TURKISH WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 11

TURKISH WOMEN.

/'Turks .look upon English?people as hope-' Jessly, mad," says tho. writer of a lively;.in. Turkey.'!; Though .they aro fond of them, somoof tlieir; amusements are strongly: disapproved of- At' ono time mixed bathing Was-commenced;' biit' the Turks, wero so shocked that they removed , their families, from-tho- vicinity, 'sothat- their ladies should not .see such., proceedings. ,Finally they .'asked that'such'a tiling should bo ; stopped. Their wishes were complied with. Dancing is- another 'amuse-' Diejit that :.they ■, cannot understand being : allowed, and .they emphatically condemn'the rouiigvTurkisbv orficfers 1 whof.take .part.in' the ; balls , . The article is, of course, written fromthe point.of yiew of an .Englishwoman enjoying a. great .<deal .of agreeable embassy society,, and it tonly- occasionally recalls tho side-'of Turkish -lifo.portrayed in what is surely, oho' of-tho most.charming'.novcls of recent years/ and certainlv-: ono of thoso-. fullest of local x s,v.VSLes / Desenchantes.' - One scene, vividly.described •by Loti,- tho rowing up,and down tho .'lsweot waters of Asia" by - the,high-bred, elegant Turkish ladies 011 Friday (tho,Turkish Sunday) 111 their, beautifully, fitted-up boats and caiques, is time being, it sooms,. stopped. So many, of; these . boats . caiques - wore - there -. that, oars, could no. longer ,bo used; thcro was; nl- , most; a lockiof boats, and consequently tho . Turkish men' and woinen profited ,by tho occasion to pass, so many letters; about ; that tho. '. matter- reached tho- Sultan's ears,, and nowladies, aro. forbiddon to go up the river,"jand the Unbearable lot (as;,it. seems-.fp English people) /.of tho Turkish women must bo . mbro unbearable, still.: In; summer a good deal of entertaining is done b.v , tho . English' .and f° rcl ß n . embassies,.' which, havo then','moved -t Gll ' suminor palaces along; tho >Bos-. ■ phprus.;. Thoro are, says the writer,- sonio ccarmingviriland rides', -but, they' cannot bo cei ! wbmanVailpne;' indeed;.': it Corns' altogether : inadvisable' for , a wouian to ' 'go about t.lio ■ streets of' Constantinople alone,. In. town, .for.instance,--the Turkish soldiers ai e . apt, to make themselves -disagree-, able.When they 'see ; a-lady • unveiled thoy take , a-, delight "in ' insulting her. Should,, she. . vget ;' out' of;.? tboir.fw'hy in. :tho . streets they promptly .pinch' h'er, but ifthe lady . pleases, jthem . nothing .amuses these: men better • than: to kiss her and, then run off beforo' anything can bo done.'' Often Out of pure:. mischief.. they have kissed elderly aiid if: a woman tries to 'defend herself ' they-do ,nofc : hesitate to :Strike her.■ ■ however, do'not,'happen if a woman has a ciil* osflort-