TURKISH BARRACKS. 121 



rior, by touching, with the inner edge of the right 

 hand, and with as quick a motion as possible, 

 first his beard or chin, and then the forehead. 



We accordingly took our leave of the brigadier, 

 and walked round the barrack rooms with the 

 captain of the day, who, after the inspection was 

 over, would insist on our taking some coffee, and 

 smoking more pipes in his room. 



Cobbett used to say that Englishmen never 

 meet together but to eat and drink. Turks, on 

 the contrary, do nothing without pipes and coffee. 



This captain of the day had a very good room, 

 but it could not be called his own, because his 

 two subalterns shared it with him. Across the 

 top of the room, in the post of honour, was the 

 captain's divan, and on each side of the room 

 those of the two subalterns, all covered with 

 handsome Turkish rugs. Below the step ^ was 

 the place for the servants, and they all sleep 

 exactly in this order. 



This captain was a man of apparently about 

 forty years of age. He wore a gorget, as a mark 

 of being on duty, and, excepting the fez or red 

 cap, his dress was an imitation of the costume of 



* See page 25. 

 G 



