personal memoirs-2-第68章

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would　accomplish　its　capture　by　starvation；　I　concluded　to　find　out

from　Count　Bismarck　about　when　the　end　was　expected；　with　the　purpose

of　spending　the　interim　in　a　little　tour　through　some　portions　of

Europe　undisturbed　by　war；　returning　in　season　for　the　capitulation。

Count　Bismarck　having　kindly　advised　me　as　to　the　possible　date；



Forsyth　and　I；　on　the　14th　of　October；　left　Versailles；　going　first

direct　to　the　Chateau　Ferrieres　to　pay　our　respects　to　the　King；

which　we　did；　and　again　took　luncheon　with　him。　　From　the　chateau　we

drove　to　Meaux；　and　there　spent　the　night；　resuming　our　journey　next

morning；　we　passed　through　Epernay；　Rheims；　and　Rethel　to　Sedan；

where　we　tarried　a　day；　and　finally；　on　October　18；　reached　Brussels。









CHAPTER　XX。



BRUSSELSDECIDING　TO　VISIT　EASTERN　EUROPEAUSTRIADOWN　THE　DANUBE…

…IN　CONSTANTINOPLETHE　LADIES　OF　THE　HAREMTHE　SULTANTURKISH

SOLDIERSA　BANQUETA　VISIT　IN　ATHENSKING　GEORGE　OF　GREECEVICTOR

EMMANUEL〃BEDEVILED　WITH　CARES　OF　STATE〃DEER　SHOOTINGA　MILITARY

DINNERRETURN　TO　VERSAILLESGERMANS　ENTERING　PARISCRITICISM　ON

THE　FRANCO…PRUSSIAN　WARCONCLUSION。



On　reaching　Brussels；　one　of　the　first　things　to　do　was　to　pay　my

respects　to　the　King　of　Belgium；　which　I　did；　accompanied　by　our

Minister；　Mr。　Russell　Jones。　　Later　I　dined　with　the　King　and　Queen；

meeting　at　the　dinner　many　notable　people；　among　them　the　Count　and

Countess　of　Flanders。　　A　day　or　two　in　Brussels　sufficed　to　mature

our　plans　for　spending　the　time　up　to　the　approximate　date　of　our

return　to　Paris；　and　deciding　to　visit　eastern　Europe；　we　made　Vienna

our　first　objective；　going　there　by　way　of　Dresden。



At　Vienna　our　Minister；　Mr。　John　Jay；　took　charge　of　usForsyth　was

still　with　meand　the　few　days'　sojourn　was　full　of　interest。　　The

Emperor　being　absent　from　the　capital；　we　missed　seeing　him；　but　the

Prime　Minister；　Count　von　Beust；　was　very　polite　to　us；　and　at　his

house　we　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　at　dinner　Count　Andrassy；　the

Prime　Minister　of　Hungary。



》From　Vienna　we　went　to　Buda…Pesth；　the　Hungarian　capital；　and　thence；

in　a　I　small；　crowded；　and　uncomfortable　steamboat；　down　the　Danube

to　Rustchuck；　whence　we　visited　Bucharestall　who　travel　in　eastern

Europe　do　soand　then　directing　our　course　southward；　we　went　first

to　Varna；　and　from　that　city　by　steamer　through　the　Black　Sea　to

Constantinople。



We　reached　the　Turkish　capital　at　the　time　of　Ramadan；　the　period　of

the　year　（about　a　month）　during　which　the　Mohammedans　are　commanded

by　the　Koran　to　keep　a　rigorous　fast　every　day　from　sunrise　till

sunset。　　All　the　followers　of　the　Prophet　were　therefore　busy　with

their　devotionsholding　a　revival；　as　it　were；　hence　there　was　no

chance　whatever　to　be　presented　to　the　Sultan；　Abdul　Aziz；　it　being

forbidden　during　the　penitential　season　for　him　to　receive

unbelievers；　or　in　fact　any　one　except　the　officials　of　his

household。　　However；　the　Grand　Vizier　brought　me　many　messages　of

welcome；　and　arranged　that　I　should　be　permitted　to　see　and　salute

his　Serene　Highness　on　the　Esplanade　as　he　rode　by　on　horseback　to

the　mosque。



So；　the　second　day　after　arrival；　the　Grand　Vizier　drove　me　in　a

barouche　to　the　Esplanade；　where　we　took　station　about　midway　of　its

length　an　hour　or　so　before　the　Sultan　was　to　appear。　　Shortly　after

we　reached　the　Esplanade；　carriages　occupied　by　the　women　of　the

Sultan's　harem　began　to　appear；　coming　out　from　the　palace　grounds

and　driving　up　and　down　the　roadway。　　Only　a　few　of　the　women　were

closely　veiled；　a　majority　of　them　wearing　an　apology　for　veiling；

merely　a　strip　of　white　lace　covering　the　forehead　down　to　the

eyebrows。　　Some　were　yellow；　and　some　white…types　of　the　Mongolian

and　Caucasian　races。　　Now　and　then　a　pretty　face　was　seen；　rarely　a

beautiful　one。　　Many　were　plump；　even　to　corpulence；　and　these　were

the　closest　veiled；　being　considered　the　greatest　beauties　I　presume；

since　with　the　Turk　obesity　is　the　chief　element　of　comeliness。　　As

the　carriages　passed　along　in　review；　every　now　and　then　an　occupant；

unable　or　unwilling　to　repress　her　natural　promptings；　would　indulge

in　a　mild　flirtation；　making　overtures　by　casting　demure　side…

glances；　throwing　us　coquettish　kisses；　or　waving　strings　of　amber

beads　with　significant　gestures；　seeming　to　say：　〃Why　don't　you

follow？〃　　But　this　we　could　not　do　if　we　would；　for　the　Esplanade

throughout　its　entire　length　was　lined　with　soldiers；　put　there

especially　to　guard　the　harem　first；　and　later；　the　Sultan　on　his

pilgrimage　to　the　mosque。



But　as　it　was　now　time　for　His　Serene　Highness　to　make　his　appearance

the　carriages　containing　his　wives　drove　off　into　the　palace　grounds；

which　were　inclosed　by　a　high　wall；　leaving　the　Esplanade　wholly

unencumbered　except　by　the　soldiers。　　Down　between　the　two　ranks；

which　were　formed　facing　each　other；　came　the　Sultan　on　a　white

steeda　beautiful　Arabianand　having　at　his　side　his　son；　a　boy

about　ten　or　twelve　years　old；　who　was　riding　a　pony；　a　diminutive

copy　of　his　father's　mount；　the　two　attended　by　a　numerous　body…

guard；　dressed　in　gorgeous　Oriental　uniforms。　　As　the　procession

passed　our　carriage；　I；　as　pre…arranged；　stood　up　and　took　off　my

hat；　His　Serene　Highness　promptly　acknowledging　the　salute　by　raising

his　hand　to　the　forehead。　　This　was　all　I　saw　of　him；　yet　I　received

every　kindness　at　his　hands；　being　permitted　to　see　many　of　his

troops；　to　inspect　all　the　ordnance；　equipment；　and　other　military

establishments　about　Constantinople；　and　to　meet　numbers　of　the　high

functionaries　of　the　Empire。



Among　other　compliments　tendered　through　his　direction；　and　which　I

gladly　accepted；　was　a　review　of　all　the　troops　then　in　Stamboul…

about　6；000comprising　infantry；　cavalry；　and　artillery。



They　were　as　fine　looking　a　body　of　soldiers　as　I　ever　sawwell

armed　and　well　clothed；　the　men　all　large　and　of　sturdy　appearance。



After　the　review　we　attended　a　grand　military　dinner　given　by　the

Grand　Vizier。　　At　the　hour　set　for　this　banquet　we　presented

ourselves　at　the　palace　of　the　Grand　Vizier；　and　being　ushered　into　a

large　drawing…room；　found　already　assembled　there　the　guests　invited

to　meet　us。　　Some　few　spoke　French；　and　with　these　we　managed　to

exchange　an　occasional　remark；　but　as　the　greater　number　stood　about

in　silence；　the　affair；　thus　far；　was　undeniably　a　little　stiff。

Just　before　the　dinner　was　announced；　all　the　Turkish　officers　went

into　an　adjoining　room；　and　turning　their　faces　to　the　east；

prostrated　themselves　to　the　floor　in　prayer。　　Then　we　were　all

conducted　to　a　large　salon；　where　each　being　provided　with　a　silver

ewer　and　basin；　a　little　ball　of　highly　perfumed　soap　and　a　napkin；

set　out　on　small　tables；　each　guest　washed　his　hands。　　Adjacent　to

this　salon　was　the　dining…room；　or；　rather；　the　banqueting　room；　a

very　large　and　artistically　frescoed　hall；　in　the　centre　of　which

stood　a　crescent…shaped　table；　lighted　with　beautiful　silver

candelabra；　and　tastefully　decorated　with　flowers　and　fruits。　　The

viands　were　all　excellent；　cooked；　evidently；　by　a　French　chef；　and

full　justice　was　done　the　dishes；　especially　by　the　Turks；　who；　of

course；　had　been　fasting　all　day。



At　the　close　of　the　banquet；　which　consisted　of　not　less　than　fifteen

courses；　we　withdrew　to　a　smoking…room；　where　the　coffee　was　served

and　cigarettes　and　chibouks　offered　usthe　latter　a　pipe　having　a

long　flexible　stem　with　an　amber　mouthpiece。　　I　chose　the　chibouk；

and　as　the　stem　of　mine　was　studded　with　precious　stones　of　enormous

value；　I　thought　I　should　enjoy　it　the　more；　but　the　tobacco　being

highly　flavored　with　some　sort　of　herbs；　my　smoke　fell　far　short　of

my　anticipations。　　The　coffee　was　delicious；　however；　and　I　found

this　to　be　the　case　wherever　I　went　in　Constantinople；　whether　in

making　calls　or　at　dinner；　the　custom　of　offering　coffee　and　tobacco

on　these　occasions　being　universal。