The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

TURKISH WOMEN.

The following interesting description of Turkish Women is extracted from M. M. Noah's Travels in Europe and Africa, just published in New-York. Mr. Noah, it will be recollected, is now the Editor of the National Advocate, and was formerly American Consul at Tunis. Though a very Zealous partisan, he has not been unmindful of the interests of literature; and the work in question is said to establish his claims to the reputation of a faithful traveller and well bred scholar:

Turkish women have been for ages the theme of the Poet and subject of the Painter: the glowing descriptions of Oriental writers, have dazzled the imagination and misled the judgment. We read the warm and animated accounts of Turkish beauties, from the pen of Lady Mary Montague; a deep and pleasing impression is made upon us, from the Arabian Nights and Persian Tales; and all the highly coloured fictions which we have perused, have taught us to expect something more than mortal. One circumstance has greatly aided the delusion, and that is, Turkish beauties are so closely confined, and so carefully veiled when abroad, that every thing is left to the imagination, and, consequently, the picture becomes highly coloured. Those which I saw was by accident, and, therefore, I had but an imperfect opportunity of forming a judgment upon the subject. I collected, however, from the ladies of Tunis, such information as gave me a correct idea of their persons and pursuits.

The women are mostly brunettes—but few of the natives are very fair; they have black eyes that sparkle with vivacity, generally fine teeth, and as far as my observation permitted me to form, an opinion, I should judge, that Spanish and Turkish women resemble each other in complexion and features. The person of a Moorish woman, if fashionable, is corpulent and unwieldy; taking little or no exercise, indolent, and feasting on the most fattening substances, they are generally heavy and gross, and being deprived of opportunities to cultivate their minds, the extent of their accomplishments is a knowledge of embroidery and making conserves, of which they are amazingly fond. Having no intercourse with the world, restrained in their pursuits, and guarded with jealousy in their movements, they are ignorant of society and of manners.

They marry very young, which, with them, is a civil, and not a religious tie, to be dissolved almost at the will of the husband. The parties never see each other, the match being Concluded by the parents, and may be justly compared to a lottery and all its risks—the fortune of the lady seldom consists of more than a few trunks of clothes, gaudily arranged. The bride is enclosed in a species of cage, covered with silk, and placed on the back of a camel, whose head and tail are ornamented with ribands. A few musicians, and slaves, carrying on their heads dishes of Coscoso, or Pilau, together with the rabble, form a procession to the house of the bridegroom, where the ceremony concludes with a feast, and the firing of muskets during the night. Thus allied, without a knowledge of each other's virtues and attractions, without love or sentiment, it will readily be imagined, that the marriage state in Turkey, is but a species of improved slavery. Polygamy being allowed, the husband repudiates his wife when he pleases, by conforming to some frivolous ceremonies.

Thus situate, the women finding themselves neglected, without influence or society, without tenderness or affection, they are ever on the alert to intrigue, and particularly with Christians, although they are aware that detection is followed by inevitable destruction to both parties. They walk on the terraces, and frequently unveil themselves. I never passed a Moorish woman on the road, who was generally on a mule, led by a slave, or husband, but she seized upon an opportunity to remove the silk covering from her face, either to gratify her curiosity or my own. They have been known to go to baths, with the hope of meeting a Christian, and have frequently asked of them, when unobserved, to repeat the manner in which Christians treat their wives, whether kind or affectionate, conciliatory and humane, and the reply always produced melancholy comparisons. When asked by a Christian what would be the consequence of the deteCtion of an intrigue, the Moorish lady replied, "nothing to you; you will only lose your head, but I will be carried about town on a mule, with my face uncovered, and finally drowned in the lake;" the sense of shame creating greater alarm than the punishment of death.

The detection of an intrigue, if brought home to the parties, is generally punished with death; it is the religion which is violated, and which cannot be appeased by any subordinate sacrifice; hence the Moors are particularly vigilant, and the women guarded. Having occasion to visit a country-house near Carthage, belonging to a Moor, which was to let, I met the owner at the door, who inquired what my business was; being informed, he proceeded to show me the house, and just as I entered the hall, he asked the dragoman what Consul Fwae; being assessed the American Consul, he cried out suddenly, run and tell the women quick to get out of the way, it is the American Consul who is coming. This was the first time I knew that Americans were objects of so much dread to Moorish husbands. The women waddled to their alcoves, as fast as their corpulent persons would permit, and I discovered some, peeping through the crevices of the curtains.

An Irish Captain of dragoons, who was on a visit to Tunis, accompanied me one day to the palace at Bardo, after having received a very necessary caution not to indulge his curiosity in looking in at the windows of the harem.—Such admonitions, with gentlemen of his nation, lose their effect; and in crossing the patio, he suddenly cried out, there are two beautiful women, peeping through the lattices, to whom, without ceremony, he kissed his hand. I expected that this act of well meant gallantry would, if observed, have been paid by a ball from the musket of some Janizary on guard. Fortunately, the action was unnoticed; and on drawing him away from the dangerous spot, accompanied with a necessary expostulation, he excused himself by pleading the utter impossibility of an Irishman's passing a petticoat in a strange country, without a complimentary salute.

The ladies of the harem dress richly. Having no employment, their day is principally devoted to the toilet; they wear velvets, silks and gauzes, beautifully embroidered at the bosoms, and cut up in caftans and robes, without taste; bare feet and embroidered slippers, the hair loose and filled with jewels, and heavy ear-rings and bracelets, and cinctures around their ankles. The costume of a Turkish lady of rank is a singular mixture of splendour, cut up and formed with a barbarous taste, and her appearance betrays a person half civilized and half savage. They use abundance of otto of roses, which is manufactured at Tunis, of the first quality, and powder the hair with pulverized cloves.