OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 



243 



and his dancing days were over (like the goose 

 when she found herself upon the ice). 



After a great many prostrations, and a great 

 many prayers, both aloud and in a low tone of 

 voice, the dervishes bowing all the time in the 

 most persevering manner, until I should have 

 thought their never-ending politeness alone ought 

 to have sufficiently fatigued them, the prayers 

 being commenced by some one near the altar, 

 and then taken up by a singer in the gallery, and 

 chaunted by him in a monotonous, harsh, and 

 disagreeable tone of voice, the whole proceeding, 

 thus far, being most uninteresting; all on a sudden, 

 after about half an hour's prostration, singing and 

 prayer, and when we had begun to doubt whether 

 there was to be any dancing at all that day, or 

 not, off flew the dark cloaks, as if by magic, and 

 white figures in dresses, tight about the shoulders, 

 but with a large, very long, full, and very heavy 

 petticoat, began to turn themselves round and 

 round to the left, each commencing in succession 

 opposite the altar, and gaining ground a little 

 after a turn or two, so as to give room for the 

 next that followed. In this way they all waltzed 

 themselves into their places, and then continued 

 m2 



