Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-05-19
How the Sultan Goes to Church.

Frederick Il. Marin writes to the
| Troy Times from Constautinople, Civ
ing all account Of the spectacle pre-
scented during the Sultah's passage
from his palace to the Mosque. He
says: After breakfast we repaired to
the shore of the BosphOrus, aud thr read
ed our way as best we could through
the dense masses of people aud by the
aid of great good fortune managed TO
get upon one of the projecting docks
or jetties which run out froIn the
shore, thereby getting AN uneXcep
| tinntlly good view. Picture to your
self lovely, clnudless day, the banks
Of the rushing Busphurus lined with
one seething mass " human beings
kept back by u continuous line of
Troops. with bands of music stationed
at short intervals. From our standing
point We could command the marble
steps of the Sultan's palace, aud we
had not been standing many minutes
before the sound of "A great trumpet
was to be heard, aud we knew it was
announcing the opening Of the doc 5
of the Sultan's palace, and that he was
about TO descend to his barge. The
procession had no sOOper commenced
to move from the palace than the
firing of guns commenced from u fort
situated above the palace, which w9s
Immediately taken up and answered.
| by the men-of-war in the bay, and
amid the shouts of the populace,
strains of music aud the boom of many
guns, the most imposing spectacle that
| ever expect to see commenced its
progress. As IT passed on, the differ
ent bands struck, and 1 felt had never
been present at such wonderful sight
before. / will describe as well AS l
can the order of the procession. The
barges were all OF FURNISHED gold aud
glitrered in the sun, the bows and
sterns sloping gracefully up.
There were five in all. The first
was rowed by twelve men and occu.
pied by only a single abide camp
who stood motionless; with his arms
crossed upon his breast, and his head
bowed towards the boat of the Sultan
The second was rowed by sixteen
men, and contained two of the Sui
tan's staff, motionless as statute. Tn,
following and third barge contained
His Majesty the Sultan, and | shall
ever retain a vivid remembrance o
the splendor of this sight. This barge
was ruwed by tweuty-fOur men, anC
bhtll NClN a itIl NOhdt
to me. At every stroke they rose anC
stepped forward, and then receded I,
their seats with wonderful precision
and regularity. The Sultan sat in th,
stern, under ma nificent canopy o
crimson velvet, the deep frnges o
gold rejecting the rays of the sun
, Two of his staff stood mOtionless be
fore him, wiih their arms folded acros
their breasts and thtir heads bowe,
low, and they did not alter position
in the slightest all the time they wer
in sight. The only contrast to all thl
splendor was the Sultan himself. I
Republican President could not hav
f made less prerension to state and shol
than did this shadow Of God upo
earth" One order only glittered upol
his breast and he wore the usuu
Turkish f. 2. The Sultan's barge wa
followed hN two others, similar
fhnsr that receded it, but, instead {
buwlng towards his face, the officer
: were obliged to bow towards his beck
> We stood Nu'ching the procession ur
til it was qIite out of sight, and W
could but see that we had seen Sons
thing we should never see again !
orr lives. The surroundings, the bril-
liant sky ave our heads, the crowd
= of shippiug of every nation, mid IN
! people in their picturesque costumes
I the music and the roar of the guns
all conduced to deepen the impressio
I on our minds.