The Shasta courier., 1854-06-03
Women of COusfantinOple.

Bailey ST. John. in his Turks in Europe"
gives the following account of the amusements
of the women of Constantinople:
Nearly all Turkish women sally ont every
Friday to take the air. away from the town. on
the banks OF the Bosporus. of some of the
plIcts ~here water and shade may be found
The wealthy go in carts, without spr!nSs, of un-
wedly and primitive coisirlc ton--sIx or seven
heaped together; and sometimes their husbands
lead the oxen or horses 10 the chosen spot, and
then 90 away. leaving the women perfectly free
10 enjoy themselves rs they please. The NEST
popular anIusements are the singing and music
of the gipsey women. who lepair thther for the
purpo ose-mnsic which is amorousy languid,
and singing which is detestably indecent. A
lunch is generally brought ont, and when this is
despatched, smoking aud drinking commence
drinking not ut sherbet, but + good brandy. or
uiher strong liquors. which soon induce bois-
terous gayety, SO that the sultanas. whom we Of
ten imagine rs pining away imprisoned. may be
seen rolling III convuslOns OF inextIngushaDie
laughter on HE turt, ~ huddled up in still
more advanced stale Of intuxcation, Ike bun
dies of rags
Thrr Mnntenegrin servants who are the
privileged behnders of these scenes are ofien
compelled 10 hlul them into their caits, in which
they joIed hack To- the harem. Those VIII.
are not too lar gone. frequently pull up in pass
ing through the Christian quarter. at The door.
OF taverns, tn get more drink and file OF hun
dred carts may often be stopping III ON,
street. all full of women, some made bold and
chatiering by their excess, others hanging sleep.
lily about. aud murmuriug to be taken home
There is walk planted with elm trees, moi far
from the city. where only womt admitted.
Two or three Thousand assemble there at time.
and. sitting upon verdant slope, enjoy the pan
tomime of comedy which some Infamous Jews
hired for the pnrpose. perform The limits OF
the forbidden ground tor their amusement.
On these occasions it would scarcely be pos
sble tor stranger TO recognize eastern life
from the descriptions he is accustomed to read
The free conduct ofthe women has more than
once attracted the attention of the Government
which not very long ago published an edict.
complaining that they remained ont late nj
night; that they rode forth in coaches with
young Christian drivers; that they ventured into
shops. especially those OF spothecaries; and
even pursned their audacity SO far as 10 eat IN
the franklin coffee houses of Galata and Pera
The edict accordingly recommended that early
hours should be kept, and forbade women TO
ter shops OF any kind. to be driven about by
young coachmen. These interferences with
manners which were supposed TO be great ad-
vantages IN civilization, aud which seem
strangely accompanied by proclamations giving
permission Tor women TO appear on the public
promenades. were OF course Intellectual The
women continue their old customs though some
have heen hanged drnwned for being found
IN the back shops of Christians. Ii will require
something else besides repressive measures To
bring about reform in this respect. Ali laws
In the East moreover, have the temporary char
scter of proclamatlons They are applied for a
day and forgotten. Itis forbidden. for example
most expressly, for shopmen 10 have any other
than old men as servants. and tney almost with
out exception have spruce, dashing young atten-
osnts