6

Christ Jesus. What they understand by the ungeel is, the word of God by the mouth of Jesus;' for instance, the sermon on the mount, or, in other words, the precepts of Jesus. I am indebted to the meer for this information.

"The Mussulmauns say, 'All power belongs to God. Who would dare dispute the miracle of Christ's birth? Is there any thing difficult with God? God first formed Adam from the dust; and by his word all things were created. Is there any thing too great for his power? Let no man, then, dispute the birth of Christ by a pure virgin? They believe that Jesus Christ was the prophet of God, but they believe not that he is God; and they deem all who thus declare Christ to be God, as unfaithful both to God and to Christ."-Vol. i. pp. 162, 163.

It has often been charged against the Mahometans, that they exclude women from their Paradise. This, however, is by no means the truth; and it would seem, from this account, that the Mussulman ladies, like those, indeed, of every other religion, are peculiarly attentive to the duties which they believe to be acceptable to God.

"I have but little to add as regards the manner of worship amongst my Mussulmaun acquaintance; but here I cannot omit remarking, that the women are devout in their prayers, and strict in their observance of ordinances. That they are not more generally educated is much to be regretted; this, however, is their misfortune, not their fault. The Mussulmaun faith does not exclude the females from a participation in the eternal world, as has often been asserted by people who could not have known them, and the good Mussulmaun proves it by his instruction, of the females under his control in the doctrines of Mahumud, and who he believes to be as much dependent on him for guidance on the road to heaven, as for personal protection from want or worldly

dangers.

"The pure life of Fatima, Mahumud's only daughter, is greatly esteemed as an example of female excellence, whom they strive to imitate as much as possible, as well in religious as in moral or domestic duties. They are zealous to fulfil all the ordinances of their particular faith, and I have had the best possible opportunity of studying their character, devotion to God being the foundation on which every principal action of their lives seems to rest." Vol.

pp. 176, 177.

Among the various festivals which they celebrate, there seems to be none so joyous as that of the first day of the new year, which is kept very much after the manner that prevails at this day in France.

"Nou-Roze' (New Year's Day) is a festival or eade of no mean importance in the estimation of Mussulmaun society.

"The exact period of commencing the Mussulmaun new year, is the very moment of the sun's entering the sign Aries. This is calculated by those practical astronomers, who are in the service of most great men in native cities; I should tell you they have not the benefit of published almanacks as in England; and,

according to the hour of the day or night, when the sun passes into that particular sign, so are they directed in the choice of a colour to be worn in their garments on this eade; if at midnight, the colour would be dark puce, almost a black; if at mid-day, the colour would be the brightest crimson. Thus to the intermediate hours are given a shade of either colour applicable to the time of the night or the day when the sun enters the sign Aries; and whatever be the colour to suit the hour of Nou-Roze, all classes wear the day's livery, from the king to the meanest subject in the city. The king, on his throne, sits in state to receive congratulations and nuzzas from his nobles, courtiers, and dependents. Mabaarukh Nou-Roze!' (May the New Year be fortunate!) are the terins of salutation exchanged by all classes of society, the king himself setting the example. The day is devoted to amusements, a public breakfast at the palace, sending presents, exchanging visits, &c.

"The trays of presents prepared by the ladies for their friends are tastefully set out, and the work of many days' previous arrangement. Eggs are boiled hard, some of these are stained in colours, resembling our mottled papers; others are neatly painted in figures and devices; many are ornamented with gilding; every lady evincing her own peculiar taste in the prepared eggs for Nou-Roze.' All kinds of dried fruits and nuts, confectionary, and cakes, are numbered amongst the necessary articles for this day's offering: they are set out in small earthen plates, lacquered over to resemble silver, on which is placed coloured paper, cut out in curious devices (an excellent substitute for vine leaves), laid on the plate to receive the several articles forming 'Nou-Roze' presents.

"Amongst the young people, these trays are looked forward to with child-like anxiety. The ladies rival each other in their display of novelty and good taste, both in the eatables, and in the manner of setting them off with

effect.

"The religious community have prayers read in their family, and by them it is considered both a necessary duty, and a propitious commencement to bring in the new year by 'prayer and praises.'

"When it is known that the Nou-rose will occur by day-light, the ladies have a custom of watching for the moment the year shall commence by a fresh rose, which, being plucked from the stalk, is thrown into a bason of water, the eye downwards. They say this rose turns over of itself towards the sun, at the very moment of that luminary passing into the sign Aries. I have often found them thus engaged; but I never could say I witnessed the actual accomplishment of their prediction.

"The Nou-Roze teems with friendly tokens between the two families of a bride and bridegroom elect, whose interchange of presents are also strictly observed. The children receive gifts from their elders; their nurses reap a harvest from the day; the tutor writes an ode in praise of his pupil, and receives gifts from the child's parents; the servants and slaves are regaled with dainties, and with presents, from the superiors of the establishment; the

poor are remembered with clothes, money, and food; the ladies make and receive visits; and the domenie attend to play and sing in the zeenahnah. In short, the whole day is passed in cheerful amusements suited to the retirement of a zeenahnah, and the habits of the people." -vol. i. pp. 283-287.

The Mussulmans do not excel in musical performances. Their instruments are a threestringed guitar, a rudely-shaped violin, and a drum, which is beaten, like a tambourine, with the fingers. They are also very indifferent dancers; indeed, they act upon the old impression, that there is a certain degree of indecency in the act of dancing, and are astonished that the English residents should ever think of joining in a quadrille, or a waltz,

since it would be much easier for them to hire public dancers for their amusement. It is very well known, that there is a class of these, whose exhibitions are not distinguished either by gracefulness or decorum. There is, however, another class of minstrels, in India, who are well received in private families, which they amuse, by singing their Hindostanee airs, and dancing in a quiet and elegant style.

To the Mussulman ladies, who are so constantly confined to their zenanas, these minstrels, or domenies, as they are called, are peculiarly welcome, as their arrival generally makes a holiday. These apartments, the zenanas, having been seldom described by persons who have written upon Mussulman habits, we shall be easily excused for transcribing our author's

account of them.

"Imagine to yourself a tolerably-sized quadrangle, three sides of which is occupied by habitable buildings, and the fourth by kitchens, offices, lumber rooms, &c., leaving in the centre an open court-yard. The habitable buildings are raised a few steps from the court; a line of pillars forms the front of the building, which has no upper rooms; the roof is flat, and the sides and back without windows, or any aperture through which air can be received. The sides and back are merely high walls forming an inclosure, and the only air is admitted from the fronts of the dwelling-place facing the court-yard. The apartments are divided into long halls, the extreme corners having small rooms or dark closets purposely built for the repository of valuables or stores; doors are fixed to these closets, which are the only places I have seen with them in a zeenahnah or mahul (house or palace occupied by females); the floor is either of beaten earth, bricks, or stones; boarded floors are not yet introduced.

"As they have neither doors nor windows to the halls, warmth or privacy is secured by thick-wadded curtains, made to fit each opening between the pillars. Some zeenahnahs have two rows of pillars in the halls, with wadded curtains to each, thus forming two distinct halls, as occasion may serve, or greater warmth be required; this is a convenient arrangement where the establishment of servants, slaves, &c. is extensive.

"The wadded curtains are called purdahs; these are sometimes made of woollen cloth, but more generally of coarse calico, of two colours, in patchwork style, striped, vandyked, or in some other ingeniously contrived and ornamented way, according to their individual

taste.

"Besides the purdahs, the openings between the pillars have blinds neatly made of bamboo strips, wove together with coloured cords; these are called jhillmuns or checks. Many of them are painted green; others are more gaudy both in colour and variety of patterns.These blinds constitute a real comfort to every one in India, as they admit air when let down, and at the same time shut out flies and other annoying insects; besides which the extreme glare is shaded by them,-a desirable object to foreigners in particular.

"The floors of the halls are first matted with the coarse date-leaf matting of the country, over which is spread shutteringhies (thick cotton carpets, peculiarly the manufacture of the upper provinces of India, wove in stripes of blue and white, or shades of blue); a white calico carpet covers the shutteringhie, on which the females take their seat.

during the day, in lines at the back of the halls, "The bedsteads of the family are placed, to be moved at pleasure to any chosen spot for the night's repose; often into the open courtyard, for the benefit of the pure air. They are all formed on one principle, differing only in size and quality; they stand about half a yard from the floor, the legs round and broad at bottom, narrowing as they rise towards the frame, which is laced over with a thick cotton tape, made for the purpose, and platted in checquers, and thus rendered soft, or rather elastic, and very pleasant to recline upon. The legs of these bedsteads are, in some instances, gold, silver gilt, or pure silver; others have enamel paintings on fine wood; the inferior grades have them merely of wood painted plain and varnished; the servants' bedsteads are of common mango-wood without ornament, the lacing of these for the sacking being of elastic string, manufactured from the fibre of the cocoa-nut.

"Such are the bed-steads of every class of people. They seldom have mattresses; a soojinee (white quilt) is spread on the lacing, over which a calico sheet, tied at each corner of the bedstead with cords and tassels; several thin flat pillows of beaten cotton for the head,-a muslin sheet for warm weather, and a wellwadded ruzzie (coverlid) for winter, is all these children of nature deem essential to their comfort in the way of sleeping. They have no idea of night-dresses; the same suit that adorns a lady, is retained both night and day until a change be needed. The single article exchanged at night is the deputtah, and that only when it happens to be of silver tissue or embroidery, for which a muslin or calico sheet is substituted.

"The very highest circles have the same habits in common with the meanest, but those who can afford shawls of cashmere prefer them for sleeping in, when the cold weather renders them bearable. Blankets are never used except by the poorest peasantry, who wear them

in lieu of better garments night and day in the winter season; they are always black, the natural colour of the wool. The ruzzies of the higher orders are generally made of silk of the brightest hues, well wadded, and lined with dyed muslin of assimilating colour; they are usually bound with broad silver ribands, and sometimes bordered with gold brocaded trimmings. The middling classes have fine chintz ruzzies, and the servants and slaves coarse ones of the same material; but all are on the same plan, whether for a queen or the meanest of her slaves, differing only in the quality of the material.

"The mistress of the house is easily distinguished by her seat of honour in the hall of a zeenahnah; a musnud not being allowed to any other person but the lady of the mansion.

The musnud carpet is spread on the floor, if possible, near to a pillar, about the centre of the hall, and is made of many varieties of fabric,—gold cloth, quilted silk, brocaded silk, velvet, fine chintz, or whatever may suit the lady's taste, circumstances, or convenience. It is about two yards square, and generally bordered or fringed, on which is placed the allimportant musnud. This article may be understood by those who have seen a lacemaker's pillow in England, excepting only that the musnud is about twenty times the size of that useful little article in the hands of our industrious villagers. The musnud is covered with gold cloth, silk, velvet, or calico, with square pillows to correspond, for the elbows, knees, &c. This is the seat of honour, to be invited to share which, with the lady-owner, is a mark of favour to an equal or inferior: when a superior pays a visit of honour, the prided seat is usually surrendered to her, and the lady of the house takes her place most humbly on the very edge of her own carpet.

"Looking-glasses or ornamental furniture are very rarely to be seen in the zeenahnahs, even of the very richest females. Chairs and sofas are produced when English visitors are expected; but the ladies of Hindoostaun prefer the usual mode of sitting and lounging on the carpet; and as for tables, I suppose not one gentlewoman of the whole country has ever been seated at one; and very few, perhaps, have any idea of their useful purposes, all their meals being served on the floor, where dusthakhawns (table-cloths we should call them) are spread, but neither knives, forks, spoons, glasses, or napkins, so essential to the comfortable enjoyment of a meal amongst Europeans. But those who never knew such comforts have no desire for the indulgence, nor taste to appreciate them.

"On the several occasions, amongst native society, of assembling in large parties, as at births and marriages, the halls, although extensive, would be inadequate to accommodate the whole party. They then have awnings of white calico, neatly flounced with muslin, supported on poles fixed in the court yard, and connecting the open space with the great hall, by wooden platforms which are brought to a line with the building, and covered with shutteringhie and white carpets, to correspond with the floor-furniture of the hall; and here the ladies sit by day and sleep by night very com

fortably, without feeling any great inconvenience from the absence of their bedsteads, which could never be arranged for the accommodation of so large an assemblage-nor is it ever expected.

"The usually barren look of these almost unfurnished halls, is, on such occasions, quite changed, when the ladies are assembled in their various dresses; the brilliant display of jewels, the glittering drapery of their dress, the various expressions of countenance, and different figures, the multitude of female attendants and slaves, the children of all ages and sizes in their variously ornamented dresses, are subjects to attract both the eye and the mind of an observing visitor; and the hall, which, when empty, appeared desolate and comfortless, thus filled, leaves nothing wanting to render the scene attractive."-vol. i. pp. 304–312.

The amusements enjoyed by the ladies in these their own apartments, would appear to a stranger rather nursery-like, and frivolous. But they are innocent, and are the proof of the virtuous simplicity in which the Mussulman wives spend their days. We should think them miserable, because they are so much confined; but usage renders that agreeable to them, which we should imagine to be irksome. Though their intellectual resources are limited, on account of the inferiority of their education; yet they are remarkable for plain good and for a constant attention to the fulsense, filment of their duties. They seem always happy in the seclusion to which they have been accustomed from infancy. They are strictly precluded from mixing in indiscriminate society with men, who are strangers to them, but there is no limit to intercourse with their own sex. Some of the ladies of rank have as many as ten companions on their establishments, besides slaves, and other domestics; and there are some of the royal family at Lucknow, who entertain in their service two or three hundred female dependents, of all classes. A well filled zeenahnah is a mark of gentility; and even the poorest lady in the country will retain a number of slaves and domestics, if she cannot afford companions; besides which, they are miserable without society, the habit of associating with numbers having grown up with infancy to maturity: 'to be alone,' is considered, with women thus situated, a real calamity."

The ladies console themselves also with the pleasures of smoking, and have their hookahs as commonly as the men. The first wife whom a Mussulman marries is always considered as the head of his establishment, and it is now a well settled rule amongst them, that no man shall marry more females than he can conveniently maintain. The son of the first wife is the heir of his father: his children by his other wives are all equal in his estimation. The author mentions many instances that came within her knowledge, in which Syaads especially were contented with only one wife. The majority, however, take full advantage

of their privilege, without thereby losing any portion of the affection of their first wives. The description of an attached consort, as given by the author, is exceedingly engaging. She never gives her husband reason to suppose that she has any cause for regret. She receives him with unaffected pleasure, even though she knows that he has just added another to his already well-peopled harem. She, without jealousy, hears him speak of his other wives, for she knows that others he has, and she has learned from her education, that they deserve respect from her in proportion as they contribute to her husband's happiness. The children of her husband are admitted at all times and seasons, without restraint or prejudice; she loves them next to her own, because they are her husband's. She receives the mothers of such children without a shade of jealousy in her manner, and delights in distinguishing them by favours and presents, according to their several merits.

It seems that girls are considered to have passed their prime, when they reach their eighteenth year; it is as bad as the thirtieth amongst us. The settlement of daughters being, in every family, a matter of great importance, and frequently of difficulty, there is a class of persons, who dedicate themselves, as to a profession, to the business of negotiating marriages. The author's description of these persons, usually females, is curious and entertaining. They are particularly expert in the art of talking, and spend their time in going about from house to house; and as they have always something entertaining to say, they generally gain easy admittance; they make themselves acquainted with the domestic affairs of one family, in order to convey them to another, and so continue in their line of gossiping, until the economy of every person's house is familiar to all. The female gossip in her researches in zenanas, finds out all the expectations a mother entertains for her marriageable sons or daughters, and details whatever she learns in such or such a zenana, as likely to meet the views of her present hostess. Every one knows the object of these visits; and if they have any secret, that the world may not participate in, there is due caution observed, that it may not transpire before this Mrs. Gad-about.

The fair author next proceeds to give a very full and interesting account of the mode in which infants are treated, and of the ceremonies by which the birth of a child is followed. There is not half the bustle made about a female child, as there is about a male; but the good mother, she sensibly adds, will never be dissatisfied with the nature of the gift, who can appreciate the source whence she receives the blessing! The male population are great pigeon fanciers. They think it plebeian to walk; and their chief out-of-door exercise is a ride on horseback, or on an elephant. They practice the sword exercises on

the hide of a living buffalo, or a fish just taken out of the river, which is covered with scales so strong, as to turn the edge of a good sabre. They, however, prefer the lance, in the use of which they evince great agility. The bow and arrow have almost been laid aside, except for the purpose of driving away the crows, which, in India, are the most audacious and troublesome of the feathered race. Horse racing has lately been introduced amongst them, but it has not as yet become popular; when they hunt, it is always on elephants. Some of their sports are barbarously cruel. Tigers, elephants, buffaloes, and alligators, are frequently made to fight against each other, for the amusement of the spectators. A still more horrid spectacle is that of a battle between intoxicated elephants, which often takes place. Amongst the higher classes, tigers and leopards, trained for the purpose, are used like our hounds, in field sports. or in the jungles. They are under the care of keepers, and are generally introduced after breakfast, when native noblemen have visitors.

The streets of a native city are usually narrow, and unpaved; the shops are small, with the whole front open to the street, and here may be seen all the artisans at work, at their different trades; the cook cooking, the baker baking, the butcher chopping his meat, the goldsmith hammering, filing, or engaged over his crucible, the muslin weaver over his loom, the hookha manufacturer finishing his pipes, the confectioner preparing his dainties, the toyman putting together his various temptations for the juvenile part of the community, and all exposed to the eye of every body who passes by, rendering it impossible to apply to their occupation our well known term of mysteries. Some of the "cries" in these streets will be novel to most of our readers. "Seepie wallah deelie sukha!" (moist or dry cuppers). The cupping is performed by men and women. It is called dry cupping when no blood is taken, this is a remedy for rheumatic pains. "Jonks," or "Keerah luggarny wallie," (the woman with leeches). "Kan sarf kerna wallah," (ear cleaner). The wax removed from the ear is in great request, as it is a principal ingredient in the medicament that is used for intoxicating elephants. "Goatah chandnie bickhou," (old silver trimmings to sell). "Tale kee archah wallah," (oil pickles). "Mittie wallah," (man with sweetmeats). "Kallonie wallah," (man with toys). "Punkah wallah," (vender of fans). "TurkareeMaynour," (vegetables and fruits).

66

"Mu

chullee," (fish). "Chirryah wallah," (bird man). Artush-baajie," (fire works). "Chubbaynee," (parched corn). "Tumanshbeen," (wonder-workers). These are rope-dancers, fire-eaters, and sleight-of-hand men, who are famous for their skill, all over the world.

Samp-wallah," (snake-catchers), who are mere impostors. "Dhie cuttie," (sour curds),