When Kéraban, Ahmet, and Van Mitten seated themselves at table, a repast was served, the elements of which had been taken from a neighbouring doukhan—a kind of shop in which the characters, pork-butcher, the victualler, and the grocer are all preserved in the same individual. There was a roast turkey, maize cakes, buffalo cheese, called "gatschapouri"—the inevitable national dish—blini, a kind of pancake made with sour milk. For beverages they had some batches of thick beer, and flasks of vadka, a strong brandy, of which the Russians consume a great quantity.
Frankly, one could not expect to dine better at the little inn of a village, situated on the extreme limits of the Black Sea; and assisted by excellent appetites, the travellers did full justice to the repast, which was a welcome change from their usual provisions on the journey.
After dinner, Ahmet left the table while Bruno and Nizib took their shares of the remains of the feast. The young man as usual went to the post-house to hurry the relays, and quite prepared to disburse tenfold the five kopecks per verst per horse, which the regulations permit, as well as liberal "tips" to the postillions.
Meanwhile, Kéraban and his friend Van Mitten made themselves very comfortable in a kind of summer-house which overhung the river. Now or never was the time to abandon themselves to the luxurious dolce far niente, which the Ottomans call "Kief."
Besides, the preparation of the narghilés became necessary to supplement such a meal. So the pipes were brought from the chaise to the smokers, who yielded themselves to the pleasures of the weed to which they owed their fortune.
The "bowls" of the narghilés were quickly filled with tobacco, but it is needless to remark that Kéraban used his own tombéki of Persian growth, while Van Mitten smoked the Latakia of Asia Minor.
Then the pipes were lighted: the smokers reclined on the benches, and inhaled the smoke through the long flexible tubes. The atmosphere was soon filled with the odour of the smoke, which was not permitted to reach the mouth until it had been cooled by the clear water of the narghilé.
