The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-10-19
The Turkish Harem.

distributed among three households under
three wives, five or six slave mothers hav-
ing apartments in the houses of one or
other of the wives, and being virtually un-
der their supervision. The rest of the
women were in various grades of servi-
tude, if we except five or six old ladies,
dependents, who did duty as duennas.
There are distinct grades even among
slaves. Those belonging to the Pasha
have the prominence; next come those
of the first, second and third wives; those
attached to the persons of the children, &C
cording to the ages of the latter; those of
the slave mothers, and then slaves of
slaves. These last are usually colored
neutrality-suspicious., Nubians-and we
even had one Hottentot. The head slaves
in any special department are called CAL
phas. They always receive large share
of respect and trust; and after certain
number of years of servitude some suita-
BILE husband is found for them, a house,
slaves and monthly allowance being pro-
vided. 1t thus becomes the interest of
the calphas to please their master or mis-
tress, with view to especial favor in the
matter of an ultimate provision. This
sometimes leads to injustice on the part
of the calphas toward the slaves whom
they have to train and overlook, as they
have frequent temptations to throw the
blame of their own shortcomings on these
younger girls. I saw many instances of
this. The mistress is careful to observe
certain consideration toward the calphas
and toward the slaves of others. Thus,
she would carefully abstain from asking
OF the hassngjee (tire-woman) duty be-
longing to the cas6oucqvjee (pipe- bearer).
Nor would she ask for her slippers from
the slave of visitor staying in her house.
In the same way the daughter would not
expect services as a right from the slaves
might ask them as favor if none
/ have known the Khanum Effendi un-
willing to trouble her daughters slaves for
cup of water, although thirsty and it
was hot, summer weather. 1t will thus
be seen that there is certain amount of
etiquette in the harem, and soon found
that in the matter of decorum the observ-
ances were very strict. The Pasha could
not walk across his own harem without
the attendance of &eunuch Ia hulking
African, full of his own importance in
his capacity of guard to the sanctity of
the women) preceding his master as his
master for the time being, crying out at
each step: "Desstur! desstur! Pasha Ef
fendi ghelior!' Keep to customs! The
Pasha is comingD At which those women
who were not the actual property of the
Pasha, being bought with his money and
fed with his bread-all the slaves of his
wives or daughters, or those of the slave
mothers or of visitors-would run and
hide themselves behind curtains, or in
wardrobes, or in side. rooms; but you
would see them peeping out with wonder
ing faces as the household god passed
alOng-perhaps to visit the apartment of
one Of his sick children. Strictly speak
ing, the harem is that part of the house
given up to the undisturbed occupancy of
the women. If one of the Pasha's own
twenty or thirty slaves CHANGED to be in
any Of the apartments he had to cross in
thus traversing the hareln, her duty would
he to stand still with folded hands till he
was out of sight, as itwould be considered
bad manners on her part to continue in
his presence any occupation in which she
was engaged, though her lord and master
would generally walk straight on,
without SO much as honoring her with a
nod. The Pasha actually owns but one
room within the harem, and this he enters
by door communicating with the
salaamlik, or mems apartments. None
but his own slaves have the privilege of
waiting on him here; NO others approach
even the corridor leading to it. Accord
ing tn Turkish law, the children of slave
mothers are legitimate, and on the fathers
death have proportionate share in his
fortune with the children Of his wives.
The slave mothers occupy in the harem y
recognized and respected position, which