407 
and mind, in smoking his pipe, or taking coffee or 
drugs, in getting drunk with liquors or opium pills, 
and in exhausting his strength by reiterated excesses 
of enjoyments appointed by or contrary to nature. 
Such are the pleasures that constitute the happiness 
of Mussulmen, and if they deign to pay some atten- 
tion to any kind of spectacle, it is only when it repre-, 
sents to them a similitude of the objects which form 
their sole delights. 
The Turks, indeed, have entertainments; but what 
entertainments! Their music, though deprived of all 
harmony, offers nevertheless some sweet modulations; 
but it is mixed with such shocking discords, that it 
would be impossible to endure it alone for a length of 
time; on which account they have generally a buffoon 
who rises occasionally, performs a dance or a ridicu- 
lous or indecent pantomime, and always finishes by 
playing the part of a drunken man. 
They have dancers also whose talent is confined to 
walking in a measured manner, dancing a simple 
country dance, making rapid pirouettes, or move- 
ments, and acting the most indecent pantomimes, in 
walking in a circle one behind the other, dressed with 
wigs of long hair, having castanets of metal in their 
hands. The whole of this is performed in the coarsest 
way imaginable. I have seen some of these dancers 
play pantomimes in which they exhibited the most 
dirty and revolting acts. They have also Chinese sha- 
dows which represent scenes of the most frightful lu- 
bricity. 
Such are the spectacles of the Turks, which the 
great men, the learned, and even the Grand Vizier, are 
not ashamed to have presented to them. 
I saw one curious trial of strength, A man, while 
