Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia: An Account of an Englishwoman's Eight Years' Residence Amongst the Women of the East — David Hume — John Shaqi
Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia: An Account of an Englishwoman's Eight Years' Residence Amongst the Women of the East
David Hume · en
Shortly before leaving Kerman we were fortunate enough to secure
the services of a real treasure in the person of an Indian. He came
to Kerman with his master, Mr. Patrick Duncan, whose object was to
sink artesian wells, but unfortunately he died before his work was
completed. His man, Abdul Fateh, was heartbroken at the death of his
master, as he had been with him for many years. He begged my husband
to engage him, and very gladly we did so, and he proved a great comfort
to us all our time in Persia, acting as "pishkhedmat" (chief servant),
not only being good and honest himself, but keeping the others up to
their work, and not allowing them to cheat us too much. Before leaving
the subject of servants I must say just a word about our woman servant;
she was such a dear little body--a Parsee. We called her Bagi, which
means a female servant. She had been with Miss Sykes for a time,
so knew a little about Feringhi ways. She was a picturesque figure,
waddling about the house in her big baggy trousers and her gaily
coloured overall reaching to her knees, while on her head she wore
the usual number of coverings, in compliance with the Zoroastrian
idea that a woman's head must be well covered! It is a great "shame"
for a Parsee woman to be seen with her head uncovered. One day Bagi
had been washing her hair, and the doctor happened to see her in
passing before she had replaced her many coverings. She came to me
in great distress to know what was she to do. The Sahib had seen her
with her head uncovered!