270 



B A 11 B A R Y. 



ftank. 



Barbary. the parties to plight their faith, by drinking out of 

 each others hands. After the marriage, the friends 

 are entertained with feasting and amusement:;, a 

 greater or a smaller number of days, according to 

 the wealth of the parties j and it is considered as in- 

 cumbent on the man to remain at home eight days, 

 and the woman eight months after their union. The 

 husband has power to divorce his wife on various ac- 

 counts, such as barrenness, unchastity, 8cc. ; and the 

 wife possesses a similar power, if her husband should 

 fail to provide her with sufficient subsistence, or 

 should three times utter curses against her. In Bar- 

 bary, as in other Mahommedan countries, four wives 

 are allowed to one husband ; and as many concubines 

 as he may choose to support. The Moors, how- 

 over, seldom avail themselves of this indulgence ; and 

 in a population of 100,000 souls, scarcely 100 men 

 will be found, who possess the number allowed by the 

 law. Even among the Bashaws, and other great men, 

 the number of their wives increases only by degrees ; 

 and an additional one is seldom taken, till the for- 

 mer have lost their bloom. The first married, 

 however, especially if she have born a son, is al- 

 ways regarded as the mistress of the house ; and the 

 younger wives are taught to pay her all due respect. 

 The concubines are generally black women, who re- 

 side in the house along with the wives, and perform 

 the menial offices of the family. The children of 

 the wives have all an equal share of the effects of 

 .their father and mother ; but those of the concubines 

 :ao claim only half the proportion of the others. 

 The marriages of the Arabs are conducted in a man- 

 ner very similar to what has now been described ; 

 but are often celebrated with much greater show, 

 .md by much larger companies. The friends of the 

 parties provide them with a tent and its simple furni- 

 ture ; and each brings to thj^fcint stock a propor- 

 tion of cattle and of grain. Though they generally 

 wear nothing but woollen clothing, yet it i3 a cus- 

 tom, in many tribes, that the bridegroom and bride 

 shall have each a linen shirt at their nuptials ; but 

 this they must neither wash nor put off, as long as 

 it will hang together. 



The Moors are equal by birth, and know no dif- 

 ference of rank, except what is derived from official 

 employments ; and even this is not retained, after 

 these offices are resigned. The exercise of the me- 

 chanical trades is never considered as, in the smallest 

 degree, disreputable ; and the governor or judge of 

 a town would never think himself degraded by giving 

 Iu9 daughter in marriage to a common artificer: The 

 meanest man in the nation may thus aspire to a ma- 

 trimonial connection with the most opulent. Per- 

 sons bearing the name of Mahommed, which is ge- 

 nerally given to the first male-child born in wedlock, 

 are always addressed by the title of Seedy, synony- 

 mous to Signor. 

 Salutations. The usual mode of salutation in Barbary is to put 

 the right hand on the breast, to wake a gentle in- 

 clination of the head, and in this posture, to give the 

 salem aliok, or the wish of peace. If the parties 

 are intimately acquainted, they shake hands with a 

 very quick motion ; or merely make the extre- 

 mities of their fingers meet, and then each puts 

 his own to his lips ; or mutually embrace, kissing 

 the forehead, shoulders, or beard. They then in- 



quire after the health of the relatives in due order ; Barbarj. 

 and, among the Arabs, on these occasions, the mar^, " v ' 

 ilock, and ven the tent are not forgotten; but while 

 putting these questions, they seldom wait for a re- 

 ply, and ;ire often far beyond each ot'aers hearing, 

 before they have finished their civil interrogatories. 

 When they accost a superior, they make the havk, 

 which is usually thrown loosely over the head, fall 

 back upon the shoulders ; generally pull off their 

 slippers as they approach, and respectfully kiss his 

 hand, or merely that part of his hayk which covers 

 his arm, or sometimes even his feet. The superior, 

 in these cases, presents the back of his hand for salu- 

 tation ; and it is accounted an indication of great fa- 

 vour, when he offers the palm. The compliment 

 due to a sovereign, and to any of his family, is to 

 uncover the head, and then to prostrate or rather 

 bend the body to the ground. It is common in Bar- 

 bary to address a peculiar salutation to a person who 

 is eating, drinking, smoking, sneezing, or belching ; 

 namely, saha, " may it do you good." 



When the inhabitants of Barbary pay visits to Visits, 

 each other, they generally ride on mules, rather than 

 horses ; and pride themselves greatly upon being at- 

 tended, on these occasions, by several running foot- 

 men. They are not always received into the house ; 

 but, if the weather be fine, a mat or carpet is spread 

 before the door ; and upon this they place themselves 

 in a circle, cross-legged, or resting upon their heels, 

 while their attendants are seated m the outside in a 

 similar manner. The streets are sometimes crowded 

 with these parties, engaged in smoking, in drinking 

 tea, in conversation, or in gaming. If the company 

 be large, and an entertainment be given, the inner- 

 court is frequently the place of meeting ; and, on 

 these occasions, a kind of veil or curtain is, generally 

 extended from the parapet walls, to shelter them 

 from the heat or inclemency of the weather. The 

 master of the house, when receiving his guests, re- 

 mains upon his seat, takes their hand as they ad- 

 vance, inquire* after their health, and directs them 

 to their place. Whatever b.e the time of the day, 

 tea is introduced, during the visit, in the houses of 

 the opulent ; and is accounted the greatest civility 

 that can be shewn to the company. When a stran- 

 ger arrives to lodge in the family, the first compli- 

 ment offered is water to wash his feet, (which the 

 circumstance of walking barefoot, or at most in loose 

 slippers, renders a very necessary and acceptable cere- 

 mony ;) and, in such cases, the master of the house 

 is always the most active in doing the most menial of- 

 fices to his guest. 



The common topics of conversation among these Conversa- 

 pcople are, the occurrences of the neighbourhood, tl0n - 

 with respect to which, they testify the most eager 

 curiosity ; their religious tenets, which the talbs, or 

 men of letters, embrace every opportunity of intro- 

 ducing, in order to display their own acquirements ; 

 their women, on which subject their discourse is ex- 

 ceedingly low, trifling, and indecent ; and, lastly, 

 their horses, upon which it is accounted the greatest 

 of all accomplishments to be able to harangue. In 

 conversation, the gestures of the Moors are lively, 

 graceful, and expressive ; their accent peculiarly 

 strong and sharp ; and their voice remarkably full 

 and sonorous. When they become hot and quarrel- 



