Litchfield enquirer., 1878-11-21
WHOLE NO. 275S

AN AuDTENcF WITH THE SULTAN. II well re- member the last time but enc that had the
 qualification of speaking to the Padishah. At
 the table at which had dined had sat Reouf Pasha, then Minister of War, Said Psslla, Mar
 shal of the Palace; Namyk Pasha, perhaps the mrst influential Turk in the capital and eer-
 tainly one of the most honest Sanih Pasha,a man of energy, and; I believe, of honesty and Fuad Pasha, the victorof Elena. did neton
 that occasion fare SO we'll as ordinarily, for my companions of the spoon were quicker than was and gained much larger proportion of soup. vegetables, and pillaw than l could get. Still, had, perhaps not altogether failed with the side dishes of cheese and sweets, and was in the middle of one of the very finest cigars ever smoked when 1 was summoned to the presence of the Sultan. To leave the compa- nv was with was the work of a moment. On went, following my conductor through the
 short corridor which led from Said .Pashas room to the hall of paintings, wherein were deposited the lkenesses of the proceeding Sul- tars-Sultan Mahmoud on horse charging furiously. into the clouds, the same redoubtable
 monarch of his horse waving his sword at the spectator ]? Abdul AZiz in a contemplative mood, and another of the Caliphs, whose name never learned leaning on a chair in sleepy but doubtless majestic manner. had noted | all these when ennuch came up and told me
 that the Sultan awaited me. A few steps and
 I was in the private sitting room of his MaJes- ty. Would you know what kind of apartment 1 the Grand Turk chose for his own It was by no means sumptuously furnished three gilt chairs, couch, clock, two vases of some value, little table, and couple of paintings
 completed it's appointment. St0p-there was likeness of Osman Pasha, or drawing which purported to be likeness of that redOubtable General, to which the Sultan drew my atten-
 tion. In appearance his Majesty-who be- | leve is about 37 years of age-is not unlike the
 typical English philosopher; he has very grave face is of sallow complexion, and has, 1 since his elevation to the throne, worn an anx- l ious expression, to which, it is said, he was stranger before he became Sultan. He speaks l in a very low tone of voice, without any such | gesturoS 0o moot Orientals indulge Tn, and | dresses altogether in European fashion, with | the one exception of the fez, which, of course,
 he always carries It is not his habit to wear either rings or jewelry, plain pearl studs adorn his shirt frcnt-that is all. Except when giving
 State audiences, or presiding at State ceremo-
 nies, he wears no order or ribbon. As he con verses melancholy smile frequently crosses | his features he gives an observer the idea that he is weary, and indeed sad, and 1t is very possible indeed that he is. Of a nervous tenn | perament, he is rather above the middle height | somewhat broad across the chest, possessing powerful hands, generally speaking, fairly strong man. He wears both whiskeFs and mustache, leans his head somewhat forward habitually, as though thinking. While talking
 he has habit, when not smoking, Of playing with some article or other which may chance
 to lie upon the table. Every now and then he
 would produce from side pocket notebook
 in which to jot down anything which might | appear to him worthy of remembrance. In
 visitingthe Sultan was usually accompanied by
 the Marshal of the Palace Said Pasha, and on
 these occasions we invariably found his Majes- l ty standing by the side of the table waiting | our arrival. .On my entering the room he al- | ways shook me by the hand, asked me, in few Turkish words how I was, and then, talk
 ing chair for himself, motioned me to sit down. As I did so. Said Pasha was command | ed to take another seat, after which the Sultan offered me cigarette from his case, and, light ing his own at the candle told me to do the
 same. Generally speaking, the eunuchs or any other attendants who chanced to be present were ordered to retire, and they then went us-
 ually into the next room but one, where they could, had they been so disposed, see into the apartment where we were, but whence they | could not hear word of what passed. On the l occasion of my return from Plevna was re- | ceived by the Sultan in one of the apartments | of the harem, and that evening his Majesty, Said Pasha, and myself were alone, with the
 doors shut. GGy's PIeUnd, tts SuttaB and tte Porte. ..
 | ADMINISTERING AN OATH TO CHfNAMEN. - | Tn the county court the trial of the People
 against An Chee and An Quong, indicted for l robbing China woman of jewelry and other
 valuabes, was begun to-day. The parties to
 the suit being all Mongoans, it was concluded to swear the witnesses by the most binding Chinese form. As the ceremony consisted of
 sacrifice both of fire and blood, it was fou Id necessary to adjourn to the sidewalk in front
 of the courthouse. A chicken and the neces- | sary joss sticks or wooden tapers were procur- | ed, and the latter stuck in the ground and
 lighted. While they were burning the prose cutting witness, the woman who had been
 robbed) held an animated consultation with | the Rev. MT. Nevin, court interpreter, after which two wax tapers were lighted, and, after being brought in contact with the neck of the chicken, were stuck in the ground Now be-
 gan the serious business. A formidable piece of yellow paper, covered with Chinese chal,.
 ters, was brought out and handed to MT. Nev-
 in who declined to receive it, saying in En-
 glsh that if he or any white man read 1t the ceremony would lose much of it's force, as the
 witnesses would claim that they had not un-
 derstood him. The document was. then ieu-
 dered to several Chinamen, all of whom refas-
 ed to read it, each saying in good English that
 he would not read the paper for hun ir5d thou
 sand dollars. ........ N t
 Finally chinaman was found brave enough
 to undertake the office. He read the dread
 formula first to the woman who repeated it as he read At it's conclusion large bundle of
 paper, previously prepared, wHs lighted, over
 which the woman stepped a couple of times
 and then took possession of the chicken and l fha sooriAniol knife a plpavnr .qhanad inplp-
 ment. which had lain by the side of the fire
 during the reading of the oath. The male wit
 nesses were then arranged in front of the fire,
 the oath was again read, each repeating ii after
 the reader, who, after he had finished reading
 it, threw it on the fire. The Chinamen then,
 one by one stepped over the fire, the head Of
 the chicken was chopped of by the woman, and the sacrifice was accomplished. We made
 an effort to get translation of the oath. but
 were unsuccessful. .--L0s AfageSOs (C0L) ) HeTatd
 October 20. fa ,.,......,.,. . s. -. .l',...5