must give the Turks what
they want," said the consul, with a twinkle in his eye--"form and red tape.
I would not be a consul in their eyes, if I didn't." To illustrate the
formality of Turkish etiquette he told this story: "A Turk was once
engaged in saving furniture from his burning home, when he noticed that a
bystander was rolling a cigarette. He immediately stopped in his hurry,
struck a match, and offered a light."

[Illustration: EVENING HALT IN A VILLAGE.]

The most flagrant example of Turkish formality that came to our notice was
the following address on an official document to the Sultan:

"The Arbiter; the Absolute; the Soul and Body of the Universe; the
Father of all the sovereigns of the earth; His Excellency, the
Eagle Monarch; the Cause of the never-changing order of things;
the Source of all honor; the Son of the Sultan of Sultans, under
whose feet we are dust, whose awful shadow protects us; Abdul
Hamid II., Son of Abdul Medjid, whose residence is in Paradise;
our glorious Lord, to whose sacred body be given health, and
strength, and endless days; whom Allah keeps in his palace, and on
his throne with joy and glory, forever. Amen."

[Illustration: PRIMITIVE WEAVING.]

This is not the flattery of a cringing subordinate, for the same spirit is
revealed in an address by the Sultan himself to his Grand Vizir:

"Most honored Vizir; Maintainer of the good order of the World;
Director of public affairs with wisdom and judgment; Accomplisher
of the important transactions of mankind with intelligence and
good sense; Consolidator of the edifice of Empire and of Glory;
endowed by the Most High with abundant gifts; and 'Monshir,' at
this time, of my Gate of Felicity; my Vizir Mehmed Pasha, may God
be pleased to preserve him long in exalted dignity."

Though the Turks cannot be called lazy, yet they like to take their time.
Patience, they say, belongs to God; hurry, to the devil. Nowhere is this
so well illustrated as in the manner of shopping in Turkey. This was
brought particularly to our notice when we visited the Sivas bazaars to
examine some inlaid silverware, for which the place is celebrated. The
customer stands in the street inspecting the articles on exhibition; the
merchant sits on his heels on the booth floor. If the customer is of some
position in life, he climbs up and sits down on a level with the merchant.
If he is a for