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9 July 1879 — Therapia | |
Wednesday. 9th July [1879]. Sat in the garden reading in the morng. At 3 had to dress to go to the Palace. Mr Corbett went with us. We had tea on board the Antelope and got to Dolmabaghcheh abt 5. We were joined there by Hobart P. & Mrs H. who went down in their yacht “the Hawk.” We had 2 carriages to drive up to Yildiz. Very few minutes after our arrival the Sultan sent for us. He recd us in the centre hall—behind a low balustrade in the corner of wh there were arranged seats. He seated me next him then Mrs Hobart & then Alice, further off were Henry, Mr Corbett & Hobart P. Outside the balustrade sat Munir Bey & Sir Alfred Sandison. After a short conversation the Sultan offered to walk in the garden & we fetched our shawls for it was windy. We walked out with HM to see the birds & beasts & then to look in to that part where there was the swing bridge & he & I passed over first. He holding my hand. Half way HM stopped & insisted upon taking my parasol out of my hand that I might hold on to the rope at the side. Every body came over well except Alice who was rather frightened & Munir Bey had to help her. This bridge is a very slight suspension one of cords & wood & is over a deep valley with a lake at great height. We walked on from here to the stables & the Sultan had some of the best horses brought out before us. Then he called his favorite Circassian A.D.C. & told him to show off. He did some wonderful things coming at full gallop & getting off & on whilst the horse was going. The last time as he was kneeling the horse swerved—there was a crash—a small tree broken, & then another bent & the ADC was lying on the ground. The Sultan exclaimed & hid his face but in a second the Circassian jumped up unhurt. He had managed to break his fall by the tree & escaped with a scratch. The Sultan ran to him & taking off the man’s cap felt his head in wonder & then seeing he was all right told him to salute us & we walked on to a kiosque. The Sultan said he wd like to give Alice a horse & asked me whether as she had no official position I wd let her take it. I said he must ask the Ambassador but he said if he did he might refuse him & he wd rather leave it with me. I said that a wife must obey her husband. However Sir Alfred & Munir settled it between them. The Sultan asked me if I wore coloured spectacles for my eyes. I said I did so out of doors at wh he said he wd send me some that had belonged to his own father & he hoped I wd accept them as a souvenir of father & son. H.M. told Munir to tell me that if I liked to take the ladies into the Kiosque before dinner to arrange their toilettes I could do so so we went in 1st & took off our bonnets & made ourselves ready for dinner when we were joined by the gentlemen to whose number besides our party were added Osman P., Saïd P (le petit) & Hayreddin P. We waited some time– They said H.M. had called in the Circassian ADC & was rewarding him for his accident with a handsome present. At last the Sultan came to dinner—but it was after 8. After the Turkish march the band played “God save the Queen.” All were at table except Munir who stood between the Sultan & me to interpret. The Sultan looked much at Alice & asked a good deal about her. He said that ladies at table enlivened the dinner very much & that it was a pleasure denied to the Turks. He eat little but talked a great deal. The dinner was cold & bad notwithstanding the 3 French cooks were here he has late got. Our party & Munir accompanied H.M. after dinner to the withdrawing room & the gentlemen smoked cigarettes. At 10.30 we asked for leave to go– The Sultan begged each lady to take a small bunch of flowers. After dinner Hobart went back to the dining room for a bonbon for Mrs Hobart & was just going for one for Alice, when the Sultan called him & said give her this one—one he had taken for her from the table. We returned to the Palace in carriages of the Sultan & at the gates got into our own. Reached home abt 12. | |
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