New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-05
WOMEN IN THE ORIENT.
THEIR TREATMENT IN TURKEY AND r.

THEIR TREATMENT IN TURKEY AND EGYPT.
ITO the Editor Of The TIL b u d g.
sir: Europeans and Americans probably not over
wellInformed as to how Turk treats his wife. one
has not much 10 complain of generally from inc per
sonal ilLtreatmcnt OF her husband. As rule the
Turk is a fair husband and in ordinary life Is not I'M
kind or cruel The w!fe's misfortune arises from her
| position. As husband and wife see little OF ca'n
other they are not especially given to Quarreng pu'
she Is possibly purchased outright IN me sa0
market (for it Is pure Illusion to suppose t"a' o
slave trade in Turkey has been aboiShed), ana De"E
a woman she bears the marks of degradation. IL -
her duty to wait on her husband and II he Is poor a'
meals Her accommodation in the house Is Inferior 10
his In all things She Is his slave. II The vile Is inc
daughter OF q wealthy man her lot Is not hard one
as the law regards marriage merely as partnership
She keeps her own property and the husband mas !"
be on his good behavior 10 obtain share oil IL IL she
is of poor origin she scarcely be said 10 nave any
| rights at all.
| When a harem IS on board a vessel the husband
keeps IN the saloon living on the best to be had and
| sleeplng in a comfortable cabin. The poor women
are pcnned up on deck deck passengers living OIL
wretched food which they take with them' ie"
months ago friend of the writer was IN S1eames
| carrying a harcm WHO'RE there were probably twenty
| women wives and slaves, who were shiVerlhS uiucr
canvas which insufficient to keep out the pei'nS
| rain IL IS thing almost unknown for harem 70
baSo cabins taken for II. The husband takes great
care Of himself and has perhaps unlimited chahpaShe'
and leaves his women huddlcd together on deck 10 Ae
care OF themselves. o
Turkish slaveshp was captured by French hi"''
| of.war near Alexandria. The slaves IL cohUl'cu O
! sisted Of seventy women and ten men. They were
all liberated, and the men Vouhteereu INV w
Egyptian Army. but it more difficult 70 dspo'o "
| the women as they have no notoh III "n
Of liberty and II left to themselves wou" Pioo'
ably have been drafted, without MAKING any ~
ststonce At all. into some Mussuman's haFeh'
Under the treaty concluded between the hnsnsn
| Government ands the khedlve inc i"po 49,
and the exportaon Of slaves are forbidden Du. inc
retention of slaves in the country Is perhii'''" 'o
about six wears longer in Egypt and eleven years 10
| the Soudan Several officers accordingly GAME ~ ,
Pocha OF the district with offers to buy some Vi 'o
| female slaves, but the Pacha declared ta' he W." 49,
NOT part with one Of them unless they got ma'iieu
He then announced that any soldier or civilian "Is
! ing TO marry one Of the slaves would nave " p"'
thalers for her dowry, but the women wouiu We az
| lowed 10 choose their husbands from among thoSe
who should present themselves for the purpose ~
great number of men, chiefly soldiers asse"oiou VA
! the day appointed The women we're so shy O1a'
they budded together like flock Of sheep ana couio
not be induced to At last one oil theH ''i"s
courage, advanced slowly to big black Egyptian ser
| geant who was anything but young or handsome auu
mt her hand on his shoulder, as sign that nc was
| the man she wished TO marry. Her eAampie Voc
| instantly followed by the other women, WHO rusheu
forward TO choose husbands they feared 10 Oe 700
late 1t was now the mems turn to say wheIher VHeS
| accepted the selections. All were satisfied except
five but the five women who were obliged 10 ehoooo
| again were ultimately provided with husbands.
| In America England and many other countries tHe
ceremony OF marriage Is sealed by the wedding FlnS'
This simple but beautiful practice is not universal ~
slngalese bridegroom, instead Of taking his BRIDE 10
some religious house other place appointed by ls"
og all
curious ceremony after which they are man ana WIG
Is performed It consists in tying the thumbs OF the
bride and bridegroom together This being DONE they
eat together out of the dish They are then man
and wife, but not by any means equals Alter inc
thumbs are united the husband always eats alone she
wte duty o ehg Ss 70 wife and Children are allowed
, partake Of what is left. 49,, ,.x,,.,.
homo SSe mounts the horse Closely Yelled and rides
TO her future home holding looking glass before hei
and fG he Mss for te last time Single Henceoh she
is practically the slave of her husband. - . a.,
I'm China instead OF the bridegroom going 10 thS
house OF his BRIDE he has TO walt at his door Tor hcr
whittier she is conducted with much ceremony aer e
Gs has N sSe RaS placed IN IN S
h. and ntss 5a md and nF
Gus bearers of lighted torches The nearest re lGn
Of the bride carries the key OF the sedan Inc Dree
groom when the procession arrives at MS mouse
eagerly takes the key and opens the sedan Ihe pan
then see each other for the first time in their lives lives
by their parents The pair then enter the house TO-
getler and seat themselves at specia tane om
each pour some wine the ground aud DEDICATE SUM-
Of their provisions to their idols; The brdesroGn
then invites the bride to drink She drinks ana ASK D
for each Each drinks half and the remainder t th
empted into the brdegroom's cup OUT Ui "o
or In Siam man who has sold himself at gambnf
can compel his wife, If she has the money T T u or
him But he then becomes her chaGl ,v F9S Is al
" New-fork, July 20, 1871