DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4752#0128
Il8 THE MOHAMMEDAN RACES
of this book. The Takhtaji, a strange people, are
briefly described in chapter xi.
The most marked way in which difference of
race makes itself obvious to the traveller is in the
appearance and action of the women. In one
village you will observe that the women are closely
veiled and keep themselves absolutely apart. If
they see you at a distance they get out of the way ;
if you come suddenly upon them, they veil them-
selves more closely, turn their faces towards the
wall, and stand so till you have passed; but
curiosity is strong, and if you turn and rudely
cast a glance over your shoulder after passing, you
will generally see that they are gazing at the
strange horsemen, and you make them again hastily
veil themselves. Some of them, however, seem so
hopelessly broken in spirit by the continuous
drudgery which constitutes the life of a peasant
Turkish woman, that they have lost the power to
take any interest in anything.
In the next village, a mile or two away, the
women may leave their faces uncovered, mingle
freely with the men, and readily converse with
strangers. Among all the nomadic or semi-nomadic
races, freedom and openness characterise the
women more or less; these preserve the real old
Turkish custom. The Turkish tribes originally
of this book. The Takhtaji, a strange people, are
briefly described in chapter xi.
The most marked way in which difference of
race makes itself obvious to the traveller is in the
appearance and action of the women. In one
village you will observe that the women are closely
veiled and keep themselves absolutely apart. If
they see you at a distance they get out of the way ;
if you come suddenly upon them, they veil them-
selves more closely, turn their faces towards the
wall, and stand so till you have passed; but
curiosity is strong, and if you turn and rudely
cast a glance over your shoulder after passing, you
will generally see that they are gazing at the
strange horsemen, and you make them again hastily
veil themselves. Some of them, however, seem so
hopelessly broken in spirit by the continuous
drudgery which constitutes the life of a peasant
Turkish woman, that they have lost the power to
take any interest in anything.
In the next village, a mile or two away, the
women may leave their faces uncovered, mingle
freely with the men, and readily converse with
strangers. Among all the nomadic or semi-nomadic
races, freedom and openness characterise the
women more or less; these preserve the real old
Turkish custom. The Turkish tribes originally