Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-02
An Ambassadors Life in Turkey.

The special correspondent of the Lon
don Isnses, at Para, writes an article on.
diplomacy with the following sketch
For the finest town mansion in Para.
and the loveliest paradise on the Bosuho-
rus, even with El0.000 or e12 900 as sal
AIRY in the bargain, l would not be an Am.
bassador in Turkey. We have nvel of
these exalted personages in this place, aud
all OF them are amiable, estimable, hos
pitable gentlemen l try to put myself in
their place with all my power of magma
ton, but warmly as l sympathize with
them, confess that ! see reason rather
to pity than to envy them. Not even the
proud consciousness of helping to WELD
the destinies OF empires would reconcile
me to the sights, sounds and smells of This
exeerable residence. Outside the lofty
gates of her palace home the daintiest lady
ambassadors must needs find herself amid
the horrors OF the Grand Rue de Pera.
saw one OF them the other day picking her
way from stone To stone as ii she had been
wading through the half drained bed of
the touleSt canal. She was preceded by
her swarthy capass, formidable guard,
with thick moustaches almost halfway
down to his belt, Il Damascus scimetcr
dangling on his thigh, and in bis hand a
long, heavy horse. whip to awe the multi
tude and clear the way before his mistress.
But what could that brave man do to pro-
tect the lady's silk skirts unless he lifted
her bodily out OF the mire and carried her
the shortest way to the place she came
froms How could even the escort of a
squadron of horse screen her from that
jostling rhrong of horrid men and beasts
who cross and press upon each other with
as helpless struggle as IL they
were all walking blindfolded? She
was brought face tot face with
one Of her sex, and of her own,
or OF scarcely an inferior rank,
when desperate attempt at conversation
was made. The first words were hardly
spoken when, with uncouth shouts of
'Guarda? GUARDIAN string of laden
mules with huge panniers came tramp
ing splashing, blowing their way through
the crowd, and ladies, ladies maids,
Greek and Armenian priests, derrishcs,
street porters and beggars, all had 10
make, pell-mell, for the refuge of the
nearest shop--a shop, rs it CHANGED
where there were many simmering brass
pots on the fire, as in a patent Kitchen,
but in which, instead of pillau or cour.
cousou, the greasytezzes orwoolen skull.
caps of Mussulmans, Greeks and Alba
mans were being boiled into brand new
scarlet purity The poor ladies must
breathe the outer air. carriages they have,
and sedan chairs one OF two of them ride
out; 10 say nothing of danger 10 life or
limb, nothing can save them from such
dead locks as the swarming mass of lin.
washed beings in the Grand rue is every
moment brought to; nothing can drive
from them the loathsome hands thrust
into their coach.wndows by the mendi-
cants, who have them at their discretion,
and know that they can eXtort by their
contact the aims which are denied to their
whining voice.
Indoors, however, the lives Of the wives
and families Of foreign representatives Is
not so much TO be dcplored. They dwell
in large, warm, well-aired, sumptuously.
furnished apartments, with servants of oil
colors, with boudoirs, billiard and smok
ing and windows with views of
the Bosphorus; the ladies have their books
and music, their flowers - light and
sweetness their modes de Paris, their aft.
ernoon tea and gossip; the men their
clubs and cards; and all dinner and
dancing parties, with ices and after mid
night suppers. Nothing more quantity
entertaining than European society in a
Leyant provincial city-and Pera, lie II
remembered, is only a suburb, and has at
night no intercourse with metropolitan
Stamboul-cap be easily imagined"