The New York herald., 1870-08-14

Aleppo IN marked and decided manner from all
other cities the wide world over, ana to which It
owes the uniqueness OF the effect 1t produces upon
the mind. No words can convey an idea Of tho
''tone" which seems to pervade the scene and 70
end0w 1t with peculiar significance.
ORIENTAL MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.
There Is, perhaps, no place in the East where one
can study to better advantage Asiatc manners and
customs IL is true that Aleppo has at various
times had great deal OF intercourse with tin.
Frank and, indeed, good percentage OF her pre-
sent population Christians; but she has In some
way contrved to remain comparatively undemOral-
| ized. She is still thoroughly Asiatic
In her habits as Bagdad Damascus,
while she is probably richer than either.
SO that her Inhabitants are able to Indulge
| In the more expensive Mussuman tastes. Nowhere
IN the whole Turkish empire, perhaps, except at
Stamboul, are the houses luxuriOusly furnlshed;
nowhere are the marriage and funeral retes con-
Quoted IN manner so totally regardless OF expense.
In previous letters have described both these
monies but yesterday / participated in a social
rite winch was AS novel II was striking
and impressive, and which carried me back
TO the times OF the patrlarchs. DO you re-
member, gentle reader how Esau came out 10
meet his brother Jacob on his return the land
OF Harana Wel exactly the same custom pre-.
walls at this present day all over tie East, but at
Aleppo 1t Is perhaps more commonly practised tnan
elsewhere. Yesterday a large party went out
some half dozen miles the AleXan-
dretta ROAD to welcome back gentleman who
had been away more than six months ut Siamboul.
lie had telegraphed almost the hour OF his return,
and his Vile issued invitations TO all his friends
company her In going out TO meet him. There
some twenty or thirty OF US In all who responded.
We carried with us a tent and an abundance OF pro-
al Wa tnOl I'm
our position 10y The side OF an ancient well, and
speedily settled down to pipes and conversation.
Alter waiting couple OF hours the expected caravan
was announced IN sight, ana there rush for
horses and mules and donkeys, preparatory race
for the first embrace of the man we had come out to
honor Struggling along the road for half mile we
hurried on, and in turn, after the Scrptural reading
"fell OH his neck and kissed him. Yes kissed him.
just as Frenchmen or Greeks kiss each other-on the
cheek. Then came a feast ana much merriment and
perhaps more laughter than Jokes. And. at last, we
entered the city em Dedsse. rs Jovial cavalcade
ever passed over those ancient Syrian roads
CHALDEAN BISHOP.
mad almost iorgotten To say that fellow travel
leroi sour rend,n who cordially invled him To
share our festivty, was Chaldean bishop, who had
just returned from Rome, having quilted the Council
M n at .he OF the Jesults IN behalf OF
tne @ inlaioiily dogma THIS bishop was one of the
dfollest OF men. He was dressed In long black
robes reaching to his feet and fastened the girdle
WIN belt secured by buckle OF solid silver upon
which was carved some Scrptural subject think
a ane ss,1s Ascension n large chain Of gold with
ana for headdress he had the black
nat, swelling gradually out towards the crown,
peculiar TO Christian ecclesiastical dignitares in
the East His features were honest, but very homely
and certainly the reverse Of intelligent. lie spoke
only Arabic and few words of Italian, which he
had picked up at Rome, we were able to quiz MIN
Ia french before MS lace, greatly to our amusement
bishop-a iondness for the arrack OF his native land.
Perhaps he may have been overcome 10y his emotion
at nndlng himself present at Ise SO peculiar to his
n not
or so small glasses OF spirits seemedn to make him
qnite-wcll drunk-for tnat IS the only word that
expresses the fact. That Eastern Christianity az
The Mosems se' it-gettng drunk.
Tnere IS a TurklSil Gus ON which have found
nourIshlng mere more than in any city
nave yet vitea. Perhaps / nave, been
menIs in this country. There Is one, which
is called making kaf" What Is thatY Well. it is
party OF Turks or Arabs arrange to go and spend
day III some convenient garden They take with
upon and pipes to smoke. and all their cofee.mak-
ing apparatus. Arrived at the scene or the day's
pleasure ney ,S Std sit down and placly stare at the
there is feeble attempt at chat, there are few
IurKs, ,, naeea, VINO nave Ideas enough to last out
women and no dancing That is 'making kaIfu an
amusement which Turks look upon as the highest
form o. earthly pleasure, excepting only one or two
Others, but when Europeans are apt 10 find some
| what lnSlpd.
thoroughly oriental as 1t Is, however, Aeppo is
making some few steps towards European civiliza-
tion. For hve years project has been on foot to
make carriage road to Scauderoon, ana already
some eight or ten miles have been constructed nc
tne AleppO END. Encouraged by the prospect, some
Europeans here have brought wheeled carriages
from the coast on the back of exceptlonaiIy
strong camels and these now lumber along tile
newly made thOroughfares The new pacha him
self has just got one Also The people stare at TINS
innovation with astonishment, and do not think it
much OF an Improvement after all; for as they
say, it is much more pleasant to ride the back or
nne horse than TO sit behind him In a carriage
ne
rate OF progress, VIII be about the end OF
the the cost Of a upuo' os Means oeap ta
wheeled cOnveyances is infinitely less Than by
means n,,a a OF PACK saddles and lhen the people
Idea 80 Ignorant are they at present oil anything
IKE road that they call the new horoughrare "the
IRON road and believe that it Is the track as Is
used In FRANCISCAN for the iron horse have been
able to see few things. however, except this road
duced and is acknowledged "big thingn The
emphed cans are used as pals. Hitherto skins have
been the only means employed to carry water as the
Arabs do not know how TO make wooden buckets. |
Two years ago, also, IN enterprlsIng jew introduced
not paid and soon VIII be abandoned. And |
here may as well give another similar |
English capitalist invested forty thousand hounds
In erecting "A cotton mill at Antioch. The mill has |
only Jusl been completed Indeed, the machinery Is
not yet III ordinary working order. Bnt have lust
heard that the whole affair Will be closed up in
lew days, as the capitalist has spent all his own
money and more besides and Is unable to get loan
to carry forward the undertaking. He Is ruined
man.
THE MAIN HOPE FOR TURKEY.
There Is only one good ground OF hope for Asiatic
Turkey-the European schools which are here and
there opened by the various missions. At Aleppo |
there are several OF these institutions, among the
rest one by the American mission, which Is doing
very well. The other evening went TO an enter
talnment given the last day of Carnival by the |
pupils OF the Catholic College. Two pieces, |
"L'Avare,' hy Moiere, ana "Athaie,n by
Racine, were announced the programme. |
The schooroom was lifted up with the |
usual theatrical appurienances, the scenes hav-
lug been painted by one OF the monks. |
The room was packed full OF people, all of whom |
wore The TurHisl icz, though most Arinenians |
and Greeks ana Christian Arabs. Tne performance |
was extremely credltable, the boys making the |
points tell with real stage spirit upon the score or |