CIRCASSIAN AND GEOilGIAX AVOilEN. 157 lette, the batli, and the table, have these eternally imprisoned females? From their youth, too, the beauties, abundance, and happiness of a harem, have been impressed on them by their parents and female friends, and their expectations have been raised to the highest. But the truth is, indeed, most prosaic. Only to the lot of few does it fall, to see some of their ideas realised in a really rich harem, to be able to shine in spendid garments, and revel in luxury. The most are bought by persons of inferior rank, so all the poor creatures' hopes and fancies vanish ; they feel themselves lost and unhappy. More than likely, too, the lord of the harem is old and ugly, has other female slaves he loves, and they, the younger, are subject to these, and must serve them ; thus arise in them those humours that make them the torment of the othej women, and cause themselves to bitterly feel their misery. Then many, with cold calculation and determination, proceed so far with their plans of makingthemselves hateful, that their owner is at last compelled to sell them again. This is what they labour for, as they hope to find, in another harem, a happier life and richer lot.

The first favorites in the Turkish harems are the women from Georgia and Mongolia. Their faces are not so beautiful, nor their features so delicate, as those of the Circassian women : but, on the other hand, their cast of countenance is more gentle, and their forms more rounded ; they also retain their beauty much longer. Their mood is mild and forbearing ; with submissive gentleness, they bear all kinds of treatment. They are also better taught, and gladly employ themselves on small pieces of female work, such as pocket books, diklia*, and embroider these in silks, silver, and gold. These women are much sought after, tbear a high value, and, according to their beauty, tiieir accomplishments, and talents, especiiUly in music (tambourine, lute, &c.), singino-, and dancing, their price varies from thirty to one hundred purses, and even more. One can, at any time, visit the bazaar, where the unhappy coloured slaves, male and female, are stowed, and arranged like goods for show, and gaze on this sight, so revolting to Kuro-* A hand some fonr or five iiulics wiiU-, drawn througli tlic trousd's to hold them fast above the hips.