THE TURKISH BATH IN AUCKLAND.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2099, 25 September 1875, Page 3

THE TURKISH BATH IN AUCKLAND.

Some friends of ours who have lately been ia- Auckland were tempted by curiosity or some other feeling to go and try the Turkish Bath~an institution just established in the city—and they speak in high terms of this oriental luxury. They were first introduced to a general sort of reception room, out of which opened a number of small cupboards, in which they could deposit their clothes. After denuding themselves of their ordinary habiliments, clothed in a sheet they were taken to a room heated to about 120°. This made them perspire a-bit; and prepared them for the next part of the programme, which was to adjourn to a room heated to about 160°. After the usual period in this oven they were handed over to the tender mercies of the "eastern" attendants to undergo the scrubbing process. One of our friends, who is somewhat partial to cold water, says he was frightened at the result. Heaps of dirty suds ; bits of brick ; splinters of timber surrounded him as he lay at the mercy of one of the aforesaid eastern attendants (and he knows that he was the real oriental type for he said in the course j of the operation, " torn over sur.") All this debris was said to have come from his body, but he won't allow, it. He says 'twas in the water. _ However, after some time the scrubbing was finished; the debris carted away, and a general sluicing took place. From the washing bench the bathers were taken to another part of the building, and before they knew where they were a thundering big shower bath commenced to play on them from above ; jets of water shot out upon them from all quarters with a force of about 150 to the square inch, and to crown all the aforesaid eastern attendants commenced to throw buckets of icy cold water at them, aiming well for the face. A general rubbing down followed, in which the rough towels and the strong arms of the eastern attendants, (who had evidently graduated in a stable) nearly denuded the bodies of the bathers of what cuticle had been left by the parboiling and scalding. This done they adjourned to a comfortable little room, had a smoke and some coffee, and, when cooled, donned their usual habiliments, after two hours' in a Turkish Bath. It did them good, they say. One went in with a very bad cold, and he left it there. The other who has lately -begun to complain of the encroachments of age, was fain to stand on his head against the wall as soon as he got outside : he felt so frisky. When they go to town again they are going to have a second dose, and they recommend their friends to try the luxury. (This is rather too much like a gratuitous advertisement, which the proprietor of theT.B. will no doubt reciprocate by sending a free ticket for the season).