Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-10-07
People in Constantinople.

lhe lower orders proper live very much
like their brethren in Christian countries.
Both men and women work. The wife
helps her lord and master in the daily toll.
washes, cleans and keeps the house in or
der; she has neither time nor opportunity
1or frivolous amuscmcnts, consequently she
Is more respected both by husband and
children, and knows not the heart sickness
ana WEAKNESS OF the harem. But even
mere women do not eat with the men, and
! never stir outside their domicilc unveiled
There is no middle class among the Turks,
There are the rich or easy and the poor.
These two orders are constantly CHANGING
places. The rich man of to-day NAV be the
| poor one of Tomorrow You will know him
| by his shabby. greasy coat and unbrushcd
shoes. He will make no effort to keep up
an appearance. You may see him buy some
simple fare and eat it in the street on his
way to business or home. He has lost his
place: He is poor. He is neglected. Meet.
ing him thus you might suppose him a shoe
mcndcr. or Il low class coffee house kccpcr.
yet he has only just missed being Il Pacha.
and few months more will probably rein
state him in the position he has lost, The
men and women of the country arc natural
ly all on a par. There is no genius, no tai
cnt, 10 cmncncc of virtue among them or
there be. it is banshcd as soon rs il darcs lift
ITS head. One man is as good as another. \
ialr address, Il smattcring of French, and
good luck arc all that are wanted to
make nobody First Minister: but the same
fortune grown tickle may hur him from his
post, and he sinks lower than what we nm
derStand by the poorest gentlemen" One
fact battles European would-bc rcformers.
we are always meeting with surprises.
There IS nothing solid anywhere. There is
no public spirit. no landed interest, no trade
lnterst. no personal notwithstanding to
grappc with. Everything Slips tnUuglr
your fingers. The laws exist, but arc not
enforced. 1t is nobody's business la cnf"r""
them property il yours to-day, mlnc to-
morrow, and a week hence it may he Nah
moud's, or Salnct's, or Ahmed's. The one
thing permanent among lis is the watchful
jealousy of the various nationalties. 1t is
the different Consuls that keep order here,
not the Turks: and were it not for this
protection Europeans could not live in
Turkey. The Turks are indifferent trades
men. Nearly all the shops in Galata and
the whole Of those in Pera are kept by
Europeans. The Greeks are the chief
traders, though II smart business is done by
the Lcvantines. The most fashionable shops
are French, hut there are Il few irst-ratc
English and American ones. \ large class
| of Turks hawk their wares in the street
They are for the most part fine. stalwart,
civil-spokcn men. They shoulder enormous
baskets containing chccscs, creams. fruits.
vegetables and many other comestibles, and
furnish more than half the Authorization Of
the city. The habits of these men arc very
Simple they live chiefly upon bread and
fruit; but they also know the secret of the
pot au lcu: and often ! have seen Il knot Of
them after their days work, grouped under
4 shed or on Il green spot ofcarth mixing the
| ''savory mcss''-you will perhaps be shocked
to hear that the pot contains vegetables
! of onions large sharel stcwcd in oil A
somewhat strong-tasted mutton called Kara
mani is the Elvoritc food of the Turkish up
| per classes. Pilaffis alsoan everyday dish,
wherein Europeans also delight. The chief
! fault of the Turkish cooking Is the enormous
| quantity OF grease and fat consumed, and the
excessive sweetness Of many of the dishes.
Temple Bar.