TURKISH WIVES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3902, 19 April 1877, Page 2

TURKISH WIVES.

TV On married^ life in Turkey, a writer'in the Daily News says :—" Having obtained a wife, it is worth while to enquire how a Turk treats her. I am not aware that she has much to complain of generally from the personal ill-treatment of her husband. I should think as a rule, the Turk is a fair husband. The Turk in ordinary life is not cruel. The wife's misfortunes arise from her position., Aa husband and wife see little of each offier, they are not given to quarrelling. But she is a woman, possibly purchased out^ right in the slave market, for it ia a pure illusion to suppose that the slave trade in Turkey has been abolished, and being a woman, she "bears on every hand the marks of degradation. It is her duty to wait oii her husband, if he is poor, at meals. Her accommodation in the house is inferior to his. In all things she is his slave. If the wife is a daughter of a wealthy man, her lot is not a hard one. As the law regards marriage as merely a partnership, she keeps her own property, and the husband has to be on his good behavior to obtain a share of it. If she is of poor origin she can hardly be said to have any rights. On one or two occasions it has been my lot to travel in the steamers of the Austrian Lloyd's when we have had a harem on board. In each case the husband was in the saloon with the rest of *s, living well and sleeping in a comfortable cabin. The poor women were penned up as deck passengers, living on wretched food which they had brought with them. Only a few weeks ago I travelled in a steamer carrying a harem where there were probably twenty wives and slaves, who were shivering under canvas which was quite insufficient to keep out the pelting rain. I know that it is a thing almost unknown for a harem to have cabins taken for it. The husband takes care of himself, has, perhaps, as I remember seeing, unlimited champagne, and leaves his women huddled together on the deck to take care of themselves. Ido not think it would be fair to charge the Turk with cruelty for thus treating his women. An Englishman does not usually take a firstclass cabin for his servants, and the Turk with no more ill-will or intention of harshness than an Englishman who sends his servant third-class, will take the cheapest method of transport for his women."