Brownlow's weekly Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1861-1861, 1861-10-19
Life of Women in the East.

The following description, taken from
work entitled the Egyptian Sepulchers and
Syrian shrines, written by two sisters, the
Misses Beaufort, is interesting:
The gayest sight we saw was the Sweet
Waters of Asia, 10 which lady BufEer kind
ly took us, on the great day Of the year-,he
Friday after KouFban Bairam. This is the
summer Hyde park of ConstantiBople-t the
Sweet Waters of Europe being only in fash-
ion during the winter season. There is no
beauty In the spot, save that OF few fine
trees, beneath whose shade the women sit the
whole day. The place was excessively crowd
ed, and one could not have q better oppor-
tuuity Of studying Turkish women they did
not seem to be enormously unlike the pictures
drawn Of them by those of our modern poets
who describe them as fair and modest pearls,
sitting like snow-drops enclosed in one of
Wards patent sealed cases, the damp dews Of
the glass answering 10 the jealousies through
which the almond-saaped eyes gleam in half
veiled light.
Here the gay Haunting flowers of the Bos-
phsrine harems were sitting in closely pack
ed mass upon the green sward, under the
shade Of the oak and elm, the colors jambled
into each other, like the pattern of q brilliant
Partisan carpet, thrown up upon q ground
hOEA VI tuClI WuilC AitIOhL uAALlinK
its confused brightness, while the harsh, bird
| like, ceaseless chatter of the ladies' tongues,
was almost relieved by the occasional cry of
q spoiled child or the squeAl Of . swsddled
| baby. Each group Of two or three women had
their own mattress, goOlieh (clay jar) Of water,
and an embroidered handkerchief, containing
| their comestibles for the day-chieHy raw eu-
eumbers, Of which they eat from morningti
L ni,p Ae
| gilens. The richer ladies were driving round
and round the small meadow, seated in glided
| painted IsIegss, something like our royal State
coach, only two or three Of which had enr-
| tains drawn 10 conceal the inmates.
| Some OF the Suitan's family we're there,
each lady with couple Of slaves on the back
seat Of the carriage, dressed as gaily, II not
| ~ richly, as herself; many Of the slaves are
petted up almost as much as their mistresses,
and their slayedom IL sometimes the extreme
luxury, Since the last few years the yasmak
! has ceased to be q snare" and become only
. :" delusion "--once it concealed the features
OF the wearer, now Il only sets of and en-
hances their beauty-
3 Like the indlsslaet, sulaen and vapOrUas aeseA.
Which surrounded and ND tue essstiAls In Greess"
| Ffem the gsanees of meas"
the single fold Of gOssamer cause across the
mouth and chin, acting far less iealously on
the fair faces Of the ConstAntinople ladies
than the "vioiettes ef the shady Tiding-hats
Of our own country. -.
| There were some beauties among them, and
some Of those were remarkable for inseli,
| genee more than others, reminded me oi
sweet gentle faces At home bat thsae were
few, for, Ia general, they lock sadly insane.
And Jet We were assured on the best aeiheF.
/ ity that they do not now by any means lead
the entirely vacant lives they ere accustomed
to believe they do there Il scarcely 9 hafess
/ bslongiHg to : solsFAbls rich psFson, where
the ladies do not read FEeneh aHd Play % ths
piaho forte, besides occupying themselves
With maAy klads Of embroidery, and some
4 eyea stag and draw +, one Pasha's wife waf
mentioned to as xho had lately psegea shs
whole " Travators by heAFtio our Inform
ant Ba, these accomplishments ase 81