68G ANNlJALIlEGISTF.il, 1810. 



unrestraint, and sleep in a room 

 alone. 



A third cause is " the people 

 liere being all of one kind :" for, 

 in tliis kingdom, placed in a cor- 

 - ner of tlie globe where there is 

 no coming and going of foreigners, 

 the intercourse of the sexes is not 

 attended with the consequences of 

 a corruption of manners, as in 

 Asia, where people of various na- 

 tions dwell in the same city ; and 

 to allow the women such a liberty 

 there, where there is such danger 

 of corruption, would be an en- 

 croachment upon the liberty of 

 the men, which (as shown in the 

 beginning) is contrary to justice ; 

 and that a corruption of manners 

 must ensue, where various kinds 

 of people mix together, is too evi- 

 dent to require demonstration. 

 Before the Mussulmans entered 

 Hindustan, the women did not 

 conceal themselves from view ; 

 and even yet, in all the Hindu vil- 

 lages, it is not customary ; and it 

 is well known how inviolable the 

 Hindus preserve their own cus- 

 toms, and how obstinately they are 

 attached to them ; but now so ri- 

 gidly do the women in the great 

 towns observe this practice of con- 

 cealment from view, that the bride 

 does not even show herself to her 

 father-in-law, and the sister comes 

 but seldom into the presence of 

 her brother. 



A fourth cause is, " the neces- 

 sity which the European women 

 have to acquire experience in the 

 affairs of the world, and in learn- 

 ing various arts, on account of the 

 duty that belongs to them, to take 

 part in their husband's business," 

 which experience could not beob- 

 tained by keeping in concealment: 

 whereas the duties of the Asiatic 



women, consisting only in having 

 the custody of the husband's pro- 

 perty, and bringing up the chil- 

 dren, they have no occasion for 

 such experience, or for laying aside 

 their own custom of concealment. 

 What has been just said, was to 

 show that the Asiatic women have 

 no necessity to expose their per- 

 sons ;but itmustalso be observed, 

 that they have many reasons for 

 preferring privacy. One is, the 

 love of leisure, and repose from 

 the fatigue of motion : a second is, I 

 the desire of preserving their ho- 

 nour, by not mixinfj with the 

 vulgar, nor suffering the insults of 

 the low and rude, who are always 

 passing along the streets; a feeling 

 in common with the wives of 

 European noblemen, who, to pre- 

 serve their dignity, are never seen 

 walking in the streets : and also 

 with ladies in private life, who, 

 when walking out at night, and 

 even in the day, are always at- 

 tended by a male friend or servant 

 to protect them. The notions 

 which the European women have, 

 that the women of Asia never see 

 a man's face but their husband's, 

 and are debarred from all amuse- 

 ment and society, proceed entirely 

 from misinformation : they can 

 keep company with their husband 

 and father's male relations, and 

 with old neighbours and domes- 

 tics ; and at meals there are always 

 many men and women of this de- 

 scription present ; and they can go 

 in their palankeens to the houses 

 of their relations, and of ladies of 

 their own rank, even although the 

 husbands are unacquainted ; and 

 also to walk in gardens after stran- 

 gers are excluded ; and they can 

 send for musicians and dancers, 

 to entertain them at their own 



