The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-05-13
NO. 10.
Women of Constantinople.

Bayley st. John, in his 'Turks in Eu-
rope," gives the following account of the
amusementS of the women of Constantine
pie =" Nearly all Turkish women sally out
every Friday, to take the air, away from the,
town, on the Banks of the Bosphorus, or to
some of the places where water and shade
may be found. The wealthy 60 in carts
without springs, of unwieldy and primitive
construction-six or seven heaped together;
and sometimes their husbands lead the oxen
or horses to the chosen spot, and then GO
away, leaving the women perfectly free to
enjoy themselves as they please. The most
popular amusements are the singing and
and music of the gypsy women, who repair
thlther for the purpose music which is
amorously languid, and singing which is
detestably indecent. A lunch is generally
brought out, and when this is despatched,
smoking and drinking commence; drinking
not of sherbet but of good brandy or of
other strong liquors, which soon induce
boisterous gaety, so that the sultanas whom
we often imagine as pining away imprison-
ed, may be seen rolling in convulsions of in
extinguishable laughter on the turf, or hud-
died up in a still more advanced stage of
intoxication, like bundles of rags. Their
Montenegrin servants, who are the privileged
beholderS of these scenes, are often compelled
to haul them into their carts, in which. they
are jolted back to the harem. Those who
are not too far gone, frequently pull up in
passing through the Christian quarter, at the
doors of taverns to get more drink, and
file of hundred carts may often be seen
stopping in one street, all full of women,
some made bold and chattering by their ex-
cess, others hanging sleepily about, and
murmuring to be taken home. There is
walk planted with elm trees, not far from
the city, where only women are admitted
Two or three thousand assemble there at
time, and sitting upon verdant slope, en-
Joy the pantomime of comedy, which
some infamous Jews, hired for the purpose,
perform on the limits of the forbidden
ground for their amusement. On these oc-
casions it would scarcely be possible for a
stranger to recognize Eastern life from the
descriptions he is accustomed to read The
free conduct of the women has more than
once attracted the attention Of the govern
ment, which not very long ago published an
edict, complaining that they remained out
at night; that they rode forth in coaches
with young Christian drivers; that they
ventured into shops, especially those Of
apothecaries, and even pushed their audacity
so far as to eat ices in the Frankish coffee,
houses of Galata and Pera. The edict ac-
cordingly recommended that early hours
should be kept, and forbade women to enter
shops of any kind, or to be driven out
by young coachmen. These interfarences
with manners, which were supposed to be
great advantages in civilization, and which
seem strangely accompanied by proclama-
t;ons giving permission to women to appear
on public promenades, were of course inef-
fectual. The women continue their old
customs, though some have been hanged or
drowned for being found in the back shops
of Christians. 1t will require something
else besides repressive measures to bring
about reform in this respect. All laws in
the East, moreover, have the temporary
character of proclamations. The are applied
for day and forgotten. 1t is forbidden, for
example, most expressly, for shopmen to have
any other than old men as servants; and
they almost without exception have spruce
dashing young attendants.