The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-02
ORIENTAL LAZINESS.
The Turk Is Too INDECENT to Stand
Up.
There Is No Such Word as Hustle in
Their Lexicon-A Land Where They



Wait.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
1t is impossible for people ia the west
ern country, with their habits of stirring,
bustling industry and their indisposition
to allow a single moment of time to go to
waste, to appreciate the Incidence that
pervades all classes of people in the east.
The Philosopher Buckle, with an inge-
Nous refinement that does credit to the
mental acuteness, finds in the climate of
a country reason for almost any and
every popularity of character, and there
is, no doubt, much Importance to be at
tached to this consideration.
But the climate is not wholly respon-
sible, for in India the sun is as hot as in
any part of the world, and vet the people
have habits of industry that contrast
strongly with the constitutional Incidence
displayed everywhere in Turkey, and the
countries which are now or. at one time
have been under Turkish control. For
the 'uDspeakable Turk is not only him
self utterly averse to any exertion, but
has the property of being able to commu-
nlcate his aversion IN this particular TO
others, and it is only question of time
when all with whom he comes in contact
become like him; not exactly, perhaps,
but sufficiently so for the resem blance to
be recognized.
To strangers it is a matter of the ut
most astonishment how lazy a Turk can
be, and how repugnant to theTurkish
intellect the idea of any sort of exertion
can become. In the land of the sultan
NOBODY runs save on the most urgent
provocation, and when walking is done it
is under mental protest. Sittingis better
than standing, and lying down preferable
TO either To one who has never tried il,
the Turkish plan of sitting presents diff
ficulties that are not easily surmounted.
In the first place western knee-joints
seem to lack the power of adaptation to
circumstances that characterlzes the
knees of the Orient. When seating him
self according to the formula in such
cases made and provided the Turk will
FIRST CROSS HIS LEGS,
Then, by gradual and graceful gradua-
tions, and not too rapidly, will allow the
weight of his body to descend upon them
until firmly settled on the floor or divan
where he is not only solidly established,
but hes before him an improvised bile,
on which he can deposit his pipe and
tobacco, his glass of liquid refreshment
or even utilize as a writing desk. His
knees are fiat on the ground, his whole
picture one of coutentment and comfort.
L uO uldu lIOll WGSbGEH CllulCS bIlbS IL anu
finds his knees sticking out at an acute
angle, anything but graceful or pleasant,
while IN ten minutes his back will ache
In the most distressing manner, and the
pains in his legs and feet will compel him
TO rise and walk for relief But to a
Turk, squatting cross-legged. on the
ground is the acme of satisfaction he
will remain in this posture all day long,
and then rise and shuttle off in his awk-
wand slinnapc &c fnar,ob ct of lo
joints were an unknown quantity.
The national posture has an important
effect on business, or what passes for
business, in the land of the true believer,
for, as far as possible, everything is done
| sitting down. In a Turkish bazar the
shops are all small, to accommodate the
business TO the posture that is preferred
to all others. OF course, if the Turk
could transact business lying down, he
! would like that even better than sitting,
| but the practicability of such a thing
is recognized even by the Turk himself,
| SO, perforce, he sits and adapts his shop
to himself in such a way that when Allah
sends customer the shopkeeper is not
obliged to get up to wait on him.
His whole stock in trade is within reach
| of his hands, and when anything is
wanted he simply reaches out and gets it,
takes another Whit of his pipe and waits
| for the customer to buy. If the latter
does so, well and good; if not, no change
| is observable in the demeanor of the mer-
chant; he is not visibly elated by a good
day, nor visibly depressed when there
are no customers, for Allah is great and
will send bread somehow" His fatalism
is the secret of his equanimity, for he is
| perfectly convinced if Allah means for
him to get rich Allah will send him the
| customers, while if Allah has determined
that he is to be or TO remain poor
NO AMOUNT OF ExERTIoN
On his part can Illustrate the DEGREES of
fate. The same philosophy influences
his dealings with his customers. If they
are to buy, it is kismet, and there is no
need for him to exert himself; if they are
not to buy. he will have wasted his labor,
| so, Allah Bismillah, let them alone And
he does it, too, for if he were a craven
! image he could not display much less in
terest ia the words and actions OF his
| customers than he does.
| When a customer enters an establish
ment where articles of value. such as lew
| elry, carpets, arms, and the like are sold,
1 there is regular formula gone through,
without which the trasaction of business
| is supposed To be out of the question.
The stranger comes in, and if noticed
| at all by the proprietor it is with a grave
bow A mat is indicated, on which the
VISITOR SquatS as uncom1Ortably as he can,
and an attendant brings pipe and a cup
Of coffee. The goods asked for are spread
out on the floor between the two, and Sc
rious business begins with smoking
After few whiffs the visitor asks how
much he is expected to pay. and for a
few moments the merchant smokes in
silence, disregardiug the question. 1t is
repeated, when, after sufficient inter
val has elapsed TO satisfy his dignity and
give him time to think the matter over,
the dealer names a price four or six times
what he is quite willing 10 accept If
the visitor is experienced in Oriental
dealing he will receive this announcement
in solemn silence, and after due delibera-
ton will make an offer of about one
fourth of the merchants demand
A basis is now laid for negotiations,
and the dealer protests that he will be
ruined by accepting one plaster less than
the sum originally named, while the
buyer declares that his offer is far beyond
the value Of the goods, and only prompted
by the personal good will be bears TO the
proprietor. Little by little one advances
and the other recedes from the first
prices, and after an enormous waste of
time a bargain is concluded, the adjust
ment of the last plaster or two probably
taking longer than all the rest of the
tranaction. AS it is, both parties are
generally well satisfied and separate, each
imagining he