flies which infest meat. He shews his teeth, and sits on the skin of a vulture."-Ibid. wwwww keeps them extended like great sails of a ship going before the wind. It has besides two other wings underneath the former, and which resemble a light transparent stuff, pretty much like a cobweb, and which it makes use of in the manner of smack sails, that are along a vessel. But when. the locust reposes herself, she does like a vessel that lies at anchor; for she keeps the second sails furled under the others." [The Sycamore of Egypt.] "THE sycamore which in Arabic is called Giomez, is of the height of a beech, and bears its fruit in a manner quite different from other trees. It has them on the trunk itself, which shoots out little sprigs in form of grape stalks, at the end-Ibid. of which grow the fruits close to one another, almost like bunches of grapes. The tree is always green, and bears fruit several times in the year, without observing any certain seasons; for I have seen some sycamores that have given fruit two months after others. The fruit has the figure and smell of real figs, but is inferiour to them in the taste, having a disgustful sweetness. Its colour is a yellow, inclining to an oker, shadowed by a flesh colour. In the inside it resembles the common figs, excepting that it has a blackish colouring, with yellow spots. This sort of tree is pretty common in Egypt. The people, for the greater part, live upon its fruit, and think themselves well regaled when they have a piece of bread, a couple of sycamore figs, and a pitcher filled with water from the Nile."NORDEN. [Locusts.] "THE locusts are remarkable for the hieroglyphic that they bear upon the forehead. Their colour is green throughout the whole body, excepting a little yellow rim that surrounds their head, and which is lost at the eyes. This insect has two upper wings, pretty solid. They are green, like the rest of the body, except that there is in each a little white spot. The locust The reader should refer to the magnificent passage in Thalaba "For these mysterious lines were legibleWhen the sun shall be darkened at noon, Son of Hodeirah depart." Third Book, 34. Poems, p. 242.-J. W. W. [The Dareïra.] "THE Dareïra is a kind of gnat, with which the water sometimes is almost all covered towards the evening. I take it for that sort of insect that the bats in quest of upon the Nile, for their prey."Ibid. wwwwwwwwwm go [American Indian name for the Small Pox.] "THE American Indians call the smallpox Oonatàquâra, imagining it to proceed from the invisible darts of angry fate, pointed against them, for their young people's vicious conduct."—ADAIR. [Yo He Wah the Author of Vegetation.] "To inculcate on their young people that Yo He Wah is the author of vegetation, they call the growth of vegetables Wahráah, moved by Yohewah. In like manner, Wah-àh signifies that the fruits are ripe, or moved to their joy by Yohewah."-Ibid. wwwwwwww [Magic Rain Stone.] "THE Indian magi, who are to invoke Yo He Wah, and mediate with the supreme holy fire that he may give seasonable rains, have a transparent stone of supposed great power in assisting to bring down the rain, when it is put in a basin of water; by a reputed divine virtue, impressed on one of the like sort, in time of old, which communicates it circularly. This stone would suffer a great decay, they assert, were it even seen by their own laity; but if by foreigners, it would be utterly despoiled of its divine communicative power."—Ibid. [The Charake Prophet's Carbuncle.] "The war-pole is a small peeled tree painted red, the top and boughs cut off short. It is fixt in the ground opposite to his door, and all his implements of war are hung on the short boughs of it till they rot." "A CHARAKE prophet who lived in Tym- | —Ibid. ahse had a carbuncle near as big as an egg, which they said he found where a great rattlesnake lay dead; and that it sparkled with such surprizing lustre, as to illuminate his dark winter house, like strong flashes of continued lightning, to the great terror of the weak, who durst not upon any account approach the dreadful fire-darting place, for fear of sudden death. When he died it was buried with him according to custom."-Ibid. [War Pole of the North American Indians.] www [The Spirits of their Dead.] "THOUGH they imagine the report of guns will send off the ghosts of their kindred that died at home to their quiet place, yet they firmly believe that the spirits of those who are killed by the enemy, without equal revenge of blood, find no rest; and at night haunt the houses of the tribe to which they belonged; but when that kindred duty of retaliation is justly executed, they immediately get ease, and power to fly away."-Ibid. [The White Circle.] "THEIR law compels the widow, through the long term of her weeds, to refrain all public company and diversions, at the penalty of an adultress, and likewise to go with. flowing hair, without the privilege of oil to anoint it. The nearest kinsmen of the deceased husband keep a very watchful eye over her conduct in this respect. The place their people, who had been two months be of interment is also calculated to wake the widow's grief, for he is intombed in the house under her bed; and if he was a war leader, she is obliged for the first moon to sit in the day time under his mourning warpole, which is decked with all his martial trophies, and must be heard to cry with bewailing notes. But none of them are fond of that month's supposed religious duty; it chills, or sweats, and wastes them so exceedingly; for they are allowed no shade or shelter. "THE Indians use the same ceremonies to the bones of their dead as if they were covered with their former skin, flesh, and ligaments. It is but a few days since I saw some return with the bones of nine of fore killed by the enemy. They were tied in white deer-skins separately; and, when carried by the door of one of the houses of their family, they were laid down opposite to it till the female relations convened with flowing hair, and wept over them about half an hour. Then they carried them home to their friendly magazines of mortality, wept over them again, and then buried them with the usual solemnities. The chieftain carried twelve short sticks tied together, in the form of quadrangle, so that each square consisted of three. The sticks were only peeled, without any painting; but there were swan feathers tied to each corner. They called that frame the 2 "Soon the mountaineers White Circle, and placed it over the door, while the women were weeping over the bones."-Ibid. Interment of their Kindred's Bones. "WHEN any of them die at a distance, if the company be not driven and pursued by the enemy, they place the corpse on a scaffold, covered with notched logs to secure it from being torn by wild beasts or birds of prey. When they imagine the flesh is consumed, and the bones are thoroughly dried, they return to the place, bring them home, and inter them in a very solemn manner."-Ibid. [North American Indians' Funeral.] “THEY laid the corpse in his tomb in a sitting posture, with his feet towards the east, his head anointed with bear's oil, and his face painted red, but not streaked with black, because that is a constant emblem of war and death. He was drest in his finest apparel, having his gun, and pouch, and trusty hiccory bow, with a young panther's skin full of arrows, along side of him, and every other useful thing he had been possessed of, that when he rises again they may serve him in that track of land which pleased him best before he went to take his long sleep. His tomb was firm and clean inside; they covered it with thick logs, so as to bear several tiers of cypressbark, and such a quantity of clay as would confine the putrid smell, and be on a level with the rest of the floor. They often sleep over those tombs, which with the loud wailing of the women at the dusk of the evening and dawn of the day, on benches close by the tombs, must awake the memory of their relations very often. And if they were killed by an enemy, it helps to irritate and set on such revengeful tempers to retaliate blood for blood.”—A. for they cannot sleep sound or easy under an old title while a new or higher one is due. On that long wished for day they all appear on the field of parade, as fine and cheerful as the birds in spring. Their martial drums beat, their bloody colours are displayed, and most of the young people are dancing, and rejoicing for the present success of their nation, and the safe return and preferment of their friends and relations. Every expectant warrior on that joyful day wears deer-skin maccaseenes painted red, his body is anointed with bear's oil, a young softened otter-skin is tied on each leg, a long collar of fine swan feathers hangs round his neck, and his face is painted with the various streaks of the rainbow. Thus they appear, when two of the old magi come forth, holding as many white wands and crowns as there are warriors to be graduated: and in a standing posture, they alternately deliver a long oration with great vehemence of expression, chiefly commending their strict observance of the law of purity, while they accompa nied the beloved ark of war, which induced the supreme chieftain to give them the victory; and they encourage the rest to continue to thirst after glory in imitation of their brave ancestors, who died nobly in defence of their country. At the conclusion of their orations, one of the Magi calls three times with a loud voice one of the warriors by his new name, or war-title, and holds up the white crown and the sceptre or wand. He then gladly answers and runs whooping to and around them three times. One of the old beloved men puts the crown on his head and the wand into his hand, then he returns to his former place, whooping with joy. In like manner they proceed with the rest of the graduate warriors, concluding with this strong caution,- Remember what you are'-such title-according to the old beloved speech. The crown is wrought round with the long feathers of a swan at the lower end, where it surrounds his temples, and it is curiously weaved with a quantity of white down, to a make it sit easy, and appear more beautiful; to this part that wreathes his brows, the skilful artist warps close together a ringlet of the longest feathers of the swan, and turning them carefully upward in an uniform position, he ties them together with deers' sinews, so as the bandage will not appear to the sharpest eyes without handling it. It is a little open at the top, and about fifteen inches high. The crowns they use in constituting war-leaders are always worked with feathers of the tail of the cherubic eagle, three or four inches higher than the other."-Ibid. [Moorish Customs after Meat.] "THE Moors know not the use of tablecloths, forks, or spoons; their meal ended, they lick their fingers, and wipe them on "The treating wounds with oil, and that poured in hot, in consequence of which the majority of those wounded by gun-shots died; prevailed universally in the European armies, till superseded by Ambrose Parée, that distinguished French surgeon to the French kings, who, being a Protestant, would have perished in St. Bartholomew's massacre, had he not been saved from it by the contrivance of Charles IX. himself."- Note to MACBRIDE's Diatessaron, p. 462. Third Edit.-J. W. W. their clothes, which they wash when dirty. Those who keep negro slaves, call them, and rub their hands in their hair; or if a Jew happens to be present, they make a napkin of his garments."-CHEnier. [The Seven Songs of Hasan Casa.] ROUND the gallery of the tomb of Abas II. at Com, runs a frize, divided equally into cartridges of azure, wherein are written, in large characters of gold, seven songs in distichs, made by the learned Hasan Caza, the first in honour of Mahommed, the others of Ali.-From CHARDIN. The first Song. "I salute the glorious Creature of whom the Sun is but the shadow! Master-piece of the Lord of human creatures! great Star of Justice and Religion! "Infallible expounder of the four books,2 Conductor of the eight Mobiles, Governor of the seven Parts, Chief of the Faithful! "Doctor of that knowledge which is infused into the Prophets! royal Hero celebrated by twelve successors! Though the Veil should be taken away, yet would not my belief be encreased. Light of God! Illuminating Soul of Prophecy! Guide of true believers! "The first object of God, when he bethought himself of sending his orders to 2 "The Pentateuch, the Psalter, the Gospel, and the Alcoran, the Mahometans believing that these books ever were, and always shall be, the rule of their faith." "The heavens of the planets of the Primum Mobile." 4 "The seven climates which was the ancient division of the earth." "It is in the original, Doctor in the knowledge of the prophets who knew not their ABC;' for the Mahometans affirm that Mahomet was so ignorant in human learning, that he could not read: to the end they might the better from thence conclude that his knowledge was supernatural." "The twelve heirs and successors of Mahomet, the last of which was carried to heaven, and shall return to confound the reign of the unfaithful." earth, and Embassador, Centre of divine secrets concerning what is past and to come, who has caused the acknowledgment of God to shine forth out of the darkness of errors, as the Morning goes before the Sun, before he mounts the horizon, thwart a dark night. Principal Type of things created! Instrument of the creation of the world, the highest of the race of Adam! Soul of the great Apostles and Messengers! "Thou art that Lord, through whom one verse in the Alcoran promises the fulfilling of our desires. Thou art that Sun through whom another verse tells the sovereign beauty shall be seen. Light of eyes! Crown of prophecy! Idol of the Angel Gabriel! "Thou art in the world a world of virtue and dignity. Thou art upon the earth a sun of majesty and grandeur. "The Sea is not rich and liberal, but by the gifts of thy munificent hands. The Angel Treasurer of Heaven reaps his harvest in the fertile gardens of the purity of thy nature. "Moses, who divided the sea, is the porter of the throne of thy justice. Jesus, the Monarch of the fourth Heaven, keeps guard before the veil of the throne of thy glory. "That incomprehensible Painter, who drew the Mole at one stroke of his pencil koun-fikoun, never made so fair a portraiture as the globe of thy visage. "From thy descent into the cradle to the last day of thy life, the Angels who register words never heard thee speak a word which did not ravish God himself with joy. "No man, in whatsoever condition he is, can resemble God so much as thou dost. But if there could be an image to represent God as he is, it could be no other than thyself, that Embassador whom out of his extraordinary clemency he sent to the Earth. "Happy and holy is the man who believes all that God has spoken in the Alcoran, according to the sense which his Prophet has observed in the Book of his sentences. If he should be compared with any other ex "Let it be so, and it was so." Gen. 1. 66 The Primum Mobile would never dart the ball of the Sun through the trunk of Heaven, were it not to serve the morning out of the extreme love she has for thee. tiny in comparison of thine? and what is the light of the Sun compared with that of thy understanding? Destiny does but execute thy commands. The Sun is enlightened by the beams of thy knowledge. "What is the power of the Stars and Des "When the numerous train of thy Majesty goes in its pomp, we see the sphere3 bound to the hand of the Captain that guides it, like a little bell at the neck of a mule. Let not Hercules vaunt any more the force of his courage; for who would endure a fly to brave it upon the wings of the great Phenix of the East? "Had Hercules seen the valour of thy arm in one action, assuredly the Bird of his Soul would have broken the cage of his body, and fled for fear. "The immense sea of thy merit tosses up surges above the heavens, and upon this sea of virtue the tempests of adversity cause no more disorder than rushes in the water. "If thy glory be weighed in the balance of exalted sense, the highest mountains weighed against it would appear no more than the seed of lentils. "In the great career of happiness, (where the transports of those who run the race "The Persians affirm that Aly was the handsomest person that ever was, and that his beauty was unconceivable; for which reason the painters usually cover his face with a veil, and will not let it be seen. But what the poet here speaks of Haly signifies that the blessed in heaven account it their chiefest felicity to be beloved by him." "Or fortune. The sense is, thou knowest how to turn the world at thy pleasure, as a mule turns the little bell that hangs at his neck." |