The Portland daily press., 1881-07-14
A Sultana's Marriage.
The Nuptials Of One of the Turkish Impe
rial Brides With an Aide de Camp OF
Low Degree.

The following description of the recent IN ar
riage of Naile Sultana, one of the imperial
brides, was furnished to the London Standard,
by an English lady, who was an invited
guest:
On our arrival at the house, large, build
ing, situated up steep, narrow street not lar
| from Dolma Baghtche palace, we were ushered
by half dozen eunuchs through an ante
room. in which lounged few attendants, into
fine apartment crowded with slaves. There
We were requested to wait as the Sultana had
not completed her toilet, coffee and cigarettes
being placed before us to while away the time.
We were just beginning to tire OF watching
the throng, when the stir without proclaimed
the coming of the bridegroom, man OF 70
years of age, short, and inclined to stoutness,
but not wanting in certain comeliness. Male
Sultana had herself chosen him at the Fridays
selamlik. This power of selecting husband,
by inspection, as it were, is privilege OF prin-
cesses of the house of Gilman, and is carried
to such an extent that even ii the favored gen.
t,eman already possesses a wife he musI d.
vorce her and wed the Sultana. Cases of this
kind are rare; BUT one at least has occurred
during the latter half of the present century.
when an officer was compelled, much against
| his will, to comply with the custom. Being
| rich, however, he sought, consolation III keep
| ing his discarded love in a separate establish
| ment, proceeding which is supposed never to
| have reached the ears of his royal partner.
| In the present instance, on the contrary, Me-
| hemet Bey was quite ready to embrace the
chance which fortune offered him. Poor and
| without interest, simple aide de camp, I'M
| certain OF promotion, he suddenly finds HIM
self the husband Of his SOvereign's sister, gen.
eral and highness to boot His appearance was
the signal for frantic rush, to which he respon-
ded by scattering quantities OF silver piastres Tin
olden days they would have been golden lires)
among the slaves. The bridegroom having
passed into the sultana's presence, the cere-
| mony of marriage was imme diately performed,
but only witnessed by the sultana's mother.
1t merely consisted in the Imam tying them
together with rope, and declaring them man
and wife. Directly this was over Mehemet
/ PaSha ESCAPED by side entrance to avoid being
mobbed and buffeted according to the common
practice of the slaves who must have been APP
peased by unlimited backsheesh. As soon as
the doors were thrown open the mob poured
the bride was sitting in state with sister by
her side. All the slaves, and also the few
American ladies who had been invited, bent
humbly down and kissed the hem of her gar
ment, but with US she shook hands without
rising, and motioned us to chairs very nearher.
/ A fair, sweet faced woman of some % sum-
mers is Male Sultana. She was dressed in a
slashed with gold, while long, white gauze
vail, likewise embroidered with gold, dropped
down from behind the little cap that sur
mounted her tightly drawn up hair. On he1
shapely hands and bosom sparkled magnificent
diamonds Her single button gloves had burs,
in fastening, and altogether her toilet was fal
less perfect and rich than we expected
beyond band playing European music in the
court yard. The whole affair was confession
of the economy now necessarily reigning at the
| palace.