968 ANNU AL REGISTER, 1797. 
from ten to a hundred grains in a 
day. Intoxication with this noxi- 
ous drug is certainly lefs prevalent 
than we have been informed; and 
he who is entirely addiéted to it is 
confidered with as much pity or 
difguft as an inveterate fot is with 
us. The preparation of opium is 
made with feveral rich fyrups, and 
infpiflated juices, to render it palat- 
able and lefs intoxicating, and re- 
fembles elder root. It is either tak- 
en with a fpoon or hardened into 
fmall lozenges, ftamped with the 
words Ma/h Allah, literally, “the 
work of God.” 
The Turks take opium as an in- 
toxicant, or occafionally under an 
idea of its envigorating quality when 
unufual fatigue is to be endured. 
The Tartar couriers, who travel 
with aftonifhing expedition, gene- 
rally furnifh themfelves with Ma/ 
Allah. A \eading caufe of its dif- 
ufe is, that the prejudices refpecting 
wine are daily relaxing, which ac- 
count for the fcarcely credible 
quantity and univerfality mention- 
ed by old writers being unaccord- 
ant with modern practice. 
| Diftinétiwe Dreffes of the Turks. 
fiom the fame. 
i Pat Turks have fumptuary laws 
and habits peculiar to profeflions, 
By the turban differing in fize and 
thape, every man is known; and 
fo numerous are the diftin¢tions, 
that a dragoman long converfant 
with Cenftantinople, told me he 
knew not half of them. The E- 
mirs, real or pretended defcendants 
from the prophet, are diftinguifhed 
by the green muflin, the others 
wear white reund a cap of. cloth, 
and the head is wniverfally very 
clofely fhaven. In the turbans of 
the oulemah, there is a greater pro- 
fufion of muflin, from ten to twen- 
ty yards, which are proportionably 
larger, as the wigs of profeffional’ 
men were formerly. The military, 
as the janiflaries, boftanjes, and 
topjis, wear caps:of the moft un-’ 
couth fhape and fafhion, fuch as’ 
defy defcription. The rayahs are 
known by a head-drefs, called a 
kalpac, made of lambfkin, and in- 
imitably ugly, but differing entirely 
from a turban; and fometimes a 
famour, or black fur cap, which is 
principally worn by dragomen and’ 
phyficians. In other refpeéts they 
are drefied as the Turks. Yellow 
flippers, or boots, are indulged only 
to thofe under ambafladorial pro- 
tection, and are an envied diftinc- 
tion. When the prefent Sultan 
came to the throne, he iffued an 
edi& that no unlicenfed rayah 
fhould appear publicly in yellow 
flippers. At that time he took 
great pleafure in walking the ftreets 
in difguife; when meeting an ill- 
ftarred Jew dreffed contrary to law, 
he ordered his head to be inftantly 
ftruck off. This was his firft aé&t of 
feverity, which created moft un- 
favourable conjeftures, not altoge- 
ther confirmed by his fubfequent 
reign. 
The Turks of better rank, and 
the regular citizens, wear what is 
called the long drefs, with outer 
robes of fine cloth, fhalloon, or pel- 
lices, which are in general ufe for 
the greater part of the year, and 
commonly of the moft coftly furs. 
They are feldom feen without a 
tefpi in their hands; it isa ftring 
of ninety-nine beads, correfpond- 
ing with the names of the Deity, 
which they carry)as much for a- 
mufement as devotion. Hamid 
. Ali, 
