Circassia (Russia) -- Social life and customs; Crimea (Ukraine) -- Social life and customs; Harems
Although they ran away, I was glad to find my Sinope friends were not
irrevocably offended, for they turned up again when I began the next
sketch. They gathered close round, evidently much interested in me
and my doings, but though there was so much interest, there was not
the least rudeness. It is to be feared that a strange artist, in a
foreign costume, would not meet with such good-natured forbearance
in an English village.
I was examined critically, however, and I could understand enough
of what they were saying to know they were remarking upon my nose,
eyes, mouth, hair, dress, &c. They were evidently much puzzled as
to the use of the little hood belonging to my cloak, lifting it up,
and making numerous interrogative signs; at last they arrived, I am
certain, at the conclusion that it served to carry bread or babies in.
When the drawing was finished, a nice, fresh-looking old woman,
a greater person probably than all the rest, as she wore some very
large coins round her neck, came out of the crowd, seized my hand,
kissed it several times, and then, tucking it tightly under her arm
and pointing to the public baths close by, tried to pull me towards
them. Whether she wished me to sketch them, or whether, in the excess
of her good-will, she wished to present me to the rest of "the world
of Sinope" (for in these parts the bath is the women's club, where
they meet to drink coffee and sherbet, and talk over each other's
affairs), must for ever remain a mystery, for though we both talked,
we neither understood. She bowed persuasively, I bowed negatively,
and clung tightly to my companion, for I was really afraid, from the
excess of kind friendship, of being carried off against my will. At
length, finding I was not to be moved either morally or physically,
she again repeatedly kissed my hand, and with many smiles and friendly
looks we parted.
We then strolled on as far as the Turkish burial-ground, enjoying the
bright sunshine and the fresh air, for though so rough and stormy
at sea, on shore it was very pleasant. Beyond the cemetery is an
open common that extends to the edge of the cliffs that line the bay
opposite to that where the yacht is lying.
Out at sea everything looked wild and desolate. Great leaden-coloured
waves were beating in angry foam against the rocks; not a sail was to
be seen; a few gulls were slowly flapping across the dreary waste of
water, their hoarse cries sounding as if they too were uttering harsh
warnings of coming disasters and death. But what a curious contrast
as we turned from so eerie a scene and looked towards the town! On
this side the sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing in
the bushes close by, whilst several groups of Turkish women, seated
under the cypress trees near the cemetery, made the scene gay with
their many-coloured ferighies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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