Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-10-13
VARIETY.

Philosophy IN taie Cohege, ConHectI-
cut.
A society has been formed in Phila.
delphia for the purpose of commemora-
ting the landing of William Penn on the
American shore, October "a, 1854. A
board Of officers and directors is TO be
annually elected, and a fund raised to
defray the current expenses, ard to-
enable the Society in process of time,
to purchase ground, erect buildings, for
their use, and raise a monument to the
fame and memory of the Great Foun- /,
der.
On the CucGssian Women His.
tory, travellers, and romance, have
said nothing OF the beauty of the Cir
cassian women which is not below The;
truth. Beauty has been considered as
an imaginary being, a thing of inven.
ton; and to justify this ex.ravagent l.
dea, it has been alleged, that wha. is
beautiful TO the eyes of one people, is
not so to those of an other; that Chi
nese beauty would have no Charm
! in France or England, and, in like
msuner, that a French or English
beauty would have no attractions in the
ewes IS Chinese. But the beauty OF
the C;rcs ssisn women is a sufficient
answer 10 this reasoning, since they
are acknowledged % be beautiful by
all nations. They are every where
sought after, and are tie ornament OF
all the seraglios of Asia, Afrits, ana
Europe, because they possess t"'@s
pleasing union of features, that proper.
ton of all the parts OF the body, that
splendor, thos brilliant tints, that whole
that cannot be defined, but which ex-
lists, and necessarily constitutes beauty.
since all men render it homage.
1t is only in this point of view that
the inhabitants of Circassia "a country
between The Caspian and black seas,)
deserve the attention OF the observing
traveller. 1t will be easily conceived
that the nation which consider women
as merchandise can never make hera
companion, nor consider marriage as
a sacred and dissoluble union.--We
find, accordingly, that the Circassians
have many wives, whom they change
at pleasure, but the first wife always
has superiority over the others,
which nothing can take away, aud
which she retains till death.
The first wife, who is usually mar.
ried when very young, is purchased
like the rest in the public markets,
where an innumerable multitude Of
women are exposed TO sale, habited in
the manner which is most likely 10
excite the desire oftbe buyer No
inquiry is made withrespect to whence
the woman was brought, and if the
names of her parents are asked. it is
only to ascertain whether she derives
her birth from stock of pure ard ac.
kowledged beauty The usual price
of a beautiful Circassian female
is from eight TO ten thousand p;astres.
Women being the principal COM
MERGE in Circassia, every thing IN their
education and habitual life has for its
object 10 preserve their beauty. and
facilitate its Development. All do.
,nestic occupations are abandoned 10
the slaves--women are solely employ.
ed with the arts of the toilette and the
means of pleaslng-They make IT a
particular study to modulate their
grace and voice in soft and melodious
tones, and to display elegance in eve
ry motion. Their habitailons are IN
termingIed with gardens, and form
small villages, very near to each other,
and consisting of about twenty houses
each. And in the middle of each OF
these villages is a strongly fortified
tower, in which, in case of INVASION.
they shut the women and the riches OF
the country. These towers, as we'll
rs all the houses are built al wood dec
Grated with great art, and finished
with taste.
The dress of the Circassian men 10
a mixture of the Greek and Turkish
habits. 1t consists of a pair of WIDE
pantaloons buskins, close bodice,
fastened with a girdie, kind of do
mino with open sleeves, and 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 of the women is more
simple and pleasing 1t consists OF
panta!oons, bodice, and long robe
in the American taste, or a large fur
red nalJcSa Era,,, ttNe Can nr h0UuPf.