34 VISITING CEREMONIES 



momentarily interrupted, and conversation ensues. 

 If the visitor be a Frank, a dragoman interprets 

 into French or Italian the conversation of the 

 Turk in Turkish, as Turks very rarely are ac- 

 quainted w^ith any language but their own. Not 

 many minutes have elapsed before a number of 

 attendants, with ready-lighted pipes about two 

 yards long, to which they give an occasional puff 

 to keep them a light, march up the room in single 

 file, each singling out his man, and then, judging 

 the length of the pipe, or the distance the bowl of 

 it ought to be from the visitor's mouth when 

 smoking, he places the bowl upon the ground, and, 

 wheeling the pipe half round upon that as a centre, 

 brings the amber mouth-piece at once close to 

 the mouth of the person who is to smoke it. 

 After placing a small round tin tray to prevent the 

 ashes, if any should fall out of the pipe during the 

 smoking, from burning the carpet, he backs out 

 below the step and retires. In a few minutes 

 another string of attendants makes its appearance, 

 with coffee-cups in their hands. These coffee- 

 cups are very small, and fit into elegant cups of 

 brass or silver filigree work instead of saucers. 

 The coffee is particularly strong and good, but 



