Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-19
WOMEN OF TURKESTAS.
WHAT vEsssTcA.elN, THE SUSAN
ARTIST AND TRkveLeR. SAYS.

Liza Among ths Eirrnis TINS q Central
Asia-A Charming Yoaz: Woman for 10
uorsss-A Chief pis-..sss NAsrtaSs--A
Miserable Law"
Among the collectioa Of pictures OF the
famous Russian artist and Traveller
Vasilli Verpstchagil. are large number
Of reproductions Of his former works and
albums Of sketches in Turkestan. which
country is becoming more connected with
Europe every day Speaking Of Turkes-
tan recently. sfr. Eersstchagi1 said.
"Then you Pass the Ural mountains,
the frontier between Europe and Asia.
you enter upon the s5sppes. which in the
spring are beautifully green. covered
with grass and flowers. which In autumn
are made quite barren by the sun Fur
ther on telsins the real desert. moving
sands. kept more or less together by the
only thing which grows in such llces.
a rulnins bush or tree called saks;iul,
which serves for burning cooking and
heating pgrI,oeesl as well as to keep the
sands in their place.
The stcppcs during spring are cov-
cred with the tents Of the kirguis. very
large coil.rtion of tribes occupying the
whole Of Central Asia. The Eirguis are
.xtnre If the n0neul and Turks
and numbrf few millions. They are a
very cool hearted people and are Moilarn-
nedans. but not vCry fanatic. The posi-
tion Of abe women il not 50 tad as the
petition Of shc women Of the settled pop
ulation lmcaning the tribes residing per
manently in the citipaj of Central Asia
now THY Buy WIVES.
Naturally. however. their position Is
not 10 be compared 10 that Of European
women. The kirgilis woman is always
bought from her parents by her future
husband. As rule the payments are
made in cattle, a. money is sca rec among
these people.
"A charming and good naturcd girl
can be purchased for. say one hundred
horses. ten or twenty cainels and few
hundred sheep, in addition TO a Large
tent. some cloth and some money, If the
man has any. Once the price of the rirl
is settled upon and nac-haH or one-third
of the amount IL paid the future husband
can come to the tent Of the girls father.
and Is even allowed u remain there with
her in the absence of he girls parents,
but only for short time
when the whole amount is rasl the
husband can take his wife to his own
tent. There in that country. as n
Europe. it il not wise 10 lct the future
husband take his wife without getting
from him al that lie has promised to
give for her.
Il remember charming young womc n
who was bOu rllt by her husband for IN
horses. As the husband was very old
and she was the third vic. and more
over as she bore him no children, she
was beaten nearly every day AMI finally
came to me for consolation. have a
sketch Of her in one of nav albums, and
you will sec that she il a most beautiful
woman. Unfortunately. / could not
change her position. and fear that il
her husband is not dead she is sill
beaten every day.
CHEF DISCUSSES MAErlAC2.
1.-THE kirgui5 look on their women. as
learned from actual conversation with
kirguis chief, who introduced me to
his youn., crd pretty wife, Gs having nc
other Oh iect in life than to vie each with
other wives In their efforts to please the
head of the family.
speaking of the fact that the tribe con.
tcmplated moving to fresh pasturages
and showed her Joy at the prospects Of q
change, asked L. J ii she did not want
to 70 still furth,r. and | would t:.ke hci
with me, fer ar, YER far She laughed
and answered:
Mot yet, but &c that my husband
has the intention TO take another wife
Should he 90 so. then. yes: | will ask you
to take me away. far, far, very far
II said all right; ind it Is quite cor.
rect
"'IIow corrccty asked the husband
/ DO you mean to say that your custom
to have only one woInan-ij better thar
ours. which is to have many Of themT
Certainly. | answered.
Dut do You not understand, he con
tinucd. that when there are many they
get along much better? Every one Of
them understands that if she ceases tc
please me. on il she is capricious, shall
leave hcr tent and so to the tent of an,
other wife and live with the other wife
So they strive one against the other tc
be Kind to nc
II dill not approve Of this reasoning
and said: In our opinion there il some.
thing moro il the woman than her per.
son. Our women added, are united
to their husbands not only by the body
but By the mind, heart and soul
What he exclaimed. But if my
wife By accident should lose an eye. and
be llind n onv eye for life? 10 you
mean to say that must remain ~ith hcI
for The rest cf rig lifc:'
'Ccrtlial-. answered.
Then the l-irSUi5 chief spat in dis,
gust on the floor of the tent. and ex.
claimcd: What q miserable lawr"-
New lors Herald.