jl848.] eastern women. 485 



far exceed their male companions. In the neighborhood of 

 the Eastern towns, at the wells and springs, groups of Jewish 

 damsels, or peasant women, may be seen, each one of whom, 

 in the style of her dress, in her complexion, manner, and ap- 

 pearance, will remind the Christian traveller of the Rebecca 

 whom Isaac loved. And it has been remarked by an intelli- 

 gent female writer, who speaks from her own personal obser- 

 vation, that the common practice of carrying water on their 

 heads contributes a great deal to the uprightness and ele- 

 gance of figure for which the women of Syria and Egypt are 

 remarkable. " So far from giving a curve to the spine, de- 

 pressing the neck, or in anywise shortening the growth of 

 the body, the resistance of the muscles seems to increase in 

 proportion to the pressure, and much elasticity of action is 

 the result. In some places, the springs are often a quarter of 

 a mile from the villages, and much below them, so as to ren- 

 der the ascent very toilsome : yet every day in the week may 

 be seen girls and women carrying these jars, containing not 

 less than fifteen quarts of water, on their heads, with a 

 natural grace not exceeded by the studied walk of a stage 

 dancer. A favorite manner with them, when seen by men 

 and when wishing to be coquettish, is to place both thumbs 

 through the jar handles, which has a very statue-like appear- 

 ance. When unobserved, they generally tuck up their gowns 

 all round, showing their pantaloons. If in their best clothes, 

 they are seen with silver bracelets instead of glass ones, 

 and with similar rings round their ankles ; with a silver relic 

 case hanging at their bosom ; with long sleeves to their 

 gowns ; and over it, if in winter, a cloth vest, if in summer, 

 one of bombazine ; with ear-rings ; and with a species of 

 ornament not known in England or France, silver rims of 

 mail or of coins which take in the oval of the face from the 

 temples to the chin, and have a very pretty effect. The gir- 

 dles are fastened by two silver bosses as large as the bottom 

 of a tumbler, and they wear on their feet a pair of yellow 

 slippers/' * 



* Travels of Lady Hester Stanhope. 



