The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-20

concluded TO try the experiment OF grind
ing the teeth, and she followed out the
grinders of wife No. , and painted them
black When Mohammed came home he
thought the young woman moro charming
than ever, and, as the story goes from
that day these women have hlackened
their teeth.
| don't think the custom prevails in Tur-
key. however. and I have never heard Of
it in any other Mohammednn country.
Here both men and women universally do
Ct. the teeth Of the girls being filed iust
as soon as they reach marriageable age.
The operation Is so painful that they often
faint under the file, but IL is the fashion
and every maiden pines for the day when
she can change her ugly white teeth for
hollow ground molars OF beautiful black.
This day comes here at 10 or lS years
of age, at which time the girls often have
husbands, and Il Is said Moro viii not
take as a wife a girl whose teeth are
not black.
o4 PEEP into a Harem.
From what I have written you may mo-
tice that the Mohammedan women of Dat
to Mandrs town are not secluded as the
women Of Turkey and other Mohammedan
countries, This is SO throughout these ISL
ands. The females go about with un-
yelled faces. and althouRh one dare not
touch a woman for fear Of death from her
owner, he may look at her as he pleases
without offense. My visit 10 Datto Mandi
was In company with Col Webb Hayes
and II was together that we explored the
village and made photographs of the peo-
pie. We even entered a number OF the
houses and took snap shots OF the ladies'
Of the harem. The average house has no
separate apartment for women. There is
usually but one room, and all sleep on
the floor together the different wifes
paf hgr obi
them ana the common husband / sup
pose, lying next to his favorite. The
floors are OF bamboo poles. They are COW
cred with mats at night. The. women
were sitting on the floors of the houses
we visited. for there were no chairs. and
with the exception OF a few boxes, no fur
niture whatever. The clothing of the fam
lily was hung from the raftcrs Of the hut
and at one side. fastened to the wall. was
usually a collection Of harongs and krisos
ready for use In case OF an ARRAY In
one house we found n little yellow skinned
baby swinging in a hammock slung from
the roof. and IL was on the plea of max
ing a photograph Of It that was able to
photograph the four wives and the fe-
male slaves OF the establishments
Dsto 6Nardf at Home.
10 was In house like this that | found
Date Mandi His town was burned last
summer during his dght with tho insur-
rectos and his present quarters are but
temporary He IL however. building what
among the Moros would he called palace,
nearby. II S. house about afty fe,t
square and perhaps sixty feet ligh with
living rooms upon posts 1t least trn feet
above the ground. The house Sc crieAy Il
bamboo, and Il viii be rooted aad Wallc q
with the Nipa palm tha,ch, tn common
root OF the country.
When Col Hayes and my self first arrived
We were told that Toe dalto was king 80
siosta and that as they did not .'lf" So
disturb him Ne had better walt abIIt UNTIL
he got through with his nap. Thus we dld