Page:Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened.djvu/181

Rh Mohametan prayer. They believe that the departed soul unites with them in that prayer. At the end of the prayer the priest asks the opinion of the congregation about the character of the deceased. If two among them can give favorable testimony the soul goes to happiness.

6. A Common Turk's Idea about the Foreigners. As the Turks never wear hats and do not allow their Christian subjects to have them (except in a few sea-coast cities), the common name given to the foreigners is "hat-wearers," and when they are angry at them they use indecent expressions for their hats, blue eyes and whiskers. When the American travelers happen to pass through a Turkish village and stop at the edge of the town, the people come and gather around them, looking amazed; and if some lady is found in the company the women come near by and touch her hat, clothing and jewelry, and ask about their prices. They will not forget to ask whether she is married or not; if they get a negative answer, they seem surprised, and inquire the reason. If they get a positive answer, they ask which one of the gentlemen is her husband; has she children and how many, and why she did not bring them with her, etc.

Ninety-nine in a hundred Turks have never heard the name of America, and nine in ten who have heard have not the right idea what and where "Amelikan" is. All foreigners are called "Frank." Russia their immediate neighbor and memorable enemy for centuries, is called "Mosgof" (Moscow), and her people