Year: 1877

Ny advent to Pera was on Friday, the
Mohammedan Sunday, writes CORE
spondent in Turkey. The great thing
for outsiders on this day is to see the
sultan going in procession to his mosque,
an event which takes place at twelve
o'clock. As I was anxious to get a
glimpse of this important parsonage, l
engaged dragoman, and, in company
with a young English acquaintance, set
off on horseback. We rode across the
heights mile or two, and down near the
edge of the Bosphorus, to the sultan s
palace. 1t is just beyond Tophane, and
is known as the Palace Dolma Baghtche.
The mosque to be visited on this occa-
sion was not more than 800 yards from
the palace gates.


On the grand square in front two regi-
ments of troops we're drawn up at ease
on each side of the main road. They
were nicely uniformed, and ranged in
color from the light mulatto to the
swarthy Nubian. Thousands of people,
lich in Oriental dress, foreigners, beg
gars, and peddlers wandered about
and waited for the spectacle. The
day was intensely hot. Ottoman SOL
diers were everywhere, and little, stall
wart fellows they seemed to be. After
waiting for an hour there was blast Of
trumpets. The troops all stood at at
tention and presented arms. From out
the palace gates came procession on
foot, consisting of the sultan's personal
suite, gentlemen in blue and gold. Fol
lowing them came the representative of
the prophet, mounted on a magnificent
white horse caparisoned in gold and
orange silk. The sultan was the only
person mounted. By his side walked
the grand vizier and score Of minis
ters.


[ saw in Abdul Hamid spare man
who looked every hour of forty. His
face was sallow and feeble, muzzled with
black, cropped whiskers, and there was
e general air of unrest and disquietude
about him. He wore plain European
dress coat, buttoned to the chin, and
trousers long and strapped down. His
fez was bright red and without decora-
ton. He wore white kid gloves, and at
his breast hung magnificent diamond
decoration. There were other orders
and a fair share of gold lace on the coat,
but in most respects the garb Of the
sultan fell far below that of some OF his
Indifferent officers. He impressed me as
young person who had come to head
before his time. His glance was frrtive,
and there was care and distrust behind
all this pomp.


AS the sultan advanced the troops
gave one prolonged shout at signal.
4 band struck up and fell in behind the
procession. A body of household troops
followed, and in the rear were two
splendid lead horses and fine closed
carriage to be used at will by the sultan
in his return to the palace. Custom re-
uuires that he should return by con-
yeyance other than that by which he goes
to the mosque, and nobody ever knows
which of the methods he will employ
until the time arrives. After the pro-
cession had entered the gates of the
mosque, black-covered wagon drove
in, and I was told that in this the sultan
would change his habit before entering
the mosque.


I observed that as the sultan rode by
every head was uncovered. His majesty
touched his brow from time to time with
his right hand, but whether this was in
Difference to the respect shown him, or
was some sort of religious observance,
failed to- learn.