St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-11-28
Letter from Turkey.

InlS city is Il remarkable one IN many
respects, yet in the two weeks anC
a-half which we have spent here, We
have only begun to gain some definite
idea of it; for it is difficult for strangers
to find their way round the old portion
of the town, the streets are very mar
row and winding, not named, and re-
semble each other so much, it is an
easy matter to lose yourself and moi
readily find your way home.
Only few horse-cars have been in
trOduced, but European style, first and
second class, they are always divided
into two compartments or rooms, sep
arated by a curtain so the modest Turk
ish women can withdraw from public
gaze into the inner loom. As Friday is
their holiday, they thrOng the streets,
often gathering in crowds, dressed in
the gayest of colors of bright yellow,
fame purple, and grass green, resem-
| bling somewhat priests robe. The
women wear white cloth over their
faces and color their finger nails with
some garnet material. The children
wear long dresses, almost touching the
ground, reminding you of some of those
seen at the Martha Washington tea
parties a few Yeas since, but no hats
on their heads. On the ferry-bOat to
Stamboul the other day, we noticed a
little girl with her father, and she was
dressed in pink cambria trimmed with
white ermine, and green ribbon on her
head. 1t is now one of the great Mo-
Mammalian fasts and they do not touch
II mouthful of food all day, but can eat
as much us they like in the night, and
this manner of life does not seem to
agree with their disposition, and they
probably do not feel as well and strong
as usual.
1t is said that the Armenians do not
smoke on the cars nor boats during the
fast, as it excites the ill-will of the
Turks, but when the sun sets, probably
hundreds, perhaps thousands, of matches
light their evening pipes, and they in
dulge in smoking to their hearts, con-
tent.
Of course we have visited st. Sophia,
of which many of you have heard,
founded in 325 by Constantine, but
changed into a mosque by Mohammed
the Second, in 1853. The fist feeling
was one of disappointment, but it takes
time to realize its size and appreciate
all of its beauty and gorgeousness. AL
though built of brick, it is lined with
marble and inlaid with mosaics, and
some of the columns are said to have
come from the Temple of Diana at
Ephesus. There are a great number
of mosques which it would be interest
ing to visit had we the time.
We employed a guide to take us
round the bazaars, for they are so ex-
tensive; they are connected together
and arched over similar to those in
Brussels and Paris. In an Egyptian
one, we noticed many rich articles, a
table inlaid with pearls, costing 20 Twas,
the Turkish pound. Upon such a little
table as this the Turks place a very
large waiter and use for table while
eating.
Wooden carpets are not used here,
but rugs, and the Persian rugs are very
handsome, costing from $40 to SIS,
while the Turkish ones are much coarser
in comparison. Some of the floors OF
the rooms have large cracks and are
full of knots, but they do not mind it.
Few of the houses have door bells, most
of them knockers on the door. A SER
want will admit you by pulling a string
resembling clOthes-line, you pass
through the yard into the lower hall
and after ascending winding stairs, find
yourself in the family sitting-roon
which is often a very large hall. Divans
often extend across the room. You
NOuiu NC sui piiScu W Seb the NUMBER
of windows in the side of the house.
and placed so near together.
ConstantinOple has many suburbs
Pera where the foreigners and fashion
ables reside Scutari, where the mis-
sionaries, Home School, ETC., are To-
Gated. From our windows we lool
down half mile on the houses tina
gradually slope to the waters edge
The Mediterranean looks beautifully
blue, crested with lines of foam, Will,
boats are anchored here and there, ant
: the steam ferrybOats pass back ant
forth, while hundreds of caiques, long
narrow, pointed boats, are seen. Th
bright cushions, and oarsmen dresse,
in white, present picturesque appear
apce. Persons of rank often emplo,
J several 0arsmen and it is not uncommon
to see an ambassade with eight rover
! dressed in uniform.
= The old cemeteries here can Away
be recognized by the Cyprus trees; on
Tor every grave. Whole hillsides ar
covered with these trees, as tall an,
slender as the Lombardy poplar, onl.
5 such dark evergreen that they lool