Smyrna times., 1859-04-28
Sunday in Constantinople.

Y. ETpreSs, in writing to that paper from Con-
stantinople, among other interesting things,
says:
1t is our Sabbath now, and have been to the
British Embassy church in ra in and storm. The
Embassy has large fine church, and two chap
lans officIated to-day. The English, the Rus
slams aud the French have great diplomatic es-
tablishments here; palaces of their own, In
which the ministers reside with their retInues
The Englshman has 100000 per annum, with
palace, &C.. besides. They all have post offices
of their own, and government OF their own,
emporium an imperiO), and they all struggle
with one and another to cut and carve up the
poor Turk. Pera is the quarter, and the gem
eral quarter of the Franks. To these embas-
sles, as well as TO ours, aud 10 all other nations
here represented, come the complaints of sub
lrcts or citizens of the Frank States from all
parts If The Turkish Empire, so that minister
must be Lawyer and Judge as well as minister
here. The Turk touches not Frank subjects,
but turns them over to Frank Courts. Hence
on the hill of Pera, we have ten or twenty diff
terent Courts, differently operating Laws diff
terent states. Strange 10 say, The system works
pretty well. The conflict with the Turk is sell
dom, and the conflicts of jur sdIctI0n are slight
A Frank is safer under THIS protection OF En-
bassles than any Turk, even III his own coun.
try.
Well, started TO say, the Christian Sab.
bath services being over, hurried IN rain and
storm 10 See the MahOmedan IN his Convent Re-
lIgiOn, and to mark how he worked The guide
took us to a Turkish quarter, III streets swim
ming with water, SO narrow that the currents
Of water could not well be lodged. Umbrellas
and coats could protect our heads aud bodies.
but nothing could our feet. There was no RI.
ding where we were going. The gulleyS, the
ravInes, called streets, were lmpassabe for car
riages, aud passabs only for donkeys, but only
people accustomed to mountain preclpces
could ride up and down the rock scattered.
swimming ravines. We ascended and defccn-
ded again aud again, and in thIckIy settled
Turkish quarter we found the Convent Of the
Dancing and Whirling Dervishes.
A dervish let us in at the outer gate, back
shish "a gratuity) being expected. Another
dervish let US in the MOsque-cOnvent door
after we were in the ras, had taken off our
shoes. Rubbers were taken off from the ladies'
feet, and that satisfied the dervsh dOotkeeper.
thrust my wet boots into cloth worked slip
pers, and the dervsh, in the hopes OF backshIsh.
winked at my sin. The Mosque or Convent Is
very plain affair-a story and halt or two
stories high. In the centre. under dome, was
an open octagon, smooth floor, where were the
dervishes, in naked feet, in trousers, and IN
long robes, that, when they stood still, drag
gled, but when they whrled, formed graceful
circles, as of a dancing TagliO When we
went in, they were seated in a circle, Turkish
fashion, some twenty of them, and they were
recitng their procession Of faith La ilah lllel-
ah, (there is no God but Allah), and bowing
themselves upon the floor, with their heads
touching it, then standing, then bowling again,
then marching, then countermarchIng, all IN
solemn dignity, under most lugubrlous chant
After some half hour Of this ceremony, the
very monotony of which becomes tedious, they
begin 10 dance, or whlrl, with their chlel, oi
priest, whose office is hereditary, standing on
mat in their front. Their dance is very like
the waltz of a single person, though with ex-
tended arms, one hand open, up; the other
open, down; all moving in circle very slowly
from LETT to right. Their expanded robes
whiring in the air, their extended arms, anC
| their very solemn countenances and downcas
ewes, give their ludcrous performance an ap
pearance of gravity in which you share at last
They thus dance some half hour, under thu
stimulus Of invisible music, apparently hut'
and a drum, when they sit, and bow, and falI
and shout once more, and the ceremony lsoVer
They reminded me, in the singularlty OF thel
costume and in their dance, of our Shaker
save that they dance or whirl in circles, wh!l'
our Shakers dance in straight lines. The che
, of these dervishes is young, handsome man
graceful in all his motions, of high dignity AM
noble bearing, and not stray look ever lei
from his eyes upon our little navel circle o
wondering Europeans.
These dancing Dervishes, however, are no
the real lions of Constantinople to see-lt yo
, are here on the day Of the bowling DervIshe'
when this other sect not only dance, but grim
ace, screech, yell, and howl Their perform
ances are reported to me not only as wonderful
but go frightful as often 10 scare of Europeans
They sometimes cut glass, stones, and piece
E of metal in the height of their orgies and fury
They plunge daggers into each others Oreas'
e They hold red hot irons in their mouths and
: the widest fury tread upon and dance over the
8 little children. OF course they are only Jus
i plers, successful jugglers The late Sultan CT
short NEST Of their mad religious rcnonIe
e but under the present Sultan they have aga
i taken full rein; and cry out as loud as eve eve
" va hail." (JehovahD Oh, my soul! y
:, nv people! Oh, Mediator! On, Advocate
the Day Judgment Enlisted as am 10 s. s.
20 every thing, am sorry they perform not In u
limited time am here.
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