The Sultan and His PeopleOscanyan, C. (Christopher)
History
The Sultan and His People
Oscanyan, C. (Christopher)
Turkey -- Description and travel; Turkey -- Social life and customs
The tabys or garçons of the Kahvés even excel their Parisian
competitors in alertness and general ubiquity--serving scores of
customers at once with coffee, chibouk, and narghillés.
The boatmen, who transport the pashas and others to their homes,
after the adjourning of the Porte, and closing of the Bazaars,
delight to compete with each other in speed, and linger on their
course until they meet with an antagonist, when the race sometimes
extends the whole length of the Bosphorus.
Their sports and national games, consisting of horsemanship, wrestling,
chasing, cricket, etc, all tend to show their love of activity.
There is none of the bustle, or American go-a-headism, in the
Oriental character and habits; none of that nervous excitement
which has so much the air of great progress, too often, like the
whirlwind among the natural elements, creating prodigies of human
noise and commotion, which subside and leave no sign; or it may be,
only havoc and destruction. In all the machineries of Eastern life,
public or domestic, steady and quiet perseverance rules the motion,
the oil of gentleness falling drop by drop upon the rolling wheels,
suffices for the friction; while in the land of modern adventure, by
increasing the pressure to a tremendous degree, the whole structure
is often crushed to atoms. This giddy rushing to a certain point
is too apt to wear out human energy, and most surely annihilates
self-possession, which is the keystone to success. Leave then, we say,
the Oriental sometimes to sit amid the fumes of his favorite chibouk;
for while external things are beclouded, often a mighty scheme is
in conception, and the sunshine of matured judgment suddenly bursts
upon the dim atmosphere, in full power and glory, ready to fructify
and yield all manner of increase.
The apparent idleness which some persons have attributed to the natives
of this country, is more the effect of a spirit of resignation to
external circumstances, than of a desire to be unemployed.
Taking for a basis the idea that the interest of the people is but
secondary, and under the pretence of increasing the revenue of the
country, and thus benefiting the state as it were, but with the
secret hope of self-aggrandizement, all advantageous projects are
seized upon by the officials; thus an effectual check is thrown upon
all private and public enterprise.
The writer was the first to propose to the Turkish government the
establishment of a railroad from the capital to Adrianople. Not
succeeding in this, a line of post coaches was suggested, for which,
after great exertion, a Firman was granted. But no sooner were
the advantages of the project understood, than several persons in
authority began to intrigue, until they succeeded in appropriating
the Firman to themselves, which had been obtained at so much expense
and toil by another.
But as usual, it proved to them more ruinous than profitable, because
of the numerous contenders for the spoils.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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