MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



477 



about 15 years ago the latter was 

 burnt down, and has not since been 

 rebuilt : the country in general 

 affords few examples of distress, 

 and the people are ready to relieve 

 each other. 



In Ragusa there is also a theatre, 

 four churches, and some smaller 

 chapels, among which is a Jewish 

 synagogue, and about 200 Jews 

 reside in the city. 



The first printing-office was 

 established among them only about 

 15 years ago, at which books are 

 printed in the Italian and Hilderic 

 (or Sclavonian) languages, but 

 no newspapers are circulated in the 

 country. 



There is an office for marine in- 

 surances in Ragusa, but their ships 

 are frequently insured in Venice, 

 Leghorn, Constantinople, &c. 



The French, Neapolitans, Rus- 

 sians, Germans, and Spaniards, 

 have each a consul settled here ; 

 though as the trade of the country 

 is inconsiderable, and their own 

 vessels much more than sufficient 

 to supply it, they are seldom or 

 never visited by ships from other 

 nations (except such as put into 

 their ports in distress, windbound, 

 &c.) but a few small ones from the 

 popish territories, Naples, and 

 Venetian Dalmatia. 



The Raguseans have notaries 

 who make and record transfers of 

 property, of which the parties 

 take copies for their own satisfac- 

 tion. They have no gold coins, 

 though some Venetian zequins are 

 circulated among them. 



Their silver coins are ducats, in 

 value about three shillings sterling, 

 with the figure of a woman on one 

 side, and the word ' libertas' on 

 the other ; crown = | a ducat, and 

 pearpera = j of a crown. 



They have a copper coin, called 

 in Italian soldi, and in French sous, 

 and some denarii, each containing 

 six sous — twelve of these denarii 

 are equal to one pearpera. 



Turkish coins form the principal 

 part of their currency ; and they 

 have also some Spanish dollars, 

 which are sold for about 1 1 ducats 

 and 10 denarii each, sometimes a 

 trifle more or less. 



They make use of tobacco, 

 which they procure from the Turks, 

 and smoke in wooden pipes of 

 considerable length, to which they 

 often affix tops of amber very 

 costly. 



Wood is their only firing. 



The mountainous nature of the 

 country excludes the use of all 

 wheel-carriages, but they have 

 sedan chairs carried by men. 



It is not unworthy of remark 

 that even into this tranquil spot 

 (which seems to enjoy all the hap- 

 piness that any civil government is 

 capable of affording) the emissaries 

 of the French republic have en- 

 deavoured to introduce their favou- 

 rite doctrines of liberty and equa- 

 lity, and have excited some com- 

 motions in different parts of the 

 country among a few discontented 

 individuals of the lowest and most 

 profligate classes ; but the bulk of 

 the people are too well satisfied 

 with their condition to be inclined 

 at present to " meddle with them 

 that are given to change." 



Anecdotes uespecting Negro 

 Slavery. 



From Travels in North America by 

 Robert Sutdiffe. 

 1 was waked early by the cries 

 of a poor Negro, who was under- 

 going 



