Semi-weekly herald., 1909-05-10
= form. DAMASCUS tables inlaid


modern maryels of every description
Should you dine with Turk, you
will observe many peculiarities. to
some of which you will lind 1t hard 10
accustom yourself The host and his
guests, squatted upon little mats,
await the servants who, bringing
tray, place it before the company upon
a low stool. On this tray, in several
hollow bowls with round covers. are
the viands Forks and spoons being
dispensed with. each man, stretching |
out his right hand, deeply scoops up
with thumb, first finger, and middle
finger held together, one or two mouth |
fuls from each bowl All the con- /
clusion of the dinner the guests file
out one by one, TO make their ablu-
tions at the fountain.
AS a Turk always invites himself
to dinner, 1t often happens that a
guest is unknown to his host. All the
better, indeed, If he be stranger;
and thus at the houses of the rich
pasbas one often meets motley
crowd: high functionaries of state, Of
fcers, merchants, and tradesmen.
Once at the palace of the grand
vizier, Hatil- Rifaat Pasha. while at
dinner l found myself sitting next to
q charcoal burner. He had simply
asked himself to dinner. 1 must hast
en- to add that, as for myself. had
been invited by the pasha's son. You
must not think tnat by staying to
late hour you will inconvenience your
most. The latter simply sends you a
night-robe, pair of babooshes tslip-
pers). and brief good night; and
then on a rug, stretched on the floor
of the selamlik, you are expected to
sleep till dawn. Often visitor re-
mains two or three days without in
forming his family where he is.
The Turk still keeps to the patri-
archal form of the early ages He is
never happy except when under his
own roof. There are thousands OF
people in Constantinople who know
no other part of the city than their
own immediate vicinage. Balls, con
certs, and theaters are absolutely un
known. Their only two forms of pub
lie entertainment are: one the karag
mes, the TurkisD clowns who, accom-
panied by drums and cymbals, or b!
couplets of poetry and some wild must
cal air, act in booths on the street
and the popular pehlivans, or wres
tiers, who are seen in squares and or
the outskirts.
These are the only diversions of the
common people. As for the dance, {
Turk once asked me: "How is it thai
you Christians do the dancing your
selves when you are rich enough to
get others to do it for you?"
Being lover of light, the Turk i.
an early riser. Clothed in long caf
tan, he leaves the harem at an early
hour, and going to the selamlik Cht
quarters of the men) in his bare feet
covered with light slippers, he remains
there, hour after hour, reclining on 6
divan, smoking. 1t is thus that he
prepares himself for the arduous du
ties of the day, which consist, as q
rule, of meditating upon the vanity
OF human wishes
The higher his rank the more nu
merous his visitors. All who come
are welcome, though the politeness ol
the master of the house varies accord
ing to the station of his guest. II
the caller be of his own rank, the
host rises to meet him, and then the
two salaam interminably.
The conversation is laborious. Be
tween grave question and weighty re
ply there is silence so heavy that one
might expect the birth of an epic
One might imagine that he was about
to hear two philosophers, so wrapped
is each in mist of profundity. But
when at last they condescend to speak,
one hears only time-worn platitudes,
which, however, are delivered with the
solemnity of a Solon. The voices,
though soft and subdued, are monoto-
nous to weariness; the conversation,
usually pointless. is at its best a re
chauffe Of old proverbs. Nothing is
ever said to surprise or to amuse !;
nothing moreover, about politics, re
ligion. philosophy, science. literature,
or concerning any of the great prob.
lens which elsewhere absorb the mind
OF man. Instead of this you will hear
little except the constant repetition of
those Dompous phrases which Oriental
etiquett demands. Your exalted high.
ness" MAY your health be increased,
Il am your unworthy slave" "The
dust of your mighty feet'-such are
the ponderous expressions one hears
in Turkish drawing room.
The Dogs Came Back.
The dogs of Constantlnople eonsti
tute, as it were, second population.
They are everywhere a republic of
vagabonds, seeming to be a mixture
OF dog, fox, wolf, and jackal or their