TURKISH BEAUTIES. 
147 
and forms, in the summer time, a favorite retreat for the idle 
and gossiping, who go over in great numbers from the city 
every afternoon. Here may be seen, in fine weather, groups 
of women of various castes sitting on the graves, smoking 
their chiboucks, and sipping their coffee; others, half-naked, 
chattering and lively, endeavoring to kill time ; all unattend¬ 
ed, except by female servants, for it is beneath the dignity of 
the male population ever to associate in public with women. 
It is a curious picture of gay, fluttering life, mingled with the 
mouldering tombs of the silent and ghastly dead. Often, 
when disposed to indulge in reflection, I come over here to 
read the history of Time’s doings, past, present, and to come ; 
Time, who has brought low alike the great and the little, 
the Pasha and the slave; who makes republics beneath the 
ground that Tactions can not destroy; Time, who opens the 
mysteries of the future, and “ feeds oblivion with decay of 
things.” 
The Mohammedan tombstones are distinguished, for the 
most part, by a head or representation of the turban carved 
in stone. Many of these have been broken off or greatly de¬ 
faced during the wars which have raged from time to time 
between the tribes of the East. The inscriptions are in the 
Arabic or Turkish characters, and in the more modern tombs 
are often covered with gilding. Of course, I could read none 
of these histories of human virtues and human sorrows, but 
it is not likely that I lost a great deal of reliable information. 
The whole aspect of these cemeteries is desolate and ruinous 
m the extreme. There is no order or arrangement, except in 
the direction of the heads, which are all toward Mecca ; the 
head-stones seem to be scattered over the ground at random, 
pointed up in all directions, or lying prostrate in confusion. 
The earth is perfectly barren, and abounds in all sorts of 
abominations, too disgusting even for the gangs of voracious 
dogs that prowl among the abodes of the dead. It is a strange 
place, in every respect, to choose as a fashionable resort for 
pleasure and gossip ; but, as the Turks say, in the name of 
the Prophet, may they enjoy themselves. 
There are other places of amusement, chiefly resorted to in 
