The Turkish law about the distribution of property after a man's death is rather curious. If a man dies leaving a daughter, but if at the same time he has a brother, the daughter and his brother divide the property. Should he leave two daughters and a brother, each girl takes a quarter, his brother the half; if he has one son and a brother, the brother is left out altogether, and the son takes everything. That evening I received an invitation to dine with a Turkish gentleman. My host was one of the guests; we went together to the place of entertainment. There was a strange mixture of nationalities, comprising Turks, Armenians, an Italian doctor, a certain M. Gasparini, who had been for some years in Angora, and was a great favourite with the inhabitants; Greeks, a Bulgarian, and our Consul, who is a Scotchman. We passed through a courtyard which surrounded the house. It was illuminated with paper lanterns of various patterns. Presently I found myself in a room surrounded by divans. The guests were all assembled. In the centre of the apartment was a table. On it were placed bottles of red and white wine of Armenian manufacture, raki, mastic, brandy, and liqueurs, whilst biscuits, nuts and filberts, with sardines, were on little dishes interspersed amidst the decanters. My host, who was a stout and very dark man, pouring out a bumper, insisted upon all the company joining him in his libations, then, turning to M. Gasparini, he complained about the state of his digestion. "Well, if you will drink so much," said the doctor, "you ought not to expect to feel well." "Spirits," said the fat Turk; "I like spirits—they refresh my stomach, and I become cheerful. Send me some medicine," he added. "There is no good treating these Turks," said the doctor to me, in Italian. "They mix up everything together, wine, spirits, physic, &c., and then expect to get well. If they would only carry out their prophet's injunctions, and leave off drinking wine, they would enjoy much better health." "Did you ever hear the story of the prophet and the old women in Mecca?" said one of the guests who was listening to the conversation. "No, what is it?"