Smyrna times., 1892-05-18

yOre. On the left, far down henaatI
our feet, is spread out the BosnborT,
Gotted with ships and kaiks. Wills
rom lts shores rise the pew imnerio
palaces of DOlma Batche and Tcbera
San with a whole series of atateI,
tt1oKlng older buildings and mosques
.ueir inverted images forming a olear
ing line in the waters below them
opposite lies Asia, still blue with the
llsIs OF early morning there is Sen.
tarl, with its domes and minarets IL,
fou sasI cemetery, its gloomy cypress
atn ltnests' On the right are the wide
SUloIchlhg distances of the Sea of Mar
mora on which we can make ont the
S.'aii am0oats going to and fro, dimIv
ou!llned ON the diaphanous blue-gray
OGJecIs ? with trails of white smoke
1ruIy well chosen is the site of this
stronghold, built as it is, on two oreat
T TIohGlhenCs of the world, DOMINATING
AuEkey, ylng at its feet. And how
sIeaC Is the peace, how great the mel-
a.ncnOiy splendor of its complete isola-
Ulon' Iar away from the turmoil of
modern eastern life, in the absoInta
sense OF abandonment. beneath fbo
shine. N'e"iy Sun
when the guardian of the treasures
an ola man with a white sbeard nroI
pared to open the iron gate with bis
saeaC Keys, twenty sworn-in subordi-
= iia.es, ten on the right and ten on the
!eit' formed in accordance with invar.
iaOle etiquette, two hedges. with a
i"Hg ne between, guarding the approach |
we passed between the double file |
anu anu entered the rooms, followed bv |
NO cave of Ali Baba ever contained
'uch riches For eight centuries
hatchiess precious stones and pricciess
harVels OF art have been boarded mn
iere. When our eyes, still dazzIed hy
ne outside sunshine, became accns-
omed to the obscurity, the diamonds
clntlllated on every side. A nrofn-
lon OF articles of unknown aga ond
nestlmable value are classed 9coord'
IS " species in different stories
lete l are weapons of every period from
lat OF fenghis Khan to that of Mo-
ahmed, weapons of silver and wean.
rs OF gold, loaded with precions
.onesi collections of golden chests of
very sIyle and every size, some COW
'eu Wlln rubies, others with diamonds
sapphire, some actually cut out of n !:
uSIe great emerald, resembling an
''Ilch's egg coffee services. fa1ons
~ eWeTs OF antique forms of exquisite
'auty. Fairylike tissues. saddles
.rhess, saddle cloths embroidered 7
lIh silver and gold, and bordered .
ltn ilowers in precious stones. graat o
airs OF state made to sit crOss-Iegged =
!, some, one blaze of rubies and Dearls
wing the whole pinkish hue. others
am q completely covered with emer. " ="
Is, ana shining with a green light p
e the ripples of sea water. Dc
m Lmn the last room, behind glass. a -
'uonless and terrible looking com '''
ny awaits US twenty-eight puppets
u! ire size OF life, standing erect in
Iitary style, in long row. shouIdar
shoulder. They all wear the loftv
II SNAPPED turban, which has baen trC
OF use for more than century. and wa
low only seen on the catafal6ues of
at, defunct dignitaries, in the half
u OF funeral kiosks or turbehs or CO..
Ved on tombs in fact this form 0f be-
L'n ls al"ays associated in my mind
u ueath. Until the beginning of 4
century, whenever a sultan died OH
'uppet, dressed in the mouarch,s Ing
es VI state, was brought to the
asury, wearing wonderful weapons
. Sasi ana on its head a grand uTo
"a I9h win magnificent aigrette of ole
eis' AND here this puppet was TO the
am forever covered with wealth
ior all eternity to mankind The A
nty,elght Sultans who succeeded nice
other between the taking of Con. uslI
tInOple and the eighteenth century at a
each his dummy here, standing
IN court costume; slowly the IL
mn richly dressed party has in. mai
sed In numbers, the new fnnoreaI wOr
'es arriving one bv one to toIo Let
places IN the long line of ancient "ro
ans VINO have waited for them
lreds OF years, sure of their coming a
er or later. They touch shouIders Is IL
an these phantOms of those who wat'
led at wide intervals from each DOW
r brought together by death in the softe
dreary nOn-existence.
eIF iong robes are made of won. FC
II brocades, embr )idered with out
erious designs in colors duIled bv throi
priceless dappers tho Ill - 1y and
lhgie, precious stone, are rnstin0 oIhe
,te OF all care, in the silk sasbes
seems as if the lustre of the Ur
diamonds of the aigrettes in the ping
ms was dimmed with age. for tbev waite
with yellow and exhausted rubh
of light. "'''eu dippt
4 this extraordinary luxury Co
IIeq with the dust of ages. is
melancholy to contemplate Of Tn
,us magnificence, these fipnres IN again
loity turbans, the object of the result
BUSINESS OF so many human crea- house
guarded so zealously behind prOsti
IRON doors, alike useless and haps
rous' see seasons, years, reigns quart
.nturies pass by, revolutions 9c. the st
lshed in the same immobilitv tho soon
silence; scarcely lighted even in the oil
ytlme, behind the ancient. grated ever,
ws, and in total obscuritv as soon inc.
sun sets. Each one bears his is con
IL an empty sound, but once il. and is
US and terrible. Murad the those
eror, SOliman the Mapnifcent places
1med and Mahmud. I tbint reason
lgures gave me more awfnI safe as
d the tragility and nothinnness dent o
an an lie than anything / ever of GRIN
rteTre Lott an Harper's WeekIv might
-----s.---- much,
r,4o tian ch