River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-04-18
THE BOSPRORUS.
sweet Waters of Turkey.

Tn an article in the April number of
Tinpincott's Magazine, Mr.. Edwin De
I'a Lon thus describes some scenes in
Turkish life:
If YOU select the Asiatic Sweet Wa.
ters for your visit, you go down to the
wharf at Tophane, where the rival
bnskmen (caiquejees) raise as loud a
din. and make as fierce fight for your
nerson and piasters as you ever eucoun-
tered on your arrival in New York in
European steamer from rival hack
drivers or hotel "touters." Pulled.
nusbed. and showed about in all direc
tions as tiercely as ever was the body
Of Patroceus in the Had, when Greek
and Trojan contended for possession of
Il YOU are Mt last hustled into n
caioue, and deposited in the bottom
on soft cushions, your back sup
ported by the end of the boat, your
face to the two boatmen. The caiaue
is gayly ornamented and pretty to look
at. but it is the crankiest and tickliest
of all nautical inventions-more re-
sembling Canadian birch-bar1 canoe
than any other craft you are acquainted
with. Admirlng the view, you partial
" rise up and lean your elbow on the
side of the boat. A warning cry from
your boatman and a sudden dip of your
frail bark, which almost upsets you
head foremost to feed the fishes of the
Bosphorus, admonish you to sit quietly,
and you can scarcely venture to stir
again during the long row. The caique
is long and very narrow, and sharp at
both ends-pointed in fact. 1t is
boarded over at these ends to prevent
shipping seas. These plauks are pref
tily vanished, with gilded rails, which
give the boat gay look. The men
row vigorously, and the frail skiff
skins along the water at a rate of
speed equal to an express train. But
the boat is the chief indication of the
rapidity OF our progress, SO smoothly
do we glide along. One pecul arity of
tue caique is that there are no row.
locks for the oars, which are held by
loop of leather fastened on the boat.
Allthe senses are soothed and stepped
in Elysium during this rapid transit
The eye lazily runs over the squat
looking red houses with flat roofs
which line the shore, to rest on the
dark cypress trees which fill the inter-
vening spaces, with the gilded bal
comics of some pleasure-palace of Sui
tan or high Turk catching the sight
occasionally. Caiques similar to your
own are darting about in all directions,
following, passing, or meeting you,
until at length you reach your destina-
Al lNxv 4ho ar1x,-l 49,
tied up there, like cabs on grand opera
night waiting for their customers.
Those of high Turkish functionaries or
foreign ambassadors are very different
from yours-as different as coach-and-
four from a common cab. Many of
these have twelve rowers, all in fancy
uniforms-red feZZes and jackets en-
broidered with gold-while the larger
caiques are profusely and extensively
see long line OF carriages drawn up
in several rows, and of every conceiv-
able variety-from the Turkish ARABIA
to the most coquettish- looking Partisan
coupe-gilded and adorned in a style
to make a French lorette stare with
amazement at a lavishness Of expendi-
ture exceeding her own.
The fair ones to whom these car
rlages belong may be seen in the dis
lance squatting down on rugs spread
out beneath the trees, and slpping cot
fee or sherbet while listenting to musi-
clans or story tellers. You stroll to-
ward them as near as their attendant
guardians-grim looking black eunuchs
armed to the teeth, and quite ready to
use those arms with very little provo
cation on the persons of any "dogs of
infidels who may interfere or seem to
interfere with their fair charges-will
permit. You see bundles of the
gayest colored silks, which are worn
by women whose wells are as thin as
gossamer, and generally permit very
fair view of their charms, not only of
face but of bust as well. The bold
black eyes of the Gagged bird flash out
unshrinkingly on the strangers, who
inspire curiosity, and not always aver
sion, if the language Of those eyes be
interpreted accordingly to the western
code. Ia fact the women seem to take
malicious pleasure in annoying their
guards by encouraging such advances
as can be made by the mute language
of looks and signs"