The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-12-19
Harem wives and Children.

women and girls ale divided. At the
head stand the Kadines, who are
more or less Legitimate wives, though
never officially espoused. 1t should
be remembered that it is not the Gus
tom for the sultan of Turkey to marry
though instances of padishahs having
done so are matters of history.
These women of the first the ka
dimes number four They are the
grandes danes Of barem life. Each
has her equal court IN every detail,
from mistresses Of robes down to
5cullions Though seemingly equal
in rank, there is some slight difference
in title. The first is called the Bach
LadIne. Then comes the Skindi-ka
dine. or second lady; the Artanie Ka
dine, or middle lady. and the kutch
chuk kadie or little lady.
Over all these, however. the mother
Uf the reigning sultan (Or his foster
mother If his own mother be dead) has
pre-emlnence. She is called Waldo
Sultana. and her title is Tatch ai-Mes
toutane, or Grown Of the Yelled
Heads" The whole harem acknowl-
edges her as complete mistress Of the
household. No one dares dispute
her sway, and no one dares come I'M
summoned before her, nor any women
Of the harem ventures into her pres
ence save in full court dress, and
without mantle, be the weather warm
or cold. She has full charge Of all
details of the household, and is widely
honored. Her assistant is the HasnO-
da OGsta, grand mistress Of the robes
and treasury, usually an elderly wo
man, who has the title Of Vice Nalide
The second class of women of the
harem are the Ikbals, or favorites,
from among whom the kadines are
usually selected whenever a vacancy
occurs in their ranks The third class
Of harem beauties are the Guienzdes,
literally. The young ladies who are
pleasant in the eyes" of their master,
who may in their turn attain the dig
nifty Of Ikbals. The fourth class is
known rs the Alaikes, and consists Of
the children, who are gradually train
el in the ways of the harem When
they get to be old enough they begin
rise to the highest ranks
At this point an interesting question
suggests itself. What becomes Of the
harem children? Unquestionably few
of them ever grow up: unquestiOn
ably, too, there are many born. and
the rate Of mortality III the sultan's
palace is high. 1t is known that gen
erations ago the most, if not all, of
the daughters Of the padishahs some
how died IN very early infancy. The
present sultan is said to be less severe
on this point than were his ancestors.
Yet at all events few children grow up
III the Turkish serag1io.
Contrary to accepted belief, the
Turkish barem woman is not altOgeth
er the indolent individual. spending
all her days billing upon cushions of
silk, that she was several generations
ago. Though the sultan is cruel,
though he has no conscience and shows
little mercy he allows the women much
more personal liberty than might be
imagined. Their faces hidden and
their forms concealed IN the regula
ton yashmok and fer,die, they drive
pay visits, go to bazaars ard are often
seen on the Grande Rle de Pera, the
great driveway of the Frank quarter
OF Coustantinop,e, and other public
promer ades. Never, however are
they seen en- foot. They have enjoy
able times wi.hn the four walls Of
;ha harem, where many entertain
uelts are given, and III the palace
grounds is an exquisite little theater
n which all sorts Ct performances
take place.
Drowned La Sack
Nevertheless this freedom Is only a
mIo3- noa. These women are contin-
ualIy watched by spies. an0 sl.o,aId
they enture to cast even look upon
any man they might pass their case is
hopeless. Accordingly to the sUltan's
view there is 1nfdeliry in look, He
orders but one punishment for any
| thing Of that sort, and that is death.
De lth in he devils current tossed
ike a Leaf in the arms of the wave.
L has always been the popular idea
that the sacks in which the Sc women
|
mercy of the current are heavily
weighted. But that is not the case
The account Of au eyewitness of the
| tragic death OF ore of the sultan 5
harem favoriteS proves that the grim
monarch Of TurkAy has o idea of ex
tending even such 10 'rcy to the wO-
man he has condemned to die Pain
less and sudden sinking, quick merg-
ing into eternity, is not for her-she
must be tortured as she dies.
SO far as known this is the only
| authentic account of the terrible
| death that is meted out to the frail
delicate woman who has somehow OF
tended her imperial master The
simple, dramatic narrative ii given
complete TIE writer lived for many
years in ConstantinOple, and knew
the customs of the Turks, their modes
OF life and their opinions in all detail.
He says:
There Is no romance in one of
these frightful executions-all is
harsh, unmitigated horror. The vic
tim may or may not be young and
| DedGIlIu4' iel eAtCutIoIeIS have III
opportunity of Judging. She may be
the approximation of grace, and
they must remain equally ignorant OF
the fact, for she has neither power Oh
oppurtunity 10 excite sympathy were
she the loveiiest hCuri who ever es
caped from the paradise of Mahomet
Il have a friend, man in place
and power, who had been detained il
the palace of one of the ministers IN
til three hours past m dnight. and who
on passing across the bay near the
castle of Europe. was startled by per
ceiving two caique5 bearing lights
lying upon their oars III the center O.
the stream, His curiousity being ex
, cited, he desired his boatsmen to pul
toward tbp1, whom of tha instant IN,