The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1874-05-21

A'YanAee Wsnass Expestcnoe In 4 fsRhlsl
BAH.
Consiantinople, Feb, 16-lbsve rsad
certainly not isse than fifty times elabor-
ate descriptions of genuine Turkish baths
by BayarJ TAYLOR, Ross Browne, and
Others, aud had always had nay ina
ciua,ion filed with combined ecstacies
OF being scrubbed with hot water and
pcrfumed soap, and iced sberbet, and l
made up my mind not to leave Turkey
without having had that delightful OK
pcriencc. You know that | belong TO
the softer sex, and they do not battle
promiscuously here as IN Baden Baden,
lon: Branch, and many other fashions-
bic places.
This bath where went is for laiies
alone, and not even the common herd
being admitted, for the charge is very
high. have made few friends among
tae natives since came here, and can
epeak few words of Greek (the pre-
dominant tongue and owing 70 my &C.
aunntancc with them ! got a glimpse,
W rather q whole days sight, OF para
disc where man is excluded. Tho OK.
terror Of these batksls Of the usual style,
or no style, Of Turkish architecture
but the interior fully recompenscs for
the lack of beaut, without. 1t is in the
upper part, of Galata, aad you 60 IN &C.
dan chairs, which wait for you, 10 you
must take the EXTREMIST care Of your
self in coming out of the bath, particular
" ut this season Of the year. A cold
taken after Turkish bath IS always IA
tai.
Four of rs went, together with two
servants who carried our towels, bath
ing dresses and lunch. 1t il m all days
Job, and the ladies all take lunch with
them. I had q number Of very hand
some and curious things given me Mt
tho exposition by the Egyptian and
Turkish COMMISSIONS and among them
were large bathing towels with borders
Of gold woven in also bathing dress
similarly decorated. Ny friends insisted
on my taking them, and they made of
me while in the bath y person of no or
binary importance, for as it happens, no
one but royal ladies are permitted to
wear such IN public baths; however,
nobody interfercd with my right to wear
them, only admired me, got always from
. distance.
On entering We wero conducted to a
large room, whore we must undrcss and
leave our things. l think there were
fifty women there il all stages of undrsss,
who all paused to regard Us with curiosi-
" while We disrobed. Mon can pull
off their most sacred garments, toss
them in . heap, and run about rs If
nothing were amiss, but somehow l felt
- Eve did when she made the discov-
cry that she was little too thinly clad
for that time ofthe year.
A servant caught up our bathing
dresses and left the room, reckoning Us
to follow. We ran the gauntlet OF hun
dred pair Of eyes before We reached the
divan where | was laid, like defunct,
still with my clothes on. l raised my
head to see if could not find friendly
towel or anything, but the attendant
ducked my head back on the pillow
again, as mach As to say, die there.
1 did, but rolled my eyes around little,
and saw that there were at least twenty
moro women lying around in spots like
myself but they all seemed to take it
very easily.
The room vas very warm and grew
varnse psrcspdbly, though how l don't
knew, until 1 began to feel as if l should
suffocats, NATL my heart beat painfully
and I grew very faint, when one of the
women gave me some lemonade, Of
which drank two glasses. Then, all
Of sudden, l began to perspire, and l
looked IKE . pumpkin that had lain out
al night in heavy dew. I felt a. if !
was dissolving, aud waited patiently till
the end should come, and l should be
but the transparent essence Of what was
once . very substantial body; but that
time had not como. L was 90 sleepy
that I felt like calling very hard names,
when the woman came in and made me
get MP after she had rubbed me down
Ike race horse with pair OF very
scratchy gloves, which left my skin a.
red a. lobster. Then We, all being in
the same state, were led into another
great, vaulted, marble-foorsd room,
were the divans are made Of marble,
which 10 not at all soft to lie on. This
room was warmer than the last, tho moro
vapory, and the vapor was more strong
" perfumed with sandal wood. After
lying few moments the marble grows
seit, and sense of the most delicious
rsposs comes over you. You feel . soft
languor and dreamy content, and your
close, and you lay with q smile Of ex-
qaisits lazinsss.on your lips, and yeursyes
imagination flies off in every possible
when the sweet rspese 10 again
rudely broken, and you have again to
''move on"
Now, indeed, opens the door Of para
disc; you are led, still without ether
covering than nature gives you, into \
largo circular room with marble pillars
the blue dome that 10 spang-
led with stars. All around the room are
marble divxDs, and in the centre 10 an
imnsnss fountain, in the basin of which
are sixty or seventy girls and women
playing in the warm perfumed water,
or lying in all attitudes on the marble |
edges Of the basin. The water rises in |
enc grand column over fifty feet, and
falls back into an upper basis, while the |
lower one 10 undisturbed, except BY the
bsastiful white forms that 1t must de- |
LIGHT IN receiva