Page:The Boy Travellers in the Russian Empire.djvu/453

Rh long distance, but the affair having been negotiated beforehand, is pretty sure to end in the surrender of the lamb. In some tribes the girl must be lifted from the saddle by the bridegroom, who carries her on his own horse back to the point of starting.

"There is this difference in the treatment of the women of Turkestan and those of most other Moslem countries," the Doctor continued, "that

they are not required to cover their faces. In Turkey, Egypt, and Arabia the Moslem woman who leaves her face uncovered commits an act of great impropriety, but this is not the case in Turkestan. Many of the women are quite pretty in their youth, but their good looks do not last long. The men are of good height and figure, and their manners are grave and dignified. The hair and beard are dark, and the complexion may be set down as a light shade of brown."

Frank asked how many tribes and people were included in Turkestan or Central Asia, and how great was the population.