The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1825-10-20
on THE cIRc.assLa.vW vWoME.M

4, on THE CIRC.fssLa.v WOMEN
History, truyellers, and romance, have said
nothing of the beauty Of the Circassian
! women which is not below the truth. Beauty
has been considered as an imaginary being,
thing ofinvention ;snd toJustfy thisextra-
VACANT idea, il has been alleged, that what is
beautiful to the eyes ofone people, is not so
to those of another that Chinese beauty
would have no charms in France or England
and, in like manner, that French OF English
beauty would have no attractions in the eyes
of a Chinese. But the beauty Of the Cir
caysian women is q sufficient answer TO this
reasoning, since they are acknowledged 10
be beautiful by all nations. They are every
where sought after, and are the ornament
of all the seraglios Of Asia, Africa, and Ea-
rope because they possess that pleasing un-
ion Of features, that proportion OF all the parts
of the body, that splendor, those brilliant
.ints. that whole that cannot be defined, but
which exists, ard necessarily constitutes
beauty, since all men render IL homage.
It's only in this point OF view that the
inhabitants of Circassia Ga country between
the Caspian and Black seas,) deserve the
attention of the observing traveller. II
considers women as merchandise can never
make her companion, or consider marriage
as a sacred and indis5oluble union. We find,
accordingly, flat the Circassiansh have many
wives, whom they change at pleasure, but
the first wife always has superiority over
the others, which nothing can take away,
and which she retains til death.
The first wife, who is usually married
when extremely young, is purchased like
the rest IN the public markets, where an in.
Vulnerable multitude ofwomen are exposed
to sale, habited in the manner which isjudg-
ed most likely to excite the oesire Of the
buyer. No inquiry is made with respect to
whence the woman was brought, and it.
the names other parents are asked, 1T is only
To acertain whether she derives her birth
from stock of pure and acknowledge dbesu-
ty. The usual price of q beautiful Circas-
sian female is from eight to ten thousand pi-
astres.
Women being the principal commerce. in
Circassia, every thing IN their education
and habitual life has Tor its object 10 pre-
serve their beauty, and facilitate its dcvel-
opement. All domestic occupations are
abandoned to the slaves women are solely
employed with the arts Of the toilette ana
the means of pleasing. make il
particular study to modulate their grace
and voice in soft and meledious tones, and
to display elegance in every motion. Their
habltGtions are :ntermingled with gardens,
and form small villages very near to each
other, and consisting ofabout twenty houses
each. And in the middle ofeach of these
villages is a strongly fortified towe:, in
which, in case OF invasion, they shut the
women and the riches ofthe country. These
towers, as well as all the houses are built
of wood, decorated with great art, and FIN
ished with taste.
The dress of the Circassian mcn is mix
ture of the Greek and Turkish habits. II.
consists Of pair of wide pantaloons, bus
kins, close bodice fastened with girdle,
kind of domino with open sleeves, and a
cap or turban not very high, broad at the
top, and narrow at the bottom. They shave
their boards, leaving very long mUstachios.
The dress ofthe women is more simple
and pleasing. Ii consists of pantaloons,
boddicc, and along robe in the Armenian
taste, or large fnrred pelisse. From the
cap or bonnet, of the shape of sugar loaf,
hangs veil. This bonnet is richly orna-
mented with pearls. i
The dress is never sold with the women,
unless agreed for separately. The Circas-
sian women, however, like the European,
wear under all alinen garment which they
change every day, and this garment the sell
Ter is obliged to give with the woman to
the purchaser. In this state he delivers his
merchandise Hbernian Ifogazine.
Literature Of .ilodern Greece.-The
Greek press is beginning to be almost as
active as the Greek armies. Newspapers
are now issued in various towns: and works
OF taste as well as school books, for which
there appears to be great and increasing
demand, are now published and find read
ers there. One of those has lately been
translated at Paris by N. Lemcocier of the
Institute. 1t lis entitled "WarS Songs of the
Grecim Mariners and Mountaineers."
From the specimens we have seen, says a
writer in the Revue Encyclopedique, we
think that these poems are highly honoura.
bic to the national taste ofthe Greeks: and
that they are not unworthy Of the country
men of Homer and Pindar. The actions of
Bo2zaris and Adrotzas, and other ilustrious
martyrs of Grecian liberty arc commemo-
rated. US. Lit. GaS.