DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4752#0037
TURKISH VILLAGE LIFE IN ASIA MINOR 2/
In conversation at home, wonder is often ex-
pressed that I could have avoided smoking, while
travelling so long in Turkey. But in Turkey I
often overheard the account given by my men of
my character and rank: among the first qualities
stated was " he drinks no coffee: he drinks no
tobacco :* he drinks no raki". To drink coffee, and
not to drink tobacco, as I did in the earlier years
of travelling, is a proof of folly or weakness; but
to drink nothing is a mark of great virtue. As
wine or raki can be procured only at a few great
cities, strict temperance is compulsory for the
archaeologist travelling; but my experience as to
the effect on his working powers is unfavourable.
Coming in exhausted from a long day's work in
the sun, and eating in this condition, I could not
sleep for many hours; but a small glass of raki
before eating, if procurable, was a medicine that
always ensured a good sleep. Of course one
ought not to work to exhaustion; but that
prudent rule is easy to give and hard to follow.
In the later journeys I did not work so hard ; but
it was different when I was beginning, and success
was far ahead.
An important rule of conduct among the Turks
is that you must never permit the slightest sign of
To drink tobacco is the term for smoking both in Turkish
and Greek.
In conversation at home, wonder is often ex-
pressed that I could have avoided smoking, while
travelling so long in Turkey. But in Turkey I
often overheard the account given by my men of
my character and rank: among the first qualities
stated was " he drinks no coffee: he drinks no
tobacco :* he drinks no raki". To drink coffee, and
not to drink tobacco, as I did in the earlier years
of travelling, is a proof of folly or weakness; but
to drink nothing is a mark of great virtue. As
wine or raki can be procured only at a few great
cities, strict temperance is compulsory for the
archaeologist travelling; but my experience as to
the effect on his working powers is unfavourable.
Coming in exhausted from a long day's work in
the sun, and eating in this condition, I could not
sleep for many hours; but a small glass of raki
before eating, if procurable, was a medicine that
always ensured a good sleep. Of course one
ought not to work to exhaustion; but that
prudent rule is easy to give and hard to follow.
In the later journeys I did not work so hard ; but
it was different when I was beginning, and success
was far ahead.
An important rule of conduct among the Turks
is that you must never permit the slightest sign of
To drink tobacco is the term for smoking both in Turkish
and Greek.