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4 May 1877 — Constantinople | |
Friday. 4th May [1877]. Wrote to Emilia. Mrs Sandison came soon after 12 stopped & lunched with us & at 2 we went out driving together to the Sweet Waters. It was a lovely drive there over the hills with beautiful views & peeps here & there. The sweet waters is a kiosk belonging to the Sultan in a little valley watered by a canal & on Fridays being the Turkish day of rest all the turkish ladies go & drive there & sit in groups on the grass– We got out & walked by the canal wh was covered with various kinds of caïques & passed groups of women in bright coloured silk feraces & yashmaks sitting under the trees. There were also bands of gipsies most wonderfully picturesque. They all wear a kind of long mantle the original colour of wh is dark blue but wh fades with time & wear to every variety of blue—under this their turkish trousers & sashes & jacket are of all colours of the most brilliant hues. I never saw a more picturesque bit than a group of them assembled & the domes of the kiosk in the fresh spring green of the trees for a background. These gipsies have bronzed complexion & raven hair & black eyes. Their movements are free & graceful & their cloaks drape round them splendidly. We came home abt 5 o’clock. | |
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