The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-25
SULqANAS AT HOME.
Visit Of Counse1s' Wives
To the Harem Of the
Sultan of Zanzibar.
A QUEEN AMONG THE BERKSHIRES
She Reigns Over 5000 Subjects
Her Charm and Income.

A woman, whose home for severa
years was in Zanzibar, where, as wife
of a United States Consul. she en-
joyed special privileges, tells of hel
visit to the chief Sultana of the late
Sultan's household.
His family included 140 Sultanas.
with one, a full-blooded Arab, leading
all the others and vested with special
privileges. To her the Consul's wife
was permitted to pay a visit, being
the second white in many
years, if not in all time, to do so.
Il really felt" said the wona re-
lating the incident, "a little nervous
about penetrating this closely-guard'
ed place, even on Invitation, and
begged the Sultan, who was always
oil friendly terms with my husband,
TO permit the wife of the German Con-
sui to be my companion.
This request vas graciously grant
ed, and in full evening dress and
decked with all the jewels we owned
we paid the visit. | wore a beautiful
but most savage necklace which the
Sultan had sent me not long before-a
necklet of gold, from whichdepended to
my waist a fringe of fine gold chains,
sloped to fit over the shoulders, price
less, but, as l have said, barbaric to a
degree.
'When we reached the palace our
husbands had, of course, to leave us,
and alone we entered, except for the
four servants who preceded us and a
second four who followed.
AT every few feet a servant OF the
palace stepped out and poured a drop
or two of altar of roses on our hand
kerchiefs; before We got into the
presence IN inc was saturated with the
heavy perfume, and ! was almost
overwhelmed with its, to me, sicken-
ing fragrance.
"rhe Sultana was seated in the
midst of an almost interminable row
OF children, which fanked her on each
side. These were not hers, but the
Sultan's by other wives, she being
childless. As he is very proud of his
children, they were thus displayed,
and it spoke we'll for the good dis
position of the chief favorite that she
was willing to show these jewels TO
her rivals.
,e59.She sat in a large, rather bare
room, with many windows on every
sida.4In every window was at least
e~fgetnead, in some more, which be-
5aaged t o the other Sultanas, who
thus assisted at the interview. This
array OF repulsive ayage %cOunten-
ances, though intended to be friendly,
made me doubly glad that 1 had not
gone alone.
.,The Sultana received us as
graciously as her code of politeness
permitted, but it was easy TO see that
greedy curiosity was the only feeling
which animated the poor creature.
This related chiefly to our clothes,
uDon which she was woInan enough
to pounce at once. treaty thought l
should not get out with all mine on,
so aggressive was her desire to study
every garmnet.
Our appearance pleased her, so we
were informed through the inter
prefer, and that was about all there
was to the interview, except that the
eager Interest the chief Sultana was
able to appease by handling and
examining shone without SUCH ameli-
ofation from the ardent faces at the
Window. 8 These leaned forward
fairfyihungry to get closer to this pair
ofg1enrious white Sultanas. 'n-PhitG-
de9phGa Times.
oyq siber.a Aegina,
Queen Siberia, absolute ruler of
5000 gypsies, is twenty-eight years
old, with bold and striking mien; her
hair is raven black, adorned with
many ornaments; her features regu-
lar, eyes bright, teeth as white Is
snow. complexion a little less swarthy
than that of the traditional gypsy, a
firm mouth and good chin. She
dresses in excellent and modern style,
with the possible exception of wear
ing too many ornaments, which, how
ever, are not of the tawdry variety.
The finest Pullman is none toe good
for her. Her state-room or cabin
when she crosses the ocean is booked
weeks ahead with the exclusiveness
of the 400. Her country seat at
Oxfordshire, England, is as good as
money can command, and it this
camp of seventy or eighty souls is a
sample, she rules with absolute
power and is respected and loved with
a devotion that equals that given to
Victoria. Her 5000 subjects each pay
her 81 yearly.
"Close your hand tightly three
times" she says. gently, when your
dollar rests with its relatives in the
pitcher. MAKE three wishes in your
mind, and l will tell you what they
are" and you mentally resolve that
the every day ordinary wish for
money, the love of your best girl. that
you may play the right horse, ecure
political p~referment, etc, shall not
allow you to be caught in a common
place rut like that, and SO you dream
of the impossible; that your butcher
may give you tendermeat; that Smith
may pay you the $40 he borrowed Of
you last week or that your wife will
speak words of love when you come
home at two A. M. Sunday morning,
after a little game of penny ante, but
it's no use. Queen Siberia reads your
ro,+;,uad story CHAP. XII