Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-05-08
A CUP OF COFFEE.
How Obnoxious Personages Are
Disposed of in Turkey.

Coffee in Turkey is not, as with us,
mere commonplace article of ordinary
consumption; it is one of the institu-
tions of the country; and very much
more important institution than persons
who have not travelled in the Turkish
Empire can possibly imagine.
Apart from its household use, coffee
affords, alike to the Moslems and to the
marvellous mixture of races that inhabit
the headquarters of Islam-the worlds
natural center, geographically and
ethnologically-the principal means of
mild dissipation for all classes.
The Moslem is the most temperate of
races; all Intoxicating liquors are for
bidden by the Koran and none but
few of the higher class Turks, in large
cities like Constantinople, Smyrna and
Salonica, whose contact with Europeans
has destroyed their inner faith in the
prophet, and made them practically
though not avowedly infdels, ever
dream of breaking through the prohibi-
tion.
When the days work is done, little
marble-topped table on the edge of the
sidewalk, a tiny cup of coffee, and
narghte or ''hubble-bubble" (the East
ern pipe) are all that the richest Turk
ish merchant or the poorest han1aL
(street-porter) needs to pass the time,
and to elevate him into the seventh
heaven of indolent and serene enjoy
ment.
A wonderfully striking spectacle can
be viewed on any fine summer Sunday
afternoon, from the deck of one of the
passenger steamers that ply up and
down the Bosphorus, between Galata or
Scutari and Thesopia, Buyukdere and
KAYAK. Almost every terrace and
coigne of vantage on these lovely shores
are literally covered and carpeted with
the teeming population of Constantine
pie; all quietly enjoying themselves,
each at his or her little table, over in
fnitesimally small cups of coffee
and pipes-or cigarettes, in the
case of the Greek and Armeni-
an ladies, who are the most
numerous representatives of their
sex. The beauty of the scene is en-
HANGED by the fact that the ladies dress,
for the most part, in silks of the bright
est hues, the Turkish ladies, when out
of doors, mostly in silken wrapper of
but one color-cerise, mauve or crimson
the broad masses of color thus produc-
ing most artistic effect. On holiday,
oh t-cie |, Tod nbc arr;,
that the banks of tho Bosphorus, in
themselves bright enough at intervals
with great thickets of roses, trailing
masses of Bougainvillias and other daz-
zling creepers, were laid out in contin-
uous parterres of the most brilliant
fiowers-the flowers being, as a matter
of fact very human indeed. There is nc
horse-play going on; no noise but an oc-
casional unobtrusive trio of violins,
mandolins or zithers, or their Turkish
equivalents; and hardly any movement
until the hour for retirement arrives
Turks, Greeks, Albanians, Armenians
and Jews are all content to while away
ment, without any excitement or occu
patton beyond slipping their coffee.
The beverage-if may so designate
semi-fuid of somewhat denser con
sistency than the richest cream-alsc
plays an indispensable part in the cere
monies, private, diplomatic or public
and nowhere in the world is every do
tail of ceremonial more strictly OBJ
served than among the Turks, every
man of whom is one of natures gentle
men, whatever his shortcomings may
be.
A visit Of ceremony, be it to mer
chant or to pasha, is incomplete with
out the coffee. Sweets often a jan
made in Scio, of orange or lemon
blossoms, or of rose-leaves, are general
ly handed round, and no little dexterity
is required to gracefully lodge spoon
full under heavy mustache (the at
tempt always left me in a lamentablt
state of sticky miseryD but whatever
else is given or withheld, the coffee Is
always derigUeur. And it can not bt
refused without mortal offense.
Advantage is taken of this socia
canon-for Turkish gentleman woulC
rather lose his ulife than be guilty o
a breach of etiquette-to utilize coffe,
for its most important function in tht
internal economy of Turkey. 1t is no
too much to say that it has many tint
changed and will many times again in
f1uence the destinies of the entire EN-
pire and of the East.
A ~ 10 al, i,,xy yaria IL
selected as the means of administering
poison; and poison is the ultima rdti
of Turkish statecraft. More so nov
than in former times, since the practica
abolition of the death penalty by tn,
present Sultan.
The death penalty has not, it is true
been formally discarded, but it is i'm
possible to get the reigning Sultan L
authorize an execution. The story goe
that in his childhood his nurse predict
ed to him the loss of his own life if h
should over sign death-warrant
Brigandage and lawlessness have, o
late years, increased to such an alarm
ing extent that hear the Sultan ha
recently sanctioned the trial by court
martial and summary execution
brigands taken in arms: but when Va.
in Turkey the scruples of his Imperi'
Majesty drove officials charged wit
custody of particularly formie
desperadoes to the surreptitious
tion OF ingenious but ur-