[ 475 ] 



MANNERS, CUSTOMS, &c. 



OF 



NATIONS AND CLASSES of PEOPLE. 



KALMUCK PRAYING MACHINES. 



(From Travels in the Caucasus and 

 Georgia.) 



A MONG the most remarkable 

 •^*- of the sacred utensils of the 

 temples is the KUrdd, a cylindrical 

 vessel of wood or metal, either very 

 smaller of immense size. In its cen- 

 tre is fixed an iron axle ; but the 

 interior of the cylinder, which is 

 quite hollow, is filled with sacred 

 writings, the leaves of which are 

 all stuck one to another at the edge, 

 throughout the whole length. — 

 Tbis paper is rolled tightly round 

 the axis of the cylinder ti 11 the whole 

 space is filled up. A close cover 

 is fixed on at each end, and the 

 whole Kiirda is very neatly finish- 

 ed, painted on the outside with al- 

 legorical representations, or Indian 

 prayers, and varnished. This cy- 

 linder is fastened upright in a frame 

 by the axis ; so that the latter, by 

 means of a wheel attached to it 

 below, may be set a-going with a 

 string, and with a slight pull kept 

 ina constant rotatory motion. When 



this cylinder is large, another twice 

 as small, and filled with writing, 

 is fixed for ornament at the top of 

 it. The inscriptions on such prayer- 

 wheels commonly consist of masses 

 for souls, psalms, and the six great 

 general litanies, in which the most 

 moving petitions are preferred for 

 the welfare of all creatures. The 

 text they sometimes repeat a hun- 

 dred or even a thousand times, at- 

 tributing from superstition a pro- 

 portionably augmented effect to 

 this repetition, and believing that 

 by these frequent copies, combined 

 with their thousands of revolutions, 

 they will prove so much the more 

 efficacious. You frequently see, 

 as well on the habitations of the 

 priests as on the whole roof of the 

 temple, small Kiirda placed close 

 to each other, in rows, by way of 

 ornament ; and not only over the 

 gates, but likewise in the fields, 

 frames set up expressly for these 

 praying-machines, which, instead 

 of being moved by a string, are 

 turned by means of four sails, 

 shaped and hollowed out like 

 spoons, by the wind. 



Other similar Kiirda are fasten- 



