The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-12-12
Among the Afghans.

says: The desire of Cabul is declared
by oriental tradition to be one of the
very sights of the Garden of Eden
Displeasing as it may be to the "unca
guide" who wall Historically over their
own countrymen and countrywomen as
the most depraved and INSCRIPTIONS
beings on the globe, and who are just
now taking the blameless and ill-used
Afghans to their bosoms, the plain.
truth is that Afghan men and women
are no better than they should be, and
considerable worse. In accordance with
the national character for suspicion and
intrigue and corruption, an Afghan
dwelling house is like an Afghan boor
kaposh-a whitened sepulchre. The
fiat roofs of the houses have generally
parapet wall formed of rail work
thickl y overlaid with mud, and five or
six feet high, to allow the women of
the family to take an airing unveiled, as
their lords are very jealous about their
being overlooked During our former
occupation of the city, an officer, who
had assembled to the upper part of the
Bala Hissar to get a good view of the
surrounding country was credited with
looking at some women half mile dis
lance from him, and received delicate
hint in the shape of ball from a jejall
whizzing past his head But, however
much an Afghan would think himself
disgraced by his wifes face being ex-
posed to the vulgar gaze, he has not the
slightest objection 70 being squared to
keep her purdah in other words
conniving at her connubial vagaries for
wherever they please in the boorka-
poshes, to shop, or to visit relations;
but they must "keep their purdah'
otherwise. avoid scandal In some Of
the walls facing the streets little loop
holes with tiny shutters exist, through
which an Afghan beauty may be seen
glancing quickly and furtively at the
passing stranger while her grim old
lord and master, sits stolidly gazing at
vacancy through wider aperture below.
Here is a picture of an Afghan beauty
behind the purdah. The blue-black hair
forms on The head, and from the roots
behind, plated into numerous long tails
hanging over the shoulders and back
The outer margin of the ears all around
is pierced and decorated with rows Of
small rings larger ones hanging from
the lobes The neck and breast are tat
toed and dotted over with little figures
of stars and flowers The lustrous black
of the eyes is further enhanced by load
ing the lids with soorma or black anti
mony. The checks are rough and pick
ed out with little round moles of gold
and silver tinsels fixed on with gum. A
loose yellow, blue or red Jacket of mus
lin or silk hanging below the waist and
pa iamas, or wide trowsers, of silk or
other colored material, form this indoor
costume. On going out, legglngs of
cotton cloth, gartered at the knee, walk
ing-shoes of red or yellow leather, and
the indispensable booraposh are added.
A lady OF the kuzzilbash tribe is some
times distinguished with the further ad-
dition OF a black horsehair veil, and it
is also considered chic to wear vinai-
gretta filled with altar or other scent on
the forehead. Afghan ladies exercise
considerable influence over their spouses
both in domestic and political affairs
Savage and intiactable as the men usu-
ally are among themselves, it is quite
beautiful to see how submissive they
become under the discipline of the Ha-
rem Serial An officer has lately been
telling us in the Times how Shere Ali
has the slipper applied to his august
head 10y the mother of his deceased heir,
Abdulla Jan; and it was well known
that Shere Ais own mother, khadijay,
a daughter of Populzia noble, was
paramount i'll his father, to the utter
disgust of the thirteen other wives.
The dost 5 own mother, though with
Persian faint in her blood, and consid
cred, therefore, meSalliance, was new
erthelesS the favorite of the eight wives
of this father, Payandsh Khan. She
was the only one who could prevail on
the Sirdar, when on campaign or jour
ney, TO march at decent hour in the
morning, for which his followers used
to bless her. When any of the older
seven were With him, he generally struck
his tent in the middle of the night, as
II IN hurry to get away from them.