THE MUSSULMAUNS OF INDIA.

MRS. MEER HASSAN ALI'S work on the Mussulmauns of Hindoos- taun, is a very pleasing account of the manners, habits, prejudices, and ordinary mode of life, of a people not accessible usually to European observers. This lady having married a Mussulmaun, a Syaad, or lineal descendant of Mahomet—in other words, a noble—in the bosom of whose family she resided twelve years, has had ample opportunities of gaining full intelligence of their do- mestic habits, and of the character of their dispositions and pur- suits. On all these points, a great deal of information is to be found in these volumes : the style is simple, the manner wave, and the matter entertaining. The Begum (for such she is by marriage, though she does not take any title) has imbibed the spirit of true humility which marks a Mussulmaun's wife : her tone is subdued, humble, and almost reverential. What she may haVe been when she first planted her foot in MEER HASSAN ALI s zeenahnah, we know not; but shrewdly opine that a lady of the abominable genus ternzagant, could not be submitted to more wholesome discipline than the seclusion and obedience and habi- tual humility of a Mussulmaun's wife in Hindoostaun,—whether she be a chief or principal spouse, or only one of his Dhollie, or under-cover wives, as those are called who are married after the first, who is alone honoured by a public ceremony. Which rank Mrs. MEER ALI has the honour to hold, she has not informed us, or whether indeed she shares the honour of her Mussulmaun mus- nud with any rival she: we should apprehend not, from certain little sentences she lets fall respecting the practice of polygamy. The effect of this work is greatly to extend the bounds of charity and toleration. We find there are good and exemplary people of every faith; and however heretical or impure the Mahometan creed is, it may here be seen, that though it may modify the happiness of pri- vate life, it does not diminish it—though it may sanction strange customs and encourage to us singular opinions, virtue ofmany kinds flourishes under its wings. Judging from the very minute and faithful picture of this lady, we should say that the qualities which secure social happiness and private comfort, are as common in the cities of Delhi and Lucknow as in London and Paris. Their sys- tem of morality differs from ours; but it seems to work well—there is,less than the average portion of crime, and much more than the average portion of charity. Mendicity is a -virtue, it is true; but then it is sanctity to gratify its demands. The women never leave their homes, except on visits of form. They dwell round a court-. yard; and never take oil their day-dress to sleep in, but wheel their silver-legged bedstead where they please, and repose as our ladies do on sofas. This is, certainly, not according to a citizen's notion of comfort; nor squares it with the sacred notions of the nuptial couch, common among the mass of the people of England; but it does very well for the climate. The ladies do not even know how or where the fruit grows they are so fond of at breakfast ; but what of that? they eat it in peace. We are told that, though their information is limited, they are quick and clever, and that nothing which falls from the lips of husband or father is ever forgotten. A nobleman would fall into a fit of despair if his sovereign, at the annual festival, abridged him of his khillaut, and sent him a tray of smaller dimensions or less richly furnished than became his rank—if the suits of clothes were fewer in number or less costly in ornament than they ought to have been but this is not more absurd than a passion for the Blue Ribbon, in England, or than the mania at the court of Louis the Fourteenth, for the Juste au corps a brevet e. to say, the King's patent waistcoat, the wearer of which was entitled to go to Manly), when seen with other eyes than our own. In distress, these people have sympathy, and relieve to the remotest &gm?, of consanguinity ; in sickness, they have both sorrow and salve; in joy, they rejoice; and if it be an occasion of ceremony, they dazzle the very sun with splendour and grandeur. To take off, one's tur- ban, is to insult—with us, to take off the hat is to honour ; we do not shake hands in gloves—they do not sit in the house in shoes. The point from which we view customs makes all the difference : they are all pretty nearly on a level in propriety or absurdity; and those which now appear to have the slightest hold on common sense, at some time or other have been founded on reason, or on some natural want or social necessity. Mrs. MEEK HASSAN Au seems to have been greatly indebted t0 MEER HADJEE SHAH, her father-in-law, for much of the infor- mation she collected concerning the traditions and tenets of the Hindoostaunee Mussulmaun. Of this venerable old man, she has given a very interesting and detailed account. It would be impos- sible to pick out a man, of whatever creed, of purer morality, more upright intentions, or more pious and devout life, than this aged pilgrim. It used to be his delight in the cool of the evening, and .eyen into the middle of the night, to sit listening to the wife of his son, a Christian and an Englishwoman, reading passages of the Bible, which her husband translated, and he himself compared with the Koran, and commented upon their respective beauties. He used to call the Bible and the Koran the Two Witnesses.

These volumes, as we have said,. are very entertaining—the se- cond, which relates to the miscellaneous customs, more particu- larly. If the letters of Lady MARY WORTLEY MoritrAous from Constantinople derived a great portion of value from her casual and cursory glimpses at the interior of the Turkish harems, must we not prize a full and copious account of them from the actual queen and mistress of a zeenahnah itself ? Our first extract relates to a subject which Mrs. HASSAN ALT is likely to be thoroughly acquainted with—the toilet of the Mus- sulmaun ladies of Hindoostaun. The dress seems to be graceful, and is no doubt becoming.

As I have rather prematurely introduced the Native ladies' style of dress into this letter, I may as well conclude the whole business of their toilet under the present head, instead of reserving the detail of the subject for a future letter when the zeenahnah is to be described, and accordingly proceed to tell you that the ladies' pyjaamahs are formed of rich satin, or gold clods, goollndden, or

mussheroo (striped washing silks manufactured at Bewares), tine chintz,—

English manufacture having the preference,—silk or cotton gingliams,—in short, all such materials are used for this article of female dress as are of sufficiently firm texture, down to the white calico of the country, suited to the means of the wearer. By the most fashionable females they are worn very full below the knee, and reach to the feet, which are partially covered by the fulness, the ex- tremity finished and the seams arc bound with silver riband; a very broad silver riband binds the top of the pyjaamah; this being double has a zarbund (a silk net cord) run through, by which this part of the dress is confined at the waist. The ends of the zarbund are finished with rich tassels of gold and silver, curi- ously and expressly made for this purpose, which extend below the knees : for full dress, these tassels are rendered magnificent with pearls and jewels. One universal shape is adopted in the form of the ungeeah (bodice), which is, however, snitch varied in the material and ornamental part ; some are of gauze or net, muslin, &c. ; the more transparent in texture the more agreeable to taste, and all are snore or less ornamented with spangles and silver trimmings. It is made to fit the bust with great exactness, and to fasten Ischia(' with strong cotton cords; the sleeves are very short and tight, and finished with some fanci- ful embroidery or silver riband. Even the women servants pride themselves on pretty ungeeahs, and all will strive to have a little finery about them, however coarse the material it is formed of may happen to be. They are never remoVed at night, but continue to be worn a week together, unless its beauty fades earlier, or the ornamental parts tarnish through extreme heat. With the ungecah is worn a transparent courtie (literally translated shirt) of thread net ; this covers the waistband of the pyjaamah, but does nut screen it ; the seams and hems are trimmed with silver or gold ribands.

The deputtah is a useful envelope, and the most graceful part of the whole female costume. In shape and size, a large sheet will convey an idea of the

deputtah's dimensions; the quality depends on choice or circumstances ; the preference is given to our light English mantrfiseture of leno or muslin for every- day wear by gentlewomen ; but ou gala days, gold and silver gauze tissues are iu great request, as is also fine India muslin manufactured at Decca— transparent and soft as the web of the gossamer spider ;—this is called shidnium (night dew), from its delicate texture, and is procured at a great expense, even in India ; some deputtahs are formed of gold-worked muslin, English crape, co-

loured gauze, &c. On ordinary occasions ladies wear them simply bound with silver riband, but for dress they are richly trimmed with embroidery and bullion

fringes, which add much to the splendour of the scene, when two or three hun- dred females are collected together in their assemblies. The deputtah is worn with much original taste on the back of the head, and falls in graceful folds over the person ; when standing, it is crossed in front, one end partially screening the figure, the other thrown over the opposite shoulder.

I should say they rarely stand ; but when distinguished guests, or their elders amongst relatives, are announced, this mark of respect is never omitted. It is

an interesting sight, as they have much ease and grace in their manner, which no tutoring cmdd impart ; they rise and arrange their drapery, advance a few steps from their place in the hall, and embrace their visitor thrice in due form, ending by salaaming, with the head bowed very low towards the ground and the open hand raised to the forehead, three times in succession, with solemnity and dignity.

I have told you, in a former letter, how many precious ornaments were laid aside on the eve of Mahurrurn, and need hardly describe -them again. Their

fondness fiir good jewellery peiliaps exceeds the same propensity in any other females on the globe : the rude workmanship of Native jewellers is never an ob- ject of weighty consideration, provided the precious metals are unalloyed in

quality. The same may be remarked in their selection of jewels: pearls of the

largest size, even when discoloured or misshapen, are selected in preference to the most regular in form and colour, of a smaller size; large diamonds, having flaws, are often preferred to smaller ones most perfect. The gentlemen are good judges of precious stones, and evince sonic taste in their style of ornaments ; they are worn on their turbans, and in necklaces or harths—rings, armlets, &c. ; but these are all laid aside at seasons of devotion, when they are restricted wearing, not only ornaments, but mixed articles of silk and wool in their ap- parel. The most religious men and women invariably abstain from ornamental dress in every way, deeming it frivolous vanity, and inconsistent with that they profess—" to be seeking God, and forsaking worldly things."

The ladies never wear stockings, and only. cover the feet with shoes when pacing across their court-yard, which bounds their view and their walks. , Neverthekss, there is a fashion and taste about the ladies' shoes, which is pro- ductive of much emulation in zeenahnah life ;—they are splendidly worked in

many patterns, with gold and silver spangles, variously-coloured small seed beads and embroidery—the whole one mass of glittering metal ;—they are made with sharp points curling upwards, some nearly reaching half way to the knees, and always worn down at the heel, as dressing slippers ; the least costly for their

every-day wear are of gold embroidery on velvet ; the less opulent condescend to wear tinsel work, and the meanest servants yellow or red cloth with silver

binding. The same style of shoes are worn by the males as by the females; I have seen some young men with green shagreen slippers for the rainy season; these are made with a high heel, and look unseemly. The fashion of shoes varies

with the times in this country, as well as in others—sometimes it is genteel to have small points to the shoes; at another, the points are long and much curled ; but they still retain the preference for pointed shoes, whatever be the fashion adopted.

The greatest novelty in the way of shoes, which came under my observation in India, was a pair of silver embroidery, small pointed, and very neatly made:

on the points and round the instep small silver bells were fastened, which pro- duced harmony with every- step, varied by the quick or mere gentle paces of the wearer ; these were a present to me from a lady of distinction in Oude. Upon visiting this lady on one occasion, my black silk slippers, which I had left at the entrance (as is the custom here), had most likely attracted the curiosity of the Begum's slaves; for when that lady attended me to the threshold, they cook' no- where be found; and I was in danger of being obliged to soil my stockings by walking shoeless to my palkie, across the court-yard. In this dilemma the lady proffered me the pair here described ; I was touch amused with the novelty of the exchange, upon stepping into the musical shoes, which, however they .may lie prized by Native ladies, did not exactly suit my style of dress, nor convenience in walkiug, although I must always remember the Begum's attention with

gratitude. . 1,

The ladies' society is by no means insipid or without interest; they are naturally gifted witlifsood sense and politeness, fond of conversation, shrewd. in their remarks, and their language is both correct and refined. This at first was an enigma to me, considering that their lives arc spent in seclusion, and that their education was not conducted on Europome principles ; the mysteiy, how- ever, has passed away upon an intimate with acquaintance ith the domestic halms of the people. The men with whom genteel W1)111C11 converse, are generally well educated ; and, from the naturally inquisitive disposition of the females, not a word escapes the lips of a father, husband, or brother,. their without an inquiry as to its meaning, which having once ascertained is never forgotten, because the attention is MA diverted by a variety of pursuits, or Valli amusements. 1 he women look up to the opinions of their male relatives with the same respect as children of other climes are, iiccustomed to regard their tutor or governeas,-7. considering every word pronounced as worthy of imitation, and every senti- ment expressed as a guide to their own. Thus the habit of speaking correctly is so familiar to the females of Mussulmaun society, that eVell women servants, long accustomed to serve in zeenalmahs, may he readily distinguished by their language from the same class of people in attendance on European ladies.

The Mussulmaun notion of the Sabbath forms a curious contrast with the modern English Christian idea of it. They equally with us respect the day ; but consider that since it is so good a day, they ought on it to commence every good thing,—instead of ab- staining from every act except that of prayer, as in the case of the Anglican Sabbath.

As a religious rest, the Sabbath is but partially observed with Mussulmauns. The Sonnies, I have remarked, pay much more attention to its institutions than the Sheahs; but with either sect, the day is less strictly kept than might have been expected from people who really seem to make religion their study, and the great business of their lives: Both sects have extra prayers for the day besides the usual Mumtaz, which the religious people perform with great punctuality, whether they carry their devotions to the mosque, or offer their prayers in due form in their own abode. On the Sabbath they make it a point to bathe and change their apparel ; the public offices are closed, and the shops partially shut until midday; the rulers,—as Kings or Nuwaubs,—distinguish the day, by not receiving their courtiers and the public visitors, as on other days. Charitable donations are likewise more bountifully dispensed from the rich to the poor on Friday. These observances serve to convince us that they 'believe in the constituted Sabbath; still there is not that strict respect for the holy day which could satisfy the scrupulous feelings of a Christian ; the servants are quite as much employed on Friday as on ana• other clay; the dhurzie (tailor), dhobhie (washer- woman), and indeed the whole establishment of servants and slaves, male and female, find their work undiminished on the Sabbath. The ladies them- selves with cards or dice, the singing women even are quite as much in request as on other days ; and all the amusements of life are indulged in without once seeming to suspect that they are disobeying the law of God, or infringing on their actual duties. Indeed, I believe they would keep the day strictly, if they thought doing so was a necessary duty : but I have often observed, that as Friday is one of their "fortunate days," works of any importance are com- menced on this day ; whether it be building a house,—planting a garden or a field,—writing a book,—negotiating a marriage,—going a journey,—making a garment, or any other business of this life which they wish should prosper. With them, therefore, the day of rest is made one of the busiest in the calendar; but I must do them the justice to say, that theybelieve their hearts are more pure after the ablutions and prayers have been performed. And that as nothing, however trifling or important, according to their praiseworthy ideas, should ever be commenced without being first dedicated to God,—from whose mercy they implore aid and blessings on the labour of their hands,—they set apart Friday for commencing whatever business they are anxious should prosper. This was the excuse made by the pious Meer Hadjee The Mussulmauns of Hindoostaun keep their Lent in a very dif- ferent style from the pretence to fasting kept up by both Catholics and Protestants : their old people not unfrequently die of their austerity, and even young ones emulate the supposed piety of their elders. Children sometimes sink under it. An affecting example of constancy is given by Mrs. HAssAix Am (at p. 189,

in which fasting was fatal to two young people.

A chapter which gives the liveliest account of the pursuits and general appearance of a Mussulmaun city in India, occurs at p. 36, Vol. II.; but it is too long for extract. We make room for the de- , scription of a zeenahnah, from another part of the work.

Before I introduce the ladies of a Mussulmaun zeenahnah to your notice, I propose giving you a description of their apartments.

Imagine to yourself a tolerably sized quadrangle, three sides of which are oc- cupied 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 build- ing, 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...saes and back are merely high walls funning an enclosure, and the only air is adthitted 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 ; hoarded floors are not yet introduced.

As they have neither doors nor windows to the halls, warmth or privacy is secured by means of 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 esta- blishment 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 patch- work style, striped, vandyked, or in some other ingeniously contrived and orna- mented 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 jhill- puns or cheeks. 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 shutteriughie, on which the females take their seat.

The bedsteads of the family are placed, during the day, in lines at the back of the halls, to be moved at pleasure to any chosen spot for the night's re- pose ; often into the open court-vard, 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, narrow- ing as they rise towards the frame, which is laced over with a thick cotton tape, made for the purpose, and platted in chequers, and thus rendered soft, or rather elastic, and very pleasant to recline upon. The legs of these bed- steads are in some instances gold, silver gilt, or pure silver ; others hare enamel paintings on fine wood. The inffirior grades have them merely of wood painted plain and varnished. The servants' bedsteads are of the com- mon mango-wood, 'without ornament—the lacing. of these for the sacking being of elastic string manufactured from the fibre of tile cocoa-nut. Such are the bedsteads of every class of people. They seldom have mat- tresses ; a soojiuee (white quilt) is spread on the lacing, over which a calico sheet, tied at each corner of the bedstead with cords ;mil tassels ; several thin flat pillows of beaten cotton for the head. A muslin sheet ffir warm weather, and a well-wadded ruzzie (cm-erlid) 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 deplittah, and that only when it 'happens to be of silver tissue or embroidery, for which a nmslin 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 batter garments night and day in the winter season. They are always black, the natural colour of the wool. Thu ruzzie 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 hardened with gold brocaded trimmings. The middling classes have tine 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, differiug only in the quality of the material.

The mistress of the house is easily distinguished by her seat of honour iu the ball 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 fibrin,—gold cloth, quilted silk, brocaded silk, velvet, line chintz, or whatever may suit the lady's taste, circumstances, or convenience. It is about two yards square, and gene- rally bordered or fringed, on which is placed the all-important notanurl. This article may be understood by those who have scan a lace-maker's pillow in Eng- land, excepting only that the 'mislaid is about twenty tines the size of that use- ful„,little article in the hands of our industrious villlagers. The musilud is co- vered with gold cloth, silk, velvet, or calico, with square pillows to corre- spond, for the elbows, the knees, &c. This is the seat of honour, to be in- vited 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 am the very edge of her own carpet. Looking-glasses or ornamental furniture are very rarely to be seen in the zec- nahnabs even of the very richest females. Chairs and sofas are produced when English visitors are expected ; but the ladies of Ilindoostaun prefer the usual mode of sitting and lounging on the carpet ; and as fin: 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 in- adequate to accommodate the Whole party. They then have awnings of white calico, neatly flounced with muslin, supported on poles fixed iii 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 abutteringbie and white carpets to correspond with the floor-furniture of the hall; and here the ladies sit by day and sleep by night very comfortably, 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 bril- liant display of jewels, the glittering drapery of their dress, the various expres- sions of countenance, and different figures, the multitude of female attendants and daves, the children of all ages and sizes in their variously ornamented dresses, arc 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.

The buzz of human voices, the happy playfulness of the children, the chaste singing of the donmenies, fill up the animated picture. I have sometimes passed an hour or two in witnessing their innocent amusements, withOut any feeling of regret for the brief sacrifice of time I had made. I am free to confess, however, that I have returned to my tranquil home with increased delight after having witnessed the bustle of a zeenahnah assembly. At first I pitied the apparent monotony of their lives; but this feeling has worn away by intimacy with the people, who are thus precluded from nixing generally with the world. They are happy in their confinement ; and never having felt the sweets of liberty, • would not know how to use the boon if it were to be granted them. As the bird from the nest immured in a cage is both cheerful and contented, so are these females. They have not, it is true, many intellectual resources, but they have naturally good understandings, and laving learned their duty they strive to fulfil it. So far as I have had any opportunity of making. personal observations- on their general character, they appear to me obedient wives, dutiful daughters, af- fectionate mothers, kind mistresses, sincere friends, and liberal benefactresses to the distressed poor. These are their moral qualifications ; and in their religiOus duties, they are zealous in performing the several ordinances which they have been instructed by their parents or husbands to observe. If there be any merit in obeying the injunctions of their lawgiver, those whom I have known most intimately, deserve praise, since " they are faithful in that they profess."

To ladies accustomed from infancy to confinement, this is by no means irksome ; they have their employments and their amusements, and though these are not exactly to our taste, nor suited to our mode of education, they are not the less re.

Fished by those for whom they were invented. They perhaps wonder equally at some of our modes of dissipating time, and fancy we might spend it more profit- ably. Be that as it may, the Mussulmaun ladies, with whom I have been long intimate, appear to me always happy, contented, and satisfied with the seclusion to which they were born ; they desire no other, and I have ceased to regret they cannot be made partakers of that freedom of intercourse with the world we deem so essential to our happiness, since their health suffers nothing from that confinement, by which they are preserved from a variety of snares and tempta- tions; besides which, they would deem it disgraceful in the highest degree to mix indiscriminately with men who are not relations. They are educated from infancy for retirement, and they can have no wish that the custom should be changed, which keeps them apart from the society of men who are not very nearly related to them. Female society is unlimited, and that they enjoy with- out restraint.

A lady whose friendship I have enjoyed from my first arrival iu India, heard me very often speak of the different places I had visited, and she fancied her happiness very much depended on seeing a river and a bridge. I undertook to gain permission from her husband and father, that the treat might be permitted; they, however, did not approve of the lady being gratified, and I was vexed to be obliged to convey the disappointment to my friend. She very miltlly answered me, " I was much to blame to request what I knew was improper for me to be indulged in ; I hope my husband and family will not be displeased with me for my childish wish ; pray make them understand how much I repent of may folly. I shall be ashamed to speak on the subject when we meet." I was anxious to find out the origin of secluding females in the Mussulmaun societies of Hindoostaun, as I could find no example in the Mosaic law, which appears to have been the pattern Mahumud followed generally in domestic habits. I am told by the best possible authority, that the first step towards the seclusion of females occurred in the life of Mahumud, by whose command the face and figure of women were veiled on their going from home, in consequence of some departure from strict propriety in one of his wives (Ayashur, the daughter of Omir); she is represented to have been a very beautiful woman, . and was travelling with Mahumud on a journey in Arabia.

" The beautiful Ayashur, on her camel, was separated from the party ; she arrived at the serai (inn, or halting-place) several hours after they had en- camped, and declared that her delay was occasioned by the loss of a silver bangle from her ankle, which after some trouble she had discovered, and which she pro- duced in a bruised state in testimony of her assertion. Mahumud was dis- pleased, and her father enraged beyond measure at his daughter's exposing her- self to the censure of the public, by allowing any thing to detach her from the party. .Malitontl assuaged Oinir's anger by a command then first issued, That all females, belonging to the faithful, should be compelled to wear a close veil over their face and figure whenever they went abroad.' " In Arabia and Persia the females are allowed to walk or ride out with a sort of hooded cloak, which falls over the face, and has two eye-holes for the purpose of seeing their way. They arc to be met with in the streets of those coun- tries without a suspicion of impropriety when thus habited.

The habit of strict seclusion, however, originated in Hindoostaun with Tamer- lane, the conqueror of India. When Tamerlane with his powerful army entered India, he issued a procla- mation to all his followers to the following purport—" As they were now in the land of idolatry and amongst a strange people, the females of their families should be strictly concealed from the view of strangers;" and Tamerlane himself invented the several covered conveyances which are to the present period of the Mussulmaun history in use, suited to each grade of female rank in society. And the better to secure them from all possibility of contamination by their new neighbours, he commanded that they should be confined to their own apart- ments and behind the purdah, disallowing any intercourse with males of their own persuasion even, who were not related by the nearest ties, and making it a crime in any female who should willingly suffix her person to be seen by men out of the prescribed limits of consanguinity.

There is a pretty and lady-like account of the cholera, which is worth quoting; but our space is exhausted; otherwise, we can as- sure our readers that we could greatly, and with much satisfaction, prolong our extracts.