18D9.] ESSAYS. 37 



phintcd in this ii;ircleii. In mere sensuous pleasure, notliini:; can 

 surpass this spot. You wander aimlessly about, lulled by the 

 sweet notes of the nightingale, intoxicated by the fragrance 

 rising from a myriad of flowers, the eye charmed by the 

 wealth of color banked about you, and only wishing that each 

 sense might be nmltiplied in power fourfold, that you might in 

 u fourfold manner drink in the pleasure of the hour. The 

 valley is appropriately called Gul Batistan, or the valley of 

 gratification. 



You pass from this valley of peace and repose, where every- 

 thing conspires to lull the senses into a dreamy forgetfulness, 

 into a place of wonderful commercial activity, into the great 

 silk-manufacturing industry of the East. Broosa is one of the 

 most beautiful and interesting cities of the Orient. It lies at 

 the foot of the Mysian Mt. Olympus. The country around is 

 volcanic in its origin and earthquakes are not unfrequent. 

 Within my own remembrance it has been almost totally 

 destroyed. In the centre of the city rises a rocky eminence 

 crowned with the remains of an ancient citadel. To supply it 

 with water, a long sloping passageway, descended by 150 to 

 200 steps, leads to the well or spring found at the bottom. It 

 is pre-eminently a city of baths. Fuel is not needed, for hot 

 springs abound, and by their side are fountains of ice-cold water 

 fed by the melting snows of Mt. Olympus. Fronting the cit}' 

 are miles of plain covered with nmlberry trees, mostly of the 

 alba variety, for the leaves of the niger are not considered deli- 

 cate enough to suit the delicate palate of the silkworm. It is a 

 beautiful sight to see the tender care lavished upon these worms. 

 They are tended by women who, twice or thrice a day, feed 

 them with fresh leaves, brush out the droppings and remove the 

 diseased or dead caterpillars. These women take the most 

 scrupulous care of their persons and clothing in order to have 

 nothing oifensive about them. It is said that in sudden cold 

 they will even cherish them in their own bosoms to prevent 

 their beinji chilled. And this is not strange when you remember 

 that the loss of their silkworms means the loss of their liveli- 

 hood. The story of the introduction of this industry fifteen 



