The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-04
SOME TURKISH SUGGESTIONS
Epitome of the Many Signs That
Govern the Unspeakable Turk.

tOAAA IN COAloSHLitAAOpAC AAOblCis
There is no land on earth where more
superstitions prevail than this of the I'M
speaKable Turk. Some of them are inter
esting. If by any chance sparrow or
swallow flies in the window ana circles
three times around the room it is a sign
that blood relation of some one present
is about to die. There are many signs
and happenings that are supposed to pre-
dict marriage. For instance, if the fasten-
ing of young girls trousers breaks il
promises speedy marriage, and if a
horse sneezes when she passes one in the
street she is positive that her time has
nearly come. If her hair becomes unfas-
tened she knows that she will soon be
sought for, and if she goes to eat peach
and finds its kernel split she Is equally
certain that she will soon he welded
There are fully as many little charms
tried by the Turkish maiden to know
when she will marry as by her Christian
sisters, and, strange as it may seem, she
is quite as anxious to enter that state
When in summer bee flies in at the
window it is regarded as the harbinger of
good news, as is "a thistledOwn or a beetle
A moth at night flying about a light
means thoughts and good wishes from
immortals; the unexpected braying of
donkey a visit from an unpleasant ac-
quaintance If a man leaves his home
for business and walks along the street
and bird alighJs exactly in front Of him
three times he turns on his heel and goes
home, and no power short of an imperial
tirman will make him pass that place
again that day, for he is sure that if he
attempts to do so something win happen
him. A dog running three times across
his path will also turn him back
When Turk is starting out upon an
important venture he will say to himself:
The issue will be as | desire it if the
first three persons | meet have blue
eyes, Blue eyes being far less common
than black, he takes the chances, and
sometimes sees the three blue-eyes first
| never could reconcile the belief in writ
ten destiny and in the omens and signs
together. If it was the destiny of some
one to be killed by accident at such a
place and moment, OF what virtue would
an evil omen be or good onel He is
bound to be killed anyhow. Augury is
also made by the forms of the clouds and
by the eutrails of fish, animals, aud fowls.
by orange pits and the odd or even mum
Der of divisions in the pulp. IF red
orange was peeled by accident the person
feels great pleasure, as that betokens pros
perity and gold. When the sultan is about
to undertake anything, however insignih-
cant, all the signs are consulted. If he
II
means are employed 10 discover whether
it would be more propitious for him to 20
by land or water. Probably there is not
foreign minister or ambassador who has
ever been accredited to Turkey who has
not been annoyed beyond measure on ac-
count OF the unaccountable postponement
of dinner TO be given him at the imperial
palace, postpOnement that always
seemed TO come in the most awkward and
inexplicable time But if they had known
the truth it would doubtless have been
found TO be that on consulting the augurs
ii wasfOund that some condition or other
was unpropitious, and 50 the dinner was
suddenly postponed until the fates were
in some measure appeased.
1t would take volume TO tell all the
ramiications of the superstitious beliefs
in Turkey, and unimpOrtant as they would
be under other circumstances they really
have much TO do with the deciding of i'm
portant questions of international signifi-
canoe, and he who intends TO make that
country his even temporary home would
do well to study up their many supersti-
tions and try TO conform with their out
ward observance as far as is possible.