398 



MODERN EGYPT. 



bers, are exposed to sale in particular markets or khans, and fetch a 

 price in proportion to their beauty. They have been much talked of, 

 and were we to give implicit faith to the eastern romances, female 

 beauty is no where to be met with in perfection but in Circassia. 

 I confess, however, that the appearances of such Circassian women 

 as I saw, much disappointed me; almost all their pretensions to 

 beauty consisting of a fair skin. I was in the harem of Hassan, a 

 Mameluke Kaschief, and had an opportunity of seeing three of its 

 inmates. They were seated in a small room, on the sides of which 

 was a divan or sofa covered with crimson satin ; a Turkey carpet 

 was spread on the middle of the floor. The crimson satin was 

 fancifully embroidered with silver flowers; the ladies wore white 

 turbans of muslin, and their faces were concealed with long veils, 

 which in fact were only large white handkerchiefs thrown carelessly 

 over them. When they go abroad, they wear veils, like the Arab 

 women. Their trowsers were of red and white striped satin very 

 wide, but drawn together at the ankle with a silk cord, and tied 

 under their breasts with a girdle of scarlet and silver. Something like 

 a white silk shirt, with loose sleeves, and open at the breast, was 

 next the skin. Over all, was thrown a pelisse ; one of them was light 

 blue satin, spangled with small silk leaves ; the other two, pink 

 satin and gold. We were treated with coffee, and were fanned by 

 the ladies themselves with large fans, a perfume being at the same time 

 scattered through the room. This was composed of rose water, a 

 quantity of which is made in Fayum. They were reserved at first, 

 but after conversing with the Mameluke who attended me, they were 

 less careful to conceal their faces. Their beauty did not equal what 

 I had anticipated from the fineness of their skins. They were in- 

 clining to corpulence ; their faces were round and inexpressive ; but 

 the neck, bosom, arms, and hands were of great fairness and 

 delicacy. My dress seemed to amuse them very much, and they 

 examined every part of it, particularly my boots and spurs. Wlien 

 drinking coffee with the Turkish officers, I chanced to forget my 

 handkerchief; and as I seemed to express a desire to find it, one of 



