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putting their right hand first to their forehead, then to their breast, and bending their heads nearly to the ground. Some of these, apparently of higher rank or dignity, kissed the Sultan's feet, or rather the hem of his robe; others merely kissed the fringe of a long scarf which was passed over his shoulders, and held by one of his chief officers at some little distance from the royal person.

Whenever the Imauns, dressed in the sacred green (the descendants of Mahomet) approached, the Sultan rose and extended his hand for them to kiss, which they did with the utmost reverence. He continued standing quite erect till they passed out of his sight. The whole scene was most striking, nearly all the Imauns being dressed in different colours-white, red, yellow, or green, in all their shades-and the last in blue, the only one wearing that colour. All wore a high white turban, except the

110 THE DESCENDANTS OF THE PROPHET.

descendants of the Prophet, who were dressed entirely in green, turban and all.

When

During the pauses in the procession, which sometimes occurred, the Turkish band played; and, although the music was very inferior to that heard in our own land, yet it sounded rather sweetly that early morning in the beautiful Seraglio gardens and added greatly to the romance of the whole scene. they had all passed, which was not till about eight o'clock A.M., the Sultan rose and departed as ungracefully as he had entered, not even bowing to those around. The festivity of Beiram lasts three days, and incessant firing of cannon goes on day and night.

The assembly broke up, and we were not sorry; for the fatigue of six hours' standing, after a sleepless night, was very great. When we reached our caiques, the sun had become glaringly hot, and making our voyage home a most disagreeable one; so

THE SERGEANT-MAJOR.

111

that we could hardly listen to the incessant conversation of the Sergeant-Major, who now quite changed his tone, and did nothing but extol the greatness of Turkey, its Sultan, and Pashas.

CHAPTER VII.

Sultry weather-Cholera cases-The nuns' careful nursing-A cargo of ice-A fortunate speculatio -Remarkable cases of cholera in the Barrack Hospital-Smoking allowed-Mosquitoes—A voyage in the ice-ship-An unsuccessful attempt to visit the Black Sea-The sick doctor-Admitted into the hospital at Koulali-Carefully nursed there-An awful spectacle-The closing scene-Health of the nursing staff-Kindness of the Army surgeons.

THE heat at the end of July grew intense, and continued so till the end of the following month. Up to this time it had been like a very warm English summer; but now the Eastern sun poured down all its fury upon us, and we were terribly exposed to its rays. No kind of shade was at hand: there was hardly a tree in Koulali. The five minutes' walk

SULTRY WEATHER.

113

from our home to hospital, was along the

quay.

The Sisters of Mercy, who came down from the General Hospital and returned thither twice a-day, had to descend and climb the steep hill in the glaring sun; so, also, the ladies who worked at the General Hospital. Our hospital duties obliged us to be walking about during the greater part of the time when the inhabitants of the country close their jalousies and take their siesta, not venturing to move till sunset.

The heat was real suffering; it brought incessant thirst, which nothing could quench. The quantity of lemonade which was drank during that time was something marvellous, and it seemed impossible to touch the meat of the country; and yet too great a quantity of acid, and the omission of strengthening food, was considered very dangerous, as likely to bring on cholera.

We feared that cholera would have been

VOL. II.

I

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