• ,r 64 ]
cut ftones. The Morlacchi ufe to carry them fewed to their
caps, to cure, or to prevent difeafes ; and they alfo.tie them for
the fame purpofe to the horns o f their oxen. The compofers of
this trumperytake every-method to maintain the credit o f their
profitable trade, in fpite o f its abfurdity, and the frequent proofs
o f its inutility. And fo great has their fuccefs been, that not
only the Morlacchi, but even the Turks near the borders, provide
themfelves plentifully with Zapiz from the chriitian prieils,
which not adittle increales their income, .as well as the reputation
o f the commodity. The Morlacchi have alfo much devotion,
and many o f our ignorant people have little lefs, to certain copper
and filver coins of the low em p i r e o r to Venetian cotemporary
pieces, which pafs among them, for medals of St. Helen,
and they think they cure the epilepfy and fuch like. They are
equally fond of an Hungarian coin called petizza, which has
the Virgin and Child on the reverfe; and one of thefe is a moil:
acceptable prefent to a Morlack,
The bordering Turks net only keep with devotion the fuper-
llitious Zapiz, but frequently bring prefents, and caufe mafles to
be celebrated, to the images o f the Virgin; which is doubt-
lefs in contradiilion.io the Alcoran; yet when .fainted, in the
ufual manner in that country, by .the name of Jefus, they do not
anfwer, Hence when the Morlacchi, o r other travellers, meet
them on the confin.es,. they do not fay huaglian IJfus, Jefus be
praifed; but huaglian Bog, God be praifed.
Concerning the Manners of the M o r l a c chi .
• Innocence, and the natural liberty o f pailoral ages, are ftill pre-
ferved among the Morlacchi, or at leaft, many traces of them
remain
[ 6 5 ]
remain in the places farthefl diftant from our fettlements. Pure
cordiality o f fentiment is not there reitrained by other regards,
and difplays itfelf without any diftindtion o f circumitances. A
handfome young Morlack girl, who meets a man o f her diftridt,
on the road, kilfes him affedtionatly, without the lead malice, or
immodeft thought; and I have feen all the women and girls, all
the young men and old, killing one another as they came into
the church yard on a holiday; fo that they looked as if they had
been all belonging to one family. I have often obl'erved the fame
thing on the road, and at the fairs in the. maritime towns, where
the Morlacchi came to fell their commodities. In times o f feaft-
ing and merriment, befides the kifs, fome other little liberties
are taken with the hands, which we would not reckon decent,
but are not minded among them ; and when they are told of it,
they anfwer, it is only toying and means nothing. From this
toying however, their amours often take their beginning, and frequently
end ferioufly when the two lovers are once agreed. For
it very rarely happens, in places far diftant from the coaft, that
-a Morlacco carries off a girl againft her will, or difhonours her;
and were luck attempts made, the young woman would, no
doubt be able to defend herfelf; the women in that country being
generally very-little lefs robuft than the men. But the cuf-
tom is for the woman herfelf to appoint the time and place o f
being carried off; and ihe does lb in order to extricate herfelf
from other fuitors, from whom ihe may have received fome love,
token, fuch as a brafs ring, a little knife, or fuch like trifles.
The Morlack women keep themfelves fomewhat neat till they
get a husband, but after marriage they abandon themfelves totally
to a loathfome dirtinefs, as i f they intended to juftify the
contempt with which they are treated. Indeed it cannot be laid
■that even the young women have a grateful odour, as they are
X ' ufed