CHAP. V.] 
THE TURKS INSULT THE WOMEN. 
153 
but were living in tbe native town, the men quar¬ 
tered in detached huts, and accordingly at the mercy 
of the natives if surprised. The brutality of the Turks 
was so inseparable from their nature, that they con¬ 
tinually insulted the native women to such an extent 
that I felt sure they would provoke hostilities in the 
present warlike humour of the Latookas. The stream 
being nearly a mile distant, there was a difficulty in 
procuring water. The Turks being far too la,zy to 
carry it for themselves, seized upon the water-jars 
when the women returned from the stream, and beat 
them severely upon their refusal to deliver them with¬ 
out payment. I found no difficulty, as I engaged a 
woman to bring a regular supply for a daily payment 
in beads. Much bartering was going on between the 
Turks and the natives for provisions, in which the 
latter were invariably cheated, and beaten if they 
complained. I felt sure that such conduct must end 
in disagreement, if not in actual fight, in the event of 
which I knew that I should be dragged into the affair, 
although perfectly innocent, and having nothing to 
do with the Turks. 
My quarters in the town were near an open quad¬ 
rangular space about eighty yards square, inclosed 
upon all sides, but- having a narrow entrance to the 
main street. The Turks were scattered about in the 
neighbouring lanes, their time passed in drinking 
merissa, and quarrelling with the natives and with 
each other. 
The day after Ibrahim’s departure, the Turks seized 
some jars of water by force from the women on their 
return from the stream. A row ensued, and ended 
by one of the women being shamefully maltreated; 
and a Latooka, who came to her assistance, was 
severely beaten. This I did not see, but it was 
reported to me. I called Suleiman, and told him 
that if such things were permitted it would entail 
a fight with the natives, in which I should not allow 
my men to join; that I prohibited my men from 
