Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-02
HOW MOORISH WIVES ARE TREATED.
Not Such Complete Slaves to Their Lords
rs Has been Supposed.
fCornhiu MagAzlne.l

The Moslem women are not such COM
plete slaves TO their husbands as IS gene
rally supposed. 4 Moorish officer We took
to Jeddah from Tangier had his "'ie
with him. She was his only wife. and,
though only eighteen years OF age, had beeh
married to him five years and had had three
children, one Of whom was dead aud the
other two alive and left behind at their home
IN FeZ, whence they came. he had twice
before performed the pilgrimage 10 Mecca
and each time had been accompanied hy
MS voung wife. This time they wero
taking her mother with them and, indeed.
the thoughtful and cOuslderate way IN
which he treated them occasloncd me "a
good deal of surprise. This higQted Mus
Sulman-looked upon by ms European
brethren as a Jealous tyrant of women, as
one utterly incapable of approaching their
bigher qualities and merely using them as
means WheTewith to CRAFTY his coarse
passions could certainly have shamed
many Of them IN this matter HE
shin was living in the bay about "a
milo from the city Of IHneler. Inc
sea was running pretty mgh, ana
long before they came alongside both Ia
dies We're very sick. Gently lac hited them
on board and laid them down IN quiet
corner. while he rushed about 10 sock the
best place on deck whereon to tx hrs tent.
Then he tore open his packages, hnd drew
out from them carpets and pillows anu
curtains. and IN short while Wcll-htted
tent was ready, and into It he carried the
two women and lald them down and made
them comfortable. There they lay III
the next day. as much like two bundles az
clothes as anything else, Tor even thelr
faces aud hands wore invisible. and /
really believe they did not move once
although IN few hours, as soon hs
we had gotten through the Straits and ell
tered the Mediterranean, the sea became
perfectly calm. and great deal OF their IN
disposition must have been OF that iueApll-
cable nature which would have tned the
patienoe OF many a Christian husband con-
siderahly. But he busted himself about
ard liz a fire, and presently turned out
nice little dinner, and didn't lose his tenn
per bit because they would have none OF
IL but only gazed sorrOwfully at the pro
visions that were To be- wasted. lhen lie
made them some tea. and then some conec,
and left nothing untried in the whole
category Of things 10 make them COM
Portable, patiently sitting there tanning
them, or anon starting up 70 get them some
water or ANYTHING they might want Nneil,
the next morning. the ladies bad been III
duced to look over the side OF the ship.
and had convinced themselves that the sea-
was AS calm as il possibly could be. and
that therefore they could not any longer
be sick. then did they bestlr themselves
and do their proper work IN attending TO
the house and doing the cooking. Ihey
took great pride in mpking the tent look
clean and neat, and altogether they seemed
a very happy couple. d,
These pilgrims scramble on board with
great agility and with no regard whatever
for dignity or decency. A ladder, OF
course is ALWAYS welcome; but II one -
not handy thew ara quite capable OF
swar1ning up ropes OF climbing up the
sides. III the women are unable 10 help
themselves they are handed up like any
other bundles. For an hour or two after,
the decks give one the idea OF
a pandemonium Of yelling demons.
Everybody seems To- be fighting with
everybody else; screams of distress, yells OF
furious anger, threats and prayers, curses
and blessings, succeed each other Ia be-
wildering aud ludicrous confusion. The
eesticulation is startling. Arabs certainly
excel Frenchmen IN this accomplishment.
The disturbance while il lasts is something
awful, and is produced by the search after
and Identification of baggage and selection
of sites for erecting tents or spreading car
pets. Women are no less forward III thus
business than they are in any other,
even among ps. One fat old negress, we
took up at Tangier came on board, aud IN
stantiy took fancy 10 part OF the aeck
which threa grave long-bearded Gonrs