St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-06-29

sitting, smoking and fumbling their
beads, and made a salaam. We were
escorted to the central divan and when
seated the salaams went round the
room again. Mr.. Bond then entered
into conversation with the men who
were very anxious to know who we
were and where from. After a few
minutes sweetmeats were served ac-
cOrding to the universal practice of the
country. A daughter of the family
brings around tray, on which are
glass bowl containing some kind of
conserve, two glasses of water and
spoonholder. She passes it to the guests
turn, each one being expected to
take a spoonful of the sweetmeat, put
his spoon back in one of the glasses of
water and take sip from the other.
Whereupon his entertainer drops a
courtesy, remarking, "Da tee yeh slatko!"
''May it be sweet to yOu!" to which he
expresses his thanks. The same wish
is echoed by each of the guests sitting
around the room, and he replies by a
salaam to each in turn. Tiny cups of
Turkish coffee follow the sweetmeats
and the entertainment is complete. We
sat for some time in the house of the
pope, and then bidding the family adieu
took our departure. Turning around
we were not a little surprised to find
that all the guests had followed us, and
one of them who was chOrbaji invited
us to come and call at his house.
That title chOrbaji is little curious.
tits given to the head-men of Christian
village, and means soup-man. How
the appellation came about l do not
know, but it is a title of some dis
tinctiOn among the Rayahs. No Turk
would deign to be called a chOrbaji.
We were very glad to accept the in
vitatiOn, and all the men who had been
calling at the house of the priest fol-
lowed along to that of the chOrbaji.
Our host preceded us to the house and
entering first shook hands with each OF
us as we entered, as though he met us
then for the first time that day. We
all seated ourselves as before on the
divan the owner of the house occupy
ing the only chair on the vacant third
side of the room, his son standing near
by. The floor and divan were covered
with rugs of home manufacture, and
the walls adorned with few cheap
Autographs and photographs, besides
which the room was without furniture
or ornament, except quite an elaborate
carved wooden ceiling. We were en-
tertained as before, with sweetmeats
and coffee. Our host to do special honor
to us, standing while we tasted of the
sweetmeat, making salaam to each
with the usual formula, 'Dd tee yeh
SLatkO.n To show distinction between
us and his ordinary guests he sat down
as soon as we had finished, expressing
his hospitable wishes for the Others
from his chair. We learned from the
conversation that he was maker OF
rhdki, ,and on going out we asked him to
show us the process. Khaki is kind
of brandy distilled from grape juice,
and is very Intoxicating. 1t is the
curse of Turkey. First made and used
by the Rayahs, it has come to be used
very largely by the Turkish population,
whose religion strenuOusly fOrbids the
use of all Intoxicating drinks. Multi
tudes are destroyed by it every year
1t is a worse evil for Turkey than Mos
lem misrule and barbaric oppression
The chorbaji of whom | have been
speaking was a manufacturer in small
way, having only single still, which
consisted of simple boiler and worm
coiling through tank of water. Grapes
are very abundant about Eski Zaghra
and the ordinary country wine is al
most as cheap and plenty as water. Al
we took our leave of the chOrbaji anC
his family, another of our fellow-guest'
invited us to come also and call at hi'
house, and as it was just in line will
what we wished to do that morning we
accepted, and the rest of the company
followed. When we reached the house
a company of women were there max
ing a call, but they were hustled out tt
make way for us, and our corpulen
host entered the room to receive us il
the same manner as before. The same
ceremony was passed through here a
at the other places,-the son stood a
the left of the father, who occupied the
third side of the room, ,-sweetmeat
and coffee were served with the sam,
salaams and good wishes, and after /
few minutes of conversation, we cam,
away. The owner of the house receivet
our adieux at the door, his son a littl'
later, the wife, on the porch, the othe
women of the household, half way dow
the ward, and a female servant hell
open the outer gate bOwing as wede
parted.
Mr.. Bond keeps horse and Ameri
can carriage, and gave us such rid
that afternoon as we have not enjOye,
for many a day. The roads in Bulgari
are much better than those in ASH
Minor, many of them having been bull
by Midhat Pasha, the recent eX-Grand
Vizier, who was a former Governor o
the Province. c. A. S.
Pohart Co1leUa Const ntinOnle