kind of lute, and sometimes they amuse themselves with chess,
draughts, and other games; but their principal amusement, like some of
my little friends, is to sit and listen to stories, told by men who
earn their livelihood by relating entertaining tales and romances.

[Illustration]

The Turks do not undress and go to bed at any time, but being seated
on a sofa, they smoke till they are sleepy, then laying themselves
down, their slaves cover them over for the night. The poor people of
the cities carry water, cakes, loaves, and other things, through the
streets for a living, or act as buffoons, musicians, tumblers and
wrestlers, at the Sultan's and other of the rich people's palaces.

They cannot use wheel carriages in Turkey, the streets are so narrow,
and the pavements in many parts so bad; everything is therefore
carried by men, horses, mules, and donkeys, which is very
inconvenient, as the mules and donkeys very often tumble down, and
throw their burdens right in everybody's way; as for a horse, when
heavily laden, it takes up the entire road; and when two loaded horses
meet, the bawling and confusion is dreadful.

The markets in Turkey are called "bazaars," and there you can buy
almost anything you want; and every trade keeps together in knots of
shops, different from us, in particular quarters, so that you are not
obliged to walk all over the bazaar in search of a hat or a pair of
shoes. In these bazaars, it is customary for a dealer to ask much
more than he means to take, and for a buyer to offer infinitely less
than he means to give; it is, therefore, rather difficult to strike a
bargain, and sometimes several days are occupied chaffering about a