The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-01-02
The Streets of stamboul.

A writer describing the streets of
Stamboul says every nationality IN
der heaven seems here to have given
each other rendezvous for business and
pleasure. Mussulman, jew, and Chris
tian-Syrian, Greek, and Turk-Frank
and Arminian, with all the nondescript
Levantine brood of half breeds and n.y.
birds of every color under the sun, from
the Ethiopian and the Moor to the Cir
cassian, here jostle each other, and seem
almost equally eager in pursuit of some
invisible object. No tnuoNe has the
predominance, for ten languages at least
assail the ear at everlsstep. Clusters
of bright. colored Feri1&ees are met at
every step. Ladies' and their attend
ants, old and young, dark and fair, meet
the eye at every turn, Offering q solid
resistance to any attempt to make way
against the current while flashing eyes
and voluble tongues give further evil
dence of vitality and ubiquity. Women
chatter with the shopman, toss his goods
about, appeal to his conscience, and de-
precate his wares with as perfect and
practical understanding of woman's
privileges a. the most advanced of their
European sisters. The fast possibly
lends sharper edge to their speech,
aud increases the vivacity of their desire
for bargains. In any case, I should
Judge that both the grave Turk and the
plausible Arminian have enough to do
to hold their own against such keen,
knowing customers. To those who have
never been in q Turkish bazaar fear it
would be impossible by words to convey
any clear impression of the scenes which
arrest the eye at every moment, and
every one different from the other. Al
bert Smith tried no mean powers of
description, and ended by presenting a
gorgeous picture of heaped up riches in
every form and shape, from cashmere
shawls and jewelled pipes to glittering
arms and embroidered slippers. Never
theless, the miles of these intricate Gov
cred ways, lit only from above by small
sunk windows, with a line of shops on
each side, and stalls jutting out in the
midst of pushing crowd of busy lec-
pie, of porters with heavy loads, who
expect you to look out for the safety of
your own head and eyes. have altogether
q distracting effect. Nothing but sim
cere and conscientious desire for per-
sonal knowledge of the most practical
kind would ever take visitor through
o series of successive explorations into
the deeper byways of this vast labyrinth
to end. Perhaps passionate longing
for Oriental china, of which there are
some rare and beautiful specimens to be
picked up, or Persian carpet of IN
rivalled colors, the indulgence, in fine,
of any strongly dew Hoped collectors
mania, might carry the day and make it's
victim find compensation for days of ex-
hausted strength; but do not believe
in persistence under weaker impulses.
To the traveller, nevertheless. in search
Of the most characteristic traits or dIt-
tinctive features of each place and peo-
pie he visits, let him not fail to gu to
the two great bazars of Stamboul, and
he will carry away with him memories
OF Turkish life and customs nothing else
can supply and which time will not
easily 0Diterate."
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