Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-27

detachmen;s OF soldiers and fresh bands
were appearing and taking their places.
"A closed carriage left the palace and
uroVe slowly down the hillside. In n was
one OF the youngest of tn" princes IMPERIAL
with red fez and hight gr;sJ military
cape setting OF his cha XIV baby face
opposite him sat gray bearded priest
a niue later a carriage with three ladies
OF the harem was driven to the mosque
one, Ene was IN white Vol. and the others in
piack. There was no attempt at conceal
ment or the features and the ladies' yayed
out or the carriage windows as vurIously
and unconcernedly as would an American
woman IRVING III Central Park.
Difference to Eunuchs.
There was period OF expectation and
>ien a stir caused by the grand vizier's
| progress to the mosque. Then the palace
servants, in ordinary dress. Just "a they
mad left their work would stroll down IN
groups. During all the time the big black
eunuchs. wearing the red fez and in loose
surtouts, or oNCrcoats closely buttoned.
We're conspicuous They moved about chat
ing with the officers and with the Of
nclals. L noted the very great difference
in their features, Some were very fine
some very coarse. The chief eunuch. with
heavy face, Nat nose and protruding
good-natured. The familiar squeaky talk
OF this eunuCh as he converseI with "A high
priest. whose delicate green turban and
graceful black robes set or "A splendid
head and finely chiseled features. Jared
somewhat, but II was apparent that the
eunuchs were shown more Difference than
the priests.
During the period of expectation
glanced down 10 the mosque and saw two
OF the young princes imperial in full mill
tary uniform drawn up attention" They
| looked for all the world like statuctte SOL
diers for they were as immovable as
statues.
The bell on the clock tower struck :.
which was the Turkish midday, and soon
after the black mueZZin appeared on the
balcony of the mnaret and facing toward
Mecca, his han S formed buEle fashion
above his mouth. emitted the mellow,
sonorous call to prayer. dwelling the
first words ana moving slowly around the
balcony while he repeated the call
Sultan Arrives.
There was more expectancy. The bugle
signal sounded. the palace gates swung
open and an open barouche. with big
chestnut horses in gold harness trappngs.
and driver in gold and brocade. swung
out. The sultan leaned back in the barouche
and the guards fell in while the carriage
proceeded slowly. The sultans white face
was set off by the deep red feZ waich COW
cred his head. His brown overcoat was
closely buttoned. but disclosed blue trou-
sers with scarlet stripes. / haI seen many
pictures of Abdul Hamid. but with "A good
square look at him l thought none of them
were true lillenesses. His brown beard
was streaked with gray; his high hooked
nose gave him the semitic appearance,
his forehead was full and keen eyes peered
out from somewhat bushy eyebrows HIS
face seemed very pale.
The shrill notes OF the fageolet mingled
with the brass instruments. the muezzn
continued his sonorous calls to prayer dur
ing the two three minutes that were &C.
cupied in the progress of the imperial car
rage to the mosque. At the entrance the
young princes imperial salut d with the
troops that were drawn up while the sultan
mounted the carpeted marble steps and
disappeared within the mosque.
There a wait of perhaps n quarter OF
an hour. Then the blare of military music
announced the temperance of his imperial
highness, the troops fell in the sultan en-
tered his brougham-a different one from
that in which he had ridden to the mosque
taking the reins in his own white gloved
hands and handling the spirited horses with
unconcern. He shifted the reins once or
twice and acknowledged the greetings of
his people by gesture of the hand. AT
intervals the troops uttered what sounded
like the hurrah of a political rally in the
United States. 1t impressed me as me
chanical rather than as spontaneous, but II
was part of the ceremony through which
the troops go every Friday. and in those
circumstances spontaneity perhaps was not
to be expected.
The Heir to the Throne.
Soon after the sul.ans carriage disap-
peared through the palace gates victoria
with the ladies of the seraglio returned
from the mosque to the palace The young
prince imperial who had driven thither
with the gray-bearded instructor and with
all the dignity of royalty had now laid
aside the cares of state. He sat on the lap
of one of the ladies' munching a sweetneat
and pearing out with childish curiosity.
The sight of this young prince imperial
caused me to recall the atmosphere of in
trigue In which those who are born TO the
purple of Moslem rule dwell. l inquired
from one of the European embassy at
taches if this child was the one that the
sultan according to rumor had picked out
for the succession. He shook his head and
whispered he would tell me about II later,
which he did. 1t is the elder prince imperial
that it is supposed Abdul Ham!d III hopes
to designate as his successor by a coup
d etat Under the Moslem law the sue
cession does not descend to the son of the
reigning monarch, but to his brother or
next of kin In that line and the cousins
also come before the sons. There are
dozen of the prophets line who have
rights in the succession. Inc next eldest.
the sultans bother Reschad, Is siXty-four
and consequently only a year or two
younger than the sultan himself.
Faction at Court.
Reschad is a prisoner in one of the many
gided palaces of the Bosphorus. though he
does drive about the city and enjoys the
appearance of liberty. His partisans are
said to form a powerful court party ana
therefore to be most feared. But there are
other court parties centering about others
of the heirs TO the succession, some or
whom are such hopeless debauchees that
there would be no question If they could
be placed on the throne they would be not
even clay to be nodded by their party.
lney would be putty only. In the midst OF
all this atmosphere of intrigue / wondered
what the next illness Of the sultan would
disclose and whether any OF those young
princes imperial whom saw ultimately
would reach the prophets seat or whether
when some of them came OF age there
would be sultan sovereign of Turkey.
But these reflections did not lessen my
satisfaction at having seen the Selamik.
At the same time l could not help con-
trasting the gorgeous military spectacle by
which the worship of the sultan Is accom-
panied with the simple sight of Sunday
in Washington when the head of "A Chris
tan nation walks quietly to modest
church and takes his place among the
worshipers just like ordinary citizen.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.