American Boys Afloat by Oliver Optic

Dimitri appeared on the shore the next morning with four carriages, "hooded phaetons" as they called them there, each of which seated three persons. The commander, Mrs. Belgrave, and Scott went in the first one; Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge and Morris in the second; Louis, Miss Blanche, and Mrs. Blossom in the next, and Uncle Moses, Dr. Hawkes, and Professor Giroud in the last. Then it was found that Felix was left out, and he was put in with Morris in the second.

By keeping near the water room enough was found for the phaetons, for it would have been impossible for them to ascend the hill on which Pera is situated. They reached the broad, well-made road on which the Sultan's palace is located. It was quite level, and different from anything else in Constantinople. A multitude of people had collected there, and all the nations of the earth seemed to be represented in the throng.

The Imperial Guard of the Oriental potentate, or a portion of it, was drawn up at the side of the street. Dr. Hawkes declared they were the finest body of men he had seen gathered together. Of course they were picked soldiers, rather large in stature, and of lusty _physique_. They were clothed in complete Turkish costume, wearing the great bagging trousers and a sort of jacket, with the fez on their heads. The latter is worn by all the people, though there are Arabs about the streets who are crowned with a kind of turban.

Every one of the Americans had all he could do to take in the sights to be seen on this brilliant occasion. Promenading the avenue were quite a number of carriages of various patterns; most of them were English, though a few of them might have been Turkish for aught the observers knew, the body setting on its springs, with the driver on the nigh horse. All of them were open, and all of them contained only ladies, closely veiled.

"But what are these ladies, Captain Ringgold? " asked Mrs. Belgrave, who was more interested than at any other time during her ten months of travel.

"I suppose they are all the wives or the property of various pachas," replied the commander with a smile. "I know nothing more about them. This building we are passing, with no windows anywhere near the ground, is the harem of the Sultan; but none of his ladies are to be seen in the streets."

"Do they stay in-doors all the time? " inquired the lady.

"They have grounds inside the walls. They go to the summer palace, but in close carriages, so that no one can see them. Two of the four ladies in that carriage are young and good-looking, but the others are old and homely enough to bring the average down very low," said the captain.

"The younger ones are the wives of a rich pacha, and the old ones are their duennas," said Dimitri, who was seated with the driver and could hear all that was said.

"One of them is a beauty," added Mrs. Belgrave.

"She is indeed," said Scott. "I can see all her face almost as well as though she did not wear the hackmatack."

"The _yashmak_," laughed the captain. "In her case the veil is the thinnest gauze."

"The old ladies did not have gauze over their faces," replied Scott.

"The older and uglier the women are the thicker is their _yashmak_," added Dimitri.

Presently the survey of the promenaders was interrupted by the strains of a band of music, which were of a wild, barbaric character, quite different from anything they had ever heard before. A string of cavalry then lined the avenue on both sides, leaving the middle entirely open. No man must go in front of the Sultan, which is the rule of the road in Turkey; and the potentate appeared riding on horseback in the middle of the street.

Abdul-Hamid II. was about fifty years old. He wore a frock coat and trousers in European style, but with a fez on his head. His breast was covered with decorations and orders of honor. The trappings of his magnificent horse were of the richest material, and were ornamented with gold. As he approached, the Imperial Guard gave a wild and weird yell as a salute, to which the potentate made no response even with a nod.

The gentlemen of the party removed their caps and hats, and some of them bowed; but his imperial majesty made no response of any kind, though he glanced at the Americans. It was something more than a glance which he bestowed upon the inmates of the third carriage, in which Miss Blanche sat in her radiant beauty. The guides pointed out the four sons of the Sultan, the oldest of whom was about twenty and the youngest seven. He has also three daughters who do not appear in processions.

The rest of the parade consisted of pachas dressed in the most magnificent costumes, and mounted on the finest horses. Dimitri called many of them by name, but no one was the wiser for it. The Albanians surpassed all the others in the elegance of their dress, and all the ladies would have voted for them.

The Sultan and his retainers passed on to the church, and the American party hastened to the Rue de Pera, where the monastery of the Dancing Dervishes is located. Passing through a courtyard, they entered the vestibule of the building. Dimitri obtained several pairs of large slippers, which the gentlemen put on over their boots. Some smaller ones were procured for the ladies and young gentlemen.

"What is all this for? " asked Mrs. Belgrave in a whisper.