Manners The Druzes, a remarkable people of Syria, have attra&ed the ob-
Cu"stgms fervation of many writers. Though they affed the exterior appear-
UST0MS‘ ance of Mahometans, yet they feem to have little or no religioh ; but
even among them there are feds; who do not accord in the Inodes of
diïbélieff According ^to pr^dife neither circUmafioU,
prayers, nor failing ; they obferve neither feftivals nor- prohibitions;'
They drink wine, eat pork, and allow marriage between brothers
and filters, though not between fathers and children. Near Antioch
1 there is faid to be a fed, which profeffes fome of the molt difiblute
tenets of paganifin. The Maronites are chriftians, who acknowledge
the fu^eriority of the Roman churcb, but have many minute
peculiarities.
In the northern extremities of Afiatic Turkey, there are *alfo many
tribes who have adopted Angular manners and cuftoras. Six'or feven
languages aré: fpokehin [thé:, cduntryo. between the rEngine, |and 'th'e
Cafpian.* The Abkhas are, by:the : Circaffians, - called Kulh^H^fip
which implies a people beyond the mountains: they : retain feme traces
of chriftianity. The Tlherkefs,j or', Circaffians, occupy- an extenfive..territory,
■ and might:becóme formidable if’ they, were, upitqd. thé
Circaffians is now: fubjed ;to <Ruffia;. alteration: can- have
taken place.in their manners. The princesrcannot ppffefs-jands:: nhe
nobles are chofen hy. the princess from 66|S
meafures arc proposed By. the prince, and debated by the npbles and
deputies of the people, on a fpot deftined •,for this purpole, near the
royal refidence.;’ The agriculture pfthe-Ciycaffians barely iffifl^eegior-
th e ir own confumption ; but they; export Iheep, and horfes, and the
flaves taken in their predatory excurfions. The beauty of- the ; .Cir-
caffian women having been fo much vaunted, the following , -extract
from a recent and authentic author, may perhaps intereff the read^yfl, •;
« XJirls are brought up by the mother. They learn to embroider, to
^aVp. their own drefs, and that of their future hufbands. The daughters
of Haves receive the fame education; and are fold according, to
their beauty; from twenty to one hundred pounds, and fometimes
much higher. Thefe are principally Georgians. Soon after the birth
»Ellis’s Memoir, p. 14. 3 lb. p. 24, &c.
o f
of a girl, a wide Jehthêr her,’ waift, and continues -Ma
till'd- burftsjïwhendt i^,5espl$çeds<b$: atfeqg^jj^fjBÿ a, repetition of this ç l
pradice’theiK w,aifts are re-j|d^'^dl^i|0nifc.ing]y fmail j butT theirJthçulderis
„Become prQ^pdçicoew^ibfpadli'a-r dsf^d^yh'^ch »‘little*attehdfd»^? cm
«account ef "the. beauty of their, breafts. I Pnt,ther|y edging/.mg^t the bdt 1»
cut with-ilï’d|giger‘by .>jhp,hjÿ&!apd, a" qufljom Ibmppipe^vprfJdudLye
vetyh fateWsç^&dcwits*'-, Thp tBTidg^9om,piaiy4 ;|§ri^?j,hp4.eï:'“^if^£LrfiaSé‘'
prelent, ç£\ Kalym^’CQnflftj'ng; oi^arp^teor/,a epa^of mail he muW?|
I fee, îhdèi'/orîïtflfhabiÿ wdi-H ’hafepwîïhdjit igresteelh- myftefyrr,This
rêferve ’'continues' during, life.; ^Cjydaffian; ^Uf;^hàerimes permit a
-fttaiager ttr fed «hfe«, wife;1 biâojiei . ’Jjb^fathdr
mâkes-,the''bf,ide; argijMent on t^iQi^e^^diggd^l^pt, refepyeslt-th^^ea^r ,
parbnf what helinjehds tcpgiye ;hen tilUtbfQ bijrj^^,er.jh# child. . On
thisiQecafidn fhe-pays him a vifit*, receives-from, him ^Mfereinâirtder; of
her portion,,and is eloathed by;hirn(,in the.drofs ofÿa.^n'atrpi^,ï|,he;prin-
cipal diftindion of which confifts in- a veil. Until this. ,ti*nxe|th,e çbefs cif
the yomenris much J,ike:that of tjrie men,; e x c e p t 't^t the^ejloak, ;is
longer, and fyeqp^ly wf^ite, a^Jc^E^ver wort hy fçgnA ^ [^he cap
too is generally red pr ipl^T|o|pprea, *,
Before marriage the -yputh-pf imh- le^es^ fe'eéaclaçtnèr.- freely, at the
little rejoicings which take place "on ftftivals. pefëre'ihe ‘haï|,thë;you^g
men Ihew .their adivity, and addtels,_ |nja yariety qf mditary'e^preifes ; „
and the,mpft.al’ert have the privilege .of çhufing the m®’i®tiful part-
* ners^ Their mufidal ipftruments .are’a Jong flute, with „omy^three^pps^
a fpecies„i,Qf. mandoline^, arid a tambourin. ’ Their^ dàn^^ âre^A y j
.Afiatic -ftyle, with very tittle gaiety, or exp.reffion.. Tide .ftep|;?ipern
■ very difficult, but pot^graceful., . ‘ 1'
,, - The Cirçafîïan women participate in the général chara^ts of the
nation; they take pride
them, feyeyely when defeated. They ^hfh "aûd^take"' ,c^o£hthe
armour pf-the men. Widows‘tear’their hair, and dis|gure?fe^f^|^
with fears, in teftimony o( tteirjrîéf/ The men Md MmWl^^hp,^
fame cuftorh ; but are now grown ^ f è ' t t a n q & ^ e r ^ a ^ ^ ^ h î r
wives; and 'relations. The'habitation 0f sa Circaffïàn is^cômpofel of 1'
two huts, becaufe the wife, and hulband are not fuppbfed to_ live