Maiden Voyages: Writings of Women Travelers

In her introduction to this collection, Morris ( Nothing to Declare ) notes that ``women move through the world differently than men.'' She offers these 51 excerpts from the writings of intrepid women as examples of what she calls ``feminist travel writing.'' The works yield a number of diverting moments, although in many cases the brevity of the pieces makes it difficult for the reader to become engaged with the writer or the place explored. In 1717, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu observes that Turkish attire so effectively conceals a woman's identity that she can move about in public with ``more liberty than we have.'' In the 1930s, Vivienne de Watteville tries to photograph an African rhino seconds before it charges her. In the Edwardian age, a journey on horseback in Iceland prompts Englishwoman Ethel Brilliana Tweedie to speak out for ``abolition of the side-saddle for the country, hunting, or rough journeys, for three reasons--1st, safety; 2nd, comfort; 3rd, health.'' During the Depression, Box-Car Bertha travels the United States, finding the hobo life to be remarkably varied but dangerous. During a stay in Shanghai, Emily Hahn acquires and then kicks an addiction to opium. (Oct.)