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Mamiers. and Cujlgms. —Language. — Literature. — Education. — Universities
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C dm m e r cM L t
A S the Ruffian empire comprises fo many diftindfe races of men, the
Customs. A jL manners o f courfe muft be very various. But in the' European di-
vifion, to which this brief account is reftridted, the grand diftinftions
are, a few Laplanders' on the eaft of the mountains o f Oloiietz, which
divide Ruffia from Sweden ; the Fins o f th e W h ite fea, and the Baltic j
the grand Slavonic Siafs in the centre, including the Cozaks of the
South who are alfo Slavons j and a few Tatars in Taurida, a beautiful
region, w h ich forms th e fouth-eaft e x trem ity o f Europe. T h e L a p landers
are--well known to be a diminutive race, who would be, amiable
, from the paftoral fimplicity o f th e ir manners, were not the ir perforate
"Ugly, and disfigured7 with phyfical impurity. TheiEins afe, alio rather
fhort in ftature, with flat faces,, deep cheeks,;dark- greyreyesj, a thin
- beard, tawney hair, and a fallow complexion; bub the fouthern Fins,
though they- retain the national features, are of fuperior appearance.
There Js a- fmali” diftria in the northern extremity O f Scandinavia^
idly called Finmark; but the chief region of the Fins is around the gulph
of Finland, and thence on the fouth o f the White Tea, where was in
ancient times the celebrated. region of Permia, by the Scandinavian
writers called Biarmia, which fome fuppofe extended from the White
fea to the mountains of Ural. Permia is mentioned in the account
■drawn up b y Ohter for the ufe o f Alfred the Great: and a fabulous
detail is given o f its wealth, particularly the rich temple o f Yummala,
the chief god of the Fins, decorated with a profufion of gold, and
*3 ' jewels.
jewels, Mr, Tooke”affures us that She ruinsvdf ancient towns reman* Manners
to evident^ the mvrlii&ti&n;and.prof^erity of' this people; and he flip- cvtrtfxs.
pöfeS that the Permiatts traded wfth Perfia, and India, by the Cafpian
fei, thé? rivers Volgh and Kama, and that the mart was Tfchérd^ó, ah
old cJbMtneraal toWn 'on ‘tfè- river KoiVa._ “Thé repéatéd iftcurfions o f
the Scandinavian tpirates ;dreve -the Fin3 further to the fodth; and
fttbderiT Perm is 'abbuï from thé fea. fTKe'” Fins 'ufed to
excell ÏU’ filhitlg and thë éMace ; but they are ifoW mueh'blêflded with
thé’Slavohs1,’ 'and have generally adopted their manners and eaftorhs.
The mankers of the tSiaiV0tti<f Ruffians', who-cbmlitute the chief ,
mafs and'idhl o f this empire* ha^,$ Mtsi+wtlr alfcribed by Dr, Guthrie,
add Mr. Tooke. They are*genfetally. middle-hied and vigorous^ the-
télinéfs,: and graéfef'öf’thé'Pélifh .SlhvSnS feeuï, to atife'from filperiteft
diin ate, and foil. Thé gëïleral ph^lfibg&ohfy Von lifts of a* ftaalf mouthy
thin lips-,' whitè'teéth, fmalTeyeS, a low forehead, - the nofo commonly
frnall, and turned Upwards^ beard very bu£hy,- hair, generally reddifo.1:
The expreffion of the countenance Isf-'^ayity* ■ with good nature, or
fiijpftftythe gait and‘géftures Ifvêi'^-and' impaffiöïifed.* ’Thé'*‘^dÏH%rf dé-»’
frröy- théfr !nattifaïiy fine^ complexion with paint-, ‘and - theft perïbnaF -
charms expire at an early 'agè< \ T h e Ruffian is extremely patient Of
hunger antT th’rrft - ‘and' his cubs fór all 'difeafeS is the w^rih hath-,'? air f
ratherfvA^'oilr bath, in Which the beat % above 3!° Of Reaumur,' which;
codtriHuteS;bfeatly1 to health, and ftfnp^dmd*to be the only'kaufe why
that ftioekftig difeafe, the Plica Pèlötfica, hasnbTCf 'appeared in Ruffia.
Dr. Gu'tftrie^Bats 'fheWn th&t the Ruffians -retain many maimers anti
uéfivéd from their Phgan anbêftors, and has. given foifte curious
fpecirriens Of their Tongs and mufiejwhifch ïeërtfto be Very-pleafiNg-fi
H e has alfo compared their dances with thofe o f the Greeks ; add'fimfs
in óhe óf .them ‘a eonfiderabie refèttiblance of the Wanton Ionic - while
another réfeftiblél' the Pyrrhic. He 'öbferves:,'fhat the ebutitry girls'
drefsf in the Jaraphan, refëmbling the z k c i t k t JM a , and hind up theft’ .
hair y?ith; the ikntd , a ribbon like thh aneieftt v ilta . They tirfge theft
cheeks with the juice o f the tchhim It'altcurfu W h en a marriage is pro-
pofed, the' lover, acêöfnpanlèd %y a friend, goes to the houfe of fhe
‘ T o o k e , i. 52S. ^ ’ I Toroke, ii. 253.
bride.