The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-03-21
A Turkish Clairvoyantc.

NECROMANCERs, seers and seeresses,
who profess to commune with the spir-
its of the dead, are to be found among
the occult scientists of Stamboul. One
of these was said to be an ecstatic
medium of great power. She was but
eighteen, and married, and had just re-
covered from serious illness, when l
heard that some Khanums of my ac-
quaintance were going to visit her.
Attaching myself to them, we found
the Eulu Faldje Kare in lonely, wind
ing street of a poor ncighborhood of
Stamboul. A crowd of all sorts of
women, rich and poor, filled her little
sanded ante-room. There mothers with
sick infants in their laps, come for a
"cure;" there were daintily-dressed
slaves from the Seraglio, wrapped up
in shabby feradjis; there were married
Khanums with the threat of divorce
hanging over their heads. There they
patiently awaited for hours their turn
to be admitted to the inner room. This
was rs poor rs the other. The seercss
seated on q low stool in the midst of
the uncarpeted floor, leaned over a low
brass mangal (or chafing-dish.) She
was plump, fair young woman, with
flaxen hair and eyes of peculiar tint.
She appeared to be excessively ex-
hausted, and could not repress long
and repeated yawns. She told us there
was great demand on her powers, and
that her strength was almost entirely
gone ut the end of the day. She would
do her hest for us. but in such state
of exhaustion her visions were uncer-
tain. Then, placing us before her on low
wicker stools, she bent over the brazier
and sprinkled on the live charcoal a
powder called a,nbara, the fumes of
which presently affected her rs one has
seen mesmeric passes affect amesmeric
subject. Her eyes were raised and had
4 fixed look, but she sat upright and
answered intelligibly the questions
which were put to her, by ourselves or
by the woman who acted as her second.
do not remember what she predicted
for the others of our party, but for me
she fOretold a voyage over the sea,
which was not very clever hit, since
she must have known that was a for
cigncr in Turkey, intending some day
to return to my native land. Still,
must do my fortune-tcllcr the justice to
acknowledge that did make an un-
foreseen voyage to India, not long after.
But the seancc, on the whole, was a
failure; and as the effect Of the Gmbard
soon passed off, the seeress returned to
her normal state, and begged us to
leave her to repose, which, in pity to
her WEAKNESS, we presently did. A
medjitlieh (about four shillings) was
looked on as liberal gift from our
party. some who had consulted having
! offered only beshlic or two "a beshlic
is about one shilling), and some had
given only a few paras, or pence. The
woman seemed still quite poor, and ev-
identity lived very miscrably, saving
most of her gains and having to sup
| port husband who had no calling. II
was said that grief at the loss Of her
baby had made her clairvoyant. She
was much sought after, from the fear
that her "gift'' would wear away as
her sorrow healed. Hers was looked
on as case of genuine mediumship,
and, to see her, l could not doubt that
she believed in her mission and powers.
-1inslcy's Magazine.