The book is intensely interesting.  Now she describes the Sultan going to the mosque, which he does every Friday at twelve o’clock.  “He appeared in a sort of undress uniform, with a flowing cloak over it, and with two or three large diamond stars on his breast.  He was mounted on a superb white Arab charger, thirty-three years old, whose saddle-cloths and trappings blazed with gold and diamonds.  The following of officers on foot was enormous; and then came two hundred of the fat blue and gold pashas, with their white horses and brilliant trappings, the rear being brought up by some troops and a few carriages....  Nobody dares address the Sultan, even if he speaks to them, except in monosyllables, with their foreheads almost touching the floor, the only exception being the grand vizier, who dares not look up, but stands almost bent double.  He is entirely governed by his mother, who, having been a slave of the very lowest description, to whom his father, Mahmoud II., took a fancy as she was carrying wood to the bath, is naturally bigoted and ignorant....  The Sultan is not allowed to marry, but the slaves who become mothers of his children are called sultanas, and not allowed to do any more work.  They have a separate suite of apartments, a retinue of servants, besides carriages and horses, and each hopes some day to be the mother of the future Sultan, and therefore the most prominent woman in Turkey.  The sultanas may not sit at table with their own children, on account of their having been slaves, while the children are princes and princesses in right of their father.”

Lady Brassey tells the amusing story of a visit of Eugenie to the Sultan’s mother, when the Empress of the French saluted her on the cheek.  The Turkish woman was furious, and said she had never been so insulted in her life.  “She retired to bed at once, was bled, and had several Turkish baths, to purify her from the pollution.  Fancy the Empress’ feelings when, after having so far condescended as to kiss the old woman, born one of the lowest of slaves, she had her embrace received in such a manner.”

The habits and customs of the people are described by Lady Brassey with all the interest of a novel.  On their return home, “again the Battle bells rang out a merry peal of gladness; again everybody rushed out to welcome us.  At home once again, the servants and the animals seemed equally glad to see us back; the former looked the picture of happiness, while the dogs jumped and barked; the horses and ponies neighed and whinnied; the monkeys chattered; the cockatoos and parrots screamed; the birds chirped; the bullfinches piped their little paean of welcome....  Our old Sussex cowman says that even the cows eat their food ‘kind of kinder like’ when the family are at home.  The deer and the ostriches too, the swans and the call ducks, all came running to meet us, as we drove round the place to see them.”  Kindness to both man and beast bears its legitimate fruit.