TURKISH HAREMS & CIRCASSIAN HOMES BY MRS. HARVEY. OF ICKWELL BURY. LONDON HURST & BLACKETT. GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET 1871. TO THE LADY ELIZABETH RUSSELL, THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. PREFACE. It is hoped by the Authoress that this little record of a past summer may recall some pleasant recollections to those who have already visited the sunny lands she attempts to describe; and that her accounts, though they inadequately express the beauty and charm of these distant countries, may interest those who prefer travelling for half-an-hour when seated in their arm-chairs. CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER I. THE CITY OF THE SUN 1 CHAPTER II. THE HOUR OF PRAYER 21 CHAPTER III. SECTS 40 CHAPTER IV. THE HAREM 54 CHAPTER V. THE HAPPY VALLEY 82 CHAPTER VI. AN EASTERN BANQUET 99 CHAPTER VII. EUPATORIA 111 CHAPTER VIII. SEVASTOPOL 125 CHAPTER IX. TRACES OF WAR 138 CHAPTER X. VALLEY OF TCHERNAIA 157 CHAPTER XI. A RUSSIAN INTERIOR 172 CHAPTER XII. CIRCASSIA 200 CHAPTER XIII. SOUKOUM 214 CHAPTER XIV. CIRCASSIAN MEN AND WOMEN 239 CHAPTER XV. A LAST RIDE 259 CHAPTER XVI. SINOPE 271 CHAPTER XVII. STORM-CLOUDS 289 TURKISH HAREMS AND CIRCASSIAN HOMES. CHAPTER I. THE CITY OF THE SUN. It was on a sunny summer morning that an English schooner yacht, that had been tossing about all night on the stormy waves of the Sea of Marmora, rounded the point opposite Scutari, and, gracefully spreading her wings like a white bird, came rapidly on under the influence of the fresh morning breeze, and cast anchor at the entrance of the Golden Horn. The rattle of the chain had scarcely ceased when up came all the poor sea-sick folk from below, for yachting people can be sea-sick sometimes, whatever may be the popular belief to the contrary.