The Southern herald., 1884-09-20


Butnoshers does their extent seem pro
porsionase % the dsaih-rate. Florence
bses he question BY adopting the tene-
msal plan, making the graves deep and
buFying three people, one above another
ii each grave. At Venice the sea kind
" wipes ont the score occasionally on
the Lido ground, and other cities have
various expedients by which, while new
graves are added IN one direction, the
old grounds are correspondingly absorb
ed for other purposes, 50 that balance
or size is continually struck, and there
Is no sign Of increase. There is no such
faults however about Constantinople.
The most extravagant grumbler could
not take issue with the amount Of grave
there. There are grayeyards in the city
and graveyaFds beyond the walls. The
stones make saw-teelh everywhere upon
the hill-tOps and crop up in sprawling
plantations in the valleys. The city has
grown over the more ancient cemeteries
and very often one stumbles on the
stumps Of the old monuments cropping
up the cObbles in public streets.
These old graveyards are Of no par
ticnlar use now, but yet in a way they
have a commercial value. When man
buys one Of them all the graves and
bones and monuments pass with the
other fixtures and IL is considered poor
speculation if the purchaser does not
get stone enough 10 corner his lot and
pave his walks with. There are cases on
record where the yield suiiiced to build
front wall all across the lot but this is an
extra bargain, and not to be depended
on. The present swell graveyards-the
modern ones-Iie for the most part in
old Slanboul, along the Golden Horn.
This, Of course, does not include the
tombs Of the Sultans. A Sultan is of
such uncommon clay that he can't be
mixed with heterogeneous material even
after death; and 50, before he dies, he
builds for himself a mausoleum that
shall cover his bones, and his only, when
he i dead. He builds it Of marble, as
big as a church, and putting it wherever
his fancy listeth, he ornaments and
adorns it according to his taste. Inside
it is gilded and domed and has magnif,
cent tessellated pavements. The biel
stands in the center, and around the room
is placed a sort Of sawbuck, painted
black, on which the Korans can be rest
cd. Here they put the Sultan when he
dies covering him with a gorgeous clotf
Of black and yellow velvet, and at hii
head erect apole, with his turban wount
around it. Then he isshut up tight anC
left alone for year or two, till he be.
comes again approachable, when, hav.
ing canonized him as a saint, the priest
take possession Of his tomb and open il
tothe public as sort ofmosque.
One thing, however, done by the Sui
tans in connection with the mausoleumi
IS Of real practical worth. AT regular
intervals around their outside walls free
fountains are opened for the benefit o
the poor. Priests are always on the
spot to give the water TO any one who
asks, and the boon is one Of incalcuablt
benefit to the natives; for in hot weather
the well water in the city is malari
Gus and unwholesome. Good, sweet
water is brought long distances in pipes
and is so costly that if it were not fol
these fountains it would be entirely ou
Of the reach Of the poor.
The Turks commonly select a hill al
a site for a graveyard. The drainage il
better, and then, too, an opportunity
remains for getting ones headstone {
little higher than that of his neighbor
which is as dear to the Moslem as to hi
more Christian brother. Nothing in tn,
way Of expense is spared in erecting
these monuments, and many of then
are marvels Of curious workmanship
They are all of one shape-a slab forme'
like a cofin-lid, with the big end up
surrounded by a neck and head of ston
around which is wound a turban. TIL
cut and arrangement Of the turban varie
according to the rank Of the forme
wearer, and is painted red, blue, blacl
OF yellow, according to his social statiol
in life. The adornment of the face q
the slab is open to the widest flights Q
barbaric fancy Nearly all bear flower
gilded or painted upon them, the favor
ties being the water lily and the rose
Closely pushing them, however, is
nondesoript floral effort, more creditabl
to their heraldic art than to their botan
ical knowledge. Retween the flower
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