Year: 1859

l hc 1IlSI1 tIudTUeTlY IeNleW, III an artl- cle on :" Deaf and Dumb" reproduces a very amsing story of the late Dr. Kitto, who at the age of twelve became totally deaf, in consequence of fall from a lad der When the doctor became illustrious, he met with the following adventure in Constantinople. So complete was this deafness that he could not hear the loudest thunder or pistol shot, nor could he re- cognlse any sound except by the vibration of the nerves, sensation which he de- scrlbes as most painful:

 l was staying (says the Doctor) at the village of Orta Khoi on the Bosphorus. about SIX miles above Constantinople, of winch 1t IS one of the suburbs, and was in the frequent habit of going down to the city and returning by water. One morning on which had l determined to go it threaten ed to rain but l took my umbrella and de- parted. On arriving at the beach, it ap- peared that all the boats were gone, and there was no alternative but to abandon my intention, or to proceed on foot along a road winch manifestly led in the right di- rectlon, at the back of the buildings and yards which line the Bosphorus. had not proceeded far before 1t began to rain. and put up my umbrella and trudged on, fol- lowed at some distance behind by an old Turk Tn the same predicament as myself: for, it should be observed that. at and abont Constantinople, the people are so much in the habit ot relying upon water convey ance, that theR is less use of horses than III any easterntown with which am ac qualnted. Nothing occurred till I arrived at the back of the handsome country palace of Dolma Caktche, the front of which had olteh engaged my attention in passing up and down by water. Here the sentinel at the gate motioned to me in a very peculiar manner, which l could not comprehend .- lie had probably called previously, and in valn Finding that l needed him not. he was hastenlng towards me in a very vio- lent manner, with his fixed bayonet point cd directly at my body, when the good-na tured Turk behind me, who had by this tune come up, assailed me very unceremo- niously from behind, by pulling down my umbrella. After some words to the senli- nel, was suffered to pass on under his protection, till we had passed the precincts Of the imperial residence, where he put up his own umbrella, and motioned me to do the same. By this act, and by the signs which he had used in explanation of this strange affair, l clearly understood that it was all on account of the umbrella. This article, so useful and common in rainy eli mates, IS an ensign of royalty in the east; and although the use of 1t for common pur- poses has crept in at Constantinople, the sovereign IS supposed to be ignorant of the fact, and 1t may not on any account be dis played Tn his presence, or in passing any of the royal residences

 As l went up the principal street of the village, was greatly startled to perceive a heavy earthen vessel, which had fallen with great force from above, dashed in pieces on the pavement, at my feet Presently, such vessels descended thick as hail, as 1 passed along, and were broken to shreds on every side of me. It is marvel how I escaped having my brains dashed out; but I got off with only smart blow between the should CTS. A rain of cats and dogs is thing of which we have some knowledge but rain of potter's vessels was very much beyond the limits of European experience. On reaching the hespitable roof which was then my shelter, l learned that this was the night which the Armenians, by whom the place was chiefly inhabited, devoted to the expurgation of their houses from evil spirits, which act they accompanied or tes- tlhed by throwing earthen vessels out of their windows with certain cries which served as warnings to the passengers; but that the streets were notwithstanding still so dangerous that scarcely any one ventur- ed out while the operation was in progress. From not hearing these cries my danger was of course two-fold and my escape seemed something more than remarkable; and l must confess that l was of the same opinion when the next morning disclosed the vast quantities of broken pottery with which the streets were strewed.