St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-07-31
THE suLTAN,s MEALS.
what They Cost and the Way The,
Are Served.


penses are $1,000 day. For the 365
days last year he spent 81 100000.
No other human being of modern;
times is accredited with spending one.
fifth this enormous amount. 1t does
not included grand state dinners OF
other elaborate functions. Itis simply
for his majesty's regular everyday
meals
Queen Victoria, Emperor William Of
Germany, the czar of Russia, Ii Hung
Chang-not one of them spends any
thing like this amount. They are all
most extravagant diners, and the most
expensive of the worlds delicaeies are
piled upon their tables, but even by inl-
porting the costliest viands from all
parts of the world, their table expenses
are nowhere near the sultan's.
A strange feature of the sultanss din-
ing is that no one enjoys the food with
him. He eats alone. Never, upon any
pretext whatever, does he have COM
panion at his meals. He does not even
have dining-room, or dining-hall,
but takes his dinner wherever he may
happen to be. The menials, at the dim
ing hour search out his majesty, and
then in long procession, bring the
banquet to him, tables, trays, dishes
and all.
He may he in the palace, or in the gar
den, or any part of his great private
park, it makes no difference, he takes
his meal right on the spot. All the
morning the large corps of imperial
cooks prepare the dinner. As the noon
hour arrives, slaves are sent in various
directions to discover the whereabouts
of his majesty. Having done this, they
chief chamberlain, who then calculates
the time required to transport the num-
erous dishes to him without their get
ting cooled.
The chamberlain then stands beside
the chief server and superyises the
transferring of the different kinds OF
food from the kettles into the silver
tureens. These vessels are very elab-
crate. They consist of many shapes,
sizes and designs, and are beautifully
chased and engraved. They are SO con-
structed that they can be entirely sealed
up, leaving no chance for anyone to
drop anything into the food.
AS fast as each vessel is filed, the
chamberlain seals it and puts on it his
official stamp. This is guarantee of
its inspection, and that it contains no
poisonous substances. Over each
tureen bell-shaped felt cover is
clapped down tightly to retain the
warmth.
The dinner procession, consisting Of
over hundred persons, is then formed.
First come ten slaves, bearing the great
table 1t is of silver, and perhaps the
most exquisite table that has ever been
made The legs and sides are richly
chased, and the top is so highly poll
ished that it looks like mirror. Then
comes a long line of jublakiars, or first
assistants of the chief cook, each bear
ing on his head a tray, upon which rests
one of the silver vessels. These jubla
kiars are so perfectly trained in the art
of head balancing that no accideFlt--
not even the jarring of a dish-has ever
l.
slaves, bearing on their heads another
course, and after then1 come still
other detachments with other courses.
In the rear follow the slaves who are to
wait on his majesty.
The procession moves up to where the
sultan is standing. Two slaves run for
ward with a sillSen rug, which is spread
upon the floor or ground as the case
may be. On this a divan is placed, and
the sultan reclines. The table is spread
in front of him, and the tureens are
brought up. As each one is set down
the chamberlain steps forward and
breaks the seal. On each side of him
stands an imperial faster. The cham
berlain hands a ladleful from each YES
sci first to one faster and then to the
other. After it has been swallowed the
chamberlain then takes spoonful
himself, the sultan meanwhile watch-
ing the operation. Eyerthing being sat
isfactory, one after the other, are ar
ranged before his majesty, who runs
his eye over the many yiands. Then he
picks and chooses, eating a piece here
and a piece. there,@a Inouthful OF meat,
a spoonful of water ice, a sweet cake
and tiny fish ball. The sultan never
uses plate. He takes all his food di-
reetIy from the little silver kettles that
are arranged in a circle around him,
rarely ever using a knife or fork. A
spoon, his bread and his fingers, which
are constantly wiped by an attendant,
who stands at his side, are handler and
more to his liking.
He is usually attired in a loose penn
bazar and gegeiik, with his sleeves
turned up, and he generally manages
to be in a spot at dinner time where he
has clear view out over the Bosphorus
or his magnificent grounds.
After he has eaten all he wants, the
suItan sips his coffee and smokes his
ehibouk, lying back in quiet reveric,
which he calls taking his "keif."
The sultan-s whole household is at
liberty to take their meals wherever it
suits them best, and thus everyone is
served wherever they happen to be.
After the sultan has dined the imperial
body guard, the ehamberIains and 9TH
er high functionaries are fed. After all
the officers and others of high degree
have eaten, the soldiers and servants
get their food, and at the same time
all the men employed in the imperial
stables have theirs, and during the
progress of the meals any stranger,
whoever it may be, is at liberty to come
in and seat himself and eat. tits a sort
of perpetual free lunch, ana one that
;s enioved evfrV daY in ff,e YEAR nj fha