Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-04-01
Letter from Turkey.
EsiHoos, Turkey, Feb. is, 1851.


Dear Free Pr.a.
Ifyou would like-in the space OF i've
minutes-to travel some eight thousand miles
and spend half day with Turkish soldiers, just
run your eye over this column, and the thing is
done
The first minute must he Introductory. Era
room has an important strategic position,
commanding, as il doe. the road from Persia.
There are at present only about two thousand
soldiers hereof which two hundred are caval-
~, two hundred artillery, and the rest infant
~. The commander OF these forces is entitled
a Pasha, whose rank corresponds very nearly
with that of General. The hospital il in charge .
Of an Italian Surgeon by whose kind invitation 4
our visit was made.
Our party, consisting Of three, repaired first .
to the hospital where we found everything in .
perfect order. There WERE foriy-three patients .
occupying three rooms. Each man occupied {
separate cot which IN style and appearance very /
much resembled the cots in your own military .
hospitals The arrangement; Of the cots was also .
precisely the same. | think it must be- a great .
luxury to be SICK, for this is the only place .
where among the natives have seen bal steals .
and s5esfs. We found the Doctors pharmacy /
quite compIeie-the Latir hhelings locking
quite homelkc.
We next proposed to call on the commander +
iu-chIef But no." the Doctor aid, not .
until We had taken CUP Of coffee s. Ne
stepped into the reception room, and were frst
offered a smoke" which almost invariably ac-
companies coffee. Perhaps you would like 20
have me interlirl minute to tell you how they
smoke here. they never smoke clay pipes nor
cigars. They have something which may Re
styled cigarette Every smoker carries s. bo1of F.
'fne cut IN his pocket and with 70 very small
primer Of blank leaves. y soon as he sts
down. he draws ont hi, tobacco box, tears Leaf
from his blank book, lays little " ine-cut' on
it, rolls It up, wetting the eige Of the paper So
as to stick II together-proceeiing AZ once 10
light it. with or without mouth-piece, accorl-
ing to taste. It would shock an old smoker TO
20 i4t 7-itiiAS To sAilAt tuat t'Ht 'Ae 20 'lr
nose as well as the mouth This j. the cigar
cite
Then there IS the " Chibouque" which IS
pipe with a straight stem about the size. shape
and length Of a hoe handle. While in use one
end Of this rests on the floor in a small brass
lisb. designed to catch the fire and ashes.
Then there Is the &c Nsrgelah.' which j. the
most curious Of all This consists Of something
which looks Ike q glass decanter nearly full Of
water. The howl for the tobacco rests on the
top, the tube from which passes straight down
into the water. Another flexible tube has the
mouth piece on one end while the other connects
with the air within the decanter You see the
manner n is operation. E1hsusting the AIR
above the water forces other air over the burn
ing tobacco into and through the water below
This makes such hubble-bubbling in the
water that by some the instrument IS called
" hubhle-huhble" The smoke cannot be drawn
through by the ordinary process Of sucking. YOU
must throw the whole power OF your lungs upon
it before you can start it a hair. 20 that all the
smoke passes through the lungs But there y
little smoke AMI this becomes much cooled by is
long passage through the water, air and tube
One narselah Will answer far a company of
half dozen by each taking few whitfs in turn
and passing the mouth-pece along to hrs next
neghbor
But to return to the reception room Of the
hospital There we were offered cigarettes.
which. not being smoker, respectfully de-
cluei. Then followed coffee in little cups.
black, muddy and milkless-it is very hot too.
and TO keep Up with the rest you must sulp it
down whether il peels your throat or not.
Joined by the Doctor. We next called on the
military Pasha, where we discovered marks Of
gentlty and culture quite rare among the Turks.
The Plsha j, quite an elderly man now. but in
his younger days be spent several years in Paris
and London. where be acquired a good know {
Ledge q French and some notion Of Engii.b.- &
The latter he has now quite forgotten, but the =
former being much more used here. he still {
speaks it quite auently His son also has
Partisan education and Is quite skillfuI as a mu-
s.cisn. He performed for US, quite sklufuuy,
portions Of " La Traviata,'' on rather a whee1y
old French Harmonium tha, sometime or other
found its way hither. Here we were served with
both coffee and tea-which latter, by the way, is
regarded As a little more gentesl than coffee.
though not quite so " q Ia Turk"
We next visited the barracks Here we
found the soldiers provided with very conforta-
bic beds not placed upon cots as in the hospital,
nor even IN hunks as is common in barracks
with you, but after the manner Of the country, t
thrown upon the floor. These seemed quite neat I
and the Arrangement Of their guns and accou- ]
trements, and the quiet and orderly bearing Of q
the soldiers, displayed good degree Of discip- d
line
Visiting several Of the officers. we made our
last call on the leader Of the Band, who honorei
US with a sersnade. This is Cornet Band and d
is an honor to the army and the country. it
stands IN bright contrast with the distressing At
tempts at music, either instrumental or vocal. {
made by the mass of the natives On learning '
music into band music. offered to send him
several Of our national airs, for which he seemed
quite grateful This | have done, and hope
before long to hear " Hail Columbia" and
- Star spangled Banner" performed BY -
Turkish band. God speed the day when these d
national airs shall ring out out over every inch
II our nations richtfnl domain. with the voiee.
II a ransomei, regeneratei people, |,
During that half day each of us drank four a
ups Of coffee, one of tea, and one glass Of sher
bet (sweetened cold water.) was quite thank :
hi that had no smoking to do in addition.
Yours, r.
Ma. CHASE AND THE PROCLAMATION The r
speaking Of Secretary Chase's I