The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-11-24
THE COLUMBIAN, VOL. X, NO. AZ
DEMOCRAT, VOL. XII, NO. ss
The Sultan Prays.

Suddenly, do not know how, or from
what quarter, the feeling, for / could not
call it information, was..diff'used that the sue
cessor of the Prophet would pray at the
mosque, in Ortakeui, and that ihe would go
by caique and we all scampered up the
road a mile or two, racing carriages, troops
and footmen in eager outset in order to ar
rive before the pious man. The mosque
stands upon the Bosphorous, where its broad
marbled steps and pillared front and dome
occupy as conspicuous position as the Dog
ana at Venice. We secured standing
place on the dock close to the landing but
outside the iron railing, and waited A cor
don of troops in blue regimentals with red
facings was drawn around the streets which
were in the rear of the mosque, and two
companies of soldiers in white had stacked
their guns on the marble landing, and were
lounging about in front of the building.
The scene on the Bosphorous was as gay
as a flower garden. The water was covered
with graceful caiques and painted barges
and every sort Of craft, mean and splendid
that could be propelled by oars or sails. A
dozen men-of-war were decked with flags
from keel to maintop; on every yard, and
from bowsprit to stern stood line of sailors
sharply defined against the blue sky, At
one o'clock a. cannon announced that the su-
and then from every vessel of war in the
harbor salute answered salute in thunder
that awoke the echoes of two continents
until all the broad water lay thick battle
smoke, through which we could distinguish
only the tops of the masts, and the dim
hulks spoutng fire.
In the midst of this earthquake of piety,
there was a cry "He comes, he comes :" the
soldiers grasped their arms and drew line
each side of the landing, and the officials OF
the mosque arranged themselves on the
steps Upon the water, advancing with the
speed of race horses, we saw two splendid
gilded caiques, the one containing the Sui
tan, the other his attendants. At the mo-
ment light carriage with two bay horses.
unattended, dashed up to the side door, and
there descended from it and entered the
mosque, the imperial heir, the son of the
late Sultan and the nephew of the present,
slender pale youth of apparently twenty
five or thirty years. We turn mot knowing
how soon he is to become Sultan Murad V.
our eyes only to him for moment, for the
Sutan's caique comes with mperious haste,
with the rush as it were of victory hun
dred feet long, narrow, rising at the ster,l
like the Venetian Bucenteur, carved and
gilded like the golden chariot in which AL
exander entered Babylon-propelled by fif-
ty-two long sweeps, rising and falling in
unison with the bending backs of twenty six
black rowers clad in white and with naked
feet The Sultan is throned in the high
stern hung with silk on silken cushions, un.
der splendid canopy on the top of which
glstens his arms and a blazing sun. The
Sultan, who is clad in the uniform of gen.
eral, steps quickly out, walks he steps
over carpet spread for his royal feet the
soldiers saluting, everybody with arms
crossed bending the body,-and disappears
in the mosque Charles Dudley Warner ;
ScriJner for December.