The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-05-17
Turkish w0mem.

! TURK, under the care OF black guard. with
q terrific sword by his side, to 60 down ia
Constantnople on frolic or perhaps tc
60 shopping in the bazaars. They wera
dressed in various colors, green, blue,
mouse. .colored, pink. The veil, or yosAmsh,
was drawn over the forehead, and the low,
er part Of the face, up to the middle Of the
nose, leaving only = space for . pair Of very
pretty black eyes to fash out. I never
could help laughing at the figure the no.
gresses made under this disguise. took
some pains to watch these people, and
twice l happened to be in the same part Of
the boat where thst sat. They laughed
and chatted with one another, and some.
times with the men standing around them,
as merrily as SO many Christians. Now
and then, If the face was prettY-and there
were many pretty faces-the yoaxnsaA
would be gradually withdrawn, and had
the opportunity of observing quite at ny
leisure. In each there we're two or ttres
Circassian ladies of the most exquisite
beauty. These were probably the thirty
thousand plaster wives. But there was no
variety in their expression. Some Of the
women are immensely fat, aud they rob
along, bundled up in their robes, in the
most ludicrous manner. One Of the most
laughable sights I ever saw was an old
Turkish lady, with pair of spectacles on
her nose, and exactly filling the aperture
Of the yashmah, while she Vas eagerly
cheapening piece Of silk. The common
women run about, looking like buadles Of
dirty linen going to wash Of their own &C.
cord others little higher up the social
scale, look like bundles Of linen coming
home from the wash. It is very amusing
to see the little girls of ted or twelve years
of age. How any of them keep their
clothes on cannot imagine.
When the Sultan went to the MOSQUE.
the windows Of the houses along the streets
through which he passed, though protected
by jalousies, were filled with black eyes,.
peeping curiously out, and very fat Turk.
ish lady, with about a thousand yards of
Broussa silk wound around her, stopped
her cerriage, just where we were standing,
and waited to see his Highness pass.
Nearly opposite the place is 4 low, broad
wall, the top of which was crowded with
green, pink, yellow and mouse colored
bundles containing negresses in stten6ance.
In the afternoon Of the same day, (FY3-
day, the Turkish Sabbath,) wo took
caique and rowed to the "Sweet waters,"
on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus. This
is favorite resort, being little valley with
stream and trees Otershadowing it. Here
We found large number of Turkish ladies'
and their attendants reclining on carpets
bolstered up by luxurious cushions, slipping
their coffee or sherbet, while their lords
were amusing themselves in another part
part of the ground. Some Of these were
beautiful, but Of the same order with those
| have already mentioned, and scarcely to
be distinguished from smother. We met
there . company of gipsies very merry
and very saucy.
Do you know what an aroba 10! will
explain.
An aroba is the height Of fashion,.
luxury and employment in the very best
society. tits . clumsy carriage, like = very
old fashioned family couch, drawn by Z
yoke Of the white oxen of Asia. The in.
side is covered with thick bed, and tho
sides lined with cushions. Here lies buried
the Turkish beauty on her way to The
Sweet water. Certainly nothing is more
redolent of lazy enjoyment than Circas.
sian dame rolling in the aroba, As her oxen,
driven by q couple of turbaned Turks, or
an Ethiopian slave, slowly drag the ancient
machine along the road.
Polygany is approved by the Koran, and
is universal among the rich classes. The
best men in Turkey--the men who have
European regulations, like Reschid Pachs,
the minister of Foreign Affairs-hsve
harems Of wives and slaves, no one can tell
how many.
The Sultan has innumerable wives, and
increases their lumber every year. 1t is .
common practice Of the great Pacha to
send him, on every occasion Of great
festival, a present Of handsome young
woman, whom they have bought Of their
parents for this purpose; and there is moth
ing disreputable to them, or to the girl, in
this; on the contrary, it is . high and
enviable honor to her. And the Sultan can
pay no greater compliment to the proudest
dignitary of his Empire than - make him
present Of one of his wives. I was
assured by a.Greek ply sician, who had .
large practice among all the nationalities OF
Constsntinople, that infanticide is most
fearfully prevalent.
Female children are articles Of commerce..
They are purchased by dealers, when young,
and carefully brought up, for sale. These,
however, are not slaves, but wives. They
are taught to dance, and play on some
musical instrument, but nothing more, and
their health is carefully attended to.
The price of wife-say from IL to 20
years of age-varies from fifteen to twenty
thousand piasters, that is, from thousand
to twenty-five hundred dollars, according
to her personal attractions a1d the supply
of the market.-Ec.