The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-06-28
Travelling With an Interpreter.

At Slatftza, pretty Bulgarian village
had fair specimen of the beauties q
travelling with an interpreter who wa
also steward and generalissimo OF my lit
tie party. ,
/ Pano had been in America, and Ia,
caught some of the smart habits of tina
energetic race; but he had not lost til
thabitual dilatoriness of an Ottoman sub
fleet. !, .,,.;.5-,.7s.s--
| He begged me not to trouble mysel
about dinner, as he had made inquiries
there were fowls to be had, and in al
hour he would have grand meal ready
consisting of soup, boiled fowl, stufet
cucumbers and melina, delicious Bull
garian pastry.
The very thought of this after a Ion,
days ride of over fifty miles, was decided
ly comforting.
PIANO disappeared into the family haunt
OF the inn, and leisurely unpacked my
bag, had comfortable wash and change
and, as it was lovely evening, took {
stroll through the town. -.
| l returned in about an hour and sal
down to read. was extremely hungry
| but knowing the customs of the country
was determined to be patient.
Time passed; / looked at my watch
and found it was more than two hour
since PIANO had assured me the dinne1
would be ready in an hour. / therefore
inwardly congratulated myself that il
would soon appear; possibly the fowl was
tough and required extra boiling.
In about quarter of an hour nv at.
tention was attracted by great hustle out
side, and an evident alarm among the
poultry, with sounds as though of missiles
f.fying about "What Is the matter, PIANO ~
II am trying to catch this fowl, sir. ~
"What fowl?o "Oh, this fowl for din.
ner, SIR" He had not even commenced
to cook the dinner, and it was now past
eight O'Clock.
But the delay did not lay there. When
the fowl was caught, killed and plucked,
it then occurred to them that fire was
necessary to cook it, and sticks had to be
found and blown into aflame; and all this
time the Khanjee's wife was, Of course,
talking vivaciously. g8 s5F{ 80
the pot was bubbling on the fire, and a
smell as of incense waited through the
air. AT ten O'Clock thought the SOUP
.,..re hs>---s5---.>-e5a-.---a--
something in a plate. What are you
doingf / asked. II have got some
rice, sir; it's capital for soup; SO I'm go
ing to putt in. Soon we shall have fine
dinner"
Now. ice nearly takes an hour to boil,
and he was deliberately, at ten O'Clock,
going TO put rice into the soup, which was
then nearly ready. 81 I
My patience was exhausted, and the
pangs of hunger were strong upon me
so, Selling the pot, | made off to my
room, and supped off stew and bread, to
the great disappointment of PIANO, who
would have had the whole of his promised
courses ready if I had waited till past mid
night. This is not an exceptional case,
but the rule of dilatory action than other
wise, and type OF the manner in which
the whole administration of the couh-
try, public, private and domestic, is car
ried on.
NV trouble with Pano, the interpreter,
was almost as great as my annoyance with
PIANO, the caterer At the risk of trying
the patience of my readers, l will give an
instance of the difficulties which usually
beset me.
am passing field. and espy crop
which have never seen before, and q
man working in the field. call up the
interpreter. Pano, what is that grow
ing there?" 81 don't know, SIR" ASK
that man, and find out all about it," He
talks to the man for about ten minutes.
"Well, what does he say?" HE says,
sir, that he plants little seeds, and it grows
like that" Does he give 1t 10 his horses
or cattley' Another long talk now takes
place, and the answer comes at last. :" No,
he does not give 1t to his cattle" "What
does he do with it, theni", More talk.
"He says it is little white seed. Sort Of
brown color" "Well, what does he do
with itg' A very long conversation, car
ried on in crescendo tones, and which be-
came very excited. Now we shall have
it. .He says. Sir, Hlats there is little
oil in that seed y Well, what does be
do with the soilp' Talk. He sells the
oil.'' do people burn the oil?' Talk.
" No, he says the people do not burn the
oil.r What do they do with it?v Talk.
"He says they eat the OIL" ~What Is the
name of itYr Talk. He says they call
ii different names" "What is it generally
called 2'' Talk. "He says it's sometimes
called sesame" He then plunges into
violent conversation, until you would sup
pose quarrel brewing, and at last says
This man says that cattle are very fond
of that"
This leads to new line Of inquiry, and,
at last, out Of all the answers, ] learn that
the plant is called sesame; that it Is grown
for its seed, which is made into oil; that
this oil is eaten with various kinds Of
food; that the refuse is given, in the form
of 'soil CAKE" to cattle; that it is q sum-
mer crop and profitable. BOXERS Turkey.
IA x-- = ~ % - :, :. = III = I r