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16 August 1879 — Therapia | |
Saturday. 16th August [1879]. I remained in bed all day having a headache. Got up abt 4 & dressed to go to Yildiz to dine with the Sultan. We went in the Antelope & anchored at Dolmabaghcheh. Just as we were going to land we saw Hobart’s yacht near us & we concluded [he] & Mrs H. were going to dine there too– Hobart sent us a launch to land in wh proved of little use as it was too large to get close to the quay & he had afterwards to send us a little boat to get into. Henry & Edward & I went in the open carriage, Sir Alfred, Alice & Blanche in a shut one—& the Hobarts in another. We drove to Yildiz, Munir Bey received us & when we had taken off our cloaks we went up stairs & waited a short time before the Sultan summoned us. He received us very kindly, made Blanche many civil speeches, hoped she enjoyed the Bosphorus &c & then led the way to dinner. The party was a large one. Capt. Wingfield dined with us & our party including Hobarts was 9. Mr Dreyssé the French ADC, Mr Blanc, the French Doctor, Osman P., Hamdi Bey & I believe one or two others were of the party. Munir Bey stood by the Sultan interpreting. H.M. talked a good deal– He said Blanche reminded him of his mother who was very beautiful, that the only reproach he had to make to his father was his having allowed her to die of jealousy– His mother had been so fond of him that she cd not bear to see him divide his attentions between her & his other wives. At the beginning of dinner the military band played—but it was stopped & Turkish music was played for Blanches edification. It was rather trying to us Europeans but the Sultan seemed to enjoy it & explained to me from time to time the meaning of the words sung. One song he pointed out as having been composed by his father & dedicated to his mother & H.M. said the Sultana had dedicated one to him in return. I sat at table between the Sultan & Osman P. who had Blanche on the other side of him– Next her was Sir Alfred. On the other side of the Sultan was Mrs Hobart, then Henry—then Alice—then Hamdi Bey, then Edward & then Dreyssé, the dinner was rather better than usual. We had a good jelly with a watermelon in it. After dinner we 3 ladies sat & talked in one room with Edward & the 2 little Princes under the care of Hamdi Bey & Munir Bey. The Sultan smoked in the next room with Henry & Hobart P. In abt ½ hour the gentlemen came back & the Sultan called up Osman P.’s little boy who was in attendance on the Princes who presented him to us saying he was betrothed to his own daughter. Then he led the way to the hall where in an alcove were prepared seats in a semicircle for us to sit & there began a kind of Pantomime. The band was in one corner & the musicians were all dressed up in a fancy dress—a kind of white uniform coat with gold lace—blue knickerbockers & shoes with a small cap with a feather in it. The leader was more fantastically got up—was painted & wore false hair & played the buffoon—at the same time that he led—played 2 drums & the cymbals with his knees– Then came 2 Pierrots a old & young one—& 3 lads dressed in kind of lacquey dresses with breeches & Scotch caps! & another old creature with “incroyable” coat. They danced & were funny & the leader of the band was really comic. After some dancing there came some conjurors. A man who swallowed ¾ of a sword—& then swallowed raw eggs shell & all & then brought them up again. It was very entertaining & lasted till abt 11 when the Sultan rose to leave the hall. He took us back into the small room for a few minutes & then congediéd us & we returned to the Antelope & got to bed abt 1 o’clock. | |
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