The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1875-03-03
NO. 1913
80
TURKISH LIFE.

Mr oscanyan, formerly Turkish consnl at
this port, delivered lecture on "Domestic
Life in Turkey" before the New York
Liberal Club at Plimpton Hall, one evening
recently. He began by describing the in
terror of TurkisI, dwellings, and the mode Of
life Of their occupants:
The Turkish husband, it would appear. haa
. portion Of the house set apart for himself.
whore be receivesand entertains his cueata
just as the women have their harena. which il
ifvioiate. The speaker alluded IL Ills strict.
observance by the women Of the modest
custom Of remaining yelled in the presence 81
strangers
In ailuding to polygauy the speakss. said
Brigham Young had only revived the PRACTICES.
OF those ancient Arabs which Mohammetl had
endeavored to check when he enioined tho o.
true believer to take as wives two or threes
women, as he pleascs and no more, and Il he /
takes another it is to be one Of the slaves
whom he has acquired, thus limiting No
hammedans to three wives and ono ct cetsrn
Oriental houses have immense gates, and
knockers are used instead of bells. The
slave who admits the oriental visitor resolves
his slippers en- entering All tile Turkish
houses are three stories high, aud what
answers to the American parloror sitting room
is at the top of the house. This is the case
because the turks are great admirers of NATURAL
scenery and select as the choicest rooms those
on the upper floor which command the best
view. Around three sides of Turkish apart
nenss are wide scsss, the " es.cs..s.. !, being
misnomer and unknown in Turkey.
Mr., !Oscanyan stated that upon his first
visit to this country he called upon 4 young
lady and was very much astonshed at being
Informed by tue servant that She was sitting
on an ottoman IN tho back parlog'' which
made him 10th to intrdde; as lie MS Unwilling
to see one of his countrymen III Such hi iui-
proper position. He also disabused his.
auditory Of the popular belief that the fol-
lowers CT Islam sit cross-egged, stating that
they kneel
The Mohammedans greet one another by
touching the forehead and then the mouth,
and the stage representation of Turkish
salaam is an absurdity. The speaker exhib-
tied chibouque and narghile pipes, and Illus
trated the principles of BOTH Orientals, he
said, do not smoke as we do, by drawing in
the smoke merely in the mouth and immedi--
ately expelling, but inhale it into the lungs.
He thought that this kind Of smoke was II
benefit instead Of an injury, aud assisted re-
SEPARATION.
He also exhibited tho Turkish coffee-cnp
| (about the size Of an egg pnp) and stated thol
visitor (even if she were lady) was always
offered pipe and cup of coffee in Turkish
houses, which it was considered breach Of
etiquette to decline. In the case Of the caller
being lady she need only place her lips to
the mouthpiece of the pipe.
The Turkish costume, he said had under
gone great modification of late years, the
European style of dress being largely adopt
ed. One of the reasons that the Janizarsoe--
a military order--were disbanded was that
they refused to adopt the European moditca-
tions in costume prescribed to the army by
the father Of tho present sultan. The Turks
retained their head gear, the fez, indoors---
not from any religious scruple, like the Qual-
ers, but simply because they considered it de-
corous to remain covered
A gentleman in the audience here inquired
why tho Turks took their coffee in such d-
minutive cups and in such small quantities, to
which Mr.. Oscanyan responded that at every
house visited they were expected to drink
coffee and so took only small quantity at q
time.