1 CONDITION CM? THE WOMEN.
2 sometimes exposes his perscm alone in the midnight advie^ures of
3 naumzud ban zee.
4 Polygamy is known to be allowed by tin MuhdiniiuMl lu law i but»
5 the bulk of the people, cantioL afford to avail Lheniselves of" the per-
6 mission. Tlie rich, indeed, exceed ihe legal number of four wives,
7 and keep crowds of female slaves besides. But the poor content
8 themselves with one wife; and two wivjes^ with as many concubines,
9 ifi nxkfrnH iililrmil ffrtiMiAitiflnfi firrthiT mMiftn Tlmwii. '
10 . The:opiKUfcio^ Uie wopien Ttriei with tbdr iank. ; Tlioae of iJm
11 - upper elmm we efitiiely copccdted ; but iiiedUoirodaUdieoda^nMa
12 •nd luziiries, wlacli.tlieir sitiMitioii Mbnits o£: Thomt of die poor,' do
13 .die KOik of the hoiuey and bring in, witery &o. Among the rudeii
14 tribeiy they bsirct 4i.ah«ie.ui.t]ie work of the men out of doocs:;:but»
15 m .no part of tlie conntryiaie they .en^Ioyiid ai in Indi% where
16 ba^f.tl^. luted labouiera in biu]din|^.&& ace wpmeoj and where tibiere
17 i«r.0carei9 ^'difibtcnoe- between the. work done by ihe two aeiaea.
18 Thie.jMrfHMnmedan law aUowa the husband to beat his wife ; but it ia
19 reckoned discreditable for a man to avail himself of this privily.' .
20 The ladies of the upper classes frequently leam to read, and aonae
21 of them . shew, .oonaidierable talents for literature. At the same time,
22 it is thou^t immodest in a woman to write, as she might avail herself
23 of her talent, to correspond with a lover. I have known several' fa-
24 milies, which were principally guided by women of more than ordi-
25 nary talents ; and, in tliose cases, they never hesitated to correspond
26 on any business that concerned their sons. These are chiefly' the
27 mothers of families, hut the wives also otteii gam a great ascendant;
28 and all the advantages given by the Malidninietlan law are not always
29 sutHcicnt to prevent the husband's sinking into a secondary place in
30 his own house. Women of the lower orders have ail the domestic
31 amusements of their husbands ; und none, that I know of, peculiar to
32 themselves. Those in. towns, are always wrapped up in a large white
33 dbeet, which covers them to their feet, and completely hides their
34 figure. They are oiabkd to see by means .of a net-work in thawhite
35 hood, .whkdi. (oovoi. tfaeb bead. . Wonueii of. ioonditiufi alM> wear tbia