Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-05

b-r tue steamer At antio from Savannah, bring in
stT hSndred and f0rty due living skeletons en-
0fst SSaSs H V having O''n0 nf''d
Some things about Turkish Women
1t is a common notion that the womel
lead very retired life, in the secluslo
of the harem. Nothing can be more er
roneous. In passing up and down tn
B2shporus, nearly half the passenger
were Turkish Women. Three times,
harem, consisting of fifteen or twenty
women, partly wives. partly slaves, camt
on board, from the palace of some rich ole
Turk. under the care OF a black guard
with a terrific sword by his side, to &c
down to Cunstautinople on a frOlic; OF
perhaps to go shopping in the bazaars.-
They we're dressed in various colors,--
green blue, mouse-colored, pink The veil,
or u1shmah, was drawn over the forehead,
and the lower part of the face, up to the
middle of the nose, leaving only space
for pair of very black eyes to flash out.
never could help laughing at the figure
the negress made under this disguise
took some pains to watch these people,
and twice happened to be IN the same
mart of the boat where they sat. They
launched aud chatted with one another
and sometimes with the men standing
round them, as merrily as so many
Christians. Now and then, 1t the face
was pretty-and there were many pref
tv faces-the yaShmah would be gradu-
allv withdrawn, and had the oppOrtu-
nifty of observing quite at my leisure
In each harem there were two or three
Circassian ladies of the most exquisite
beauty. These were probably the thirty
thousand piaster wives. But there was
no variety in their expression. Some of
the women are immensely fat, and they
roll along, bundled up in their robes, in
the most ludIcruus manner. One of the
most Imaginable sights ever saw was an
old Turkish lady, with pair of spectas
Giles on her nose, and exactly filling the
aperture Of the yGShmGh, while she was
eagerly cheapenInS piece offs The
common women run about, looking like
bundles of dirty linen going to the wash
of their own accord; others, a lItt lie high
er up the social scale, look like bundles
of linen coming home from the wash
1t 10 very amusing to see the little girls
of ten or twelve years. How any OF
them keep their clothes onl cannot lme
agine r
When the sultan went to the mosque,
the windows of the houses along the
streets, though protected by jaIoustes,
were filled with black eyes peeping cu>
riously out; and u very tat Turkish lady,
with aouut thousand yards of BrOusa
silk wound round her, stopped her cars
ringe just where We were standing, and
waited to see his highness pass Near
ly opposite the palace is low, broad
wall, the top Of which was crowded with
green, pink, yellow, and mouse-cOlored
bundles containing women, with negres
ses in attendance.
In the afternoon Of the same day (tri
day, the Turkish Sabbath) we took
Clique, and rowed over to the Sweet We
tors" on the Asiatic side of the Bospho
rus This is favOrIte resort, being
little valley, with q stream, and tree
ovsrshaduwing it Here We found
large number of Turkish ladies wit
their attendants. reclining on carpets
boIstered up by luxurious cushions, an
slipping their coffee or shetbet, viii
their lords were amusing themselves /
another part OF the ground. Some
these again were beautiful, but of til
same order with thDse [ have alread
mentioned, and scarcelyto be distinguish
ed from one another. We met there
cOmpanyof gypsies,- merry ana We
saucy.
Do you know what an ARABIA is? wi
explain. An ARABIA is,the height of fashi,
anu luxury anu eLnpAOJeu Ou4y III VI
very best society. 1t is clumsy ca
riaSe, like very old-fashiuned fami
coach; drawn by yoke of the white OK
of Asia The inside is covered with THU
bed, and the sides lined with cushion
Hero lies buried the Turkish beauty,
her way tn sip her coffee at the Sweet Wa
ers. Certainly nothing is more TedOle
oflazy enjoyment than Caucasian dan
rolling about in the ARABIA, as her Oxe
driven by couple of turbaned Turk
or an Ethiopian slave, slowly drag Il
ancient machine along the road.
WIVES AND THEIR COST.
PoIygamy is approved by the Koran, at
is universal among the rich classes. IT
best men in Turkey-the men who ha'
European reputation, like Resehid PAch
the minister Of foreign afFAirs-haTe haren
of wives and slaves, no one can tell no
many. The sultan has inuumerable wive
and increases their number every year.
is common practice to send him, on evel
occasion of great festival, present of
handsome Young woman, whom they ha'
bought of her parents for this purpose
aud there is nothing disreputable to ther
or to the girl, in this; on the contrary,
is a high and enViable honor to her. AT
the sultan can pay no greater complime
to the proudest dignitsry Of his empir
than to make him present of one of b
wives. was assured by q Greek phys
clan, who has a large practice among 9
the nationslities of COBstaDtinOple. th
infanticide is fearfully prevalent Fema
children are articles of commerce. TIT
are purchased by dealers, when young, az
carefully brought up, for sale. Thes
however, are not slaves. but wives The
are Taught to dance, and play on some mt
.;.oI ;natruU,anf hnt nOthinO mora An