Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1829-10-15
A TURKISH HAREM.


Mr.. Madden in bis interesting trGvels IL
Egypt, which has been published by Mr..
Colburn, after expressing the surprise which
no experienced at finding the harems of
even tho lowest classes of Turks fitted up
with splendor which contrasted powerfully
with the meannoSs Of the other part Of
thor houses, thus notices the harem of a
pipe-manutacturer, who kept stall in tho
Bazaar at Conslantinople 81 was UShcrcd
into I'm apartment furnished with costly
carpets and richly covered divans. OK
pected to find nothing but misery, and ev-
cry thing was splendid. Amongst the fair
inmates Of tho harem, l could distinguish
the pale Circassian from the languid Geor-
gian, and the slender Greek from the vo-
laptuous Ottoman. My skill and patience
were exercised on all Of them, though in
reality only ono required my assistancc.-
She was a poor SciOte girl, who had been
lately bought by her present muster, and
who could not have paid less than $500
tor her. All the pipes in tho mans stall
appeared not to be worth so; but how tho
Turks naanago to maintain their harems.
| never could learn. When you ask a
Moslem, no says God is great:' and great
indeed must bo tho bounty which enables
pipe maker to feed and clothe six times
as many women as would be sufficient in
England to send mechanic to the work.
house," Mr.. Madden then gives gone
raj notice of Turkish harems -" Having
mingled for some time in the Turkish cap
ital with persons Of NIL ranks, and having
visited their harems daily for some months
past, am enabled to o6c. you few por-
traits illustrative Of national character, pre-
missing that the ladies has no resemblance
to the celestial Fatima Of Lady Montagu,
nor tho gentlemen to tho sentimental
Moslems ofthat fair authorcss. In short,
they have nothing to do with romance or
poetry, bot arc merely meant to represent
such people as move in the best society Of
Constantinople. A Turkish lady Of FASH
ion is wooed by an invisible lover in the
progress Of tho courtship hyacinth is oc-
casionally dropt in her path, by an un-
known hand, and tho female attendant at
tho bath does the Office of mercury, and
talks Of certain Elfendi demanding la
dy's love, as the nightingale aswering to the
affections Of rose A Glove, wrapped up
in an em5roided handkerchief, is tho leas,
token Of condescension the nightingale can
expect but written billet deux is an
implement oflovo which the gentle rose is
unable to manufacture.
The father of tho lady is at length soli-
cited for her hand, and no orders her to
give it, and to love, honor, and obey her
husband in short, they are married ty
proxy, before the Cadi, and the light Of
her lords countenance first beams on her
in the nuptial chamber. This change in
her condition is one which every spinstcr
envieS; If she be the only wife, she reins
in the hArem over host Of slaves il there
be two or three more, she shares with
them the delights Of domestic sway. Ev-
cry week, at least, she is blessed, with
periodical return of her husbands love /; he
enters the harem at MONDAY, and at sum
set, after tho fatigue ofSauntering from one
bazaar to another, and from the public d.
van to the private chambers-he performs
his evening ablutions-one obsequious la
dy fe.ches vial of rosewatcr to perfume
his beard, another bears looking-glass,
with mother Of peal handle. another car
ries an embroidered napkin; and supper
is brought in by host of slaves and SER
wants; for in most harcms the ordinary
attendants have access to the women's a.
partments. The women stand before him
while he eats, and when he finishes, num-
Der of additional dishes arc brought in for
the ladies, whose breeding consists in eat
ing with the finger and thumb only, and
IN not devouring indecoroHsly the sweet
meats, OF which they are exceedingly fond.
When supper is removed, and the servants
disappear, there are few harems where
small bottles of rosoglio ara not produced /:
and Of this liquor, have seen the ladies'
take so many as three or four little glasses
in the course of ten minutes. One of the
female slaves generally presents the pine
on one knee and sometimes one Of the
wives brings the coffee, and kisses the
hand Of her lord at the same time this
ceremony every wife goes through in the
morning, none daring TO sit down in his
nrasanra huR aurh az have tina honnr ~