Delaware journal., 1827-10-05

| "When at Cairo, had been several times soIi- |
cited to visit the harem of the PacAa, favor which
is generally not granted to strangers. 1t is GUS
tonary in the East to make reciprocal presents in
such interviews. Not beng able 70 procure in this I
city any productions of Europe. worthy Of being Of
fered to these tar odalisques of such high rank,
was for long time Obliged to RESTRAIN my curiosity,
aud renounce this visit.
| At Danletta, however, where fresh occasion |
presented itself OF visiting the harem of the Aga,
Governor of the Provinces, and where should not
be obliged to present such magnificent gifts, re-
solved to make myself acquainted with an abode |
which contained 50 many things contrary to the
taste, the ideas, aud manners, of Europe. The !
harem of the Aga situated nearly opposite to
the residence of Mr.. Faker. the other bank Of the
Nile in garden. i'll the Turkish stile, that is to say
a piece Of ground without trees. | was accompani
ed by the lady Of the Portuguese physician, who un
derstood little Italian and Arabic, and VINO was
to act as interpreter When we arrived at the build
ing we were received by black eunuch richly
dressed, who invited US to go into very cool apait
nent, with lattced windows, and no furniture ~
cept very broad and low divan. He LETT u. to an
nounce us to his mistress soon after saw INC
two wives OF the Aga, accompanied BY tW OF MS
daughters, one OF whom was yet child and the 9th
er married to OF the superior officers in the
my, and about twenty young slaves The TWO la
dies, as well as the daughters of the Aga, seated
themselves next to me while the slaves ranged them
selves in half circle before U.S. with their
sed their breast, and preserving respectful
, lence. As all these women spoke only turkish, we
needed second interpreter, who, in her turn. I'M
derstood only Turkish and Arabic, so that what
said in Italian had to be translated into Arabic, and
the Arabic into Turkish; thus, to understand each
other, we had need of three languages and two inter
prefers.
ltmay readily be supposed that the conversation
could not go on uently, as we depended on the good
will and talents OF our interpreters in fact, qut pro
. que resulting from the bad TRANSACTIONS of our qnes
:. lions and answers, were truly comic, and created
much gacty, that loud and repeated bursts of laugh
ter established good understanding between
us. The oldest OF the consorts OF the Aga, howev-
er, maintained dignlEed gravity, while the other,
who was much younger, and OF an animated and in
terestng countenance, repeated with extreme volu-
by the most insignificant questions, and did not fail
to examine the whole arrangement Of my toilette.
They asked me many questions respecting the wo-
inen i'll my country or Europe, believe they
entertained very vague notions Of and when |
told them that our husbands had but wife, and
no slaves, they looked at another, undctermin-
ed whether to applaud or to laugh at this custom
The eldest daughter of the Aga was young per-
son OF the most beautiful and pleasing countenance.
She did not enjoy good health. Her extreme pale
ness rendered her really interesting in my eyes :
she resembled lilly langushing, and wthered by
cherish e, from the idea that |, perhaps, possessed
the skill to her and arnastly cntreated me to
prescribe some remedy. There is something sim
er guar in the conviction generally entertained by the
Orientals, that all Europeans, without distinction,
have knowledge Of medicine and necromancy, arts
commonly coniounded with one another. 1t several
3 times happened to us in Upper Egypt, to be called
to the assistance of persons actually dying or ia so
desperate state, that nothing less than conjurer
would have been required TO preserve their lives.
Without being distinguished disciple OF Hippo
crates. it is easy to acquire the reputation OF an
&c able physician and the really skful medical man
int who accompanied us during our tour in Upper Egypt
accustomed, such occasions, that is, when the
case was not desperate in imitation OF the celebra-
ted Sangrada, OF happy memory to administer On
y the most simple remedies which never failed to
produce prompt and marvellous effect SO much
influence has the imagination Of these children Of
nature their cure. But to return to my fair oda-
lsques
They were nearly all natives of Syria Circassla,
and Georgia. and had thus leisure to survey these
IN. beauties who enjoy much celebrity. They IN
. doubtedly merit their reputation can, however,
tell my fair country women, to comfort them. and to
al do justice to TRUTH that Europe certainly can boast
~ of beauties equal to those OF the East Those whom
~ had now the pleasure of seeing, had the most agree
' able countenances and delicate and regular eatures
but what most attracted my admiration, was their
hair, which fell in waving and natural curs down to
their waist. They had each preserved their ma
y onal costume, which agreeably varied this pretty
= parterre nor had they adopted the tresses OF the
= Egyptian women, which rather dishgure than I'M
., prove the figure They had exqusitey beautiful
~ teeth but the cearness and bloom OF youth were
: banished from their complexion they all had a
n anguid air. and did not find among them that en-
&C. bonpoiat which had expected to meet. Perhaps
!. their sedentary mode of le and the destructive eli