his chbouqne or nargilly on sofas
without backs he uses his knees for wri-
| ting-dcsk, and the floor for dinner.tabc
He is fond of visiting his friends in state but
has no carriages; his streets are neither
named nor numbered. Turks are both clean
and dirty. They are always dabblng with
water, bat they eat with their hands; they
heap intolerable garbage before their doors
leave dogs to do the Office Of scayengers, and
allow dead carcasses to putrly beneath .he
windows Of their palaces. They are both
quick and slow 10 business, for they have few
formalitcs: yet they have always got score
of opposing interests in everything. They
neglect the most important affairs in endeav.
oring to satisfy every body on some occasion,
and jump ut conclusions with simplicity and
good faith almost affecting, upon others.
The Turks wives are muilled up that they
cannot see where they are walking and they
roll about like barrels, from the length OF
their dresses and the largeness of their shoes
lie wells and imprisons yet allows them TO
go where they please unaccompanied. Turks
are never seen in public with their wives.
On the other hand they appear to consider
ladies rs Natures choicest handiwork; for
they can imagine no present more grateful to
the Sultan, on the great festival of the
E2iram, than young maiden. On the other
hand, they deny women any place or influence
in society and while they refuse them a
soul, insist that they shall be transported
bodily to paradise. Ia Turkey a girl seldom
brings portion to her husband; but the
husband pays a sum Of money to her parents
Turkish women are lively, gossipping, rest
less; the men are calm, tacturn. and apa-
tbrtic. a Turk considers it shameful to
look at lady passing him. He never suffers
the name of q vile TO pass lis lips, and would
consider it au insult if you asked after her
health. Yet he is a polygamist, and has
children by bis slaves.
The Ottoman is compassionate and cruel
lie will leave legacy to a horse, and support
an army Of becgar3; but be would roast
Christian with great zest 2nd bastnadoes
his slaves without qualm. lie is at once
splendid and mean. OStentatious in servants,
horses, pipe-sticts, and houses but his SER
wants are i'll dressed, his horses are worthless,
has houses are Kept in such bad repair that
the rain often comes into his drawing. room.
and pigeons build in the hall of audience Of
his sntaus. He always reminds strangers of
the Hungarian noblemen. who have bnt one
spur. Nothing about him complete. A
saddle of cloth Of gold will be girt about his
steed with an old rope and while the mouth
piece Of his pipe may be worth five hundred
pounds the bowl is not worth ha fpeuuy.
lie is democrat, though lie lives under q
government nomiually despoiic. lie is q
democrat cause he can hardly understand
any real difference of ranks in a country
where whim of the prince has often made a
minister Of Il conee-boy or water.carrier.
Most governments are Supposed to examine
affairs with some view to !hcir settlement
at the Porte they are usually investigated
with a.yiew Of avoiding il. In other countries
promotion is slow, and business is managed
quickly. In Turkey business
is conducted slowly, and promotion granted
quickly. Elsewhere thanks are usually re-
turned for present; in Turkey it is custom,
ary 10 thank The receiver. \ guest invited
TO dinner is also thanked for coming.
In Turkey suporiUrs salute Interiors else
where the reverse is the fashion. In Europe
we uncover our heads ms Il mark of respect:
in Turkey people take of their shoes to show
Difference. a Turk is brief OF speech, and
seldom eXaggerates; but be is amused by
intermediates stories, and the most improbable
freaks Of imagination. lie suffers evils with
out complaint; because lie says they are
written IN the book Of fate, and he considers
them as pant OF the scheme Of divine Proyi-
dence. lie has great contempt for ances-
try, and comedies TO the descendant Of Ma
homet no other advantage in life ;han green
turban. lie has even singing proverb
always ready for those who claim merit on
account of their forefathers and tells them
that they are like the dogs who prowl about
tombs and live upon old bones wonder
how gentleman Of their opinions would get
on at fashionable evening party in Nam
moth Street West (number Il, Brobding-
nag Square.
A zeal Turk cares lit.lo for politics most
Of the persons mixed up in public affairs in
his country being Greeks or oil Greek descent.
lte is brave and sensitive; but he never
dreams Of duel nor have the French been
able to inoculate him with their entertaining
ideas on the subject | can recall no single
instance Of Turk who has committed sui
eide. lie will tell you. indeed, that the hour
OF his death is written, aud that he can
neither hasten nor retard it. Persons who
are IUuu VI luCGIleS uSuSllD leCOll WIN IN
stiuctiye prudence from all practical tests,
and it never occurs to a theoretical Turk
TO try the soundness Of his doctrine with a
razor or pocket-pistol. The conduct of
the Turks in this respect may be therefore
held up as a model for polite imitation. The
police of Cons,antnople lave much more to
do with the Christians of Pera and Galata
than With the Musaelmans of the whole ad-
joining city. Murder or robbery is rare in
the Turkish quarter; elsewhere 1t is Of daily
occurrence. Indeed, the Turks are a great
deal better than the institutions under which
they have hitherto lived aud they are accus-
toned TO say, with no less truth than good
humor, "We like our government best when
it neglects US most"
once asked a Turkish gentleman with
whom | had the good fortune to be on terms
Of great intimacy, whether he did not admit
that Mohammedanism was in itself opposed
10 what the Western Franks are pleased TO
call progress His reply was just aud spirited.
lilo referred me at once to the splendid story
of the Spanish Arabs, and enlarged with
much dignity and good sense on the notorious
Tact that they were for some centuries per-
haps the most learned and enlightened people
IN the world. The Egyptians and Syrans
also, be added, not to mention the Persians,
had at several periods Of their history made
notable advancement in science but their
government had been unfaynrable, aud they
hnd nacessarilv retrouradad A To,L can