Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-01-11

| Harem, and become the molneIs Vi iu'ui
Sultans. The black slaves are sold tor
servants and those of the males who are
appointed to attend upon the Harcms, are
first transformed into eunichs, process
which proves fatal to great number.
The Turks of the better classes are gen.
erally fine looking, handsome race, as
might be expected Of the offspring OF such
beautiful mothers. They are, as general
rule, sensual in their habits-fatalIiy is
their creed and apathetic and devoid oil en-
ergy is their characters-thelr social inter-
course with each other is but limited
When the business of the day is over, they
either resort to the Cafes, to sip coffee and
smoke their pipes. some iii profound gravl-
ty, and others merely exchanging lew
words with their neighbors; or they retire
to their Harems, to the society OF their
wives. Their education is very defective,
and those of the higher ranks, from their
indoent habits, generally become corpu-
lent as they advance in years. The Sultan,
however, is as yet, an exception to this
rule, being feeble, worn out, and appa-.
rentlv exhausted young man, the result OF
of early excess, they say. / had good
view of him some days ago, on his way to
the Mosque. He came from the Bosphorus
in splendidy carved and gilt caique OF
% oars. the seat of honor covered by
magnificent canopy of crimson and gold-a
second caique followed equally rich, and
then four others, less in size and IN splen-
dor; the whole State procession surprising
anything of the kind | had ever seen, en-
ivpned as It was by the manning of yards
and the royal salutes which greeted him as
he rapidly passed his own and the foreign
men-of-war, anchored in the stream On
descending a numerous guard received HIM
with the usual acclamations and honors. and
he mounted a noble, richly caparlsoned
charger, amid the wild strains of Turkish
band of music. He looked proudly at us
as we sauted him, and passed slowly on,
with lack-lustre eye. Indifferent, appa-
rently, TO every thing passing around hlm;
He is represented to be very amlable and
intelligent man, but so tender-hearted as to
weep like child for very slight causes,
and is consequently very unfit to direct the
storm which seems impending over his do
minions. | am assured that he would read
lily have yielded to all the demands OF Rus
sia, if he had not been prevented by the
counsels Of his Christian Allies the gaunt-
let however being now boldly thrown down,
they seem determined to fight, and in
speech which his Majesty addressed to his
counsel, the other day, he announced his
determination to proceed to AdrianoPle in
the Spring, to be near the seat of war-per-
haps to unfurl the sacred banner of the
Prophet, if he should be driven TO such an
extremity. We hear much in the West of
the attractions and beauty of the Turkish
women, (Circassians and Georgians,) and
| certainly have seen number of pretty
faces IN the course of my rambes about
this great city, for they are only half con-
ceaed by the ''yashmack" with which they
envelope their heads. It is made Of gauZe,
and although many fAds of it encircle the
head and forehead, but one is passed around
the lower part of the face, so that you get
pretty good view of that portion of their
physiognomy. Their features are very reg
ular, their dark eyes, beautifully soft and
anguishing in expression, and their COM
plexions, though pale and sallow, are often
charmingly tinted with the most delicate
touch of rouge. AS to their figures can
say nothing, for they dress most horribly
in the street, being enveloped in huge
sack of fustian, far too wide and too long
for them, whilst their little feet are quite
lost in large yellow morocco boots, like
mems with one hand holding up the loose,
flowing sack, and the other occupied with
mantle of the same material, and always
of some dark sombre COLOR they shuttle a
long the streets, the most shapeless mortals
ever saw, just like so many clothes bags,
in yellow boots, as Willis says. Bought as
slaves they receive little or no education,
and am told that many of them can neither
read or write. Hence it is, perhaps,
THAT in Eastern lands they talk in flowers
And tell in garland their loves and cares"
And In this way they may indulge. the taste
which they are said to have for intrigue,
and to which their dress is like that Of the
Lima Ladies, admirably adapted; but woe
be unto the fair culprit who is detected by
her jealous lord in such doings, for lie would
not hesitate moment about throwing her
into the Bosphorus, the tenant of a sack
from which she would never extricate her
self. The strict inviolablity of the Ha-
rems, even to the officers of Government
until the. women have retired, admits oi
many crimes being committed within their
precincts unheard of and unpunisbed-a
even if denounced it is so easy to remove
all traces Of what has occurred before any
investigation can take place, that convic-
ton generally fails Ia such cases for want
of satisfactory proof. Abortion is said to
be practised to great extent among the
Turkish women, and there is besides great
mortality among the children owing per.
haps, to their being handed over TO black
slaves to be reared. Obesity in women is
a beauty among the Turks, and the wives
Of the rich are generally fat, as we'll as in
dolent, kind and childish, and eat vast guam
ti!les of sweetmeats. They delight, in fine
weather, to make excursions 10 the valley
OF sweet-waters or other similar places in
the neighboring country, where they will
sit for hours under the trees indulging in
the "dolce far nientl" The men are e.
qually addicted to their lazy habits, for a
Turk never walks without some determn-
ale object, and always prefers riding to
walking They enjoy dancing but look
upon this amusement as toll which should
be performed by servants. They will sit
for hours in the Cemeteries, over the tombs
Of deceased relatives, in the shade of the
Expresses, unmoyed in posture, and in pro-
found gravity. The Armenian Cemeteries
are planted with plane trees, and on the
flat slabs of their tombs, you will often see
carved the emblems of the trade or profess
sion of the deceased, and always you will