792 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



and curses him in his heart. He 

 is pleased when tliey go to war, 

 because they destroy each other. 

 Our interpreter used to take a ma- 

 licious pleasure in witnessing the 

 Moors receive the bastinado, and 

 in talking of it afterwards. When 

 all human patience and resources 

 tail, they have recourse to their 

 religion : " We are obliged, " said 

 a Jew to me, " to submit in this 

 world to every species of indignity, 

 but in the next we shall shine forth 

 the chosen people of the Most 

 High. Here we ride upon asses, 

 and are insulted by the Moors ; 

 there we shall ride upon horses, 

 with crowns of gold on our heads ; 

 the Moors shall hold our stirrups, 

 and run by our sides, whilst we 

 kick them, strike them, and spit in 

 the rascals' faces." — So saying he 

 spat upon the ground with great 

 violence. 



The dress of the better sort of 

 Moors consists of a linen shirt with- 

 out a collar, and with long and 

 wide sleeves ; next a caftan or vest 

 of cloth, which reaches to the calf 

 of the leg, and is girt round the 

 middle by a sash of party-coloured 

 silk, or of fine cotton ; a pair of 

 loose trowsers scarcely reaching 

 below the knees ; and lastly, a kind 

 of wrapper of light woollen stuff, 

 which is thrown round them in folds ; 

 the legs are bare, and on the feet 

 they wear yellow-slippers ; a red 

 peaked cap for the head completes 

 the dress. Only the higher ranks 

 wear turbans, generally those 

 who have performed the pilgrimage 

 to Mecqa. Mustachios or beards 

 are universally worn. In rainy 

 weather they carry a kind of watch- 

 coat of thick cloth, with a sharp- 

 peaked cowl to cover the head ; 

 fhis, witha shirt and a pair of slip- 



pers, often forms the sole dress o^ 

 the lower classes, who may be seen 

 sitting in rows in the sun or the 

 shade, models of dirt and indolence. 



The women have all an appear- 

 ance of wretchedness in their ex- 

 ternal covering, which consists, 

 like that of the men, of a wrapper 

 of light woollen, enveloping them 

 from head to feet. Every part 

 of the head and face is covered, 

 except the eyes. The better sort 

 wrap linen round their legs, but 

 by far the greater part of those 

 we saw in the streets, were bare- 

 legged ; all wore yellow slippers. 

 But notwithstanding this miserable 

 appearance, we were informed by 

 the Jewish women that it was 

 merely external. When they en- 

 ter a house where they are pay- 

 ing a visit, and where no men 

 are present, they throw aside 

 their wrappers, and display great 

 richness in their dress beneath ; 

 caftans of silk, or the finest cot- 

 ton, broad saehes of silk, ornament- 

 ed with gold and silver, their hair 

 adorned and perfumed, and brace- 

 lets set with pearls, on their 

 arms. 



The Jewish women, on the con- 

 trary, go with their faces unveiled ; 

 and among them may be seen some 

 of extraordinary beauty. They 

 are fond of party-coloured robes, 

 of silken sashes, of large rings, 

 and broad bracelets. They uni- 

 versally stain their nails of a yel- 

 low colour, and wear the hair 

 formed into two long plaits, one 

 hanging from each side of the head, 

 and adorned v.ith ribbons. TKe 

 common language both of men and 

 women is a very bad Spanish. 

 Such also I found to be the lan- 

 guage of the Jews at Smyrna and 

 Constantinople ; a clear proof of 



the 



